Pop quiz on current state of affairs
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Walter Patterson
Have you ever had a teacher give you a “pop quiz”?
Have you ever noticed the joy it brought to the teacher to give you a “pop quiz”? Did you have that sinking feeling in your stomach when the quiz landed on your desk because you knew that you had not done your homework?
Remember how you felt when the teacher announced that the quiz would count as a daily grade?
Well, here is a little “pop quiz” that I want you to take, but you may score it yourself. I promise not to count it as a daily grade. It is designed to help you think through some of the current events presently under discussion in the United States.
Circle the correct answer:
1. The financial situation in the United States is
A. no problem at all.
B. can be easily managed by the President and Congress.
C. has reached a crisis point.
2. Most Americans
A. are better off today than ever before.
B. have benefited from Obama’s fiscal policies.
C. are worse off today than 2 years ago.
3. Gas prices
A. are the result of greedy oil companies.
B. are the result of having no energy policy.
C. are the result of no energy policy and ineptness in the White House and Congress.
4. The United States is
A. in a deep recession.
B. in a depression similar to l929.
C. is in what economists call a boom period.
5. Inflation occurs when
A. the dollar buys less goods and services.
B. the dollar buys more goods and services.
C. the value of the dollar remains steady.
6. Under Obamacare
A. Medicare has been increased by $257 billion.
B. Medicare will give all children less than 10 years old a monthly check.
C. Medicare has been cut nearly $500 billion.
7. Standard and Poor, a credit rating company, recently reduced the U. S. credit rating from stable to negative:
A. This means that the U. S. will pay less for borrowed money.
B. The U. S. debt held by China has been cancelled.
C. The U. S. will pay more for borrowed money.
8. Clean energy such as wind, solar, and nuclear
A. has proven very successful in Europe.
B. has proven unsuccessful for the most part.
C. only nuclear energy has proven to be successful.
9. President Obama
A. believes that the U. S. can and should take on more debt.
B. believes that the government should spend more money on job creation.
C. wants to “invest” in wind, solar and high speed rail.
D. all of the above.
10. Financial experts:
A. believe that the debt is unsustainable.
B. don’t see debt as a long-term problem:
C. believe that the the U. S. is in a financial crisis.
D. two of the above.
The answers are as follows: 1,(c), 2.©, 3.©, 4.(a), 5.(a), 6. ©, 7. ©, 8.©, 9. (d), 10. (d).
If you made a perfect score, you are a conservative Republican. If you missed two, you are a conservative, but need to work on current events. If you missed more than three, you are probably a Democrat who believes in global warming, high speed rail, and windmills.
Last Updated (Tuesday, 26 April 2011 21:09)
Dear Editor,
The decision by the present school board not to renew the teaching and coaching contract of Mr. Archie Carlyle was a planned and calculated act of politics. This kind of thing has been happening for years.
They didn’t follow policies or procedures in this matter. The state’s report on the district asked the board to stop interfering in this kind of situation, but it seems they didn’t get the memo.
My mother always put her 11 children first in making decisions for their futures. It is clear this board did not do that.
Mr. Carlyle’s only crime was putting his students first. I feel like Jesus, when he told the people at the well, “He who is without sin cast the first stone.”
I and the 800 people who have signed the petition calling for Carlyle’s return can find no fault in his dedication to our community. We are being laughed at across the state, and on Facebook and Twitter.
Our community is losing faith in our ability to work in a productive and successful district. The Yazoo Herald’s sports editor called it a “travesty.” I ask the question, where are all those Christian folks, his co-workers, his pastor and his fellow church members?
Where are the athletes, past and present, and most of all where are the parents? He has mothered and fathered when you were unable to make it to a game or on the road, giving your children heart-to-heart talks of motivation and encouragement both in the halls of our schools and on the streets of this community. Now he deserves your support in this critical matter.
This affects us all, black and white, because the future of our community is at stake. I am asking everyone to show as much concern about this matter as they do during election time.
Mr. Clifton Jones, I sat on the school board when you and your wife in a 3 to 2 vote were denied what you rightfully deserved. When you first ran for alderman you were the only politician I ever spent an entire day with, walking the streets because I believed in you. When I ran for mayor as an independent, I endorsed McArthur Straughter in the primary. Many people thought I was crazy, but I was exercising my rights.
Mr. Aubry Brent Jr., I followed you from Vicksburg to Belzoni and saw people commit perjury to defeat you. When citizens support a candidate, they want something in return. As a citizen with the 800 petitioners, we are calling in our wager. Just get the record of the board of that decision, which is public record. Check the timeline of the action, and you will be amazed. Next month you will appoint or reappoint a board member, but before you do we deserve answers.
If you find me wrong I will come back and sit before you and the school board and give a public apology. Everyone deserves their day in court, and Mr. Carlyle certainly does.
What you do or don’t do will determine the caliber of teachers and coaches willing to come into our community and work with our children.
Johnny Staples
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