Policy and Change

     With another school shooting comes the endless barrage of my leftist friends and family trying to find any meme or idea that might make gun control a reality.  But when my leftist friends and family say “gun control”, what they really mean is government only gun ownership.  To that end, I give you “We don’t need thoughts and prayers, we need policy and change”.   I have the policy and change answer- school vouchers.

     When was the last mass shooting at a private and/or parochial school?  Never?  Sounds about right.  Why would that be?  Better security?  Armed staff?  No.  Teachers that give a crap.  You see, private school teachers meet all the same requirements that public school teachers do, without that pesky union mentality.  Think about it.  The same mentality that leftists hate in police officers (the thin blue line) exists within public teachers unions also.  Unity and protection of each other first. 

      The difference this makes is that private school teachers know that their job isn’t protected unless they are actually worthwhile employees.  But they are also well compensated, based on merit. and if they don’t really have it in them, they won’t teach long.  Add to it the fact that teaching policies in private schools benefit the children, not the teachers, and you have a recipe for good children.  Throw in a couple of strict disciplinarian nuns and you have a very safe school.  But it’s not just the discipline.  One kid in a class of 40 kids, who already is used to being ignored at home or among others kids, will hide in plain sight and be ignored by the overworked, underpaid teacher, who has probably had more diversity classes than math classes.

     In private schools there’s connection.  Smaller classes make the kids connected to the teacher.  Private schools engage with the parents and connect to them, which gets the parents to connect with the kids.  Discipline and respect connect the kids to each other.  When you’re connected to things, you don’t go to those dark places.  You also don’t feel the need to seek out a way to let the world know you exist when you already know there are people who do, and who care.

     So what leftists don’t understand is that the best “policy and change” is still to get as many kids as possible being schooled under these conditions.  Not just to make happy children who don’t shoot up their school, but to make happy children, period.  That benefits everyone.