Intercity Busing Does Not Mean Equal Opportunity

My last two points have been about equal opportunity and Americans’ misconceptions about what it is. I listed a few examples in my last posting about how schools are incorrectly interpreting the meaning behind equality and actually doing more harm than good, with programs that level the playing field. There is one more program that I believe I have to touch on, as it is a perfect illustration of why schools will not be improved until we change the way we think, which in turn will change the way we act. Busing children from failing intercity schools to better schools in order to create equality, doesn’t solve anything and is completely counter productive as it doesn't address any of the real problems. Similar to the majority of U.S. solutions over the past few years, “busing” students was instituted because of Americans’ desire for instant gratification and results in all aspects of life. The real problems lie in the actual structure of all U.S. public schools, with everything from teachers to the curriculum and even the grading system needing to change. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, we must also change the way we think and view human existence. Specifically, for the school system we must understand a few underlying principles, including there is no single quick solution for schools, just as there is no quick solutions for the environment, or any other major problem. We must also realize that the world functions as a machine, with every change to an individual part affecting the entire mechanism, which means we must individually operate for the good of all humankind, not just for our own personal gain. This may seem off topic, but it is actually the foundation of all change that must occur in order for our species to survive. Until we recognize that all individuals are fundamentally equal as members of humankind and that we are also a part of the animal kingdom and not superior to it, we will continue to destroy not only our schools, but the entire world.
Busing underprivileged minority students to the suburbs, only addresses the visible surface of the education problem, just as driving a few thousand hybrids, or protecting a few forests, does not solve our dire environmental problems, although both problems require the same fundamental solution. When attempting to explain this point, I like to visualize an iceberg and how 75% of its body is below the surface and not visible to those unwilling to look beyond its perceptible appearance. When humans are able to think and act in relation to the iceberg and also the world as a machine, we will be able to not only save ourselves, but also the entire ecosphere of the earth.