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By Dr. Harry Tennant
Tuesday, March 6, 2012 Education Ride 365: Protecting America Once The River Runs Dry On Day 49, after a very short night at a hotel in Laredo looking out over the border crossing below, I pulled out en route to Alpine, TX. This would be the beginning of nearly a week in the Big Bend country of southwest Texas.  During the days leading up to Day 49, as well as during the days that followed up to my arrival in San Diego on Day 63, I have spent many hours riding along the southern border of the United States. At first I was struck by the number of checkpoints, law enforcement K-9s, and border patrol vehicles I encountered. They do seem to be on full alert, taking their job of protecting the border and keeping illegal aliens out very seriously.
   I remember speaking with classrooms of students just a few years ago about how America is the wealthiest country in human history...and how we are living in its wealthiest time. I explained to them that this is not guaranteed to last. How the fate of our country could turn any day. And, consequently, how important it is that we educate the youth of our nation as a top national priority if we intend to maintain our economic fortunes. Like the river that helps protect our border against illegal immigration, the river of American economic prosperity is running dry in too many places. So many people who did the right things to invest in their education, investments, and other means of caring for their future are now seeing prospects for a return on their effort running dry. At the same time, public education budgets in America are being shaved to the bone. As an example, I just read that San Diego is currently preparing to cut yet 1600 more teachers, which will result in middle school classes soaring to over 40 students each. That is one example of a national drama playing out in all sectors of an economy now even admittedly sacrificing education for other priorities. This drying river of opportunity and quality jobs seems as real as the border patrol's inability to protect a lengthy southern border from yet more undocumented children in our classrooms. Texas is in year one of two year education budget cuts totaling $4 billion, even when 68,000 students are being added...many of them non-English speaking children of illegal immigrants.  Will the sands of time see America prosper again? Or, is time catching up with America and our better days will prove to be behind us? I propose that the more we drain from the river of education, the further we will stagnate and bottom out as a great power that once was. Don't let this happen! Riding Stats: Day 49---398.7 miles traveled, 6 hours and 54 minutes of moving time, 3 hours and 2 minutes of stopped time, 57.7 miles per hour average moving time, and 40 miles per hour overall average. Posted at 7:44 PM Keywords: Education Ride 365 , EdClick , Cycle Of Education 0 Comments |