Wendy McElroy makes a string of good points about homeschooling in this column from Foxnews.com. Certainly, state education has failed the least of these among us. But here’s another idea. Everyone knows that crime is out of control. Crime is usually traced to poverty, lackluster education, and lack of opportunity. So let’s open up some opportunities. Specifically, let’s liberalize labor markets and legalize drugs.
You can’t walk from my apartment to the MetroLink station without passing one or more groups of teenagers who are just standing around, no matter what time of day it is. Most of them are poor, some of them probably deal drugs. They share several common characteristics: they have no interest in school, they are shut out of the labor market by workplace regulations, child labor laws, & the minimum wage, and crime is usually their most profitable option.
Some would surely contend that we need to increase funding for schools. We’ve tried that, and it has failed miserably. Labor market liberalization and drug legalization would do two things: labor market liberalization would allow millions to enter the workforce where they can earn income, acquire skills, and accumulate wealth. Drug legalization would eliminate the enormous profits that someone with very high risk preference can earn by dealing drugs; moreover, it would eliminate the crime that goes with it.
In summary, we have a problem. Poor street kids are shut out of civil society and become career criminals. The solution is easy: let the market work.
