Getting Our Heads Out Of The Morass

Edward R. Murrow once said: “I am in a financial morass from which I am unable to extricate myself.” Many States are in a political morass as a result of a planned assault on America. The question is, how do we extricate ourselves? In Arizona, one of the most corrupt states, leaders are emerging who know how. They use facts and data, and social media to bypass the in-pocket Press.

Is there anyone who believes that the misuse of hundreds of millions of dollars of public taxpayer money in Arizona is an unexpected consequence of so-called education reform?

If so, they most likely profit at the expense of the children and families from whom this money is stolen.

If so, they are part of a radical and nation-killing movement based on feudal ideology and pure greed.

If so, they are part of a State Legislature that intentionally forbids charter school accountability and protects those who are given our tax dollars and use them for their own profits, kids-be-damned.

If so, they have written laws that allow pirates to create closed and unaccountable “schools” that rake in millions of public tax dollars via side-deals and Real Estate deals. They eliminate students that they can’t benefit from. They kick out children that don’t serve their needs and send them back into the public schools humiliated, damaged, and often broken.

If so, they are Legislators who do not believe in the separation of Church and State.

If so, they are part of political organizations that supports the privatizers and radical right-wing, and ignore the damages to their community and to children and families.

If so, they support privatization and profiteering from dollars citizens pay to educate children. They privatize any-and-all functions of government where there is profit to be gleaned. Prisons and schools for example.

Is there anyone in Arizona who believes that the extreme right-wing, working for ALEC-Koch-Goldwater Institute-John Birch Society bosses has not intentionally, decade after decade, placed totally unqualified non-educators in the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction, thus undermining public education from inside?

Those who wield these powers have used every opportunity to destroy the teaching profession, our community schools, and now our Universities.

Is there anyone in Arizona who doesn’t know that a Right To Work State is a trick to extract more profit from battered workers and to curtail information the public needs by not letting workers organize and speak out?

Is there an educated citizen of Arizona who is not convinced that the Democratic process of Representative Government has been defeated through the control of primary elections and the selection of those who will get massive financial support: Those candidates they allow to run and win? That those who wield power have effectively discouraged people from voting?

We can organize and drain the morass. Leaders are emerging. For example, I am very impressed by Jim Hall the retired principal who has started Arizonans for Charter School Accountability. https://www.facebook.com/Charterwatchers He has assembled some amazing data. Can he help get our heads out of the morass? Yes, certainly, IF you and others help him gather data and present it. Look for leaders. Be prepared to follow and to lead. Organize and work together.

The place where ideas are always flowing is Diane Ravitch’s blog site, www.dianeravitch.net This is the sharing center of our causes.

Do this for our future and for our children.