The scene is quite grim- the country is in the midst of a recession; over one million homes are in foreclosure; rental prices have sky-rocketed; banks are not handing out loans like they used to; gas is making giant leaps toward the five dollar per gallon mark; car and truck manufacturers are closing down plants; tens of thousands of people have been laid-off; major issues, often deadly, have been found with products and medication manufactured in China; the country is littered with racism and intolerance; we are knee deep in a senseless war that most of us categorically disagree with; our family unit is in crisis, divorce rates are high, children are having sex younger and younger and at least one out of every four teenage girls in America has a sexually transmitted disease! Domestic violence, gang violence, teenage violence- they’ve all become a daily reality.
To make matters worse, our education system is in shambles. Sure, theoretically speaking, every kid in America can attend a public school, but the education level at many of these schools is pathetic, it doesn’t even measure up to the levels of many poorer, so-called ‘developing’ countries. And still they allow High School kids to pick their own classes! It’s ridiculous! I went to Middle School and High School in one of these ‘developing’ nations, (often referred to as a ‘third world country’ even if the term has become politically incorrect) and by the time I graduated I had studied World Literature, World Geography, World History, My own country’s Geography, My own country’s History, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geometry, Algebra II, Trigonometry, Calculus, I was 100% bilingual (verging on tri-lingual) and I could hold my own in a Current Events conversation.
At a family gathering recently we asked my 16 year-old cousin, who attends the second best public school in the country, if she knew what year Columbus discovered America- she had no idea. I thought she was kidding at first, but I quickly realized this was no joke, it was a sad reality. When we told her it was 1492, her answer was: “Oh, yeah, I forgot.” You don’t FORGET 1492. It should be embedded in your brain. I hate to tell you that she is in fact, an honor student.
So, is it really a surprise to anyone that in a country where our own president can’t pronounce the word ‘nuclear’, 20% of the population can not find the United States on a world map? In fact, Mr. Bush’s geographical skills are equally appalling; here’s a quote from a speech he gave in Sweden in 2001: “We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease.” If you can’t catch the mistake in that quote, then I’m sorry to say, you too are a victim of this lack-luster education system.
It’s clear that the problems that face this nation are numerous and of great significance. And the only feasible answer that comes to mind is a complete and radical change in the system. Obviously the Bush and Republican ways aren’t working. We are in a terrible crisis and this nation’s problems have gotten completely out of hand. The deciding factor to cast your vote in the general election this fall shouldn’t be whether someone is pro-choice or pro-life, let’s face it, a woman will ALWAYS be able to get an abortion if she wants one, so what the president’s personal philosophy is on the matter will make no difference. Cast your vote for change. Cast your vote for ending this inhumane war. Cast your vote for Stem Cell Research that may be able to cure you and your loved ones of future illness. Cast your vote for tolerance. Cast your vote for fresh ideas in the White House. They had their chance, they blew it – this time around, vote for CHANGE.
