Being Uneducated In America

ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE, circumstances conspire so favorably that one wonders about karma. The very lady who said to me: "I don't read books, I read the Bible" started another conversation, which I hoped would wax intelligent. It didn't, which reinstated my faith in karma. Her first thrust was more like a parry, or a feint, than an actual thrust; always a bad idea. If you're going to start, start big, start hard. Strike first, don't give the opponent the advantage. She said: "Why did you write on your blog that we're provincial and poorly educated here?" (see below article, "poorly educated seniors")... Is that the best she could do? I shrugged and mentioned the first amendment. Hell, start easy. Then I mentioned books, and the importance of reading them. Nobody who does not reads books is well educated, period? She turned and stalked off in a major huff. Wouldn't you? I almost hope she tries again, and does better. Then I'd have an opportunity of educating her a bit. She deserves it. I might ask her, a good Christian conservative, whether has has ever said "socialism doesn't work", or has heard someone else say it, and quietly agreed? Then, I'd invite her to write for this blog. I'm just guessing that she'd smugly sneer at the invitation, since people reveal their education through writing. I would further imagine that she might answer my socialism question in the affirmative, but, who knows? If so, I'd just point to everything in the town square outside our socialized senior center, to the fire department, police department (does anyone really want a privately owned police dept?), the city hall, library, every street- I would probably be forced to explain that she is looking at socialism in action, right outside the door, working just fine, and that she couldn't get by without it. Socialism doesn't work, huh? Without even having the slightest idea, evidently, what socialism is, and not even realizing that Jesus preached it, they condemn it. That is uneducated. These right wing Christians are amazing, and poor education is the only explanation. The conservative political/economic message in America is the exact opposite of the teachings of Jesus, and the humorous thing is that the Jesus, Guns, and Money crowd itself refuses to see it. But they're like that all over America, so the local poorly educated masses ought not to feel too bad.