Island of misfits?

[Andre1969]

I went to a private school in 6th grade, and another one in grades 7-8, then back to the public school system for high school. The 6th grade was an Episcopalian school, and was great. Everybody got along fine, the fighting was kept to a tasteful minimum, and the kid whose family had a Benz S-class wasn't treated any better than the kid whose family had a Granada.

7th and 8th grade was a catholic school though, and was incredibly snobbish and clique-y. Some of the kids got away practically with murder. Also, private schools aren't monitored the way public schools are, so often you have a problem with teachers falling behind on certifications and training and such, and they can fall behind the times. I remember our school also got in trouble because we had one kid who only had a 4th grade reading level, yet somehow slipped through the cracks and ended up in 8th grade.

So private schools aren't always everything they're cracked up to be. Both systems can have their flaws, and I'm sure that there are individual examples of both that can run the gamut.

[REWahoo]

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Originally Posted by azanon A small AA school in Arkansas. I don't want to be more specific than that, as to maintain my anonymonity (sp).

Understand. My question was did you go to private school once they became available?

[azanon]

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Understand. My question was did you go to private school once they became available?

No,.... and I couldn't really. Per some of my other stories here, i strategized to get into a Service academy as early as the 7th grade, and these other private schools were so new, that they just didnt have as many clubs/atheletics as the public school did. Per my strategy, I joined every club the public school had, lettererd in as many sports as possible, and made straight A's. My dad and I both agreed that going to one of these new private schools would have reduced my chances of getting into a service academy, so i had to suck it up and stay.

[Jay_Gatsby]

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Originally Posted by azanon Another comment:* I hear how a lot of you hoarders think you're envied by everyone.* *Get over yourselves.* Truth is, sometimes, you're often pitied, not envied.* * I have a dad worth 2million+ liquid (not counting hard assets), and that man still watches a 25" regular (non-HDTV) TV everynight for 2.5hrs+.* I make only a fraction what he does, but i watch a beautiful HDTV at night, complete with Dolby digital 5.1 sound on a 2 thousand dollar speaker/sub system.* * Do you honestly think I envy someone with a 25" TV? ......* * Exactly!* * On the one hand, we have a national savings rate less than 0%.* On the other, we have a forum for the hoarders.* * Is there a "balanced financial life" website somewhere?* Anyone have a link? Azanon * The TV's just one example.* Same situation with everything else in his life.* I love the man to death, but I beg him to spend money on himself all the time.* *I'm just going to end up with all of it someday, and, frankly, I'd prefer to see him enjoy it instead.* I can take care of myself.

For the most part, hoarders are envied by spendthrifts. *Why? *Because the hoarders have money, and the spendthrifts want it. *OTOH, hoarders aren't envied by other hoarders because they already have their own money, and don't need the money being hoarded by someone else. *It's all about the mindset.

In Azanon's case, he may not envy his father in terms of having to watch a 25" TV, but it sure would be nice to have both the $2k HDTV entertainment system and more money in the bank -- all of the pleasure of having without the pain of acquiring.

Many people look at me and wonder why I don't spend more on myself, since I can clearly afford it. *I've been asking myself the same question, and have come to the conclusion that I can afford to loosen the purse strings a bit since I made the necessary sacrifices to get the financial ball rolling. *My investments will pay for a bit more of a lifestyle than those who didn't exercise the same level of discipline. *It's all about delayed gratification.

[azanon]

I'm happy for him, but i definitley don't envy him. I certainly love him; he was/is a wonderful dad. If i was going to envy anything, I might envy his money. But I wouldn't go making the mistake that i'm envying him.

Just because he can afford what I have, that's no consolation, is it? What good is a power that you refuse to use? There is no gold metal in the end. He is 60 today, and he will die within the next 20-40 years. Either he spends it, or I will. I assure you I can do that, no problem, but I'd genuinely prefer to see him do it cause I love him.

[brewer12345]

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Originally Posted by azanon I went to school in the deep south where there is quite a bit of racism still in existence.* Up until about 7th grade, there were no (large) private schools in the area where i worked, so pretty much everyone, including the children of wealthy families, all went to the public school.* *So there were plenty of good children to be around, and we had no problems getting good teachers to want to come teach there. Around 7th grade, one private school came near the area, then soon after another.* *The wealthy and predominately white families left to these schools, and left "everyone else" at the public school.* As you might expect, the quality of this public school system went to the crapper.* I believe every American should be entitled to the same baseline level of education, and that we, as a collective whole, should pay for it.* Then, if you want to personally pay for higher education (in the form of college), then you can feel free to do so.* I dont think kids should be punished and doomed to a poorer education because their parents cant afford to send them to a private school.* *I would support an active AP system within the public school to challenge the kids that want to work harder.* * But I don't think being a racist is a valid reason to bypass a public school.

