Read Online They Think You're Stupid by Herman Cain - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Herman Cain
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academic achievement is a prerequisite for achieving economic freedom. In fact, I believe that if Dr. King were alive today, his focus would be on encouraging Blacks to close the academic achievement gap with Whites as a precursor to achieving economic success. Closing the academic achievement gap and achieving economic freedom, though, cannot be done with more federal government social and tax policies that discourage self-reliance and redistribute wealth to minority communities.
Black families must bear more of the burden for encouraging their children to achieve academic success. There are too many negative influences and peer pressures today among Blacks associated with academic achievement. Too many Blacks, however, will not admit that there is a problem. In March 2004, Dr. Bill Cosby, the well-known actor and comedian, stunned and angered the NAACP when he stated in an address to that organization,
Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids--$500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for "Hooked on Phonics." They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: "Why you ain't," "Where you is . . . ." And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!
The truth sometimes hurts. In this case some people were offended. That's too bad! Bill Cosby had the personal podium of his success to "tell it like it is," and I am glad he did.
One of the strongest aspects of President Bush's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation is that it places a greater emphasis on achievement at the early stages of education. What it does not emphasize, however, is greater parental involvement. When the president, every elected official, and every teacher discuss NCLB, they should mention the necessity of parental involvement in the education of children. Although not practical for the title of an initiative, No Child Left Behind with Parental Involvement would stress the point.
I do agree with those who argue that evaluating all schools based on one testing score is the wrong approach for finding whether or not a school is passing or failing. There are too many different dynamics between schools that play a role in determining academic achievement. The biggest complaint, however, among teachers and administrators I meet is that many children do not come to school anxious and eager to learn. These children are not encouraged to learn at home, so they do not see education as the means to success later in life.
In addition to encouraging a greater level of parental involvement in education, we must move beyond politics and rhetoric and teach our children, as well as many adults, the facts of our economic system. I call it elementary economics. Too many of our citizens are uninformed about the negative effects of the onerous tax code, about who actually pays taxes in our country, and about the dynamics involved in job creation.
The blame partially falls on liberal politicians who for many decades have misled citizens about the facts of basic economics while promoting a political structure based on jealousy and class warfare. The blame also falls on our educational system for failing to teach the basic dynamics of our market-based economic system, and on the apathetic percentage of the public that appears content to allow the government to tax them when they are not looking and then accuses the so-called "rich" for causing their economic situation.
Liberal politicians have also misled people about who actually pays most of the taxes in this country. One of their favorite promises is to provide a tax cut for the middle class. I have a breaking announcement--There is no middle class!
The
Black families must bear more of the burden for encouraging their children to achieve academic success. There are too many negative influences and peer pressures today among Blacks associated with academic achievement. Too many Blacks, however, will not admit that there is a problem. In March 2004, Dr. Bill Cosby, the well-known actor and comedian, stunned and angered the NAACP when he stated in an address to that organization,
Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids--$500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for "Hooked on Phonics." They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English. I can't even talk the way these people talk: "Why you ain't," "Where you is . . . ." And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!
The truth sometimes hurts. In this case some people were offended. That's too bad! Bill Cosby had the personal podium of his success to "tell it like it is," and I am glad he did.
One of the strongest aspects of President Bush's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation is that it places a greater emphasis on achievement at the early stages of education. What it does not emphasize, however, is greater parental involvement. When the president, every elected official, and every teacher discuss NCLB, they should mention the necessity of parental involvement in the education of children. Although not practical for the title of an initiative, No Child Left Behind with Parental Involvement would stress the point.
I do agree with those who argue that evaluating all schools based on one testing score is the wrong approach for finding whether or not a school is passing or failing. There are too many different dynamics between schools that play a role in determining academic achievement. The biggest complaint, however, among teachers and administrators I meet is that many children do not come to school anxious and eager to learn. These children are not encouraged to learn at home, so they do not see education as the means to success later in life.
In addition to encouraging a greater level of parental involvement in education, we must move beyond politics and rhetoric and teach our children, as well as many adults, the facts of our economic system. I call it elementary economics. Too many of our citizens are uninformed about the negative effects of the onerous tax code, about who actually pays taxes in our country, and about the dynamics involved in job creation.
The blame partially falls on liberal politicians who for many decades have misled citizens about the facts of basic economics while promoting a political structure based on jealousy and class warfare. The blame also falls on our educational system for failing to teach the basic dynamics of our market-based economic system, and on the apathetic percentage of the public that appears content to allow the government to tax them when they are not looking and then accuses the so-called "rich" for causing their economic situation.
Liberal politicians have also misled people about who actually pays most of the taxes in this country. One of their favorite promises is to provide a tax cut for the middle class. I have a breaking announcement--There is no middle class!
The
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