Favoring Ignorance Over Progress

I often listen to a local right-wing radio station to and from work. I won’t mention the call letters, but some refer to it as “Hate 68.” I think that’s a bit unfair. Despite my differences of opinion with the hosts, I sometimes learn something.

One of the things I learn is that many of my fellow countrymen consider Ronald Reagan to be the patron saint of all things conservative. Reagan in his political career did indeed have many triumphs and accomplishments. However, like all politicians, he wasn’t right about everything.

For example, at the end of the speech that launched his political career, Reagan noted, “…one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.”

What was the Great Communicator referring to? Communism? High levels of taxation? Gun Confiscation? No, the entity he feared was Medicare. Last time I checked, my children and my country were still free, despite the fact that Medicare has been with us since 1966. In addition, it’s hard to imagine present-day America without it.

I note this because lately the aforementioned station has been referring to the effort to bring a common core curriculum to our state schools as “Commie Core.” Despite all the paranoia, the facts are that the Common Core Curriculum is an effort to help our children develop critical thinking skills and ultimately to have the tools needed to compete in the global economy.

Common Core is not a plot devised by some cabal in Washington. Rather, the initiatives were developed by a host of educators, governors and crypto-socialist communists such as Bill and Melinda Gates. The state of Maryland would put our children at a huge disadvantage if it did not participate in this effort.

Once again, however, the paranoid style of American politics has reared its ugly head. According to those opposed to the effort, the initiatives are nothing more than a plot by the left to brainwash our children and turn them against America.

This is frustrating to me. Once again, something that can help everyone is being made out to be some kind of conspiracy. People need to use their heads. I once read a history book that contained a photo of a poster from May of 1955 distributed by the “Keep America Committee” of Los Angeles. It wanted to warn the nation against two plots to enslave us, namely putting fluoride in drinking water and making sure that every child was vaccinated for polio. The poster speaks for itself:

“Water containing fluoride (rat poison - no antidote) is already the only water in many of our army camps, making it easy for saboteurs to wipe out entire camp personnel. If this happens every citizen will be at the mercy of the enemy already within our gates.

Polio Serum, it is reported, has already killed children. Its future effect on minds and bodies cannot be gauged. This vaccine is the entering wedge for nationwide socialized medicine by the U.S. Public Health Service (heavily infiltrated by Russian-born doctors, according to Congressman Clare Hoffman). In enemy hands it can destroy an entire generation.”

You get the idea. Anyone in possession of a cogent thought process reading the poster would have to conclude that the “Keep America Committee” had taken leave of its senses. Let’s not let the same kind of people ruin our children’s chance for a bright future. Once again, let’s make sure that ignorance does not triumph over progress and common sense.