Do we really have the best schools and education in the world?

Do we really have the best schools and education in the world? A friend of mine who's a teacher in a NJ public school says he's being told to teach less, not more, and that kids are leaving his school dumber than a bag of hammers, but they definitely know what kinds of clothes and shit to buy.

Do we really need a fucking constitutional amendment to cement the religious right's definition of marriage, so as to loudly and clearly deliver the administration's message of FUCK YOU to the gay citizens of this country? Does the idea of gay marriage really threaten the sanctity of straight marriage?

Does a kid who gets caught selling a dime bag really deserve more hard prison time than a bastard who commits multimillion dollar fraud?

Should any self-respecting educator still be practicing the laughable farce known as abstinence-only sex education (funny concept, that), in the hopes that it will prevent even a single pair of teenagers from having non-Jesus approved sex? Is pretending that teenagers will, under the instruction of their teachers, essentially promise to weld their genitals shut how we will prevent teenage pregnancy and new cases of AIDS while encouraging healthy, honest relationships?