Response to Blue Collar Dem and Joe-Bob
http://www.runningforthecountyline.com/viewart.php?art=100
http://bluecollardem.blogspot.com/
Hello all! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. I know that I sure am enjoying the lovely weather for January here in the Tar Heel State. It sure beats the January weather I grew up with while living in the Buckeye state of Ohio.
I have lived in North Carolina for almost two years. In that time, I have developed a great appreciation for life in the south. I understand what natives mean when they say "southern by birth, Carolinian by the grace of God." I have been welcomed so warmly by the people of this state and want to live here the rest of my life.
I came here because there are no opportunities in Ohio for twenty something males. The state's education system is in shambles because neither party has taken leadership in solving the equity of funding across the state. The Democrats are a mouthpiece for the teachers union and the Republicans are a mouthpiece for the charter school/voucher community. Neither faction has the child's best needs at heart, and until each party tells their respective interest group to buzz off, nothing will change.
I feel the job I am doing as an educator is one of the most important occupations a person can undertake. I have been involved with public service for about ten years. I can honestly say teaching is my favorite job I have had in my life. It is truly a service to our country that compares only with military service and law enforcement/firefighting. The job of an educator does not pay much in monetary value, but the rewards of the education profession are visible each day when a student tells you thanks, smiles at a story, understands a concept previously misunderstood, or comes to you for advise or help with something in their lives.
I believe a social studies classroom should be fair and balanced. Politics and opinion on national/international issues should never enter a classroom. Students should be able to arrive at answers without the fear of disappointing a teacher. Students in my classroom do not know my political affiliation. In Joe-Bob's post, he says God help our children because I subsribe to a moderate to centrist viewpoint in the Democratic Party. I disagree...I say God Help our Children when teachers/professors push their own agenda on each student, while choking off any type of debate from opposing sides.
I am a Blue Dog Democrat because I have always been concerned with the deficit and national debt our nation is compiling. I feel people my age will see their future prospectus devalued because of the irresponsible decisions being made by baby-boom politicians of both parties.
I have never believed in the liberal social engineering, tax and spend policies that are employed by the Northeast and Leftcoast politicians. I do not believe that business is the root of all evil. I do believe there is a place for government in our lives, but feel that the policies of the leftist liberals and spend thrift Republicans are hurting middle-class Americans trying to make it in the information aged economy. I believe the Democrats have a tremendous opportunity to capture middle-class voters who are attempting to build portfolios, small businesses, etc. However, with Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Ted Kennedy as our parties spokespeople, those voters will continue to vote Republican.
Voters across the country, and especially in the south which ironically Joe-Bob is the fastest growing part of the country because people are moving here from all over the country to engage in venture capitalism, will not elect Democrats that talk only in nastolgic English in an attempt to placate the interests of a few narrow minded constituencies. Labor Unions, urban city-dwellers, and socially liberal members of society make up a small fraction of today's electorate. Their coalition is not strong enough to propel Democrats to victory and by narrowing the party's message to these groups alienates large portions of the country, including those in the suburbs and growing rural areas of the United States.
If my beliefs infuriate some Democrats, I do not care. Kick me out of the party if you want. I will still believe in the things I do. But I caution you, if you want to win you will follow the Clinton's, Lieberman, and the DLC.
By the way Joe-Bob, are you still teaching Communism 101 at Firelands College? God Help those students who may differ with your opinion!
posted by BlueDog Democrat at 1:26 PM
3 Comments:
I agree with you that Democrats need to take a tougher stand in terms of national security issues. We certainly need to move toward the center on social issues like abortion and gay rights and drop talk about gun control. Government should operate on a pay as you go basis most of the time. I have no problem with experimenting with school vouchers. Education has traditionally been a public-private partnership.
We do need an activist role by government to provide a social safety net and protect workers, consumers and investors. Labor unions can still play a meaningful role especially in the private sector. I am not necessarily anti-business, but we don't need two political parties that are totally dominated by big corporations. The DLC has some great ideas, however, economic policy is not their strong point in my view. Instead of supporting free trade at all costs policies, we should be insisting on environmental and labor standards in trade agreements.
From 1932 until 1980, we had more of a mix of capitalism and state intervention than a pure free market approach and saw the broadest based prosperity ever. Democrats should stand for economic populism, I think much of the problem is that the party has stopped being the advocate for working families and instead focused on things like abortion rights, gun control and gay marriage.
Dear Jason,
I am glad that you love North Carolina, home to some of the largest hog factory farms in the nation and the subsequent pollution of its rivers with the excrement that overflows from the holding ponds of these farms.
Speaking of excrement, it is noble of you not to tell your students what your political affilation is, but most likely they think that you are one of those Republicrats.
I noticed in one of your posts, that you were attacking some of the liberals in NC, after attending an event at Chapel Hill, is one of those liberals, John Edwards?
You mention my teaching post, unlike most conservative instructors, I honor the notion that we as Americans have different points of view, and welcome them in my classroom. Opinion is not graded, but how well that opinion is articulated and presented is graded.
Take care of yourself, for if they run out of good old boys to send to Iraq, you could get drafted, they just raised the age to 40.
Joe-Bob
Ouch!!
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