Ah, yes, another trade-mark Azanon Grand Canyon-esque leap: private schools equals racism.

How about this one for size: I do pay for the local schools via my real estate taxes (85+% of my RE taxes go to the school district). *You would fall over if you saw how big my tax bill is. *The teachers in the local district have the highest average pay in the county and the longest tenure (and fat pensions) and the schools are still just OK. *As such, I plan on sending my kids to Catholic school (also for religious reasons). *Hard to see how I am selling the public schools short...

[Outtahere]

Azanon, Is your father happy? Is he enjoying life? And I don't mean in what you would consider enjoying but his idea of enjoyment. If he enjoys watching his 25inch tv and living like he does then so be it, he's earned that right to do what he wants.

[azanon]

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Ah, yes, another trade-mark Azanon Grand Canyon-esque leap: private schools equals racism.

And i said that.....* *not.* * It is why some people do it though.* You either realize that or you're highly naive.* Which is it?* *(i'm guessing the latter).

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How about this one for size: I do pay for the local schools via my real estate taxes (85+% of my RE taxes go to the school district).

You think i didn't know that?* Who doesn't know that.

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You would fall over if you saw how big my tax bill is.

I doubt it.* I always vote for the mileage increases.* They're needed.

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The teachers in the local district have the highest average pay in the county and the longest tenure (and fat pensions) and the schools are still just OK.

They're paid jack squat here.* Private school teachers are paid even less.

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As such, I plan on sending my kids to Catholic school (also for religious reasons).* Hard to see how I am selling the public schools short...

I already told you once how you're doing that, but i dont mind telling you again.* Your intelligent kid provides a benefit to the other students by virtue of just being around them, and being in the same class with them.* *The (good) teachers don't want to teach at public schools anymore because people like you think your kids are too good for them.* *

Religious reasons?* elaborate.* *Your church on Sunday not cutting it?

[Jay_Gatsby]

Everyone has the right to do what they want with their money. *If you own a home, you pay property taxes, part of which go to pay for the public schools. *If you decide to send your kids to private school, you're paying tuition twice -- once in the form of property taxes, and the second time in the form of post-tax dollars for private school tuition. *Choosing to send your kids to private school is a choice based upon the belief that the public schools aren't up to the task of educating your children in the manner in which you would like them educated. *You could pressure the school district to reform itself, and thereby provide your child with a better education in exchange for your property tax dollars, but your children would suffer in the meantime, assuming that your pressure would even be effective -- which it wouldn't.

Are you abandoning the public schools? Yep, you bet. Are you being unfair to to children whose parents can't afford private school? Nope, you're looking out for what's best for your children.

[azanon]

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Azanon, Is your father happy? Is he enjoying life? And I don't mean in what you would consider enjoying but his idea of enjoyment.* If he enjoys watching his 25inch tv and living like he does then so be it, he's earned that right to do what he wants.

I think he's happy, but its kind of hard to tell.* He's an introvert (like me) so any assessment in that area could easily be in err.

Happiness is one thing, but not everything is subject to opinion.* It is not an opinion to recognize that money's value is only expressed when it is given away.* In and of itself, it does nothing.* *Its a medium of exchance and can be exchanged for goods and services.* Until it is exchanged for these services, it does nothing.

You might say, well it gives security.* I rebut, does it now?* I believe "feeling secure" is nothing more than a decision and a state of mind.* *The religious folks, like brewer, should be able to easily agree with me here.* *I can decide today i'm both secure and happy, and money doesn't even have to enter the picture.* *

If my dad needs 2 mil+ to feel secure, then i'm back to where I started;* I pity him.

[azanon]

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You could pressure the school district to reform itself, and thereby provide your child with a better education in exchange for your property tax dollars, but your children would suffer in the meantime, assuming that your pressure would even be effective -- which it wouldn't.

To me, this is like someone saying, "i could sign up and fight in WW2 and help defeat the Japanese, but if i do that, i might die in the process. I'd be much better for "me" (and/or my family) if i go hide somewhere."

We thank you for making a difference and making the world better, and taking on the inevitable suffering the process........ not.

[brewer12345]

Az, Think the problem is that you tend to extrapolate your own small town AL experience to the rest of world and you also tend not to put any qualifiers in your statements. *As something of a literalist, the latter particularly incenses me.

Considering the above, I'm going to let a lot of your inapplicable or just plain assinine comments go, except to suggest that you get out more (not in AL, or MS for that matter). *See the world, dude.

