Can We PLEASE Stop Freaking Out About Kids Falling Behind?
Because it’s bullshit.
Every day I see another hysterical headline about kids falling behind in school. Every. Single. Day.
But falling behind what? Falling behind who?
Question: if everyone is falling behind, doesn’t that simply mean that everyone is in the same place? If everyone is behind, then who is ahead? And why? And what the hell kind of race is this, anyway?
The problem with hysteria is that it doesn’t accomplish anything. You’d think we’d have learned the lesson of every disaster movie ever made. There’s always one person losing their mind when the volcano erupts, the aliens invade, the monster approaches. This is the maniac who ends up dead, and usually takes a few others down with them.
The lesson of every adventure story concerns pre-existing conditions. The fire, the disease, the earthquake — these are facts of nature. Nothing is stopping them. Victory comes not from overcoming the inevitable, but changing who we were before the threat even arrived. Love each other more. Own up to past mistakes. Recognize inequalities. Fix existing deficiencies. These are the lessons of disaster. Calm down, take stock, look at what you’ve always had, not what’s new.
