Missouri Cut Funding for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, A Program That Helps Children Learn to Read

In a move that would make even a despicable movie super-villain gasp and say, "Wow, that's just evil," the state of Missouri and its many idiotic legislators (not all, but many) have a new budget that cuts a lot of things that help people. I guess when you need to spend so much time trying to re-outlaw abortion, you only have a moment to consider how Dolly Parton's Imagination Library should be safe from budget cuts.

In an email that is worded in a manner much more politely than I'd have written to folks, "In 2023, the State of Missouri and The Dollywood Foundation formed a partnership to fully fund the Imagination Library statewide, so that every eligible child in Missouri could receive free books at home. That partnership grew quickly. Today, nearly 170,000 Missouri children receive a book from Dolly each month. The current state budget includes a significant reduction in funding for this program, driven by decisions made at the state legislature and the governor's office. Because of that reduction, the program will close to new enrollments on July 1, 2026. If your child is already enrolled, books will continue arriving until the funds run out. We expect that to happen within 4 to 6 months." I would have tweaked the last sentence to go, "We expect that to happen within 4 to 6 months because these jokers in the Missouri Senate and House would rather cut funding for students and drive us off a budget cliff with a moronic scheme to eliminate income tax (thereby leading to jacked-up sales taxes) than invest in programs people agree are good."

Seriously, teaching children to read isn't controversial. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library works with state governments to send a book to children every month that they can read and treasure. Some households can't afford to buy books, and even getting transportation (or having the time) to go to a local library can be difficult. Something everyone likes is going to be cut in the name of things almost nobody wants, like the usual tax cuts for rich folks, or hours that could be spent legislating being wasted on creating new amendments designed to wreck our citizen-led initiative petition voting process (for real, this August's Amendment 4 sucks). I know some things are controversial when it comes to getting them funded, but helping children achieve literacy shouldn't be sacrificed in the name of other pork barrel politics.

It Still Astounds Me When People Blame Affirmative Action For Why They Didn't Get Into a College

If you want to get into a certain college, it can be really hard. Even with good grades, extracurriculars, and so forth you maybe will struggle to get in. Some things can help, such as private schools--especially Ivy League institutions--with legacy admissions (a practice that sucks). One thing that is always odd to see blamed would be Affirmative Action. Randall Barnes at HBCU Pulse has a fascinating article showing just how small of a number of Black individuals are at certain prestigious universities and how if Affirmative Action actually were a problem then they'd make up more than the smallest demographic. 

Still, I see certain people bemoaning online or even when I'm around certain individual in person how it is apparently just so hard for a white man to get into an Ivy League school now and, "If only we could claim we were a minority." When I've heard some people say this in my company I've observed that I imagine most folks would gladly trade getting the slightest extra consideration via Affirmative Action in exchange for not facing systemic racism in our nation. Usually those people I say this to then get offended I called them out, but I generally am the king of not giving a fuck about pointing out conservative hypocrisy. 

Seriously though, it may be a struggle to get admitted to your preferred college. Don't blame other people just because you didn't make the cut, however. I was rejected at certain colleges and I didn't go and blame a Black person because I'm not an ignorant asshole. I just considered the places that did want me and look where I am now, writing smack on the internet--your dreams really can come true kids! For real though, sometimes we get rejected in life when it comes to school, a job, romance, or whatever. We live and learn from our failings without throwing shade at someone else. Now we wait to see what the Supreme Court will rule with recent challenges.