Saturday, March 12, 2011

For All the "Whipping Boys" Out There, a.k.a TEACHERS

If you are looking for affirmation and pats on the back, then thank your lucky stars you are not a teacher today. Why pray tell? Because teachers are now the whipping boy for all of society's ills. And how appropriate when you understand the history of the Whipping Boy.

Whipping Boy was an established position at the English court during the Tudor and Stuart monarchies of the 15th and 16th centuries. A young boy was assigned to the King's son and whenever the young prince would misbehave or fall behind in his schooling, the Whipping Boy would be flogged and beaten. Everyone believed (yeah it was a God thing) that you couldn't punish the young prince for his failings, so let's punish someone else - the Whipping Boy.

Amazing how teachers have become the whipping boy today, and more so than ever in these first few months of 2011. If there is a problem in society . . . it's those dang teachers! Our children are not learning and we're falling behind in math and science . . . Fire the teachers! Young people are violent, disrespectful, and lazy . . . It's the fault of all those lousy teachers! The economy is falling apart and there is no money . . . All because of the benefits (pensions) those teachers get and those high salaries they make for 9 months of work and only 6 hours per day when they are working! (And if you believe this, you have never lived with or hung out with a TEACHER.) Can we say, "Whipping Boy?"

Another amazing correlation between the Whipping Boy of old and our situation today is this whole monarchy thing. The fact that you couldn't / can't punish the monarchy for their failings so let's assign a whipping boy to take the fall, be the scapegoat. Is there a better description of today? Who is the monarchy today you ask? All the untouchables - bankers, wall street brokers, politicians, the list goes on - who driven by their unadulterated greed have taken our country and our world to the brink of collapse because of their choices and actions, or lack there of. But let there be no repercussions for these fine, upstanding leaders of society. Call in the Whipping Boy!!!

What I can't figure out is why Jon Stewart seems to be the lone voice crying out in the wilderness of this malarkey. Why are we allowing ourselves to be snookered by the ridiculous commentary being presented in the public arena? Check out this video and tell me they are not feeding us _________________ (you fill in the word).





Isn't it time we begin to stand up and tell the media and politicians that we have pulled back the curtain, we see the games being played, the lies being told, and we're tired of it. We're tired of Whipping Boys! I'm reminded of Howard Beale in "Network" and, well . . . let's let him say it again.





Anybody else tired of Whipping Boys?

1 comment:

PatrickLeah said...

Speak it!

Thanks for posting this. This is exactly the type of commentary we need out there to help counter all the anti-teacher retorich.

Your call to action is also spot on. Organizing is the only way to fight back. As horrible as the anti-union (hence, anti-teacher) political decisions have been in Wisconsisn, Indy, Ohio, etc., they have ignighted a passion among working people that we should not squlech. Now is the time to stand up -- no matter if you are a union or non-union worker -- and focus our anger and fustration on the top 3% of the wealth holders, banks, and corporate powers. They are the ones who got us in this financial mess -- NOT teachers, state hospital workers, figherfighters, etc. and their collectivly bargained union contracts.