What proverbial wisdom teachings might promote the general welfare of the USA? 
About This Post
The Chicago Tribune has recorded the number of shootings and victims in Chicago beginning January 1, 2017. As of January 21, there have been 179 shootings.  I have no other information about the incidents other than what was reported.  The purpose of this post, is to hopefully promote a meaningful   conversation by our legislators to obtain solutions and begin to teach moral wisdom in our schools to promote the general welfare of our city, state, and nation.
Statements made in a Chicago Tribune commentary on January 20, 2016 gives a revealing answer and exposes a false narrative about a Detroit voucher schools “made them worse.” The commentary addresses three subject questions and questions.
  1. Would School Vouchers Help Raise Test Scores?
The Wall Street Journal pointed out over the weekend that, “charter students in Detroit on average score 60 percent more proficient on state tests than kids attending the traditional public schools. Eighteen of the top 25 schools in Detroit are charters, while 23 of the bottom 25 are traditional schools.”
  1. Would Attending a Religion Based Private School, Expand Educational Opportunities?
This question begs the next question. Do schools teach morality? If yes, will teaching morality  expand or contract our nation’s mantra of “promoting the general welfare” in troubled cities, failing school districts, and/or our nation.
  1. Is USA Government a Democratic Fair and Just Entity to Taxpayers in Regards to School Choice?
Federal Courts have ruled that parents who do not agree with mandated school curriculums that are morally offensive to their religious beliefs must decide to either stay or leave the public-school system. The only choice left for these parents is to then pay both taxes and out of pocket to send their kids to private schools. A vast number of parents cannot afford the high costs of private schooling, some in part because they must pay taxes to support public schools.
General Welfare
“General Welfare” is a phrase included in these two places in the Constitution.
Preamble 
“promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
 Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the Constitution.
The Congress shall have the power
  1. To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States: 
The interpretation of ‘general welfare” phrase has been a subject of debate about meaning by Constitution founder, James Madison. Whether the-general-welfare-clause-is-not-about-writing-checks or not, has been a subject of interpretation by the Supreme Court.
The modern interpretation of general welfare in regards to education begs this question. Are Government administrators, legislators, and courts, more effective than parents for everyone and every child in the USA?
The First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.  
In My Opinion
A school voucher neither establishes nor prohibits a religion. What a voucher does is transfer the tax funding cost of education from Government to individual choice by taxpayers, parents or otherwise.
Because statistics prove that in some areas, both public and private schools have both higher or lower ratings, instead of Government mandating what is best educational opportunities for a child, allow parents to choose either a public or private education.
There is another ageless proven economic theory of competition works to improve supply goods and items.
What is wrong with using competition in schools to improve these items, our children’s education and the “general welfare” of our nation?
Based on violence statistics in Chicago, I do not believe so and either does Heather Wilhelm who wrote the commentary article. My belief is based on my personal experiences of attending both Catholic and public schools in my youth.
King Solomon
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.(Proverb 22:6)
As for Chicago, would teaching a child religious morality help reduce killings and violence in inner cities. Check out a list of moral principles which may be taught in religious sSchools on page 146 in a free EBook, titled, King Solomon on teaching children morality, in Sources below if you are interested.
You decide if a Government mandate overrules a parental choice or preference for the “general welfare.” of all children. If so, does that mean that a curriculum that includes religious wisdom morality principals does not promote the general welfare of either children or nation?
Regards and goodwill blogging.   
Sources
Chicago Shooting Victims HERE
Chicago Tribune Commentary  HERE
 Teaching Children Morality HERE
James Madison HERE
General Welfare Clause HERE
Previous Posts
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