Louisiana, keeping it classy

[Freed]

Lawmaker Wants Library to Lose Funding for Teaching 'Mexicans' English:

http://gawker.com/lawmaker-wants-librar ... 1465144571

Not breaking since it's a news site. I am counting the days till I can get the hell out of this state.

[Savoring Samsara]

As a librarian friend of mine pointed out (she, as you can imagine, is appalled by this whole thing): Maybe if your jails and prisons are overcrowded and you want more immigrants learning English and fewer people using food stamps, something that might help would be, oh, I don't know, help people to get educated and better themselves by funding public libraries.

[smittykins]

And this is the same kind of person who bashes bilingual education. "You want to live here, you learn English." :roll:

[RosyDaisy]

Oh, the joys of living in the South. These asshole bigots are under every rock.

[ADoyle90815]

There aren't enough Picard facepalm pictures for this. :angry-banghead:

[Cleopatra7]

This is so insane that it's almost like an SNL skit. :angry-banghead:

[Hane]

OMG. Literacy Volunteers of America, which helps adults learn how to read and how to speak/read/write English, typically work at public libraries.

Back in the '70s, it was illegal for public schools to teach sex ed. Is that still true? If so, this library situation doesn't surprise me much.

[lizziesmom]

Oh, the joys of living in the South. These asshole bigots are under every rock.

and unfortunately they don't stay there. Way too many run for and get elected to political office.

[duplessis3]

My paranoid thoughts on this: back at the turn of the 19th to 20th century in the US, Carnegie was building a shitload of libraries, and working class people were learning to read. People from other countries were actively being taught English and US Civics.. And what happened? UNIONS! Socialism etc...which is why people aren't being taught to read now and libraries are being unfunded.

[lizziesmom]

My paranoid thoughts on this: back at the turn of the 19th to 20th century in the US, Carnegie was building a shitload of libraries, and working class people were learning to read. People from other countries were actively being taught English and US Civics.. And what happened? UNIONS! Socialism etc...which is why people aren't being taught to read now and libraries are being unfunded.

I do think your paranoidism is in overdrive on this one. Part of the reason libraries aren't being funded is because they aren't being used like they were in the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries. People read and education was valued as a way to get ahead. Now, any redneck, hillbilly can get their own reality show, so why worry about an education? Most kids would rather have a tooth drilled then spend time at a library reading. It's all smart phones, tablets and video.