feasor

would you mind elaborating? How did it get to that point (you getting stabbed)?

Thank you for sharing

Ha. you don't remember me, but I worked out with you at the Hardcore Gym in Athens around 10+ years or so ago. Back when it was in the tiny warehouse room with beat up wrestling mats on the floor and no AC.

I remember you teaching some techniques and using me as a dummy for getting out from under a mounted position. Despite your gentle disposition, I was scared shitless watching elbows rain down around my head during your show-and-tell.

funny story from my perspective. Glad to know you're doing well.

-nic

To preface my question, I'd like to say I am in favor of a complete overhaul of our educational system and significant expansion of funds, personnel, and programs aimed to better educate our future generations. now...

I've been recently exposed to the special education side of the our school systems and the amount of money spent, per child, in this area is mind boggling. When you factor in the legal fee's, additional testing, annual / bi-annual IEP meetings, and additional teaching personnel, the cost spent per child is vastly higher than that of a student in general or advanced educational programs.

While the government is required to provide a "free and public" education to every child, the loose interpretation of this phrase facilitates extreme waste in this segment of schools.

In your eyes, should the individual needs of a "few" consume such a large percentage of resources? Is this an area that the needs of the few should outweigh the potential benefit to the "many"?

I'm not trolling at all and would like your genuine opinion.

it is... and i sincerely hope it isn't taken in a negative light. The problems we face today (as a global society) are staggering and some very tough choices need to be made.

The true changes we need to make are extremely costly, will hurt EVERYONE to adopt, and will NOT be popular among the voting populace- regardless of party affiliations. In the process of furthering the entire human race, some people will be left behind. I use the following as a litmus test for where people generally stand on the future of our race: "Would you kill an innocent baby if you could cure every disease on the planet?" Some say yes, some no. To those that say yes: "what if that child was yours?"

Everyone wants to talk about what needs to be done but no one is willing to make a personal sacrifice to have it happen. It's always someone else's responsibility.

The problem here is that these truly viable fixes are extremely unpopular and will probably be a quick ticket out of the public light for anyone who would propose it. Hence the circle-jerk legislation passed around our various governments for "feel good" news reports that "something is being done."

To finish my ramble: I feel Space Exploration, Education, and care for our planet should be our chief areas of focus in the coming years. I'm butchering a quote here, but "The Earth is way too small of a basket to keep all of humanity's eggs in," especially if we're destroying said basket at an increasing rate. So if we're not going to spread ourselves across the galaxy, then we damn well better educate some children and hope they can figure out a solution to the plethora of problems we face.

I agree with both of your points. Though more to your second than your first.

As far as early intervention: absolutely. Though I think our money would be better spent in research on a medical level (to prevent and cure versus simply treating symptoms)

I simply think this is a question we should be asking ourselves across all areas of our lives: How can we best apply our finite resources to give the greatest good to the most people?