UNCOMMON CENTS 83

LET'S FACE FACTS. AMERICA HAS WIMPED OUT. THE POLITICAL CORRECTNESS CROWD HAS WROUGHT HAVOC IN OUR SCHOOLS, WATERING DOWN EVEN THE DEFINITION OF EDUCATION, A DRAWING OUT OR BRINGING UP OF THE MIND. SCHOOLS COMPROMISE I.Q. DATA BY INCLUDING STUDENT ESSAYS, PARTICIPATION IN SPORTS, TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. MEDICAL DOCTORS AND EDUCATORS FALSELY ADVERTISE THAT POVERTY, POOR NUTRITION AND TOXIC ENVIRONMENTS STIFLE THE STIMULATION OF YOUNG MINDS. THEY DON'T KNOW THEIR HISTORY OR THEY WOULD BE FORCED TO RECANT WHEN PRESENTED WITH JUST THE TWO EXAMPLES OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND JOHN MUIR. SCIENTISTS ALSO MISCONSTRUE DATA TO FURTHER THEIR POLITICALLY CORRECT AGENDAS WHEN THEY CONTEND THAT INTELLIGENCE IS PART OF A NATURE/NURTURE CONTINUUM. THEY WOULD BE FORCED TO RECANT IF THEY RE-VISITED THE 1940'S OF MY HUSBAND'S YOUTH WHEN THE TERM NURTURE PROBABLY WAS CONFUSED WITH THE WORD MANURE. BACK THEN A CHILD'S BODY WAS ADEQUATELY CLOTHED AND FED; HIGH INTELLIGENCE JUST WORKED ITS WAY OUT.

BUT DAY BY DAY, YEAR BY YEAR, GENERATION BY GENERATION, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS HAS AIMED TO SOFTENED UP YOUTH AND OUR EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES. WE HAVE WIMPED OUT. GRAMMAR SCHOOLS HAVE BECOME THE HOMES OF SELF-ESTEEM. HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE PROVIDED FOR KICK-BACK SENIOR YEARS. UNIVERSITY COURSES RUN THE GAMUT FROM WOMEN STUDIES TO $10,000 A SEMESTER COURSES THAT INCLUDE SUCH RIGOROUS INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITIES AS MOUNTAINEERING, CAMPING, KAYAKING, ATTENDING THE THEATER, RESIDING WITH NATIVE AMERICANS AND DIVING AT ASIAN RESTAURANTS.

YET I AM SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE THAT 4 OUT OF 10 STUDENTS DROP OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE "IT'S HARD TO GRADUATE." HOW CAN AMERICANS DENY THE GORDIAN KNOT OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS AND WIMPINESS STRANGLING TRUE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT? AND MONEY, NO AMOUNT OF MONEY HAS BREATHED LIFE INTO THE DEAD INSTITUTION. NO STUDENT SHOULD FAIL; NO COOKIE SHOULD CRUMBLE. WHEN A HALF INCH OF SNOW FALLS, SCHOOLS ARE CANCELLED BECAUSE THE RISKS INHERENT IN SCHOOL BUSINGS AND THE PROBABILITY OF LAWSUITS PREVAIL WHICH STIFLE ATTENDANCE. YET THE SPORTS EVENTS, SHOPPING TRIPS AND TEACHER DEVELOPMENT DAYS GO ON.

HINT: A CHILD-LEFT-BEHIND IN THE 1940'S WAS A CHILD WHO CHOSE TO FAIL. HOW HAVE TIMES REALLY CHANGED?