An issue with long-term national security implications important to my generation is education funding. More specifically, the disproportionate cuts in funding for elementary, secondary and higher education.
There are a myriad of topics with national security implications in the headlines daily. These include issues such as climate change, bio-threats, cyber-attacks, transnational crime, and most recently the Syrian refugee crisis. The topics making the news are examples of close-target threats, and require an element of attention. But do we consider slow-moving national security threats that can take a generation or more to reverse? Education spending is not a highly visible national security issue, but is simply more subtle. In a global economy, the competitiveness of our students is a vital issue with potential national security impact. How we currently educate students is a capital investment in our future competitiveness and should be a national priority. If we fail to address the education …show more content…
Consider the young girl from inner city Detroit who has the intellectual potential to be the next Einstein; yet her potential is never realized because there are no programs for gifted children or she goes without meals. What about the little boy from rural Oklahoma who has an incredible gift for playing the piano and dreams of playing in Carnegie Hall; but never has the opportunity because he never attends a music class. Think about the special needs girl from South Carolina who never has the opportunity to excel because she is in a classroom with a high student-to-teacher ratio and ends up in the corner because of her disruptive behavior. Finally, what about the future mechanical engineer, doctor or president who can no longer participate in programs designed to foster critical