Messy Buu, I provide perfectly good reasons to drop out of HS. I could give the obivious responses to what you just posted, but I am sure you (and everyone else) already has a pretty good idea what those would be.

Refusing to waste your time on something that has no value to you is not laziness. If anything, it's just the opposite.

I can't think of a good reason. Besides, I've never considered somebody who dropped out of college to go to work to be intelligent, unless it's a once in a lifetime job.

First, to Draginol: I humbly suggest you do more research, and not just looking up statistics on the internet, on Welfare. Granted, the entire system needs a lot of work, but there are so many issues that they could never be addressed in one thread/blog. The system is there to help people get back on their feet, and it is abused in many different ways. I agree that there are so many deadbeats abusing the system that it appears there are more of them than legitimate needy. Because of this, and because of the fact that news programs latch onto bad news before good news, we are exposed to more of the 'bad eggs' than the success stories that come from the welfare system.

I personally agree that those that have no common sense, are raised on welfare and know no other way of life, or those that abuse the system need the proverbial smack to the head for a wake up call. I'm tired of seeing all these kids following a welfare mom and getting free food for being pregnant with the next member of the litter. Forced contraception won't work for several reasons. First, it's deemed unconstitutional from many standpoints. Second, there are more women who cannot tolerant implants (like Norplant) or DepoProvera shots than those who can. Though in the long run the doctor visits to assess which kind are more tolerable and procedures etc would be less than raising children, it isn't right for anyone to be forced to tolerate implants or injections that may or may not completely imbalance their systems.

Second, to Messy Buu and anyone else ignorant enough to lump all HS dropouts into do-nothings: You are speaking only from personal experience at best, and have no right to pass judgement upon anyone else who may or may not have dropped out of high school. I finished high school, but to be honest I did so because it was the only thing to do with my time, having grown up 45 miles from any other semi-stimulating activity. I graduated one year before the programs went nation wide that allowed high school students to start taking college courses while still in their junior or senior year, and I feel like I missed out on that. If there had been any other option open to me, I would have dropped out of high school because yes, it was boring, I didn't learn anything relevant to my future during most of my senior year that I couldn't learn on my own. In many ways, it was a waste of time. Think on this for a moment: how many places have you worked for that actually ask to see your diploma or other proof of graduation from high school? I've had a few jobs, and none have asked. After reading this thread last night, I asked a few folks I work with today..none of them have either. In fact, colleges I've attended haven't asked either!

High school in this country to anyone that is intelligent enough is a joke. During my sophomore year, I wanted badly to be an exchange student in Europe because of their higher teaching standards. I dreamed of going to University in Germany.

I will agree that there are a lot of dropouts that are lazy, stupid, and a drain on society in general. To lump all dropouts into this category is extremely ignorant though, and I'm willing to bet that there are far more people you've met that are dropouts than you can imagine at this point. I know there is a list somewhere of famous intelligent people, Einstein and Edison just to name a couple.

Well Joe, I'll agree with the first reason. If somebody needs to take care of a relative full-time, then I could respect them dropping out of school temporarily to care for their loved ones. However, the rest can be done while in school. People do have jobs while still in school. As for college, if these dropouts are so smart, they should graduate high school with flying colors and get scholarships. Of course, I guess long-term investments aren't something these super intellectuals factor into the equation.
On many job applications, there is a place to fill out your education history, and there is a place to mark whether or not you've graduated high school.
You're right. Most of the stuff that's taught in high school can be learned elsewhere, but high school is more than just education. It's also a test to see if you can stick with it, and I'm sorry to say, that these people who drop out of college 'cause it's "too easy" seem to lack that ability, and if they can't stick with something that's as easy as high school, then why trust them to stick with something much more challenging?
There are always exceptions. Most dropouts, however, don't end up like Einstein and Edison.

I see. People don't have to graduate high school because they could lie about graduating high school.
By the way, the ad hominems are rather immature.

What I find immature is the complete lack of ability to see people for who they are rather than judge them by the diploma they may or may not have from high school. As I mentioned, I'm quite sure you've encountered more people who haven't graduated school than you realize.

You are missing the point so entirely that I sometimes am under the impression that you are trying to avoid it.