Little Tommy ponders over the latest news headlines from his baby Kindle.  He says to himself  "The adults have gone plum loony"!  Hemm, I think I like plums....Enough of that already, back to a couple of the headlines.


Headline:  Many U.S. job listings say the unemployed need not apply. 

     Quick, google "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness". What comes up is one of the most famous phrases in the United States Declaration of Independence. These three aspects are listed among the "Unalienable Rights" or Sovereign Rights of men and women.  
     Yet to deny anyone the ability to work and support themselves and their families is to deny them a life of independence! It denies them the ability to be free and liberated from the chains of poverty and depending on others or the government for sustenance.  Without employment, one can only chase survival, not pursue happiness!!  Has our Declaration of Independence become nothing more than an old piece of scribbled on parchment, holding no hope for those that need it the most right now.  
     And to those that post these listings, may your training costs sore through the roof and offset the lower wages your paying the newly graduated, and may the young you hire use you as a quick stepping stone to gain experience and then bolt to greener pastures and better management, and finally, my those that you wouldn't even consider find lasting employment and realize that they were better off having never met you.      

Headline:  A million American teens drop out of High School each year.
     Nearly 30 percent of our teen population accross America each year will age into adulthood without the benefit of a H.S. diploma or G.E.D. and become eligible for Welfare programs, either be unemployed or underemployed, abuse drugs to cope with their crappy lives, and are more likely to end up in jail.  Why ? Because when state budgets are tight and elected officials are up for re-election, it is easier to layoff teachers, and increase classroom size, to cut school programs, and curtail social assistance programs.
     Who pays?  We all do in the end.  This economy has challenged many teens in ways they never dreamed imaginable.  Some are living in shelters after a parent(s) have lost jobs and the family home.  Some drop out to work full-time in an attempt to help when a single parent becomes ill or loses their job.  Some stay home and watch their siblings so parents can go to work, because daycare is out of reach for some.  Shouldn't we be working on solutions to get this 30 percent back to school and give them the support they need at any cost, to complete their education?  Their lives and future depend on it.
     No state needs to spend another dime of tax or lottery money on:  sports stadiums or new government buildings, as tax incentives for wooing wealthy builders or businesses, to subsidize vouchers for private school educations, or to pay for the vacations and entertainment of elected officials to name a few.           
      Education of our young should be priority #1 for everyone.  Afterall, they're the ones that will be making policy and looking after us when were collecting Social Security! The state of our Education is a national disgrace considering the resouces and talent available within our country.  There's just no excuse for this....

Well that's my take on the news, gotta turn my Kindle off and go for now, Mom says my blue eyes are starting to turn brown.  Must be time for a diaper change or maybe I'm suffering from bullshit overload!