Vote!

I took the time before work to vote today and I want to encourage all of you out there who read this to do the same.

I live in Utah and the largest issue on the ballot is the school vouchers referendum which is being closely watched around the country.

Why?

Because a vote for school vouchers, in my opinion, will cripple the public school system further than things like No Child Left Behind already have.

We need to invest more in public schools instead of running out on them when the going gets rough.

During Killer at Large, we interviewed Douglas Rushkoff about a things relating to our documentary, but we strayed off topic a bit and we began to speak about the public school system and parents spending thousands and thousands of dollars a year (a month in some cases) to toss your kids into public schools. And he said something that I can say I wholeheartedly agree with: If we invested the amount of time into public schools as it would take to earn the money to pay for private school, not only would we enhance the learning experience of our own children, but it would enrich the entire public school system.

Vouchers, to me, seems like a step in the opposite direction.

And it's very telling to see who is on what side of the issue with all of the ads and yard signs out there. You'd think that vouchers was the most popular piece of legislation ever waved in front of the voters. But then you think about where the money comes from: those against it are underpaid teachers and parents who aren't affluent enough to afford a private or charter school in the first place. Those for it are the weasely corporations that think they can turn a buck with this with the very same charter and private schools and parents who can afford to send their kids to these schools already but seem to think they need to raid the public school funds to do it.

It's pretty loathsome when I think about it.

So, if you live in the US, vote. If you live in Utah, I would urge you to vote against school vouchers. (Which, in most cases here, is the only referendum on the ballot.)

(on a sidenote, I published like four short stories last night. Read them here.)