On Education and Abortion

Not so long ago, Alabama joined the race to see which state could pass the dumbest anti-abortion law in the country. Thus far, we are the winners of that dubious distinction. In so doing, another disturbing fact came to light. Alabama is ranked LAST in the US in education.

Stop and consider what that means for our future.

• Less tech jobs, because companies will not locate here because they don’t think we have the smarts to do it.
• Less opportunities for our children outside the state, because again, no one will believe we have the smarts it takes.
• Less revenues with which to improve the state of our education, which basically perpetuates our last place standing.
• Lower revenues means more people having to turn to an ever increasingly debt stricken state government for support.
• More people will leave the state for ‘greener pastures’ where a better education can be obtained, which leads to better jobs and a better life for them and their families.

At the same time, I have to wonder about the people in this country. People are screaming about abortion, saying it’s no wonder Alabama doesn’t care about unborn kids, look at their education. But how many of those screaming about the education level in Alabama and its direct correlation to abortion/anti-abortion are actually willing to help us do something about it?

How many people screaming about illegal aliens and our need to take care of them are guilty of not wanting to help take care of our own first? Or at all?

I took some heat a couple years ago for weighing in about immigrants and their need to learn English when they move here. (There exists over 200 years of precedent set that says when you move to the US, you learn English. It is, after all, the ONLY language taught in ALL schools in the US.) I was told rather rudely that I should never travel abroad because my poor education (I hold my MBA) would reflect badly on the US. All because I, as a 17-year-old high school graduate, only took ONE foreign language in high school. Oh, wait, my poor, rural high school had exactly ONE foreign language teacher, and she taught Spanish (which I took for 3 years).

I have to ask, how was I, someone who upon graduation was still too young to vote, supposed to convince the local school board to hire another teacher to teach another foreign language? Can someone tell me that, please? Furthermore, even if I had convinced them, how were we going to pay for it? Because you see, in addition to being dead last in education, Alabama is also last in wealth.

So, I ask this. Who amongst you, those bashing Alabama for its low education status, low income status, and stand on abortion, are willing to come off the funds needed to improve the education in this state? Or are we, as actual citizens of the US, less deserving of an education than the illegals that come across the border, breaking the law as they do so? There are bills going through Congress to grant these illegals, these ‘Dreamers’ financial assistance in going to college. Meanwhile you have an entire state that is failing to meet a high school level education that you are turning a blind, uncaring eye to.