"ideally" this country should be a meritocracy.........like football, you don't perform, you don't play. Unfortunately..........we all don't start out on the same footing in this country. IF a kid in east L.A could be assured a reasonable education close to if not on par with every other kid in the country, than things would be different. But on this subject I must say this............we should be stationing the national guard at some public schools around the country. And not just at the school, but the surrounding neighborhoods. Because part of the problem resides with the culture that some of these kids grow up in. When you're raised in these conditions.........nobody makes it out unless "someone" gives them a break they wouldn't normally get.