First-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.  Annual assessment whether Revolution plausible.

Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Jordan’s office in Washington. JC and Jordan continue conversation from #191.

JC:  “You know it’s probably not fair to say North Carolina is last in education just because they refuse to pay teachers a decent wage.”

Jordan:  “Whadda mean that’s not enough justification?”

JC:  “Doesn’t NC have a decent university system.  I mean University of North Carolina has good basketball teams.”

Jordan:  “Have you ever wondered why the teams are so good?”

JC:  “Good coaches and good academics, I guess.”

Jordan:  “You can skip the good academics part.  You might not remember but in say 2014-2016 there were numerous stories about how UNC allowed athletes to take non-existent classes…I should say classes that required no attendance.  And then…surprise, surprise…the athletes all got very good grades in these vapor classes.”

JC:  “But that was just for a year or two, right?”

Jordan:  “Try much longer.”

JC:  “Really?  I didn’t hear any of that.”

Jordan:  “The school tried to keep everything quiet…”

JC:  “You mean cover it with tar…like the Tar Heels?”

Jordan:  “Very good.  How’d you know the name Tar Heels?  Never mind.  Anyway, the practice of allowing athletes to take no-show classes and have someone else write papers when necessary apparently goes back to the 1990’s, maybe longer.”

JC:  “The coaches have must have known about the scam.”

Jordan:  “The coaches claim they didn’t know.”

JC:  “That’s the biggest crock I’ve ever heard.  Let’s see, the coach recruits some kid who’s great at basketball but with no apparent academic skills.”

Jordan:  “And when he starts to play college-level basketball he learns how to study…”

JC:  “…and voila, he becomes proficient in algebra, English and whatever else he’s supposed to study.  So under the leadership of this basketball coach, the kid’s IQ jumps 50-60 points and he turns into Albert Einstein.”

Jordan:  “In all fairness, some of these kids are really street.”

JC:  “I agree.  But universities are not about how to become street smart.  Universities are about becoming book smart and learning critical thinking.  In all this fiasco, where were the coach’s ethics…and the university’s ethics?”

Jordan:  “I hear from UNC grads that the program of no-show classes and inflated grades wasn’t so bad since many other schools have similar programs for athletes.”

JC:  “First, I think that’s BS.  Besides just because someone else does something unethical doesn’t mean its ok for you to do something unethical.  I thought UNC was the pillar of ethical behavior.  Isn’t the area around UNC the buckle in the Bible Belt?”

Jordan:  “Yep.”

JC:  “So for the UNC Bible belters, cheating is OK as long as you can get away with it.  Then when you get caught, don’t take responsibility but try to blame someone else.”

Jordan:  “That seems to be the formula.”

JC:  “Maybe we should change the NC state slogan to: “First in Discrimination; Last in Education; Last in Ethics.”