Lebron James is getting a gusher of positive press over "his" new school in Ohio. It's a good thing, what he's doing, but...
Why are public schools in America so under-funded that private philanthropy is required to provide a solid educational foundation for America's youth?
(And why does Raytheon not have to rely on charity to develop more efficient ways of killing?)
Why does American society pay one sports celebrity the same as sixty school-teachers?
(That's based on the average teacher salary in Ohio.)
Why is this being fobbed off as Lebron's school when the public board of education will be paying the lion's share of the bills?
(Because without Lebron's name this would not be a story.)
Why is a commitment of two million dollars per year from a guy making forty million per year to play hoops treated as an unprecedented exercise in generosity?
(Because when you or me or some other nobody gives a greater percentage of our income to worthy causes, we won't be making news headlines, because... we're not celebrities!)
Why?
Because in America's celebrity-obsessed culture, nothing ever happens until an A-list celeb attaches their name to it.
I'd be far more impressed if Lebron used that two million a year and his celebrity profile to lobby governments at all levels to prioritize education for all kids, everywhere.
Why should the quality of a child's education depend on the whims of a wealthy benefactor?
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