On the commercialization of our schools, I want to be on the record as being completely against it.
Commercialization permeates every facet of our society.
It dumbs down our arts to the lowest common dominator.
It sensationalizes our news into sound bites of “infotainment” that is neither newsworthy nor informative.
It has trivialized our holidays.
It also teaches that sex sells and that it is more important to be cool than it is to be intelligent.
It literally makes girls die to be thin and boys kill for athletic footwear.
I was horrified to discover that
Swansea has decided to allow commercial radio to be played on school busses as a source of revenue (Providence Journal, 11/21/06).
This is the first misstep on a very slippery slope.
If you must have some kind of electronic distraction on the buses, what is wrong with noncommercial educational entertainment and information?
During
Cranston’s mayoral campaign, I heard the idea touted that advertisement and signage maybe a good way to help fund our schools.
This is nuts.
As parents, we fight commercials every day for our children’s attention and priorities and now they want us to allow the schools to be a vehicle for the economic exploitation of our children by greedy moneymakers?
Our elected officials must work better on funding and budgeting instead of resorting to this.
Our schools are a sacred institution and they should be protected as such.
Do not let the money changers into this temple.
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