Bob Herbert of the NYT is a damn fine rabble-rouser. In his past columns he has made me spittin' mad about unemployment, and today I'm spittin' mad about the state of education. These state budget crises we keep hearing about will, of course, cause our nation's kids to be dumber than ever before. It seems that public education has been in a state of crisis for as long as I can remember, and is now worsening. Due to lack of funding, some districts are looking at school years up to five weeks shortened (now only 3, as teachers agreed to work without pay for 2 weeks, in a move of noble selflessness that you would not find in any more profitable sectors), cutting sports, kindergarten, moving to a 4-day week. I recently read that if military spending continues at the current rate, we will spend more money on our military than the rest of the world combined before too long. Is this necessary? While our schools are falling apart at home and all the social ills that accompany it? This is not a unique point I am making, but I always have to repeat it to myself because it seems so damn obvious.