The British press likes to pretend they've got it all figured out. Of course, so does the American media, but the Brits do it with such a blend of understatement and outright paranoia coupled with a soul-grating "tsk-tsk" that it's really hard not to admire from a certain perverse point of view. This time they take on the American educational system, bringing up the case of a certain Krystal Brooks of Kentucky, a teenager who outran the destiny laid out for her in the adult industry by her parents' choice in names and did well in school. As a result, Krystal managed to win herself a brand spankin' new '05 Ford Mustang.
We must admit, such a conveyance is a perfect fit for a teenage girl named Krystal Brooks, but the the Times brings up a niggling question: are we Yanks rewarding our kids for what they should've been doing all along? Spare the rod and spoil the rod, virtue is its own reward and whatnot? We're not sure, but while we were generally spared the rod, we also weren't offered a glistening carrot on a stick, which ultimately led us into a life of rock 'n' roll, automobile worship and blogging. Essentially, we're a shining, straight-B example of a point that's most likely moot.
Schools give cars to model pupils [Times, UK]
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