A lot of people seem to find Kerry’s manner of speaking to be tremendously amusing. The way he pauses before speaking a phrase in an almost Shatner-esque way. Al Gore did much the same thing.
After three years of Bush, it may be confusing, but…that’s how intelligent people talk. Carol Kalish spoke much the same way.
See, many people just say whatever’s running through their mind, and the phrases often don’t parse as sentences. Just ask anyone who’s ever had to transcribe an interview. In such case, more often than not, a sentence begins in one place but doesn’t end where it should because the speaker has gone off track.
Notice that when Kerry speaks, he usually does so in complete sentences. When he’s pausing, he’s mentally constructing what he’s going to say so that it will track from beginning to end. He considers his words and then uses them. By contrast, Bush just flails. He starts sentences without a clue where he’s going with them, and oftentimes trails off into confusion or dead ends. What saves Bush is that people have come to understand he’s inarticulate and it doesn’t bother them, because many of them aren’t much better, have only a vague grasp of the English language, don’t read much, and get annoyed or intimidated by people who are smarter than they.
Mark this period of time well, folks. Thirty years from now, future generations will look back at what went on in these days with a sense of revulsion and they will ask you, their parents and/or grandparents, how in the world the activities of George W. Bush and his Administration could have been allowed to happen. Bush supporters, be sure to save hardcopy of all your postings because, when you feel embarrassment thirty years hence, at least you can present some sort of explanation as to what the hëll was going through your mind.
PAD
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Karen,
As I said, I don’t feel giving “vouchers” is a panacea. And I do feel we need to drastically increase education spending. I’ve had a simple plant for a long time: double teachers salaries AND double the number of schools.
But under my plan, we would put two schools in each district. At least. Parents should have a choice where they send their kids to. And competition is good. It motivates people.
(By the way, have you ever read Savage Inequalities? It is a life-changing experience.)
I know very few people who would not be willing to give more money for schools IF THEY THOUGHT IT WAS BEING SPENT WELL and they were getting results.
One of your points I have a problem with is equating “poor schools” with “low-performing schools”. One of the “poor schools” in Philly recently had a group of students that had an awesome project for a major science fair. It was really cool. They needed money to go. There was no money in the budget, but people all over the city – thanks in large part to an article in my paper – sent a ton of money and they were able to go and fulfill their dream and have an awesome experience. They presented alongside kids from schools like theirs and schools with much bigger budgets and held their own. Why? Because they were talented and motivated, and got encouragement from their administartion. But most of all the community stepped up.
To me, this proves a few things:
1.) If you are raly motivated and don’t play victim, you will make use of your talent regardless of your circumstances
2.)people will freely give money if they feel it is going to something worthwhile.
Many on the Left feel throwing money at the schools will help them, while many on the Right feel only standards and accountability will be a panacea. THEY’RE BOTH WRONG! It takes BOTH!
Can you at least see some merit in anything I’ve just said?
By the way, kudos to your sister. Philly can be rough, and education IS a noble profession. Please let me very clear about one thing:
There are few things I respect more than a good teacher who genuinely cares about her students and gets the best out of them (that last part is important), and there’s nothing I disrespect more than a lazy, uncaring, content, lousy POS teacher.
I’m very happy about the school your paper enabled to go to the science fair. There are a lot of factors that go into my reasoning on the schools in poorer areas. One, the parents work more hours to get by, thus have less time to encourage children. The schools in those areas get less money, thus have no funds for things like computers. A school in a more affluent neighborhood would have been able to send those kids to the fair. They could have hit the parents up for the money and it would never have been a publishable issue. I think we agree on the more schools, smaller classes and paying teachers what they are worth. I disagree on your competition angle, though. I think when it comes to education that cooperation would get the best results. But I do see merit in a part of your argument. Does that mean we’re making progress? 🙂
you must be kidding? Kerry an intellect? gee,. I guess that is why he went after all that money with rich wives? omg, this is just too laughable. The pauses in Kerry’s speeches and conversations have to do with the “duh” space…omg you must be such a child. Have you actually research his current wife’s past and family? Their education and desires? Are you really that naive? omg ,,,still cannot contain my laughing at your naivte!!!!