STOP DISCRIMINATION OF SCHOOL FUNDING!

The United States is doing an excellent job at providing "free" public education to all children who reside here.  However, we are lacking.  We are lacking because we are supposed to be enabling our citizens to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, and we are not doing that.  Rather, we are adding unnecessary limitations that hinder many people's solid efforts.

All parents have beliefs, albeit some are stronger than others. Some of these beliefs are obviously spiritually inclined, while others are politically inclined, and others stillare physically inclined, disciplinarily inclined, and/or educationally inclined, all in varying ways.  We should be entitled to our own personal beliefs as well as putting them into practice, which is what drives many to start private schools. 

Many private schools are founded on extraordinary foundations and principles and should therefore not be hindered.  In order to offer true freedom and opportunity to our citizens, every school that meets state educational standards (and is not promoting any illegal activities and/or ideas, of course) should be funded in the same way as any other school.  This does not interfere with the separation of church and state in the instances of schools which help to promote religious practices because the government will not be forcing these schools on anyone.  Instead, every parent will finally be given the full opportunity to enroll their children in the school of their choice without inappropriate and obnoxious interferences/ excuses that have been hindering their freedom.

In addition, funding all schools alike will be substantially beneficial to our country.  It will help to prevent crime, help support freedom of speech, and help to increase in the expansion of education in varying forms and styles.  It will help to lower crime by increasing the teaching of spiritual beliefs that give motivation to many who need it in order to be more obedient to rules and laws.  Without spiritual beliefs, disobeying rules can often mean the choice between possibly facing consequences vs. obeying. Many people who do not have strong spiritual beliefs are incredibly willing to face consequences if it means that they might possibly get what they want in a way that is appealing to them, whereas those who hold to the belief of a Higher Power generally do not want to grieve Him/Her. Many believe firmly that teaching spiritual beliefs to their children only in the home and on weekends leaves a huge lack of support to what they are teaching, thereby undermining their efforts and allowing much subtle confusion to be a dominant part in the children's lives. 

Schools of faith handle problems differently.  In the small Christian School I am a teacher at, for example, if a child gets hurt, injured, or ill, before taking any other measures, we first pray with the student(s).  In public school, we as a nation are unintentionally and indirectly teaching our students not to pray first by purposely leaving this out in order to avoid offending what is often a minority.  In my experience, it is also far easier to persuade students to obey all good authority figures in their lives when given the freedom to openly discuss matters of a spiritual nature.  Experiencing this daily gives our children all the tools they need to practice making wise, moral choices, which will often dictate what type of path they choose in the future, thereby helping to fight crime. 

Funding all schools that are meeting state standards will also prove to uphold freedom of speech.  Currently, if a teacher, being filled with gladness expresses loudly to his or her students, "What a beautiful day God has made!!!  Did you see all the beautiful butterflies outside and feel the cool breeze?" they are in jeopardy of losing their job!  My fellow citizens, this surely should not be! Such intolerance should be an outrage! Public-school teachers should not have to walk on eggshells! While it is understandable that parents who hold spiritual beliefs do not wish to have their children learning to worship a “different” god(s) than they do, there has to be a better way other than practicing complete intolerance. I believe funding a broader spectrum of schools is the answer to this issue and again, will most certainly prove to help increase freedom of speech.

Moreover, stopping the discrimination of school funding will increase educational opportunities of every kind.  For instance, some parents may wish to start a school in which ten languages are offered and teachers of multiple faiths are encouraged to speak openly about it.  Many parents are not so proud to claim that they know all the answers that they wish to prohibit their child(ren)’s exposure to other types of faith altogether, but rather, they would love to provide their children with the opportunity to be exposed to faiths of all kinds on a regular basis. Such a school that tolerates speaking openly about all religions would allow one’s child(ren) the real ability to make a faith-based choice of their own!  Other schools may wish to be more animal-oriented in order to raise up more experts to help prevent the extinction of animals, as well as animal cruelty.  Whether the goal of opening a new school is to offer higher disciplinary standards, uphold freedom of religion, increase musical opportunities, increase hands-on learning activities, or anything else this nation is inspired with, if the school is able to meet state educational standards, ladies and gentlemen, it should be funded!

Unfortunately, some may raise concerns about where extra money for additional school funding will come from. However, if there are less students enrolled, and therefore less teachers employed, per school, less funding will be necessary per school as well. Moreover, though this country stands for the pursuit of happiness, I think most Americans would generally agree that this should not translate to promoting luxury as being deemed necessary for all! The pursuit of happiness, rather, should mean choices. For instance, instead of demanding each school have all of the latest technology, each can have some of the latest technology. In addition, the funding of new schools can be approved on within a set number of schools per area per time, limits which will have to be agreed upon and voted upon, much like the process of deciding to build new public schools where it is deemed necessary. Let us not be bullied into allowing hyperbolized excuses to get in the way of our citizen’s freedom and growth!

In conclusion, there are many reasons to stop discrimination of school funding. It will increase freedom of choice, play an important role in crime prevention, help to uphold freedom of speech, increase educational opportunities (without unnecessary and unreasonable limits), and much, much more! When we look back as a nation to the time of segregation, slavery, and prohibition of women voting, we are appalled and amazed at our former lack of judgment. Everyone makes mistakes, but foolishness is always doing things the same without stopping to evaluate our effectiveness and adherence to what we are supposed to represent. It is time to take action in the improvement of our nation! It is time for big changes, and only with such changes can we truly pursue the rights of life, liberty, happiness, peace, as well as the well-being of all!