Political Articles
The Problems Of Modern Education: How Conformity Leads To Failure
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: July 16, 2009 July 16, 2009
"You can't make socialists out of individualists. Children who know how to think for themselves spoil the harmony of the collective society which is coming, where everyone is interdependent."
-- John Dewey, Father of Modern Education
The generation that schools like Eckington have mass produced.(Image from the movie, "I, Robot")
Yesterday I spent some time looking at the people on Facebook who had been to the same school as me. I was noticing some very disturbing patterns, and I am sure that they will be of value to the readers of this blog if they can apply them to their own situations. Eckington School was different from most in the area. The local community believed that you would get a better education if you went there, as it was deemed a "specialist engineering college".
In truth, that meant little more than the fact that the school got over a million pounds extra from the government each year. The educational plan was little different from other schools, but rules were enforced more vigorously, and many of them were unnecessary. These were about power, not education. As a result, two classes of people were formed: the conformists, and the rebels. There was no middle ground.
Parole Boards Requiring That Parolees Take Violence-Inducing, Mind-Altering Pharmaceuticals
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: July 09, 2009 July 09, 2009
We have received a copy of a letter from an outraged inmate who will be forced to consume psychotropic drugs upon his release from prison. This letter came from the Pennsylvania Parole Board, who told this man that he must accept mind-altering S.S.R.I. drugs as a condition of his release. The dangers of these drugs are well-known in prison, because a large portion of prisoners are placed on them during their incarcerations. These drugs are intended to keep prisoners obedient via chemical straight jackets, for the convenience of prison guards. However, these psychogenic drugs also cause some inmates to experience hallucinations, lose control, and become brutally violent. Occasionally, an inmate's outburst will be recognized as a psychotropic drug reaction, but random acts of violence are not usually blamed on the drugs, despite what is known about them.
"You shall take psychotropic medication if prescribed by your doctor."
In better times, this policy would have clearly constituted a cruel and unusual punishment; because forcing someone to take drugs which have a high likelihood of leading to violence or otherwise losing one's judgment is nothing short of evil. There is a great cruel irony in the forced drugging of convicts, who were imprisoned either because of the so-called "War on Drugs", or because drugs made them do things that got them into trouble.
A Few Things You Should Know About The Coming Communistic New World Order
- Details
- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: June 12, 2009 June 12, 2009
U.S. History Test Time
Question: Which branch of the U.S. Government is the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank a division of, and to whom is the Federal Reserve Bank accountable to?
Answer: The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank is not a part of the U.S. Government. It is a privately owned bank, with strong international influences. It is accountable to no U.S. regulators, and is, as its chairman once stated, "above the law". Its building is treated as a foreign embassy.
Question: Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that taxes be paid for income?
Answer: There is no amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring the payment of income taxes, and in fact, the U.S. Constitution makes taxation upon income an illegal activity. The sixteenth (I.R.S.) amendment was never ratified by the states. Only four states ratified the sixteenth amendment, which prevented it from becoming law.
Abandon All Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here - Children Sentenced To Die In Prison
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: May 29, 2009 May 29, 2009
Those who have been reading this site for an extended period of time will know my views on the sentencing of young offenders. I am going to reiterate that here, because there is a new bill which has entered the U.S. House of Representatives which would provide second chances to children who were sentenced with "life without parole" (meaning no possibility of eventual release -- ever), or a regular "life sentence", which is about 20 years. H.R. 2289, Juvenile Justice Accountability and Improvement Act of 2009 would provide hope to the many young people who currently have none.
Christopher Pittman:Sentenced To 30 Years
It is believed that there are over 2,500 youth offenders serving a "life without parole" sentence in the United States today. This is not imposed on children anywhere else in the world, except here in the United States; where the Bill of Rights is supposed to forbid all "cruel and unusual punishments".
The Supreme Court previously recognized (Roper vs. Simmons) that there are "known differences" between the maturity and understanding of youths over adults; and because youths have much greater chances of corrigibility, the United States would not allow the execution of children. All the same, are there really huge differences between locking a child away until death, and executing him? Imagine kneeling down to a 12-year-old and telling him that he is never going to get out of prison, or that he might get that chance in 30 years, like in the case of Christopher Pittman. Let's be honest: if they release Chris at the age of 42 after having been sentenced at age 12, then he will have absolutely no chance of surviving as a free man once he is released. His life will be completely thrown away. In these cases, a judge abominably acted to unleash the harshest of vengeance against a child, whereby true justice and rehabilitation were never considered.
