August 25, 2016, Highlights

Now, for things not related to Rochester's key issues--not that they aren't important for us to consider!

School inequality because of property tax disparities

I've long been concerned with this (remembering back to the difference in Big Foot and Delavan-Darien district spending due to more manufacturing tax base in the latter district).

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/?utm_source=atlfb

...and maybe inequality from over-emphasis on "screens" and technology?

http://time.com/4474496/screens-schools-hoax/


Inequality can't be fixed by government?

So says this pretty pessimistic article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-theory/wp/2016/08/31/politicians-want-you-to-believe-they-can-fix-inequality-dont-believe-them/?utm_term=.764e0cb4ffbd&wpisrc=nl_popns&wpmm=1


Good jobs needed for the bottom

Then there is this, discussing how hard it is for people on welfare to find the kind of jobs that will finally help them get ahead:

http://www.citylab.com/work/2016/07/the-near-impossibility-of-moving-up-after-welfare/490817/?utm_source=SFFB

Science and Faith

A couple of good items this week:

For the "not Bill Nye fans anymore" group:

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/science-and-faith-shouldnt-be-odds

and for those "not Neil Degrasse Tyson fans anymore:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/paperbacktheology/2014/05/how-neil-degrasse-tysons-cosmos-completely-bungles-the-philosophy-of-religion-science.html

...Can't get away from the election

I have been trying, with only limited success, to not open any links to either Trump- or Clinton-related articles, essays, etc., nor to read the comments on these articles on Facebook--the latter has been especially difficult, since they are often right there in front of my face, just taunting me to "read more." I had been successful in not re-posting anything to my FB page related to the presidential race, until now.

Today, Michael Gerson has presented an argument I could not help but share, and here it is to keep it ready for me to reference again:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-self-refuting-idea-that-america-needs-donald-trump-as-a-savior/2016/09/12/d89a26ae-790b-11e6-beac-57a4a412e93a_story.html?utm_term=.5a85f623d8b2&wpisrc=nl_opinions&wpmm=1

Ignoring the Rural, White, Poor

This is tangentially related to the presidential election but touches more on something I hope will not just be "a thing" that goes away after November. Affordable housing, school inequities, all of these things are major issues for what has been a pretty hidden part of society for too long. Economie inequity does not mean that we ignore the still unacceptable racial disparities in America; it only means that we must look at all those in our society who are the forgotten neighbors Jesus has called us to care for and love.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/september/i-overlooked-rural-poor-then-trump-came-along.html

6 Words Christians Should Never Want to Hear

To close out with a totally unrelated to any of the above article--or is it really unrelated? Is our faith not something that should be clearly understood as a basis for everything we are passionate about?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dealing-with-the-six-words-a-christian-should-never_us_57d00c3fe4b0f831f706435e?