April Showers Bring Fools In Power

This blog caught my eye today, and for one brief, glimmering moment, an unfamiliar sensation washed over me from head to toe.  For the three minutes it took to read, I completely forgot what day it was.

Here are some highlights:

Great news today out of Washington DC: We are hearing first reports of a marathon meeting between republicans and democrats. They agreed on 10 points:

    Democrats agreed not to raise taxes while republicans promised that everyone would pay taxes proportional to their income – no tax shelters, no acceptance of ways to ‘save’ on taxes. The additional funds raised will pay for the following:

•     Every child in America will receive a personal laptop on entering elementary school. This laptop will have wireless capacity and come packed with educational and fun games as well as e-book capacity.
•     Teachers will receive salary increases to a mid level company managerial equivalent, along with bonuses for working in low-income areas.
•     Every young person who finishes high school with university grades will receive financial credits that will cover their tuition at a state university.
•     Each freshman will receive a hand-held tablet with a yearly credit to buy academic books in electronic form.

This program will come into effect on April 1st, a day that will hereafter be celebrated as April Future Day. Anyone who objects to the aforementioned may continue to celebrate April Fools Day. These people will not be discriminated against, merely pitied.

I consider April 1st to be a celebration of sorts.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't proudly, and somewhat shyly too, carry the title of Fool.  This is generally due to my longings that betray my cynicisms.  So, bring on the cake!  Hang the balloons!  It is a day I am free to be me (cue Sammy Davis Jr.)!

As I read this amazing list of things that are fair and just, I couldn't help but think - why isn't this possible??  Why can't our taxes be shifted to focus on covering our basic primary needs, as a society?  Education, health, and community.  I'm not much of a history scholar, but how did this country of ours manage to get so, so far off track? 

Technology is an amazing thing.  Wouldn't it be absolutely fabulous for our schools to be able to take advantage of it?  Our children are growing up to be experts in gaming, tweeting, texting and Googling, so imagine what their minds could do with access to an e-reader, textbooks to go on that e-reader, and a way to enter the library of their generation?  Telling them to "go look it up" could be at their fingertips.  And not just the fingers of those with parents who can afford such gadgets.  There are too many children that this luxury is out of reach, but it wouldn't take much to get them a leg up on the ladder.  Surely Microsoft and Apple could take a look at their profit margins and make this a possibility.

I was made a fool of once again, just for believing in this list for a moment or two.  But at least I can be assurred that I am not the only dreamer out there.  Join me as I lift my picket sign up high.