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If you want a good laugh, don't read this. Today I am angry. Angrier than I was yesterday, and still angrier than I was the day before.
It's amazing. Everywhere I look, stories about our tighter immigration laws in Arizona, yet noone seems to give a s*** that Arizona just fired half its teachers and is closing a huge number of schools. Why is immigration a better news story than the ultimate abuse of our childrens' right to an education? Coast to coast there is an outpouring of support as well as opposition to the new rules on the table in Arizona, making it a state law to be here illegally. I won't get into that here. It's a stupid law, but no stupider than the concealed weapons law letting anyone and their mother/brother/cat carry, no permit required.
But not a word about the desecration of our K-12 schools. Where is the outrage? Where is the uproar? What is wrong with this country? Someone find me a national news organization that is covering the utter shame that is Arizona's Educational System? Oh sure, there's the occasional news bite when a school district does something extreme, but the hubbub quickly dies down, and people move on to the next sensational bit.
For now I have decided to boycott 'em all. Local news only. No CNN. No NY Times. No Newsweek. No Fox (well that's a given). No MSNBC. No US News. No USA Today. I won't subscribe. I won't read your ads. I won't support you in any way till you cough up some publicity. We have a special election coming on May 18. Proposition 100. Temporary Sales Tax for 3 years. 1cent. that's it. A penny on the dollar to save our educational system and provide the kids what is their RIGHT. Yet, unfortunately Arizona is filled with retirees. Some support our efforts. Many do not. They feel they've paid their dues. They're done. No more. We need them to vote yes. We need to convince them it's the only moral thing to do. But we can't do that without public awareness. And we need it on a national scale.
In California, Prop 8 may have won in the end, but it was in the National spotlight for months and months. Why? Is it more sensational because it involves the gay and lesbian community? Is a story about kids so mundane it's not worth anyone's time? Journalists and talking heads alike seem to agree, no hook to the story. The Health writer says it's "not relative". The Science writer says "no connection". The Society columnist says it's "too serious". The Financial writer says it doesn't "play on wall street". They are all so very wrong. It's connected to every one of their subject areas. With far reaching consequences.
In the past 24 hours I've seen a kajillion national stories/blogs about the mysterious iPhone prototype found in a bar. And not one about the 4000+ teachers in Arizona who got pink slipped. I've seen hundreds more stories about everything from Lady Gaga's fans to Tweets and their future in the archives. And not one about the number of schools that need to shut down for lack of funds. Now if I'm wrong, send me a link. I'll spread it like wildfire. But I don't think I am. When California had a crisis in its school system, it was national news. Why is that? Because their kids are more important? Because the governor is a celebrity? Because all the residents are? or is it just apathy. Is it because it has happened already somewhere else, it doesn't matter anymore.
Enough. I am challenging anyone reading this to start spreading the word to VOTE YES ON 100 in Arizona. I don't care if you live in Tibet. It takes only seconds to spread the word. So that it becomes public. So that the voters of Arizona see that the country, nay, the world...is watching. So they reconsider. Think twice about their decision. And in the end, hopefully, they will do the right thing.
And I challenge my writer friends, and there are a few of you out there, do the right thing. Use your sword. Wield it for good. Make a difference. Otherwise you can only look back at your body of work and say, wow, I got paid for this. Instead of wow, I made a difference.
It's amazing. Everywhere I look, stories about our tighter immigration laws in Arizona, yet noone seems to give a s*** that Arizona just fired half its teachers and is closing a huge number of schools. Why is immigration a better news story than the ultimate abuse of our childrens' right to an education? Coast to coast there is an outpouring of support as well as opposition to the new rules on the table in Arizona, making it a state law to be here illegally. I won't get into that here. It's a stupid law, but no stupider than the concealed weapons law letting anyone and their mother/brother/cat carry, no permit required.
But not a word about the desecration of our K-12 schools. Where is the outrage? Where is the uproar? What is wrong with this country? Someone find me a national news organization that is covering the utter shame that is Arizona's Educational System? Oh sure, there's the occasional news bite when a school district does something extreme, but the hubbub quickly dies down, and people move on to the next sensational bit.
For now I have decided to boycott 'em all. Local news only. No CNN. No NY Times. No Newsweek. No Fox (well that's a given). No MSNBC. No US News. No USA Today. I won't subscribe. I won't read your ads. I won't support you in any way till you cough up some publicity. We have a special election coming on May 18. Proposition 100. Temporary Sales Tax for 3 years. 1cent. that's it. A penny on the dollar to save our educational system and provide the kids what is their RIGHT. Yet, unfortunately Arizona is filled with retirees. Some support our efforts. Many do not. They feel they've paid their dues. They're done. No more. We need them to vote yes. We need to convince them it's the only moral thing to do. But we can't do that without public awareness. And we need it on a national scale.
In California, Prop 8 may have won in the end, but it was in the National spotlight for months and months. Why? Is it more sensational because it involves the gay and lesbian community? Is a story about kids so mundane it's not worth anyone's time? Journalists and talking heads alike seem to agree, no hook to the story. The Health writer says it's "not relative". The Science writer says "no connection". The Society columnist says it's "too serious". The Financial writer says it doesn't "play on wall street". They are all so very wrong. It's connected to every one of their subject areas. With far reaching consequences.
In the past 24 hours I've seen a kajillion national stories/blogs about the mysterious iPhone prototype found in a bar. And not one about the 4000+ teachers in Arizona who got pink slipped. I've seen hundreds more stories about everything from Lady Gaga's fans to Tweets and their future in the archives. And not one about the number of schools that need to shut down for lack of funds. Now if I'm wrong, send me a link. I'll spread it like wildfire. But I don't think I am. When California had a crisis in its school system, it was national news. Why is that? Because their kids are more important? Because the governor is a celebrity? Because all the residents are? or is it just apathy. Is it because it has happened already somewhere else, it doesn't matter anymore.
Enough. I am challenging anyone reading this to start spreading the word to VOTE YES ON 100 in Arizona. I don't care if you live in Tibet. It takes only seconds to spread the word. So that it becomes public. So that the voters of Arizona see that the country, nay, the world...is watching. So they reconsider. Think twice about their decision. And in the end, hopefully, they will do the right thing.
And I challenge my writer friends, and there are a few of you out there, do the right thing. Use your sword. Wield it for good. Make a difference. Otherwise you can only look back at your body of work and say, wow, I got paid for this. Instead of wow, I made a difference.
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