America's continued education crisis

The nation’s current 6.2 million high school dropouts menace freedom, liberty and enlightened government.

They are ignorant of their constitutional rights. They are incapable of distinguishing between government abuses and the rule of law. Their ignorance makes them vulnerable to demagogic appeals and inclines them toward bigotries and prejudices.

They contribute nothing to constructive public debate about major issues confronting the nation, ranging from mandatory national health insurance to more troops in Afghanistan. And they are incompetent to assist in defending the country from aggression.

The 6.2 million high school dropouts are equally damaging to the economy and the social fabric. According to a recent study by researchers at Northeastern University in Boston, on any given day approximately 10 percent of male high school dropouts are either in jail or juvenile detention.

The picture is even more chilling for American blacks. Almost one in four young black male dropouts are imprisoned or institutionalized on an average day.

Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans and president of the Urban League, elaborated: “The dropout rate is driving the nation’s increasing prison population, and it’s a drag on America’s economic competitiveness.

Williams can be heard nightly on Sirius/XM Power 169 from 9 to 10 p.m.

Visit www.armstrongwilliams.com .