For years I’ve said that school tax dollars should flow through the student to the school the child attends. Allow the family to choose a public or private school that meets their needs. I believe most families would continue to choose their local public school but, the competition would force all schools to improve. This concept is gaining ground however, the teachers’ unions and their political supporters vigorously fight against the change. I found evidence for this in a pair of recent news articles.

On my most recent driving excursion, I heard the Democrat mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, announce the relaxation of some COVID-19 restrictions he had imposed upon business and the movement of citizens in the city. With that, he said, “let's continue to earn this freedom.”

Early in January, I was watching Fox News when host Greg Gutfeld declared that the Pandemic would be over for him on February 1st. Greg wasn’t being a prophet. He regularly mixes humor and politics. In this case, he spoke with a mix of humor and frustration. He decided the first of February would be the day he would stop worrying about the virus.

Throughout the COVID pandemic, my thoughts about politicians, scientists, and teachers have evolved. I’ve mentioned before that in 2019 a little teriyaki restaurant I enjoy had a fire that forced the owners to close for repairs. Just when they were ready to reopen, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee shut them down. They were non-essential in the age of COVID-19. However, the nearby liquor store remained open. In Nevada, churches were closed, but casinos remained open. It all begins with an idea.

During the Blitz, in the dark days of early World War II, Nazi bombs rained down on much of England. Millions of children were sent to the relative safety of regions farther north and west. Many Londoners slept in the subway tunnels as bombs exploded above them. In the morning, they emerged to the smoldering ruins of their city. They checked to see if they still had a home and then went on to work manufacturing rifles, ammunition, ships, planes, and other weapons of war. Amazingly, the rates of suicide and drunkenness actually declined.