When We Saw the Dude Nailed to the Plus Sign on the Wall in Math Class…We Knew The Teacher Meant Business!

GorT beat Dr. J. to the punch regarding President Obama’s poor choice of words in Northern Ireland, but Dr. J. would like to add a couple of pints points.

• Point the first, Dr. J. thinks that it is stupid, Stupid, STUPID that President Obama talks to Northern Ireland about Northern Ireland being divided given that the while the scars remain, The Troubles are not what they were a couple of decades, let alone a Gen-X lifetime ago thanks to the hard work of American leadership, including to some degree his Democrat predecessor President Bill Clinton. Imagine some ass-hat politician from Belgium talk to Americans about our segregation past. While the issues are largely gone (yes, there’s the occasional segregated prom, and there is still some segregation due to income level and the dole) to get in our face about it would not go over well. It would make some headlines, hurt some feelings, especially of older folk who suffered through those times, but mostly it would make the politician look bad. No different here.
• Point the second, Catholic schools, if anything are a great equalizer in our society. They are independent schools that are affordable. The tuition, thanks to subsidies from the collection plate, and good old fashioned belt tightening is typically a half to a third of other independent schools. The product one receives is superior to a majority of the public schools they compete against (especially so in urban areas, less so in Affluentia™). That being said, Dr. J.’s grandparents came from Ireland and worked as domestic staff for a wealthy family in Philadelphia. Papa J’s dad ran the livery and his mother was, essentially, Mrs. Hughes. Through their scrimping and saving, and with Grandpa J. working two jobs, they put Papa J. and his siblings through Catholic school. Through hard work in school Papa J. earned his way into an elite Catholic prep school in Philadelphia and he too, worked a part time job to help pay his way through. With help from the G.I bill, hard work, and some support from Grandpa and Grandma J., he worked his way through college and ultimately became a very successful executive in an insurance company. The point is that Catholic schools provide an access point for the poor that can give them a hand up rather than a hand out. They can create their own success. 

This is why the President, Dr. J. surmises, does not like Catholic schools, and consequently voucher programs to provide access to them for the poor. (A voucher isn’t going to cover the tuition for the Jedi Academy, but it will cover the tuition for St. Marisa of Abruzzi or Our Lady of Perpetual Need quite quite nicely)  By virtue of their existence they prove that government is not only not the solution, but, indeed it is the problem that perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

…back to your previously scheduled browsing…

Dr. J.