"the statistical reality is that people who get into the American job market and stay there seldom remain poor unless they do something self-destructive."
--Dr. Charles Murray, an American Enterprise Institute scholar, in an article titled "Rediscovering the Underclass" in the Institute's On the Issues series (October 2005)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I like how that article points out the distinction between the poverty levels of intact families versus those which aren't.
Very legitimate.
The base cause of people not even getting into the workplace, though, is lack of education. I am troubled by the indicators from the youths I work with on the West Side that signal they are not getting the education they need.
The problem of inequitable school funding is a problem society is responsible for.
Of course, money isn't the only answer. Accountability must come first.
Thanks for your thoughts, Westy. I wonder if we disagree.
>>The base cause of people not even getting into the workplace, though, is lack of education.<<
First off, the use of "base cause" in your statement is misleading. It seems wise to frame these ideas properly. The article I linked to suggests successful marriage is a key to escaping poverty. But, I would not go so far as to say "The base cause of poverty is the decline of the marriage rate."
I'm sure you agree that the ultimate origin of the possibility of either successful learning, solid discipline or faithful marriage is Jesus Christ.
If we were to proceed with discussing public policy (funding public schools), then within that sphere you could potentially argue that the public school system's faults have contributed to poverty, but not that public schools caused poverty, or even joblessness, because these issues extend outside of public policy.
The article I linked to finally concludes that our government, with the approval of most Americans, loves to use public policy to "solve" issues that extend beyond the effective reach of public policy, such as poverty.
>>The problem of inequitable school funding is a problem society is responsible for.<<
I'm not sure what this means.
>>Accountability must come first.<<
I agree with this statement, and so must conclude that the government is the last place to look for an educational system.
Post a Comment