Is the public school system teaching kids that the government is the solution to

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   Levi Legionposted 8 years ago

   Is the public school system teaching kids that the government is the solution to problems?
   
   My school-age years were not spent in the public school system, so I ask the above question. I generally believe that people are able solve all types of problems without the interference of government. But is the public education system teaching the opposite? Is the system reinforcing the idea that the gov. can solve all our problem through regulation? Please explain why you agree or disagree with my sentiments.
   
   

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2. 78

   dashingscorpioposted 8 years ago

   When I went to public school we spent very little time on government unless that was a specific course someone was taking. Even then government and economics classes was geared towards teaching how our system worked.
   No instructor taught how government should work all the lessons and tests were based off of information provided in the books.
   In my daily life I have very little government interference.
   Like a lot of folks I work, pay my bills, spend time with family, travel, and put some money aside for the future.
   Most regulations come about because people were abused or taken advantage of. Child labor laws for instance came about because children were being forced to work in horrible conditions. The FDA  oversees inspection of drugs and food supplies...etc
   Trust me without some of these "regulations" people would cut corners on everything from building codes, using lead in products, to dumping chemicals in drinking water.
   Honesty and greed are strangers.
   The purpose of the government is to pass and enforce laws.
   As I noted earlier most laws and regulations don't come about until AFTER there has been criminal behavior. If people were naturally honest and not looking to take advantage of one another there would be fewer laws/regulations.
   While government is not the (solution) for all our problems it sure is not the (cause) of all our problems.
   "....government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." - Abraham Lincoln (November 19, 1863 )

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      Levi Legionposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I think a lot has changed since you were in school. There's far more bureaucracy now. Far more gov. infringements. I get the feeling that many young people have no reservations about using the gov. to push agendas and force compliance on others.

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      dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I suppose it depends on one's view of "agenda". The Declaration of Independence says: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.." Some people view pushing for equality/ending discrimination as an agenda.

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      Levi Legionposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      By "agenda" I generally mean those actions which take away the rights of people, in which case the equality issue would not fit this definition. It seems the younger generations are looking to the gov. to "right all wrongs" and that's a problem.

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      dashingscorpioposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      As my mother use to tell us: "Life is not fair!"
      Unfortunately some people never accept that as a fact.  Even if given an equal opportunity some people will always excel above and beyond others!
      One has to develop (their gifts) to get ahead.

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   bradmasterOCcalposted 8 years ago

   It doesn't seem like public schools teach much of anything, especially your topic.

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      Au faitposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Sad, but so true.

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      Levi Legionposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      BradmasterOCal, I think maybe you missed the point. "My topic" of course is not an actual class taught, but rather a philosophy permeating public school culture. Young people these days view the gov. as more of a savior, rather than the servant.

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   M. T. Dremerposted 8 years ago

   If there was any class that taught government was the solution, it was U.S. history. The wars we've won, the hardships we've endured, the inventions we've created. Granted, not all of that is government (a lot of it was capitalism) but if it could be found anywhere, it would be there. And it isn't by design. Telling a child that the government did something good in the past is just a fact, like telling them it did something bad. A child reviewing the history of this country would form their own conclusions about the usefulness of government.
   
   Other than that, there is no underlying conspiracy to teach kids that government is good. Well, aside from the fact that they're getting a free K-12 education. If you value learning, then it could be seen as a positive government action.

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      Levi Legionposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, MT. I think the examples you gave (wars won, hardships endured, inventions) can be attributed to the people, not gov. I'm just noticing a trend of gov. reliance, rather than self and community reliance. The gov. was never meant to be nanny.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      One could argue that 'community reliance' is government.

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      Levi Legionposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Not really, M.T. Government has the power to force your compliance, by taking your stuff or killing you, if need be. Given that, I wouldn't say relying on your neigbors (community) is the same at all.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      What is government but a big community? Even the smallest neighborhoods have organizations and leaders. Government can be bloated and corrupt. But the wins, endurance, and inventions of the people wouldn't have been possible without that community.

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