Free speech, exercised both individually and through a free press, is a necessity in any country where people are themselves free.

Okay, two quick comments.

1) Wulf the Teacher... Now, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time... A long time. I think that blog might be done.

2) You might be surprised what parents would choose to have their children read. My sources at the local book store have a lot of stories about giving a book like "To kill a Mockingbird" to a customer, and having the customer say "How the hell is she supposed to read a book that big? It looks boring! Do you have the Cliff Notes or whatever?"

What do you think these parents would choose if Harper Lee weren't mandated? Probably not a damn thing, if they could get away with it. This is the biggest problem with public education - everybody likes to complain about it, but very few people in this country would actually like it done away with. Imagine a politician running on that platform. It's just not realistic. I don't even know how to reform the system. For now, I can only try to help 100 kids a year, 3 hours a week. It's sad.

It's kinda sad... My company gives out gift cards when we hit our sales targets, usually to Wal-Mart, the mall, Best Buy, etc. I suggested one month that we give out cards to Borders, amazon, or Barnes & Noble, thinking that other people like to read.

So of the 20-odd people in the company, I was the only one to choose it when they offered the Border's gift card.

I think reading is something that far fewer people actually do in today's society. I know very few people my own age, at least, that read anywhere near as much as I do.

That's exactly what I am talking about, Brad. Though when my kids were in diapers I might have preferred Target to a book store.

My students think I am nuts because I read whatever novels they are assigned in their English classes. And it's almost all stuff I've read before - Salinger, Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Twain. But I want them to see me reading it, and I want them to realize that you can discuss this stuff outside of English class.

Rammage, my point to you is that my support of privatization has nothing to do with any belief that most parents will educate their children well. Most probably can't - they themselves have little love for education.

Damn Wulf, I'm impressed. The fact that you go out of your way to show these kids that learning is not such a bad thing...

I just wish there were more teachers like you out there.