I grew up born-and-bred to work the assembly line at Oldsmobile. We did not attend college. No idea what university was. That is where the rich kids went. Whoever they were. We kinda made them up. So we could blame them for the poverty of our lives. I blame them, too.

Our class went to Vietnam. To kill people. To shoot babies. You do not want to hear that. You put your educated hands over your ears, eyes, and all your wounds. We were not born to run. We were born to lose. Everything. You never hear our voices. Higher Education keeps us out. What I want to know – it’s the focus of all my work – is why. Why don’t we matter. What we see is a certain amount of pleasure on the part of a culture of Gatekeepers. The New York Times is oneis paper is one. Where they get to kick us out (not always successfully) we invent new ways to connect shooting guns at beer cans. I would argue that patriotism is a scam. I would argue that teaching literacy is a scam. We need more of it. In fact, we have yet to come to terms with a reality where math and its fellow creatures should not be taught until age twelve because – look at the data – the humanoid brain loses its way until you hit adolescence.

But literacy is different and there is nothing in this chummy conversation that remains an idea that transcends status. Status wins. And. The fear begins. Faster. Harder. Get that job or you, too, will be in that factory they don’t talk about. Your culture is on suicide watch. Higher Education will not save you. – tim barrus