Finally, My Final Thoughts on CNN’s LATINO IN AMERICA, Soledad O’Brien and Juan Hernandez
Yes, I know I am in a rut, so I promise tomorrow I will write about the discovery of caves on Mars.
That being said, let me thank everyone who deluged me with emails about my last few blogs, both the supportive ones and the combative ones.
Tasty reading.
However, I do want to slip one more blog in about Soledad O Brien’s CNN progarm, LATINO IN AMERICA.
She had one segment, a compassionate segment, about a poor Latina, struggling to finish high school. Somehow, even though she was dedicating her every hour to studying for her diploma, she got pregnant.
But don’t despair readers, the pregnant high school student pledged herself to:
1-Finish high school.
2-Finish college
and
3- Fulfull her life’s dream.
Which is………
DRUM ROLL PLEASE as Ms. O’Brien intones in her narration,
“… to be a social worker.”
I was overcome with delight to appreciate that my taxes are going to create a generation of Latino SOCIAL WORKERS. Just what this country needs to stay ahead of China and India
I don’t want to pay taxes to create a generation of Latino social workers to manage a permanent underclass; don’t want to do it. I don’t want to educate managers of a permanent undercless, I do not want a permanent underclass.
The Soviets gave all their students aptitude tests; if you had a gift for engineering, you were educated in engineering even though your life’s ambition was to be a social worker.
We cannot do that; but we can do this. If you want to be a social worker, you are ineligible for Pell Grants, Government Loans or Scholarships.
If you want to be a scientist or engineer, all your education is free, paid for by the our collective taxes. The education of all scientists, engineers and doctors is on the state. Taxes pay for future admirals and generals; we can do the same for the professions we will need in the future.
I understand this is a Draconian application of resources, but we need to maintain the engine which creates wealth. Having an abundance of social workers does not create wealth.
In fact, I will go one step further, only one group of people should be social workers, especially for Local, County and State Governments. That group is rehabilitated ex convicts.
Ex convicts are the perfect social workers. The purpose of a Social worker is to teach survival skills, no one survives better than an ex con.
As for my taxes, I have no problem paying taxes to educate Latino astronauts, Latino engineers, Latino scientists. Latino Admirals. Latino doctors( I am ambivalent about Latino lawyers).
Finally, amid all the Latinos Ms. O’Brien informed us we should be interested in, she left out the most important Latino hero of our generation.
That is Not a Latino lawyer, nor a Latino politician, nor a Latino athlete, nor a Latino chef who wants to be Martha Stewart, nor a Latino actor but a Latino astronaut.
There was no mention of JUAN HERNANDEZ, the first Mexican American astronaut.
Why is he the greatest Latino extant?
Because he is a hero not by politics, nor Affirmative Action, nor political correctness, nor Liberal guilt. He got his job by merit, and if he had failed his job, all the other astronauts on that shuttle would have died. But he did not fail.
Math knows no affirmative action.
He is a scientist and engineer, astronaut and hero, the child of farm workers. And Ms. O”brien gives time to 13 year old punk girls.
I don’t agree with Mr. Hernandez’s politics but by God he deserves a significant mention on LATINO IN AMERICA. He is delivering the goods, on an elevated playing field.
I know Latinos who got together and watched LATINO IN AMERICA en masse. For their efforts, they got to view a chef, an aspiring social worker, and a 13 year old girl with a 187(Police Code for Murder) tattoo.
They should have been given a Latino taking risk on the Final Frontier.
Tags: Juan Hernandez, Pell Grants, Soledad O'Brien