Checks and Balances

There is much unrest in America today. Millions of people align with various positions on many issues. Some days the issues are hot; other days they are cool. Some issues have staying power and always draw opinions. Then there are larger issues that are complex that only a few truly understand; these issues are pushed aside until critical moments arrive and experts hold forth to explain the intricacies involved.

There is a swing and sway to public opinion on most things. But the pendulum swings steady on life itself and its larger issues. The movement is natural and expected. Anyone surprised by this isn’t paying attention to the basics. Still change upsets the equilibrium of many issues. We have to get used to it. It is part of the give and take of life.

For those people involved professionally in a field of work, they see the issues as either new opportunities or fresh threats. Education is a good example of that. Educators and those involved in research and development of new educational processes and philosophies know that the current system struggles to generate desired outcomes – an educated graduate who goes on to perform remarkable things for the nation and mankind in general. Meanwhile that student also goes on to manage his or her life well without being a burden to others.

On the other hand there are those in the public who feel the current educational system is off base and will not reach heights of excellence until it is fully replaced with something else. The problem, of course, these folks don’t have the replacement system developed to substitute for what we already have. So the arguments are mostly political and push theories around like so many straw soldiers on a make believe battlefield. No substance is forthcoming.

Yet the schools continue to work in place and make the best with the resources they are provided. Mandates, too: requirements to do and accomplish things that are not in the mainstream of education but are conveniently in place where the students are each day. So they become the eyes and ears of society on what the kids are doing or not, and what terrible behavior needs to be monitored. Such are not good use of scarce education dollars. And time. Remember the time it takes to educate a person. If we are using that time for something else then the education part is shorted. Another hidden cost of our educational system.

No, the education system works well given its heavy task and poor funding. It could use more research and development to improve on the model we now use and produce much better outcomes. However, there are those who want public schools to be cheapened so those people with money can buy the education for their kids that is super good and places them above the rest of society. Competitively these kids will have first crack at higher education, research dollars and high earning employment opportunities. All while the rest of society goes begging for scraps.

The new Secretary of Education is feared by many because she has lobbied and supported weakening public education systems in favor of funding and building private institutions. She favors the latter while taking funding from the former. Is this a fair summary of Betsy DeVos?

Others will need to add to the discussion, but for the rest of us who are not academicians, clarification is needed. Please.

With a majority hold on Congress – both the House and Senate, and soon a likely majority ideology on the Supreme Court, plus ‘ownership’ of the White House, Republican leaders will press their advantage. They are after all approving all of Trump’s cabinet nominees. The question will then be will they approve the initiatives of those cabinet members in the critical areas of government in coming years.

Such expectations have given cause for concern about the future of public education, accessible and affordable healthcare, immigration policy, campaign finance reform, a woman’s right to choose, equal rights for gays, and a host of other issues. The concern in some circles has grown to panic.

With the recent Appeals Court decision to place a hold on Trump’s executive order banning travel entry and re-entry to America, the rule of law holds the line on quick changes to national principles. We are still a nation of laws. Those laws prescribe process. And principles and values. They are not easily upended.

So, perhaps our refuge is in calm. Give time for our lawful procedures to be considered and enacted by the millions of legal professionals already at work in our system. Checks and balances, remember? One of the key ingredients to our American system of government. And that stands true at every level of government from national to state to county.

America is not yet free for the taking by ideological thugs.

In that period of calm action, let us work to replace elected representatives who fail their job descriptions. Checks and balances.  Always the checks and balances. But it requires faith and calm on our part to make it all work.

Get ready! Set! Go!

February 10, 2017