Making Us Stupid Is Very Much Part of the Plan

Why do Ohio Republicans hate public education?

(A) Because public schools receive tax dollars, and in today's GOP, unless you're the police department, fire department, military or a political ally on the take, if you're receiving tax dollars, that means you're a leach draining our precious ~~bodily fluids~~ freedoms.

(B) Because public education is a threat to the GOP power structure, which requires people to be as ignorant, incurious and obedient as possible.

(D) All of the above.

The correct answer is . . . (D), of course, and congrats to all of you who chose correctly. Although all are correct, I'd say (B) gets at the real heart of the matter. You see, if you go to a public school and apply yourself, you might just learn that:

cavemen didn't keep dinosaurs as pets;
what your daddy told you is bologna;
someone who doesn't look like you is not necessarily a criminal;
banning books is not, in fact, the best way to encourage the free exchange of ideas; and
the Ohio GOP is, in fact, one of the most corrupt political parties in the country, with its former speaker of the house serving time in the federal pokey for his role in the biggest bribery scandal in the state's history.

You're likely to learn a lot of other things, too, that will make you a lot less likely to vote for the people who want you to be as dumb and pliable as possible. And we can't have that, no, we cannot. Which is why Ohio Republicans are gleefully funneling more and more money to voucher programs for private schools with no educational standards or accountability while starving public schools.

It's been almost 30 years since the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the state's system of school funding is unconstitutional, promoting unequal opportunity by relying too much on property taxes, creating an imbalance between wealthy districts and poorer ones. The Ohio legislature's response was bad then and has only gotten worse with time, leading to today's voucher-based fiasco.

Point being, the prognosis ain't great, especially with the loons controlling all levers of state government. But if you care about this state and its kids and our collective future, giving up isn't an option. If you're considering year-end giving, I recommend supporting Honesty for Ohio Education, whose mission is pushing back against the perpetual, pandimensional shenanigans of Ohio Republicans and creating a more equitable, enriching and supportive educational environment for our children. I can't think of anything more important than that. Donate here. Get involved here, here, here, here and here.