Another Tragic Example Of The Removal Of U.S. Constitutional Rights - It Happened Even Here In North Carolina
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: May 08, 2009 May 08, 2009
Ashton Lundeby (age 16)
On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was signed and agreed upon. Therein, laid the Bill of Rights, believed by America's Founding Fathers to be the inalienable human rights granted by God for men to be free from tyrannical governments that would endeavor to destroy their spirits. Two hundred and fourteen years later, The Patriot Act was signed into law by George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. It was just over a month past the tragic events at the World Trade Center, and the people of America had been leaning on the government to protect them from another attack. Their trust was betrayed on so many levels.
Drugs and Guns: Cultural Differences Between The U.S. and The U.K.
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: April 11, 2009 April 11, 2009
I think that I stand in a quite privileged position, with my extended knowledge of both American and British cultures. As a result of my experiences, my opinions have changed significantly in areas which were previously defined by mainstream news stories. I think it would benefit both the English and American readers for me to discuss those differences here.
Crime and Gun Control
I think the best example would be gun control. I grew up being taught about the dangers of guns, and eventually that changed to include knives. I held the misguided belief that eliminating guns would also eliminate crime. I was young, and very naive.
When I became actively involved with British politics, I began considering the rights of the people to defend their homes and families from violent attackers. This came as a result of learning about the infamous Tony Martin case. For the American readers, Tony Martin was a farmer who shot two thieves while they were robbing his home. This was after the police had willfully refused to take any action against them during, and after, previous robberies. One of these repeat criminals died from a bullet wound that was inflicted as he ran through Tony's house in the dark. Tony was charged with murder, and for illegally owning a firearm for self-defense. This tragic case taught me about the necessity of being able to defend one's land, however I still considered carrying arms on a person to be both unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
The Health Care Bill, How the System Really Works, and the Unfree Market
- Details
- Written by Thomas Corriher Thomas Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: April 01, 2009 April 01, 2009
We have a friend who regularly blames the free market for the state of health care, and he believes that it should be regulated by government to suppress the corruptive greed factor that has made the system the way it is. He is partially right. Greed is at the heart of the problems, but we have to part ways regarding the solution. Funneling even more of our scarce money to the most corrupt members of our society by force of law is hardly going to quell their unethical behaviors or greed. It will only embolden them to pillage us worse. What has happened, and will happen with the new health care bill is a testament to the fact that we really ought to be careful what we wish for.
Why I Will Not Be Voting: My Vote of No Confidence
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: January 19, 2009 January 19, 2009
I turned eighteen in October, so 2009 will be the first year that I will be given the chance to vote. As a British citizen living abroad, I could vote by mail; and supposedly, my opinion would matter. All the same, I feel obliged to point out why I will not be voting, for I can remember just how frustrating people like me were, from when I was involved in politics.
While my passport may still read "British Citizen", I do not live there, contribute to its economy, pay its taxes, nor hold any loyalty to the Queen, and I am unaffected by virtually every decision that is made by the British government, or the local councils. Ironically, I was paying taxes when I turned 16, even though I was not old enough to vote against them. I would not consider it unfair if any other Brit were to tell me that I have no right to vote. It is indeed no longer my right, regardless of what is written into law.
An Explanation of Why We Are Home Schooling
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: November 26, 2008 November 26, 2008
Over the years, there has been a lot of doubt surrounding homeschooling, and whether it is a viable alternative to the public schools. Zachary's peers, (seven-year-old first graders) in the Davie County School System at Cornatzer Elementary School, watch cartoons on Smart Boards during school, but Zachary read the following paragraph aloud during his study session night. For legal reasons, we do not comment on how little time we really need to spend studying in order to surpass the public schools, but most readers would be shocked to know how little effort is needed. Do you know any public schooled first graders who could read this?
Why Vote?
- Details
- Written by Sarah C. Corriher Sarah C. Corriher
- Category: Political Articles Political Articles
- Published: November 03, 2008 November 03, 2008
In the United States, we are one day away from an election that we believe could change the country. However, I am still left thinking 'why vote?'. My time in the BNP caused me to become enraged at people who would ask this same question. Back then, I believed that the votes of the people mattered, due to the democracy that we lived in. I am not as naive as I was then. In this country (U.S.A.), it is the votes of the Electoral College that actually count. The votes of citizens do not. In that respect, Britain is more free. All the same, the votes are terribly controlled in Britain too. I remember being at the count and seeing voting cards which were marked with two different parties, which were in opposition. (The British do not vote by candidate, but by party). Boxes arrived during the last ten minutes which voted solely for the Labor Party. Those boxes contained no non-Labor votes, and they changed the results of that election.