Editor's note: Cockfight Ethics is an appropriately random-appearing column written by a long-time Austin opinion-monger and word-slanger, Percy Julian. The opinions expressed here in Cockfight Ethics are the writer’s, and are not necessarily shared by the Ist Network or any of its affiliates.

Are you up on current events? Teachers, this goes out to your no-longer-too-broke asses. As a reward for your service in educating the kids, we've given the teachers in our state some of the best salaries in our great nation. The national average is over $46,000*. That's enough to choke a horse. Problem is that anything given so generously does not come without strings attached. Expectations must be met. In Texas we will not have any children left behind. Test scores must be met whether it's a TAAS TASP or TAAA….fill in your own consonant or vowel.

Aside from my disdain for public education all but requiring teachers to churn out non-thinking witless drones conditioned never to question the status quo or to think outside of a set and regimented structure, in other words cog in the machine, I feel y'all are doing the best with what you have to work with. You should not be asked to enter yourselves into the same broken system. What am I getting at? The state of Texas is now requiring anyone employed by the school system to submit to finger printing and a background check. Like Dave Chappell so eloquently put it "Bend over and spread your butt-cheeks." You may have nothing to hide, but should we all be treated as a criminal in all facets of our lives before we can participate in even one of the most altruistic pursuits one can aspire towards? I don't think so.

I say again, I don't fucking think so.

I understand the motive. We have perverts and pedophiles walking the halls of our schools. Perverts and pedophiles entrusted with the care-taking of our young, impressionable chil’ins. I have to wonder though. Hasn't this always been the case or have we just degenerated into some sort of depraved fetishists that the world has never been exposed to before?

In the U.S. we've been educating in an organized manner for over 200 years, and all of the sudden now it's time to crack down? Give me a break, in at least four different places along my spine. I'm so sick of "It's for the precious, precious children." I'll say it, fuck your precious children, and mine to come. I don't know if I really mean that. But I certainly feel it needs to be said so I'll be the one to say it. They are not that precious, the market's flooded. In fact, 2006 saw an increase in the fertility rates to a level not seen since before 1971. We are not running out of children and they are not rare by any stretch of the imagination.

If some teacher or anyone else is found to have harmed a child, and that child knows what is right, then we catch and punish that individual. To add to that if the individual that has caused harm to a child had a righteous upbringing then the chances that this person would do such a thing would be slim to none.

Can we address the real ills of the world and not pander to a select reactionary mob of bored inflexible soccer moms? I'm sick of the power hungry of the world using our cherished children as pawns as a means to exact control over our lives. I don't know if anyone has been paying attention, but bad things happen and always will. Children are not exempt, and that is just part of the wonder that is our existence. We have allowed the focus of the real problems to be subverted and shifted.

The area, in which we should all be trained, is the graying of the line that dictates right from wrong. When were ethics last taught as an elective? How many times have witch hunts been brought on teachers who were simply attempting to engage in intellectual debates on controversial subjects? We have all heard stories of this nature. I say let not another caretaker of young minds ever be indicted for any subject matter they bring up in class if they are to be forced into this sort of predetermination of moral turpitude. Once having their virtue proven, teachers' choices in the classroom should never again fall into question.

So teach, keep on keeping on though the going gets tougher, yet again. Tell the little 'uns to pull up their pants, don't eat paste, pick up after themselves, and play nice 'cause their parents won't. Show the tweens and teens there's more to themselves than themselves. Challenge their young minds though they'll protest that it's hard. Just plain ol’ give 'em something to think about.

* In Texas it's closer to $39k, which is considerably less choke-inducing, but still not chump change for an average.