Mark Sanford

By Brandon Whitney

If there is justice in the world, people like Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, will get their just deserts. In his case this would mean losing his next bid for governor and being shunned in the state in which he resides. Rather than use the stimulus money to stimulate his state’s economy, he is planning to use it to pay down their debt. In this author’s opinion he is doing this in order to have a chance at running for President. The opportunity cost is the education of many of South Carolina’s poor and disenfranchised.

It is a fascinating phenomenon that many who yell most loudly of America’s greatness, the power of pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps, and the importance of taking advantage of every opportunity are also the first to ignore the importance of education. The right has, thus far, been anti-education for the common American. They have allowed student loan interest rates to go up, they have failed to regulate the relationships between private lenders and universities, and they have failed to fund No Child Left Behind initiatives or set serious standards therein. How can you love America and fail to provide for its future? What can we accomplish as a nation if we are behind our first world counterparts in terms of education?

We are not just failing our children when we don’t fund education initiatives. We are failing our nation. Italy was once Rome. It was once the heart of an empire. In a time when most places depended on a nearby river for a water source they had running water in the city. There was a time when the concrete of Rome, the roads of Rome, and the people of Rome were the envy of all of Europe. Their descendants devolved into region of city states and then a nation that, even to this day, struggles to regain their past greatness. We can become Italy if we coast on past glories and fail to act in ways that will ensure the continued growth of our country. We will not get there by coddling the rich and successful as the extremist of the right want us to do. We have been a socialist nation for decades, as the policies of Bush I, Bush II, and Reagan have turned us into a nation whose government protects the wealthiest of us from hardship by placing the tax burden on the poorest of us. Mark Sanford represents those who care more about the class in which they reside than the nation in which they live. If there is any justice in the world, people like him will find themselves replaced by patriots.

Brandon Whitney is the creator of Homelandcolors.blogspot.com a blog that focuses on issues that affect the African American community. He is also a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. Brandon has political experience as an Outreach Director for the Democratic Party and is passionate about being a positive force in his community regarding African American issues.  He is also a frequent guest on News and Notes’ Blogger Roundtable. You can read more of Brandon’s work at Homeland Colors.