Just some friction in The Machine |
Friday, August 22, 2003
Posted
8:04 AM
by Gerald Klaas
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Posted
8:24 AM
by Gerald Klaas
Would require the State Board of Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to revise the academic content standards for history/social science and science to incorporate specific environmental education content. The bill would provide that the environmental education content is not required to be included within the assessments conducted pursuant to the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program (STAR) until the next revision of the assessment materials are required pursuant to other law.My point is not that (our?) children shouldn't be educated about "specific environmental content". My point is that it should never, ever, not ever, not even once be the position of the State Legislature to direct the course content of primary education. This bill clearly shows the tendancy of government schools to become institutes of propoganda. If we accept that this is an acceptable way to direct the educational content in schools, then we accept that those special interests who regularly convince legislators to "carry" a bill will also be able to educate (propogandize) our children. (Note: I say "our children" with all of its collectivist, socialist, "children of the state" meaning here.) As we've seen the selling of our State to the highest bidder lately, I'm currently surprised that "our" 6th graders are not currently being indoctrinated to believe as true "social science" that Indian gaming (gambling) is a noble and moral activity as it benefits the downtrodden (extremely rich) tribes who happen to have been granted state compacts. Wednesday, August 20, 2003
Posted
9:43 PM
by Gerald Klaas
Posted
8:13 AM
by Gerald Klaas
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Posted
8:31 AM
by Gerald Klaas
Gerald Klaas is a highly paid worker for a large government contractor. He signs the 1040 form and pays the income tax and leads the good life in California. Protesting on the side without any personal risk. Probably a lot smarter than me. He's right. I sign the 1040. I pay the income tax. I have protested the income tax as a member of the Libertarian Party for at least the last 10 years. I wouldn't say this approach is without any personal risk, but it certainly is not as risky as Doug's approach. If I weren't the breadwinner for a household, I might stop paying altogether and wait for them to come and get me. But I'm not a bachelor trying to hold onto my car and apartment. I have a wife and college bound stepson who depend on me for their support. For the immediate future anyway, I see that as my more pressing priority, and I don't plan to put my employment at risk nor do I plan to get myself imprisoned. If that seems "risk-free" to Doug, that's OK. Doug doesn't walk in my shoes, and obviously has never been married with children. In the other hand, if I were in Doug's shoes (and in 1985 I was close to that), I would be sharing every communication with the IRS with my congressman, two senators and president, along with a rebuttal letter to any action the IRS tried to take. (It took nearly two years, but the IRS finally dropped my case.) Monday, August 18, 2003
Posted
12:16 PM
by Gerald Klaas
|
Gerald Klaas
I'm trying to follow the ideals of Henry David Thoreau, in his essay On Civil Disobedience. Thoreau refused to cooperate with The Machine of oppressive government and encouraged all moral people to do the same. He referred to this "civil disobedience" as creating friction in the machine. Given enough friction for a long enough period of time, the machine will break.
Courses I teach at the local Community College
|