Aug. 23, 2009

Dear Mr. President,

The attempt to write is worse the than the denial of words. So much to say and so many words say nothing. What is one to do? Politicians have perfected the limitations of words. They have perfected this, by saying nothing and talking a lot. Perhaps we should all do the same. Reside ourselves into a society of talkers and exile the listeners. For they would know we are saying nothing. Just as I am doing now. Writing for the sake of writing. Want to say something, anything. Perhaps about the criminalization of government. But such things are as common as jay-walking. We expect our elected officials to be criminals. Only asking that, they are better than a common thief. “Don’t get caught’ is our country’s motto. Still though, to speak on it, is not to speak at all. The opinion of the majority is a redundant point.

So, what am I left to talk about, education? The value of education declines every year. Eventually we will be a country of degreed morons. The educational bar is constantly being lowered for the sake of statistics. Soon, if not already, we will have college graduates who know nothing of phonics. Memorization is how they read now. We already have a generation who can not tie their own shoes, literally can not tie a shoe.

It is the wish of many for us all to be the same. I understand such desires. Unfortunately, we are not the same, and a country of intellects can not succeed. It is the basic nature of things. Some work with their hands and others with their minds, neither is something to be ashamed of. What is an architect without a construction worker? Skill is still relevant and should still be taught at a level where education is still free. We are not all college bound, our minds simply don’t work in such away. We should not be degraded for this, nor deemed unintelligent. Especially, in a society that can not exist without us.

If education is to be reformed, it should be regressed. Put back to when trades were learned in high school. When it was a choice and not a punishment. To do anything now requires some sort of collegiate learning. Some kind of out of pocket expense. Who can afford such things? We are being weeded out by a term that has become not only disgusting, but equally degrading, “Intellect”. Such a term suggest the rest of us are dimwits. We are not dimwitted; we simply want the opportunities we use to be allocated. We simply want to take pride in our skills and have such things not be advertised as misfortunes.

We have not failed at life because we build your homes and fix your cars. Nor should we have to pay for the basic knowledge of such skills. I implore you, Mr. President, in your plans for education to consider us and to value us. Please stop considering our lives as adversities, but as necessities of this society. We are here and again, you do not exist without us. Please stop degrading us, and begin providing for us the same educational opportunities you wish to bestow on the intellects.

- In your servitude.

Silence