“Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our mediocre educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom and go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts. Some of you like pep rallies and plastic robots who tell you what to read. Forget I mentioned it... Rise for the flag salute.”

I could type Volumes on this quote.One obtains the most useful education from the school of Life Experiences but I believe there is much to be said for honoring the memory,ideals and aspirations of Our Founding Fathers.

Our founding fathers are turning in their graves.

Ah, yes. The product of public education-plastic robots.

Why could Frank not have told me this 40 years ago?

cool-le-o!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our Founding Fathers were hemp-growing Deists (NOT Christians,) who founded this nation as a Republic upon Enlightenment Principles. Nonetheless, they were slave-holding property owners and inveterate racists. Which ideals and aspirations were you speaking of? Frank was correct about Public Education. Go to your local library and check out Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.

I enjoy Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States- very unique and eye-opening perspective.

(-; I like it ;-) Waffler, if you're here today, I find your defense of public schools extremely lacking. You get upset when I say my children have started college at age 15 because of their superior to public education schooling. Then you come back later and say something to the effect that it is not the job of the government to teach anything but the basics. hmmm just some more non original governmental double speak.

LOL< darn never knew Zappa said this.went to his concerts, [i mean his circus] was fun, he was a character for sure. This shows he was basically ok, and knew the founding fathers had it right.

Our founding father were FREE MEN .PERIOD.FREE men do what they want to, under the constitution, thats what people need to understand, the constitution was made for free men, and people, none of you are free right now. food for thought. But, we CAN fix it, and arguing will not fix it. Each to his own. all for the republic, under the law of the constitution. no i just know some clown is gonna say something, before you do, please READ the document.

I have taught myself far more than government ever has.

He nailed it with the first sentence of this quote.

Zappa was a brilliant man (and probably one of the greatest guitarists in history). We had great libraries in our town and I spent a lot of my free time there. Like Justin, I, too, have educated myself much more than the curriculum proffered by the 'educational system.' Then again, who says that the schools are supposed to 'give' us an education? I will have to say that my parents set the example for me to follow which was to READ, READ, READ -- there are way too many books to include in a collective educational program, and thus the chosen ones are 'mainstream.' We are indeed blessed to have the Internet now -- it's a lot easier to search than the Dewey Decimal System. Zappa made a lot of fun of Americans and its culture in his music. It was a great way to clear a room of ignoramouses. ;-) You should hear some of his Congressional testimony when the Christian Right was trying to shut him up. They didn't know what him 'em!

Though I give him five stars for his music and "Mothers of Invention"

What we should teach are the skills of learning - its a bit like the fish story.

In that regard Plato was brilliant

The ten best schools in America were named today. The Taliban and Al Qaeda take their pledges also. Our fighting org have the best command and control in the world, our people are loyal to our nation, ideals and principles. A pledge to any nation or org that stands for liberty and justice deserves loyalty. It is not the pledge that is the problem it is keeping that promise of liberty and justice alive here and everywhere. Because schools can be better does not mean that they are bad now. All org need constant vigilance to be at their best. It is fun to point fingers and joke about "remember all that crap I learned in High School" We will always argue about what should be taught, the important thing is to keep learning something all of our lives. Kids as well need to keep learning. School does that for many of them.

I agree with Waffler about keep learning something all of our lives. But what we are continuing to learn makes a diference, too. I'm not sure kids get the message in school to keep learning, and learn good things - not garbage. Never through learning.

Justin, Elkland, I agree that I've taught myself much more than the government has taught me. However, the government has taught me some very valuable lessons: it has taught me that it is dangerous, manipulative, corrupt, ineffectual, and never to be trusted. Those are certainly very valuable lessons, though I'm sure government never intended they be learned.

Go Zappa. Zinn is an idiot and subversive so I don't find his perspective interesting at all...it is blatant garbage and liberal dribble for those without enuff synapses in their brain to get a full thought to move thru their heads.

I think Rudy Messerschmidt hit the nail on the head. A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE U.S. should be required reading by every citizen of this country---along with THE GOD DELUSION by Richard Dawkins.

This man has the right idea. All people have a natural inclination to learn and observe. What schools do is get to the root of that natural inclination and then kill it by rewarding learning, giving assignments with no purpose, and by forcing kids to be unproductive by putting them in a classroom all day.