WHEAT FROM CHAFF

SEEMS LIKE WHENEVER I WANT TO DECIDE HOW TO 'COME DOWN' ON AN QUESTION I REVERT TO THE PRISM OF MY PAST. THREE SEEMINGLY UNRELATED ISSUES IN THE NEWS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON - THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF. TO TAKE A SIDE I LOOK BACK.

OUR GOVERNOR PROPOSES THAT ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS TEACH BIOLOGY, PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, ALGEBRA 1, GEOMETRY AND ALGEBRA 2. WHAT DOES MY MIRROR INTO MY ACADEMIC CAREER TELL ME? EVERY STUDENT WAS REQUIRED TO TAKE THE 1ST FOUR SUBJECTS WHEN I ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL. AFTER THESE COURSES WERE PASSED, INCLINATION AND APTITUDE DETERMINED A FUTURE PATH INTO ALGEBRA 2 OR TRIGONOMETRY OR SCIENCE OR LITERATURE OR HISTORY OR ART, ETC. SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLE SYSTEM FOR BASIC EDUCATION TO ME. THE TELLING PART OF MY GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL, HOWEVER, WAS HIS EXCEPTION FOR THE "MOST DISABLED." WHO OF MY ADOLESCENT PEERS WAS DISABLED? I RECOLLECT THAT MOST STUDENTS WERE 'ABLE' AND EXPECTED TO DO THE WORK. THE WHEAT WAS HARVESTED; THOSE WHO WERE LAZY, UNCOOPERATIVE, ABSENT OR RECALCITRANT EARNED THE STATUS OF CHAFF.

THE NEXT ISSUE CONCERNS THE BI-FURCATED STATUS OF NEW ORLEANS. IN THE FRENCH QUARTER AND ON BOURBON AND ST. PETER'S STREETS, MARTI GRAS MADNESS PREVAILS THIS WEEK. BEYOND THOSE PERIMETERS, HOWEVER, RECONSTRUCTON AND RENEWAL OF THE CITY HAS APPARENTLY STALLED OUT. THROUGH MY LOOKING GLASS INTO THE OLD NEIGHBORHOODS, I SEE RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT WERE FLOURISHING AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE LIKE WHEAT WHICH USUALLY SEPARATED ITSELF FROM THE UNPRODUCTIVE, UNNECESSARY CHAFF. TAXPAYERS' MONIES WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN SOLICITED (OR APPROVED) TO PROP UP RISKY OR UNREDEEMABLE PLACES LIKE LOW-LYING NEW ORLEANS.

THE FINAL ISSUE REVOLVES AROUND A DEBATE AT A NEARBY UNIVERSITY ABOUT PROHIBITING CONSENSUAL SEX BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, MAINLY ADULT MALE FACULTY AND FEMALE GRADUATE STUDENTS. ON THE ONE HAND, THE LEGISLATION OF MORALITY IS INVOLVED. ON THE OTHER, THE INEQUITY OF STUDENTS' GRADES. I CAN CLEARLY SEE SUCH ACTIONS IN MY SCHOOL DAYS FROWNED UPON AND PROHIBITED BECAUSE THEY WERE ASSUMED TO BE 'MISBEHAVIORS' OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO WERE LIKE "CHAFF." NO COLLEGE BACK THEN WOULD HAVE SUPPORTED THE UNHEALTHY LIAISONS WHICH AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THIS SCHOOL SAID PRODUCED "POSITIVE, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS." THE WHEAT KNEW WHAT WAS ETHICALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND ACADEMICALLY UNFAIR.

AS IN NATURE, A NATURAL SIFTING OUT OCCURS. EVEN DARWIN KNEW THIS MADE SENSE. YET STORIES IN MY NEWSPAPER REPORT ISSUES OF UNCOMMON SENSE, WHICH IS WHY I NEED A BACKWARD LOOK TO SORT OUT MY STANCE.