Bathing Students in Bathos
It has been an embarrassing fall for government schools in Colorado. Results from the state standards tests show that they continue to be unable to teach large numbers of children to read and write. They also seem to have a continuing problem making sensible judgements. In November, Sonya Golden, a 17-year-old honor student in Colorado Springs, was suspended when a random search found a pocket knife in the first-aid kit of her car.[1]
Why the Government Doesnt Belong in People's Sex Lives, Even Teenagers'
In eight towns in Colorado, the federal government is running an Abstinence Education Program to promote chastity amongst teenagers. These programs take tax dollarsa little over a half a million bucks a year for five years here in Coloradoand use them to buy written promises from teenagers that they will remain virgins until marriage. In […]
Taking It to the Streets
Originally published in Reason Magazine Should we treat guns like cars? Handgun Control Inc. has been saying so for years, and this summer Vice President Al Gore agreed. “We require a license to drive a car in this nation in order to keep unsafe drivers off the road,” Gore said. “As president, I will fight for […]
Riot Fees and Identity Politics: Making the Innocent Pay
University of Colorado Regent Jim Martin wants to make all CU students pay a riot fee because riots by college age people have destroyed property in Boulder. He apparently believes that when damage is done, those in power have an obligation to see that someone pays and he isn’t overly picky about who that might be. Apparently well schooled in the post-modern collectivist philosophy of “social justice,” Mr. Martin sees nothing wrong with redistributing money from innocent members of one group to those who may have suffered no losses in another.
Why the Government Doesnt Belong in People’s Sex Lives, Even Teenagers’
In eight towns in Colorado, the federal government is running an Abstinence Education Program to promote chastity amongst teenagers. These programs take tax dollarsa little over a half a million bucks a year for five years here in Coloradoand use them to buy written promises from teenagers that they will remain virgins until marriage. In return for signing the pledge and agreeing to take the message to other young people, these teens are rewarded with swing dance and Tao Kwon Do lessons, laser tag sessions and overnight camp outings. You even get a membership card.
Teacher Training Moves to Forefront of Education Debate
With little media fanfare, Colorado has started moving to address one of the most important problems facing its public schools: shortcomings in the teacher education process.
Student Fees Prevent Free Speech
The University of Colorado Student Union (UCSU) has just mounted a campaign to convince people that requiring students to finance political causes with which they profoundly disagree preserves, protects, and defends the right of free speech guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. Nothing could be further from the truth. The First Amendment says […]
Racist Admissions: A Policy For Failure
On October 21, 1999, Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar sanctioned racism in college admissions. Though quotas are illegal, Mr. Salazar said that numerical goals are OK so long as they are just that and not set in concrete.[1] In his view, racial discrimination is just fine as long as colleges do it flexibly. Despite examples […]
