America is losing its competitive edge in our world. Those people with an education all around the world know that to succeed internationally peop;e must receive a thorough education with a varied curriculum. Americans cannot afford to curtail or compromise equal education to all its citizens. Our founding fathers created an America that works best when all its people partake and utilize their inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our country became greatest whenever those rights of freedom, liberty and equality became issues of the day, when people stepped up and recognized the nation’s original quest: government of the people.
Our state Legislature is promoting the idea of school choice. School choice as an individual’s right is always acceptable. Is it, though, when choice benefits those few who wish to use public funds for their own private use? State and federal government represents all citizens. Passing this bill would utilize public funds meant for public schools to a choice option for those without enough money to send their children to these private schools.
In reality, the cost of these exclusive schools would continue to be too expensive even with the use of these vouchers or tax deductions. Public officials representing all the people, regardless of any party affiliation, and those with backing to boot, must reach high and remember who elected them and who they work for.
Public funds through taxes pay of our roads, bridges, education, law enforcement. The belong to the people as a whole for the use and benefit of all. Private enterprise sometimes is aided or funded by the government when it has been deemed for the benefit of all the people in the form of jobs and/or land development. Using those funds meant for public education and sending the money to private schools is clearly wrong and wrong-minded government benefiting a few and potentially sacrificing the whole.
There are those who write The Herald saying public schools are broken, putting forth the idea that they cannot be fixed. Well, what kind of powerless foolishness is that? Our public schools, if broken, can, with effort by those in government, teachers and parents, be reconstructed with new methods of teaching along with teamwork by all concerned.
Maybe those who say this about our schools want you to lose hope so that their agenda and where their money goes to benefit these few who are elite or think they are elite. Separation of haves from have-nots can corrupt our community for a long time to come.
Alfred H. Baker
Rock Hill
