Red or Blue

The following was written by a dear friend of mine. I think he may have a valid point. What say you?


There has been a burning question on my mind that I have dismissed for too long. I have always wondered if education had anything to do with the way a person voted. For example, in a state like Arizona, where for as long as I can remember (20 years) the state has always, been a 'red state'. At the same time, I remember hearing, throughout my school years, that Arizona had horrible public school rankings in funding. So, I in turn thought that there might be some correlation between the two. Now even though a large part of the population of the in Arizona is retirees, many of which are from other states, I still wondered that at the very basis there was still a connection between education and political affiliation.

Before I start however, I just want to make it clear that I know many smart people who are Republicans. Or at least they went to good schools, which I find doesn't mean you are any smarter or dumber. For example, I just read a MySpace headline from someone who attends U of A (a school that I hold in seemingly high regard) that reads: "You can always retake a class, but you can never relive a party," which in my mind is a sure sign of the discombobulating of one's priorities. But don't be misled, there are very special things that come with partying, I would know. The drunk random hook-ups, the gin soaked confessionals with a total stranger, the unrelenting thumping of some second rate rap (I like rap, just not the kind in which every other word is 'ho' or 'rims' or 'bitch', call me old fashioned), an unending stream of vomit and bile, and the ever popular white-trash 'push fight' in which no punches are exchanged, but instead the words 'bitch' 'faggot' and 'fuck(ing)' in no particular order. I do feel however, that school and the attainment of knowledge is just a little more important than setting yourself up for years or liver disease and on the rare occasion, sepsis (look it up, not pleasant). Then again, what would the world or A.S.U. for that matter, be without all those kids and their business degrees. Anyhow, I digress; back to the subject at hand.

After looking at the 'blue state', 'red state' map from the 2004 election, I was compelled to look at what states stood atop the rankings for best public funding and hoped to find some truth to my hypothesis about political affiliation and education (just wanted to make that clear again). What gave me a feeling that others showed my sentiment on the matter was a quote I recently read (then made into a shirt) by John Stuart Mill, that said, "Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." So, without further ado, my discourse on Edu-olitics, or, 'How Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh still have jobs?'

I will be brief…if you look at the election map you will see that the majority of the nation's top universities are in 'blue' states.

Yes, the majority of them are private schools, but how much of an effect do these schools have on the other schools in the state. In my own case, 50% percent of the professors whom I have studied under (at UMass, a public university) are Harvard, Boston College, MIT, or Wellesley graduates, most of them with PhD's. Ultimately, what effect do these schools have on the secondary (high school) level schools? Now, I can't speak for Massachusetts high schools on this matter directly, but I can speak for Arizona high schools. Almost every teacher I had in school, K-12, went to an Arizona university. And, not to put to fine a point on it, I felt a little under prepared when I went to the next level. Some of that is my own fault and I have in turn tried to remedy that, but the very fact that my teachers actually tried to pass off the stuff they taught as being education, is laughable. Telling us that Christopher Columbus was a hero and that when he reached the America's he made peace with the natives is in a word, bullshit. Any historical scholar will tell you that Columbus was responsible with the genocide of millions of Caribbean natives. Then 150 or so years later, when the pilgrims arrived, instead of telling the true story of the American Indian holocaust that took place in North America, we are told that there was sharing and camaraderie. Then again, my sister's schools annual Thanksgiving pageant might look a little disturbing if they reenacted the first Thanksgiving (a veritable blood bath, filled with rape, murder and other unspeakable acts). I do realize that a 10 year old kid doesn't need to know what really took place, but I think once they get to oh, 15 and beyond, it is ok. Seeing as that my brother (11 years old) and his friends are already playing Grand Theft Auto.

The question becomes then, who chooses what to teach in public schools, (besides the obvious answer, the school board)? It is my opinion that political affiliation plays into what is taught and not taught and as such, determines what those kids believe as fact or just more liberal propaganda, as the more true to life history books are called today. With all that said. Let's look at the numbers and try to gain some perspective. The states will be marked either blue or red as seen in the 2004 election. Once again this is public school funding per child in ($).


1. NEW YORK 13,230
2. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 12,756
3. NEW JERSEY 12,584
4. CONNECTICUT 12,549
5. MASSACHUSETTS 12,050
6. VERMONT 11,305
7. HAWAII 11,286
8. WYOMING 11,134
9. DELAWARE 10,603
10. PENNSYLVANIA 10,321
11. WISCONSIN 10,052
12. MAINE 9,957
13. MINNESOTA 9,868
14. OHIO 9,824- Color in dispute
15. MARYLAND 9,749
16. ALASKA 9,381
17. MICHIGAN 9,357
18. WEST VIRGINIA 9,346
19. CALIFORNIA 9,265
20. NEW HAMPSHIRE 9,210
21. RHODE ISLAND 9,201
22. GEORGIA 8,960
23. VIRGINIA 8,946
24. ILLINOIS 8,611
25. IOWA 8,571
26. SOUTH CAROLINA 8,552
27. MISSOURI 8,507
28. KANSAS 8,442
29. COLORADO 8,388
30. WASHINGTON 8,385
31. NEW MEXICO 8,281
32. TEXAS 8,218
33. MONTANA 8,064
34. KENTUCKY 8,034
35. NORTH DAKOTA 7,984
36. INDIANA 7,913
37. SOUTH DAKOTA 7,713
38. LOUISIANA 7,585
39. ARKANSAS 7,557
40. OREGON 7,539
41. FLORIDA 7,536
42. NEVADA 7,529
43. NEBRASKA 7,499
44. NORTH CAROLINA 7,432
45. ARIZONA 7,077
46. ALABAMA 7,053
47. MISSISSIPPI 6,676
48. IDAHO 6,639
49. OKLAHOMA 6,563
50. TENNESSEE 6,392
51. UTAH 6,054

In the end, it would seem that across the board the conservative states are struggling to keep up with the more liberal states. And if someone were to go even further to show the difference, think about American history. Where was the start of the American Revolution? Massachusetts. What a hot bed for social change in the 1960's? Berkeley, California. In what state was Woodstock? New York. On the other side, where was Matthew Shepard killed in a hate crime for being homosexual? Wyoming. Where was the 1963 16th street church bombing by the KKK that killed four young girls all under the age of 15? Birmingham, Alabama. Where did recently arrested Warren Jeffs, whom sexual a assaulted minor, married minors to men, over the age of thirty, and raped a minor under the banner of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and held pieces of land devoted to his cause? Colorado, Arizona, and Utah.

This may not mean anything and yet, it may mean a lot. There have been other stories and situations that were overlooked, but these were on a national scale and had both large and small impacts in American history. And yes the data is from 2004 not 1775 or 1963, but it brings up some interesting points that should be addressed. Ultimately, the verdict is out and there will always be a divide between the two. The only question is, what side do you want to represent. As for me, I have made my bed and it is nice and cozy.