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It Would Be Easier If I Cared...

School.  If you've read any of my other articles, you would know my views on 
that subject.  I hate my own school, and I hate the American Educational 
system.  Like epiphany said, Schools are totally political...They have to 
look better than other schools to get more funding.  Most of the teachers are 
underqualified and their classrooms ill-equiped.  The staff are mostly 
brainwashed "sheep" following the bueraucratic "shepards", or politicians.

Today im writing about, well, just that, writing.  You have to do it all the 
time at school, in just about every class.  If you have as much fun writing 
school papers as I do, its about as fun as drowning.   Then you get your 
paper back with a big red "F" on it.  Your teacher says to see her after 
class.  When you talk to her, she gives you the "I don't think you're 
reaching your full potential in this class" talk.  The teacher can't seem to 
understand that you couldn't care less about "The affect of Temperature on a 
Fruit Fly."  She doesn't understand that you find it hard to write an 
interesting fictional story about some guy named Greg who likes to plant 
flowers.  The teachers don't seem to understand that it would be easier to 
write a good paper if you actually gave a damn about the subject you were 
writing about.

I could write a really good paper on "Problems With The American Government", 
but i'd have a hell of a time trying to write about "The Importance of the 
Watergate scandel and Nixon's Resignition In The Past Century."  I just don't 
give a rat's ass about Nixon or Watergate.  Of course, i most likely wouldn't 
be able to write a paper on the problem's with American government.  I 
wouldn't get to pick it as a topic.  I've never had a teacher who truly let 
me pick whatever topic i wanted to write about.  Most of my teachers give me 
a specific topic to wirte about, or, if they feel especially generous that 
day, they give the class a general topic like "Write a story about a pet 
you've had".  I'm sorry, but I'm not going to waste my time writing about 
"The Adventures of Bob The Goldfish."  On the rare occasion that I get to 
pick a topic, the teacher has to "O.K." it.  In otherwords, If it goes 
against the status quo and challenges the teacher's mind...whoops! time to 
pick a new topic.  Finally, if i actually manage to get a reasonable 
interesting topic to write about (which doesn't happen very often) the 
teacher will inevitably disagree with me (for instance, all my teachers have 
been brainwashed into thinking that the American goverment is perfect, and 
anyone who thinks it has problems is wrong).  So, if i write a really good 
paper about what's wrong with America, I would get an "F", since the schools 
grading system is subjective. So if someone writes a mediocre paper about why 
the government is good, they get an "A", while I'm stuck with my "F".

Now don't get me wrong.  Schools need to teach kids to write well, and maybe 
they need to help kids think of topics in elementary school, but come on!  
Give the older students at least an Option to pick what they want to write 
about.  I mean, i could write an article for Port7a every few days, but i 
couldn't write a paper about how "I love my school!" and other topics like 
that which the government and the schools use as propaganda to get across the 
message of "Government: good, School: good, indiviuality: bad."

In the end, it all comes down to government propaganda.  Freedom of Speech is 
no longer something America holds dear.  The government silences the 
individual who speaks out.  They silence those who challenge the the status 
quo.  Finally, if they can't silence them, they ignore them.

While not being able to pick a topic at school may not seem like a big deal, 
it is a serious violation of our freedom of speech...And it doesn't just end 
their either.  The government screens just about everything that is printed 
in the press, and that which they don't screen they deny.  Also, many 
websites have been shut down for what they have written (i.e. 
raisethefist.com)  It's not just "something i have to live with."  Its a 
violation of one of the rights this country was founded on.

Well, thats all for this rant.  Hope this gives you something to think about. 

                            Laterz - Khaos

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