Somewhere along the way, “funding for education” became synonymous with “giving money to other people.” Public education became a charity, a thing we do for those poor kids who can’t otherwise afford school. Somewhere along the way, we forgot how important a strong public education system is to the future of America.

We treat public educators as the enemy and the system as unfixable, which is like saying the guy who usually drives my car is an idiot. Our go-to solution – school vouchers – does nothing more than subsidize rich kids attending private schools or shove at-risk kids out of the system to schools where “they’ll do much better in a less-structured environment.” Every voucher sent to private schools pounds one more nail into the U.S. educational system’s coffin.

Public education is the backbone of our country – the rich and fertile soil that nurtures tomorrow’s Albert Einsteins and Abraham Lincolns. It casts a wide net, identifies talent, and promotes the brightest and best – the people equipped to make decisions in 2050 and beyond. The U.S. is filled with rags-to-riches stories that started with a good public education. We can only be the best if we’re led by the best.

Unfortunately, support for education means more than a pat on the back – it means tax money. You don’t get Saks 5^th Ave. suits at Wal-Mart.

It’s easy to blame politicians for the current problems; easier to blame all the unqualified parents out there; easier yet to blame our I-can’t-pay-more tax burden; easiest to point to a school that spent money stupidly and pretend education can’t be fixed.

But patriotism means loving America today and tomorrow. Patriotism means investing in education by politicians who must look beyond any benefit in the next election. Politics is a short game and education is a long game. A successful third grader won’t give back for at least 20 years.

Maybe once we inch closer to third-world status, a groundswell of support will rise up and demand accountability. Instead of “Make America great again,” a politician may one day say: “Let’s make America great in 2025 and 2050 and 3000.”

But maybe not.

As Pogo said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”

© 2016 SmithTakes.com