Thursday, March 22nd, 2018
Stephan: America in general and Republicans in particular do not care about children. I know, I know, how can you say that, Stephan, I love my children, we love children in this country. Yes, I'm sure you do love your children, about children in general, not so much.
I'm not interested in the bloviation of politicians, preachers, and pious hypocrites, "We love children, America is the greatest country in the world for children... yada yada."
SR deals in facts, especially social outcome data. And the data says, children particularly the children of the peasants count for very little. You doubt me? Look at the infant mortality rate in the U.S., particularly in states controlled by Republicans. Look at the incarceration rate of children, again particularly in christofascist states. Look at the health outcome data. Look at the education data.
And then there is how we treat our teachers. Consider this story from Oklahoma, a christofascist state filled with sanctimonious people telling you how they love family values. Really, Oklahoma? Then why are your teachers having to sell their blood to teach your children? This is America in the second decade of the 21st century and I, for one, am sick of these stories.
Striking teachers
Credit: Shutterstock
Teachers in the Republican-run state of Oklahoma are preparing to go on strike to improve their salaries and benefits — and a new article about their dire situations in the New York Times goes a long way toward explaining why.
As the Times reports, teachers in the state have not had a raise now in a decade, which means that many of them have had to stretch harder and harder every year to keep the lights on in their houses — and they’re also taking drastic measures to get extra cash.
“Across the state, teachers say they make ends meet by selling their blood plasma, or by working second jobs as luggage handlers, Uber drivers or in lawn maintenance,” the Timesreports.
And it’s not just teacher pay that has stagnated, as the state’s Republican-dominated government has refused to boost education funding as well. In fact, the funding crisis within the Oklahoma education system has gotten so dire that roughly 20 percent of schools are experimenting with having four-day weeks to save money.
Because of […]
