Education is like a rat, or something

Yes, Thursday has come and gone and I didn’t mention any Northeast Times letters. Fear not! There’s a letter in this week’s edition that’s better than 20 rants about Mayor Street:

Education leads to power of the mind

Yes! The recognition of the power of the mind. You have to discover the power that you hold inside of you. Education is the key that unlocks the door to life. But you need to pick up that key and put it in the lock.

Education is the hammer and your life is the nail. Use that hammer to bang in the nail. Poor people lack education. That is why they are out there calling to people. And only at night will the rats answer their call. If you keep on going back into a poor man’s history, it will always go back to lack of education. Only a poor fool who lacks education will accept it eagerly but then squander it on folly. For is that not how he became poor? Is it not?

Wait. So is education a hammer or a key? And can I use education to end the rat problem in my building? I’m so confused.

Education leads to power of the mind [Northeast Times, last letter]

Out, damned spot

Back when I was in school, there were teachers I didn’t like. Of course, that’s how school (and life) works.

Some of these teachers I didn’t like my parents also didn’t like. And they may have silently grumbled or complained or whatever. I don’t really know what they did. What they didn’t do was take out an ad in a local paper hoping to get that teacher barred from teaching.

Wait, it gets better: The reason for the ad wasn’t because the substitute teacher does a bad job. She could be Peggy Hill-quality for all I know. No, the reason he wants her barred is because she used to be a he. Lady Macbeth used to be Sir Macbeth.

At least by the NBC 10 story about her, there seems to be no real problem with her teaching. But Mark Schnepp, parent of an Eagleswood, N.J., high school student, doesn’t want his child taught by no man-turned-woman. He also wants his kid to live in a giant protective plastic bubble where he can teach little junior to be an asshole in peace.

Fair enough. Mr. Schnepp has every right to do that. He has every right to say this teacher shouldn’t be instructing his kids. However, he doesn’t think that Lady Macbeth has any right to teach his kid. You see, he’s an expert in the First Amendment:

Schnepp, who is a Methodist, said that Macbeth’s sex change is against his religion and the school board is violating his rights if Macbeth enters a classroom.

Freedom of religion, indeed! In fact, Schnepp’s fight is just like when Jesus took that ad out in the Nazareth Times-Herald saying all the prostitutes should be stoned to death.

Transgender Teacher Angers Eagleswood Parent [NBC 10]

School of hard flops

And they say the Pennsylvania school system isn’t any good.

PA University Offers Course in Poker [AP via 6 ABC]

And I’m proud to be an American

So, uhh, sometimes it’s just good to sit back and be all “Yay for America — where horrible shit happens, but not nearly this horrible!” I think I have a new national slogan.

Afghan Teacher Beheaded For Educating Girls [AP via NBC 10]