General Observation

[Scott Hays <shays@ccwebster.net>]

Pardon me for intruding on an excellent explication of the position  
of the NAACP in regards to its concerns for the best possible  
education for the children of this country, and the reminder that  
some of the fundamental goals of NCLB are honorable (even if  
implementation and enforcement may not be so noble), but as I reflect  
on this (and other) discussions on this list, I cannot help but make  
a couple of more generalized observations.  Disregard my comments if  
you find them inappropriate or off topic ... I don't object to being  
the subject of the delete key.

At any rate ...

The more I read (and participate in) ripostes between Art and the  
various individuals on this list who attempt to engage him in  
dialogue, the more I see a snapshot of America.  Few people talk to  
each other anymore, especially if they disagree on core principles.   
If they do talk, they tend to talk at each other, and seldom listen  
to what the other is trying to say.   People with profoundly  
different opinions on topics ... and the differences are growing  
wider and wider (if no one has noticed), the feelings about the  
differences growing more and more estranged ... avoid talking to each  
other at all.  It's like they live in different worlds.  And the  
chasm is growing.  Close to the proportions circa 1850, but less  
focused.

This alarms me.

But there are always those who, for whatever reason, do join the  
conversations of people with whom they disagree.  We tend to call  
them "gadflies".  At any rate, a lot of these people doing the  
"talking at" do so with the a single purpose ... even if that purpose  
is unintentional.  To wit:  they serve to disrupt the dialog, control  
it, divert it.

It is hard to move forward and formulate concrete policy, to make  
decisions, or to create consensus when you are busy swatting flies.   
Metaphorically, this is what happened to liberalism in this country.   
It is time to refocus energy.  This does not mean that it is  
unimportant to rebut criticism (or learn from it); just that energies  
can often be put to better use than tilting with windmills.

Thank you.

Scott Hays
shays@ccwebster.net

"Wrinkles only go where the smiles have been."
- - Jimmy Buffett