Fishing for Dummies
Give a man a fish; he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish; he'll eat for a lifetime. This is a timeless saying on the importance of having a steady job. But not only that, but having some sort of education as well. In my opinion, jobs and knowledge go hand in hand. For most jobs, a level of knowledge is required. This is why public education is so important. It shapes the mind of our children, molds them, and prepares them for what's next. Without some sort of public education system, where would we be? We would have a ton of uneducated people living off of the government due to the sheer fact that they're either illiterate, or incapable of even applying for a job. While I myself am a major proponent of public education, and live by "teach" VS "give", some politicians stand by – give a man a fish, and he'll be complacent, but don't teach a man to fish and that means more fish for me.
While this makes sense, I mean "fishing" in a sense isn't all that hard, it creates this system of people needing to work to feed other people. The less experienced fall along the wayside - such as our children who don't have access to a proper education due to budget cuts. These children end up turning to a life of crime, or fall into poverty and end up living off of the system. The state should be giving these people every chance to learn and achieve an education. This is what we expect from our government; they're supposed to want to see happy, working, healthy citizens.
Georgia is ranked 50th in unemployment. Which means we have the second to highest, (DC is counted as its own municipality, so technically there are 51 spots on most federal lists), number of people that are unemployed. Not only are we 50th in unemployment, but in education as well. Now, there are many reasons for this – but the main one being the massive billion dollars that Nathan Deal has cut from the budget on education. Not only did this obviously affect our public school system, but it also affected our technical schools as well. I'm a firm believer in technical schools; like I said, I believe everyone should have access to some sort of post-grade school education. Whether it be a university or a trade school. It's important for our youth to learn some sort of skill. On top of Deal cutting the education budget, David Perdue wants to get rid of the education department all together. Now, tell me, in what fantasy land does this make any sense? He states that an education system isn't mentioned in the constitution; however, the constitution states that the government is able to delegate as many departments as they deem necessary. If we're going by his model, then shouldn't we get rid of the department of labor? Or get rid of the department of natural resources? Or what about the mega-money maker for republicans – the department of defense? The fact that these politicians actually think it's okay to get rid of something so vital, so important, so necessary for our growth as a country, or even as a state, rather, bewilders me.
It all goes back to giving a man a fish VS teaching. If the government is just handing out fish, but not lessons, then they create a certain stagnant place for people. There is no room to advance, no room to learn, and definitely no room to advance socially. It virtually leaves people and their future generations to stay right where they already are. Now this is perfect for wealthy citizens. It secures their place in society. But what of the bright minds of some of our children? Are they doomed to never become what they should? Are they supposed to stay in the same place their whole lives? No. America used to mean freedom, liberty, a better life, and it was a symbol of hope to not only her citizens, but the world as well.
However, lately, politicians haven't been seeing that. They run things for them and their investors, clearly not thinking of their constituents. The social ranks of America are slowly turning from lower-middle-upper into this low-upper low-upper-super wealthy fiasco. It's almost a sort of serfdom like democracy we're running now. And in my opinion, it has got to stop.
Wrapping things up, you have to get out and vote for people who you believe will keep their word. Vote for people who actually want to better this country, and not by giving more money to the already wealthy, while leaving to impoverished to starve. This huge democratic witch hunt by not only Washington, but in Georgia as well, needs to stop. If you don't vote for people who want to teach people how to fish, things won't change. We'll be left with people who don't have these skills needed to get through life. Believe in education. Believe in our children, or else these radical conservatives will ultimately be our downfall if we don't stand up. And after all, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.
Reposted from State Senator Curt Thompson's blog (D-5th). He resides in Tucker, GA and is Chairman of the Special Judiciary Committee. Make sure to follow him on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus. His website is www.makingyourvoicecount.com
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