Bitter Teachers and Teenage Crime

I believe there is a chain of events linking bitter teachers and waste in the educational system to at least part of the crimes committed by teens and young adults. I therefore believe that by having better teachers and classes, some crime will be prevented.

And Why Is That?

Well, you see, many middle- and upper-class Americans seem to believe in the stereotypical “poor, underprivileged ghetto kid” who will never amount to anything but a thief or a gangster solely because he (or she, as the case may be) was born into the American lower class. The only solution the middle and upper classes see is to throw money at the problem. I, however, contest that no matter how much money you throw at them, it will do no good unless you can find a teacher who is enthused about what they teach and can show the students that what they are teaching is cool and can be used in the real world. I admit, I was pretty lucky as far as who my teachers were, but I’ve also had a few bitter ones, too. An example, I remember a certain teacher, an old, bitter bat whose class I absolutely hated going to, so I understand how unpleasant the learning experience can be with the wrong teachers. Teachers who are bitter make their students bitter about the class in turn. From this bitterness and resentment toward the class comes the desire to ditch. You probably already know, but students who tend to ditch are then more likely to drop out, and those who drop out are also more likely to turn to a life of crime. You see, these criminals exist because there was no one to show them that the learning experience can in fact be a fun and useful thing.

Now the Other Side

Okay. Take that poor kid and give him some good teachers now. You’ll see him getting good grades. He’ll be choosing better classes. Think about the General Science and Math for Success (that’s the name of the lowest math course where I went to high school). You’ll see him taking something more along the lines of Calculus and Physics by the time he graduates. All you needed to make such a huge change in that kid’s life was to give him some better teachers.

What is This “Better Teacher”?

Some might think that a better teacher is a more expensive one. However, that is not the case. The teacher can be the most expensive, technically intelligent one you can find, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have any more success getting the students to learn. Such a teacher may be the best college professor, but the better teacher in another school would be reasonably intelligent, but needs to know how to make the student interested in what is being taught. With that, I hope I was interesting enough to show you what public schools need most.

Mass Transit: Its Downfalls and Possibilities

For most of us, mass transit means taking the bus. Maybe even a commuter train, or in bigger cities the subway. It also means less people on the road and therefore shorter trip times. Mass transit is good, but let’s face it: it could be better.

Shortcomings of Mass Transit

Yes, let me point out some spots where the mass transit system could be improved. The unreliability of bus arrival times tends to put people off. I know I hate having to wait for the bus and only be able to hope it comes soon. I also understand the bus is subject to the same rules as any other vehicle on the road, but I feel something could be done to improve consistency. There also usually seems to be at least one person riding any mass transit who puts others on edge. Or what about on busy routes when the bus, subway or whatever becomes so packed that people no longer feel comfortble. There are also some destinations that are very far from any transit stop. Not only that, but what happens when the transit system closes down for the night and people still need to catch a ride home. Only little towns fall asleep by nine or other times around there, especially on the weekends. And what about those times you need to ride, but can’t find exact change? Lastly, why would anyone who can afford more want to take the bus? It’s just not cool.

Some Possibilities for Better Mass Transit

Did you think I’d write just to whine without proposing a solution to the problem? First, to make more reliable arrival times… I’ve got it: plan alternate routes that are able to get around traffic problems quickly, and I’ve heard there are devices now that can warn drivers of traffic conditions beyond their line of sight. Some of those could be helpful. Placing some more transit stops should also improve efficiency. Oh, and extending the hours mass transit runs at would be a welcome idea among riders. Just an idea, but I think more people might ride if stuff like buses came by more often or had the option of payment by credit card, too. Even the problem of coolness can be helped. My thought, there’s no form of public transportation cooler than a sleek, high-speed monorail. That should attract a lot more people.

Behold, a Ray of Light in the Oily Morass!

With so many people buying huge, wasteful SUVs, it’s a wonder that they have the nerve to complain about the cost of gas. Now if you drive one of the small, fuel-efficient cars or take public transit, know that I congratulate you. If, however, you are one of the people driving around in your huge truck all alone, your tales of woe at the gas pump fall on unsympathetic ears. True, your pocketbook suffers more than those of other people, but that was the sacrifice YOU made in order to gain a feeling of power over your fellow commuters.

The illusion of power:

If you’re thinking about getting a huge SUV, don’t. You’ve seen the commercials where the woman “suffers” from people cutting in line ahead of her, right? She goes out and buys an SUV to boost her ego. One of the things they conveniently forget to mention is that you only get the ILLUSION of power. Truly, even if we drive the most expensive cars on the road, we are no more important than anyone else out there just for owning such a car. The need to drive such an extravagantly large vehicle merely proves how insecure you are, how badly you desire to appear better than those around you. Yes, the SUV is a plea for attention. Those who need to drive SUVs as opposed to a smaller type of car are just like the schoolyard bully who needs to stress his superiority over other children because they feel inferior if they can’t put down the students around them. Really, no matter how many people you show off to, you are nothing special. We are all still just numbers in some database somewhere.

OPEC rules your wallet:

OPEC (the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries) and the oil companies have a tremendous amount of power over how much money leaves your wallet at present. Don’t believe me? That’s fine, just take anything you pay for, trace the path your money takes from there, and chances are you’ll find the oil companies and ultimately OPEC profiting every time you buy something. This all-pervasive web of OPEC influence takes a little from you for every gallon of gas, every new piece of plastic, every tank of jet fuel, every inch of tar on the road, every kilowatt produced in an oil power plant, every can of WD-40 you use, and much more.

Break the shackles, freedom awaits!

Although I don’t see the oil industry disappearing in the near future, I see the possibility of eliminating our need to import oil. If we use mass transit when we can, buy more fuel efficient cars, replace oil power plants with solar and wind power, recycle as much plastic as we can, support the development of alternative-fuel vehicles, and try to find alternative products for any petroleum-based products we can think of, we can break the bonds OPEC holds us in while they dig through our wallets. If America can gather enough support for such a cause, we may even be able to start exporting oil.