GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS ARE NOT ALWAYS VIRTUOUS

It is unfortunate there is no agency, public or private, that monitors
and educates the public on the effectiveness of government programs.

The war on poverty never will be won, though it is a continuing battle
to be fought because there always will be some poorer than most. The
governmental undertaking attributed to the late President Lyndon
Johnson is doomed to failure because it encourages the procreation of
people who cannot provide for themselves.

Our long-heralded war on drugs is likewise doomed to failure as long
as we refuse to do the one thing that would be most effective: Take
the profit out of drug dealing. Until we do, we will continue to have
wave after wave of people flooding prisons because they could not
resist the temptation of easy money, especially when this seemed to be
the only prospect of getting it for many people.

The current governmental crusade is to leave no child behind.

God or nature, whoever is responsible for such things, brings some
children into the world behind and it is hard for us mere mortals to
catch them up. We certainly need to help everyone reach their
potential, however, we need to be careful not to expend too much time
and resources on those who have limited capacity to learn at the
expense of those who do not.

Roy M. Fish

Shreveport