On the religion issue: I believe that kids need moral grounding and since I am a practicing Catholic and my kids are/will be baptized, confirmed, etc. in the church, I believe that grounding should be in the mores and beliefs of the Catholic church. *An hour a week doesn't cut it, IMO. *I spent time in bith public and Catholic schools and IMO there is no real substitute for a school environment permeated by the specific religious and moral views of the church.

[brewer12345]

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Originally Posted by azanon To me, this is like someone saying, "i could sign up and fight in WW2 and help defeat the Japanese, but if i do that, i might die in the process.* *I'd be much better for "me" (and/or my family) if i go hide somewhere." We thank you for making a difference and making the world better, and taking on the inevitable suffering the process........* *not.

I choose to do what I believe is best for my family, but I also care about others and my community. I try to improve the lot of others, but I am not willing to sacrifice my family in the process. Get it?

[azanon]

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Considering the above, I'm going to let a lot of your inapplicable or just plain assinine comments go, except to suggest that you get out more (not in AL, or MS for that matter). *See the world, dude.

I feel exactly the same way; hence the dissection of your post. *

Also, i had to chuckle on that comment. *We have tons of ER's here posting midday, and you're telling me to get out more? *Thanks for the laugh.

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On the religion issue: I believe that kids need moral grounding and since I am a practicing Catholic and my kids are/will be baptized, confirmed, etc. in the church, I believe that grounding should be in the mores and beliefs of the Catholic church. *An hour a week doesn't cut it, IMO. *I spent time in bith public and Catholic schools and IMO there is no real substitute for a school environment permeated by the specific religious and moral views of the church.

I believe morals and any religion are mutually exclusive. * Heck, i think in many cases they're inversely correlated (see below).

Since i dont go to church, i'll tell you what i see almost daily in my "secular" world; *Muslims fighting a "jihad" killing innocent people every day (in the name of God). * If God were truly dead, we'd probably all be a lot better off; *Our #1 historical reason for killing each other would be gone!

[Jay_Gatsby]

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Originally Posted by azanon To me, this is like someone saying, "i could sign up and fight in WW2 and help defeat the Japanese, but if i do that, i might die in the process.* *I'd be much better for "me" (and/or my family) if i go hide somewhere." We thank you for making a difference and making the world better, and taking on the inevitable suffering the process........* *not.

Azanon,

So my children should receive a lesser education for the sake of other children? *I could raise so many analogies that would demonstrate the fallacy of your argument it's not even funny. *We live in a capitalist society where nothing is, or ever will be, truly equal. *We have the freedom to choose how to spend our money (or not to spend, as your father's situation demonstrates). *Let's leave it at that.

[azanon]

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I choose to do what I believe is best for my family, but I also care about others and my community.* I try to improve the lot of others, but I am not willing to sacrifice my family in the process.* Get it?

I think i was clear when i opined that those that are choosing private schools for pre-college education are selfish.* *It hasnt changed in the past 15 minutes.

[brewer12345]

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Originally Posted by azanon Also, i had to chuckle on that comment. *We have tons of ER's here posting midday, and you're telling me to get out more? *Thanks for the laugh.

My suggestion was to get out and live somewhere else besides small towns in the deep South bible belt. *You might find that the world isn't an either/or proposition.

I'm also gonna let the religion comments go. *No future in that debate.

[azanon]

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So my children should receive a lesser education for the sake of other children? *I could raise so many analogies that would demonstrate the fallacy of your argument it's not even funny. *We live in a capitalist society where nothing is, or ever will be, truly equal. *We have the freedom to choose how to spend our money (or not to spend, as your father's situation demonstrates). *Let's leave it at that.

You don't have the freedom to do a lot of things with your money, nor should you. * Try building in a wetland without a permit anywhere near where i work, and i will demonstrate this truth to you firsthand.

Sometimes it makes sense for you to be "encouraged" to do the right thing. *If you think the people always do the right thing when left to their own volition, then you're extremely naive. * People like me save you from yourself.

Pure 100% capitalism would be self-destructive in time.

[azanon]

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My suggestion was to get out and live somewhere else besides small towns in the deep South bible belt.* You might find that the world isn't an either/or proposition.

Funny, i dont recall saying i still live there (in the small town with the lone AA public school).

[brewer12345]

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Originally Posted by azanon Sometimes it makes sense for you to be "encouraged" to do the right thing. *If you think the people always do the right thing when left to their own volition, then you're extremely naive. * People like me save you from yourself.

I can't even imagine anyone but a gummint flunkie saying the above.

Where's JG when you (finally) need him?