... and everyone knows it. i think you'd have to flip quite a few rocks to chance upon people who think the educational system is taking care of business.

(i keep thinking of that sad beauty pageant contestant's answer about 'the iraq' and americans not having a map).

private schools aren't the answer either. public schools are working in canada. i know. i know. canada is a cesspool of commie ideology... but the kids are learning. and although its not hard to find complaining canadians, most are satisfied with the educational system.

living in a country (not US or canada) i am personally experiencing what its like to have equal amounts of private and public schools and its not working out.

private schools have sucked the top half of the student population. and since people pay for their education, the bottom half has no money. they look like prisons, because they are. when students perform poorly, private schools dump them into the public sector, causing a serious ghetto of poor students.

"so what?" you might say. "i need to take care of MY kids, so the dual system works for me".

in the short run, that is true. but what is happening is there is such a disparity in grades, quality of education and opportunities, that an underclass is being perpetuated. still don't know how this affects you? not that its fair that you should have to consider others, but the reality is, the two groups have to live together. and while one shouldn't have to suffer the lousy upbringing of another person's kid, that person's kid is going to be the one that breaks into your home, steals your car or shoots you for your pocket change. and in the end, it costs a lot more to incarcerate them than it does to educate them, if the majority of people are on board.

prior to my recent departure from my middle/upper class, diversed neighbourhood in downtown toronto, education was discussed amongst us new parents. and the consensus was, if good parents stuck to the public school system AND participated (money alone doesn't make a good system), it will be successful. 

This "but there are some arguments that should remain taboo" is wrong because we should examine ourselves and others thoroughly.  No argument should be taboo.  We need only look across the pond and see the taboo's the Europeans have on free speech because they think such should be off limits.

One cannot refute the holocaust or proclaim Nazi ideas or they will put you in jail.  It is illegal to do so in most European countries.  Just think if the idea of using the N word and all discussion was forbidden and punishable by law.

BTW I really want to use the full word because we should say what we mean.  Everyone knows what I mean so what problem is it to go the distance?

Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.

Maybe you and him share some telepathic liberal thing, I dunno. I'll take your word for it.

:)

Bush is cool, don't get me wrong, but I don't see him as the greatest in our history. My list would go something like this:

1)George Washington

2)Ronald Reagan

3)John Adams

4)Teddy Roosevelt

um...

I'm too lazy to compile the rest, but Bush would prolly be in the top ten simply for stopping Al Qaeda.