For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.
1 Corinthians 13:12
There are a number of things in this world I simply do not understand. It is a comfort of sorts to know that someday I will. For instance …
• Some fellow who apparently has a podcast (whatever that is) on some website or streaming service I am vaguely aware of (Spotify) has been in the news of late because he’s offended someone by supposedly spreading “misinformation.” He says he’s only had some “interesting conversations” with some people who have some controversial viewpoints, but promises to be more cognizant of having people on his program with more traditional opinions as well.
Seems to me there’s an easy solution to not being offended to what he says or what his guests say — change the channel.
• I do not understand why the Indiana Legislature feels obligated to dive into the details about what a teacher is talking about in his or her classroom.
Legislation is being debated, H.B 1134, aimed at making sure certain subjects are not taught and/or certain theories are discussed in Indiana schoolrooms. It would require school districts to post a host of information detailing their curriculum. There are other issues, like allowing parents to sue school boards if they feel their children have seen or discussed “inappropriate materials” — an elusive definition — and this, right out of George Orwell: All materials would need to be vetted through a curriculum review committee. (At least that committee would be local, but the can of worms — or Pandora’s Box, choose your metaphor —would still be opened.)
Education is a local issue. Sure, we need some state, perhaps even some federal standards, but I am not a fan of someone from Washington or Indianapolis dictating what will be or will not be in our local school library and what specifics our local history or social studies teacher will be allowed or not allowed to discuss.
One of the main reasons I made a switch some 24 years ago from a corporate-opened newspaper to becoming a part of a locally-owned newspaper was the prospect of not having someone from Chicago looking over my shoulder every whip-stitch. I cannot imagine our local educators filling out forms and producing proof that they are not offending the political whims of the state. Will they have time to actually teach while they have every resource they plan to use vetted by Big Brother? And what should a social studies teacher do if a student should ask a forbidden question, such as “Teacher, can we discuss this theory I’ve read about on the internet about me being a racist?”
There is an argument to be made about monitoring what books and publications are in our school libraries. And we further note there is a huge difference in what makes it into print these days compared to when we were in school (just a few years ago, was it not?). How well I recall the minor hullabaloo when the school librarian discovered why all the seventh-grade boys wanted to check out the latest edition of “National Geographic.”
However, local educators — and local school boards — knew then and know now the morals and tolerance levels of their community, and I have to wonder why there has not been significant uproar from the grass roots.
Perhaps this reflects a growing lack of trust amongst ourselves. Perhaps it is because parents agree with the sentiments. Even if that be the case, to acquiesce the responsibilities of such classroom details to the state is to open the door for more intrusions.
• Another thing I’ve not understood is why our home’s residential property tax assessed value has increased by double digits three years in a row, in some cases vastly different from our neighbors’.
A significant amount of time has been invested by yours truly in researching comparable properties, discovering a number of inconsistencies. Conversations have been engaged with some local real estate people and of course, a cooperative and polite county assessor’s office. An initial appeal was denied but I never took it as far as the local appeals board because I was counseled I would lose anyway.
Events this past week have brought our county assessor into the limelight. Personally, I will reserve an opinion until more is known. A malfunctioning computer has left us with no recording or minutes of a meeting, resulting in some differences of recollections and perspectives of options, let alone a way forward.
Regardless of how this turns out, I have a strong suspicion that I will not understand property assessments until St. Peter explains it to me.
miller@news-banner.com
