National School Choice Week

We have the freedom to choose where we shop. We have the freedom to choose where we eat. We are not restricted by our residence to perform our day-to-day tasks. Since this is inherently true, why do we allow our children to be restricted by the state? Why do we choose to have a top-down education system? Are we applying the tools that made this nation an economic force?

Since 1979, the federal Department of Education has been nothing but an abysmal failure. In 2001, President Bush brought a gas can to the inferno and exacerbated the problem with the No Child Left Behind Act. It's tentacles have nullified the Tenth Amendment and the rights of states and communities to organize their own educational structure. A federal mandate for education is just as unconstitutional and frightening as the individual mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare for shorthand).

The federal government should not dictate what should be taught in schools in individual states and communities. It creates a culture of teaching toward a test and only the test. It forces teachers to alter lesson plans and delay the advancement of the classes. It is because of this teach toward the test culture that students do not have the appreciation for math and science as they once had. They are taught "know this for a standardized test" as opposed to "know this for personal benefit." The test culture forced upon us by the federal government has harmed a generation.

The current primary school system in use by the states does not improve matters either. The policy of "This is your zip code, this is your school." Denies the parents and the children of their fundamental right to choose. Where you reside should not dictate your future. With public schools failing in Detroit, Camden, and other urban areas can we sit here with good conscious and continue to feed the failing schools with our future? We are dooming these children from the start. The drop-out rates in these cities should not come as a surprise. The system is broken and we're choosing to ignore it.

By continuing on with the status quo we are denying the children of these areas two of the three fundamental natural rights enshrined in our Declaration of Independence. Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The free-market solutions that have brought this country to the forefront of the world should be applied to this controlled market system.

The idea of the student voucher was brought to prominence by renowned economist and political philosopher Milton Friedman. The belief of returning the money to the "student-consumer"would give the parents and students the freedom to choose. This freedom in turn drives the school marketplace. The schools with bad reputations and bad graduation rates, with poor teachers will be shut down by the parents and students. Just like a bad business will fail (as long as you aren't in the automotive industry) a bad school will fail. In this country we seem to be immune to the idea of the "bad school." Like we couldn't possibly have them in this country. It's a shame but we do.

In the marketplace competition breeds success and innovation. The government breeds complacency and keeping in place a system regardless of merit. The system needs a shake up.

This week is more than just the voucher system. It should be for school choice, educational choice, and a free and open education system. No more controlled markets. More freedom.

Since our inception as a nation we have been terrified of the over-reaching hand of government. Where other countries dictated the rights of government in their constitutions ours began with the phrase "We the People." It's time we recognize the threat of government mandates across the board. It's time we push the federal government and state government to return the future to families. The ultimate form of the government closest to the people governs best.

North Korea to Lead UN Talks on Disarmament

The rogue nation of North Korea has been chosen to lead the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.  Yes it is that time of the year again when people only recognize the United Nations as existing because of an outlandish decision to have a dictator lead a council which contradicts everything it stands for.

The United Nations have justified the appointment by stating that it was an "automatic rotation."  The defense of "Well, it's their turn" should no longer be accepted by the international body.  The Conference will report to the United Nations General Assembly which passes non-binding optional resolutions. 

A peace-keeping body such as the United Nations should have skipped over North Korea in light of several  military actions taken against South Korea over the past two years (minimum), it's continued attempts to create and grow a nuclear arsenal (contradictory?), and it's well documented ties to helping others grow theirs (see Syria, 2007).

If the United Nations wants to regain legitimacy in the American public and in places around the world where it's practices are being called into question, they must begin removing countries under sanction from chairing these important committees.  There is a clear conflict of interest in letting the ambassador from North Korea chair a committee on nuclear weapons.  The proper thing to do as an added diplomatic measure would have been to penalize the North Koreans by selecting the nation after them to chair the committee.

In order to keep the peace-keeping body around and to maintain a level of legitimacy by reforming the chair selection committee.  When the UN allows for these kind of events it adds fuel to the fire for its growing number of critics calling for an end to the body.  With principled reforms such as the one listed above and a few others we could have a legitimate place for diplomats to discuss peace, and make recommendations as to how this peace can be brought about.

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