Letters on school vouchers, ‘Obama recession,’ true education, ‘Fist Fight’

School vouchers fair to everyone

Many people must not have a clue where “public money” comes from. It comes from all the people who pay property taxes, sales taxes, income taxes and other taxes.

Those who say only rich people send their children to private schools are dead wrong. I know many families who deny themselves ordinary luxuries so they can send their children to private schools.

The rich must pay a lot in taxes for their big homes, fancy cars, clothes and other luxuries they buy. All money from the rich and poor goes to public schools, then those at private schools pay all over again for their education. What a fantastic deal for public schools and no deal for private schools.

This have been going on for more than 150 years.

Let us now use vouchers to be fair to everyone. That way more children could afford a better education at a private school (as proven by school test scores). It is way past due to be just and fair to all.

Smart investing

It’s past a ridiculous bad joke for President Trump, Fox News and other “conservatives” – many of whose opinions have nothing to do with facts – to continue their longtime condemnation of the “Obama recession.”

A recent column is the Wall Street Journal by Stephen Russolillo stated: “The second longest bull market on record, set to reach its eighth anniversary next month, has shown few signs of slowing. What doesn’t get enough credit are the fundamental underpinnings of the rally … slow-but-steady economic growth, low interest rates, reliable earnings, and predictable money policy.”

As one who has, using reliable news sources, been a beneficiary of this market, it is hard to be sympathetic with those who sold in uninformed panic when President Obama was elected, and who now are again panicking at a loss, out of high-yield bonds during the most predictable interest rate increase in history.

My investment guru is the wise author Benjamin Graham, whose book, “The Intelligent Investor,” has been my guide for many years. He graphically describes “smart money” and “dumb money,” also stating that investment decisions should never be made based on emotions or politics.

Suggestion: Those who make careful, informed choices might do well in the future.

True education

Unfortunately, it appears columnist Leonard Pitts is the victim of his own illusion (“Biggest divide is education gap between left and right,” Feb. 20 Opinion).

Pitts divided people into classes of the dull and the brilliant on the basis on the level of formal education. He seems unaware that education not only takes place everywhere – but also that having knowledge is not the same as having the capacity to use it, especially to use it well.

Many buy the idea that your degree is who you are, sort of a free pass to life that requires no additional skills of efforts. Colleges promote that perception, but that is marketing, not fact.

Many famous people – including Abraham Lincoln, architect Frank Lloyd Wright and many successful business leaders – have demonstrated that education is available everywhere, and that success depends on how well you understand and use it rather than where you got it.

Education and knowledge are valuable things, but how those are acquired is not what makes them valuable. The ability to use what you know effectively is far more important – and that is a hands-on real-world education.

To attempt to disqualify those who don’t acquire their education by the formal route, and automatically qualify those who do as competent, does not show an understanding of what education is or how it benefits us. It shows a sort of arrogance. And ignorance.

Movie message

Does anyone else see a problem with the movie “Fist Fight” that is now playing at theaters? I do.

The preview indicates that the movie makes light of bullying and intimidation. It is making light of an individual being tormented and threatened by another. Sure, the movie is supposed to be a comedy, but in this day in age, is it responsible?

Also, what if the lead characters’ skin colors were reversed? What if it were a white teacher terrorizing a black teacher? What if the black teacher called 911 and he was laughed at?

I’m bewildered that this film was actually made, and question how it is considered entertainment.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 5:03 AM with the headline "Letters on school vouchers, ‘Obama recession,’ true education, ‘Fist Fight’."