Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

Quote of the Day

4/9/2013

0 Comments

 
"It is not our job to see that anyone gets an education. It is not the responsibility of me, you, or any constituent in my district to pay for his or any other persons [sic] education.  Their GPA, ACT, AS[V]AB, determination have nothing to do with who is responsible. Their potential to benefit society is irrelevant."
-- State Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-OK)

It would be easy to say that when you write on your website against education, you probably would want to be sure you don't make any typos and therefore spell "persons'" correctly.  But a typo is a typo and moot.

It would also be easy to say that a Republican talking about how irrelevant it is to benefit society is to be expected, since that's largely the GOP position against so many things, like Social Security, Medicare, health care, civil rights, unemployment insurance, minimum wage, the 40-hour work week, the TVA, equal pay for women, affirmative action, federal deposition insurance, child labor laws and more.

But no, I'm going to ignore all that and, instead, I'm actually going to agree with Mike Reynolds!  Because what he said in his first sentence, finally stating out loud what I've long suggested has been the Republican Party's position for over 60 years.  To demean education.

When Republicans ran again Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and 1956, their big complaint against him was that he was "an egghead."  In other words, he was too smart.

When John Kennedy was elected president in 1960, the Republican complaint was that he had a "Harvard Mafia" advising him.  People who were too smart.  And you just can't trust them, those smart people.

When Richard Nixon got elected president in 1968 and 1972, college students were so high on his Enemies List that it was unsurprising when four students were killed by the National Guard.  The Nixon Administration response, in part, referenced the "bums" on campus.  Those smart kids -- sorry, those smart, dead kids who were just trouble. 

When George H.W. Bush (the first) ran for re-election as "the education president" he told a crowd of laborers at a Los Angeles rally that getting a college education wasn't necessary in today's society compared to the work they did.  A point worth addressing, but terribly odd coming from someone calling himself "the education president" and playing down the importance of getting educated.

When his son, George W. Bush, was president he notably underfunded "No Child Left Behind" for raising education standards.

The point here is that more than the past half century Republicans have seemingly never felt it was their "job to see that anyone gets an education."  Rather, it's been their job to see that the public mistrusts education, and try to convince everyone that people who are "too smart" are a threat, not the promise of improving society.

But then, it's understandable.  Because when you downplay education, the public won't be in as strong a position to see through obfuscation, question lies, and dismiss unsupportable positions.  More to the point, it leaves people relying instead on belief, then on faith, and ultimately on needing the word of others to lead them.  In the end, it becomes the core of religion as a political viewpoint in a secular society.  And what you get is a far right religious base.  A base that ultimately operates on that very belief, personal faith, rather than what is good and real and beneficial to everyone in society.

So, no, it is not the Republican Party's job to see that anyone gets an education.  It is their prayer that people don't.

And Mike Reynolds just stated it eloquently.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    International
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Tech
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2023
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like