True, but the notion that everyone should be able to read, write and do 'rithmetic is one of the reasons we're a great nation and Scotland once was one too.

We just did a fairly major renovation and I was pleasantly surprised at the level of sophistication of the various self-employed plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc. They were all well-spoken, neatly dressed and knew their stuff.

The carpenter was no less proficient than an engineer, doing math in his head and taking measurements that fit exactly. I especially liked that after a particularly nice piece of work, he'd stand back, smile and nod his head -- no less pleased with his efforts than I.

The scruffy ill-kempt image of tradesmen is long gone, so sending teenage dropouts to a technical school won't be the answer because they'll still need to learn many of the same subjects they've already failed.

Perhaps a marine boot camp regimen might get their attention.

Read. No one needs to write or do arithmetic to be a good citizen.

Indeed, and this has an added benefit, in that the ambitious among these new Scots craftsmen will be able to emigrate to the US and compete with the Mexicans and Poles for jobs. (great-grandson of a Scottish carpenter who emigrated to NY from Fife about 100 years ago speaking.)

This has been a hobbyhorse of mine for a long time. Glad to see others agree. I for one wish I'd had the chance to become a master carpenter. Actually MAKING THINGS. I wonder what that feels like. Pushing papers, now, that I gots covered.

Three bars, one filled with Lawyers, one filled with Doctors and one filled with carpenters. Where do you drink?

The ballpark?

Three bars, one filled with Lawyers,...

The ballpark?

Add in children and geezers, and you have Harry Caray's description of that Northside team's ballpark back when he worked for the White Sox. And as Jimmy Piersal added, in response to why the White Sox didn't draw as well for weekday day games, "our fans work." (Way back then I used to play Friday night poker with a bunch of U of Chicago Law types, and several worked for firms with Wrigley Field box seat season tickets...)

This lawyer spends his beer time with carpenters, electricians and fitters. Much more to learn from them. Great company too.

No "real" boy or young man would want to thrive in the West's feminized education institutions.

By becoming a tradesman, they save themselves from having to hang around the suburban/urban class of metrosexuals, which are really only women with different plumbing.

oj. good citizens need to write and do arithmetic to earn a living.

If no-one needs to write to be a good citizen, what will good citizens read?

You don't need to read anything written after 1776.

Gettysburg Address.

redundant

What about Wodehouse?

Jeeves & Wooster are just Quixote and Panza.

That comment upset me... until I realized you're right.

You're hardcore, OJ. I've never seen anyone more "old school is the true school" than me.

A couple of my tutors at St. John's would probably offer to adopt you as soon as they finished wiping the tears of joy out of their eyes.

St John's Oxford, St. Johns Queens, or St. John's Annapolis?

Annapolis, Md.

"No one needs to write or do arithmetic to be a good citizen."

In today's world a solid understanding of statistics should be requirement for voting.

There'd be none.