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SSJup81 10-16-2009 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniki (Post 778044)
I never thought they'd put such easy question in the test. I always thought on the U.S citizenship test you gotta write stuff like the names of all U.S. presidents in chronological order.

That's what my friend thought. I even helped him study for it. It was a lot of material, too, he studied. He then went to take it, then came back telling me he didn't need to study at all since the questions were of things we'd already learned in school anyway.

samurai007 10-17-2009 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 778042)
That goes to show what kind of different experiences happen in different parts of the country. Where I live this would have been a local news-worthy scandal if there was even a notion that a students grades were affected by political views. A couple local football coaches were just reprimanded for basically getting in an altercation at a bus stop after a pro hockey game that had nothing to do with the school on a weekend when no students were around. No one was arrested, but still one was fired and another demoted.

I'm not sure where you live, but I live and grew up in California, where it's just about illegal to be a conservative, lol. However, I'm in rural CA, the city has twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats. Still, the Democrats/leftists are clustered in certain jobs, #1 among them being teachers/professors. It's strange... you could drive all over town and see McCain or Ron Paul stickers far outnumbering Obama or Hillary stickers during the election, but stepping onto the university campus it felt like you were transported to Berkeley. And it's been that way since I was in school, and before that I'm sure. A poll found that over 90% of the profs at the university self-identified as leftists, and nearly as many school teachers as well, in a town that is far more conservative. I realized that the left controls the schools in most of the country, even in my fairly conservative hometown. And more and more documentation of that control, and the abuses of it, are coming to light thanks to people like David Horowitz. It's not every teacher, not every school... I had lots of good teachers. It was one reason I decided to get a degree in History/Soc Sci teaching myself, and I taught art for many years, as well as English in Japan. But essentially 1-party control of the school and university systems in this country has led some to feel that can and should indoctrinate students rather than teach them the facts and let them decide for themselves... after all, if they did that, about half would reach what they consider to be the "wrong" conclusions and support smaller government, lower taxes, less regulation and govt control, and reject identity politics... and they don't want that to happen.

MMM 10-17-2009 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by samurai007 (Post 778073)
I'm not sure where you live, but I live and grew up in California, where it's just about illegal to be a conservative, lol. However, I'm in rural CA, the city has twice as many registered Republicans as Democrats. Still, the Democrats/leftists are clustered in certain jobs, #1 among them being teachers/professors. It's strange... you could drive all over town and see McCain or Ron Paul stickers far outnumbering Obama or Hillary stickers during the election, but stepping onto the university campus it felt like you were transported to Berkeley. And it's been that way since I was in school, and before that I'm sure. A poll found that over 90% of the profs at the university self-identified as leftists, and nearly as many school teachers as well, in a town that is far more conservative. I realized that the left controls the schools in most of the country, even in my fairly conservative hometown. And more and more documentation of that control, and the abuses of it, are coming to light thanks to people like David Horowitz. It's not every teacher, not every school... I had lots of good teachers. It was one reason I decided to get a degree in History/Soc Sci teaching myself, and I taught art for many years, as well as English in Japan. But essentially 1-party control of the school and university systems in this country has led some to feel that can and should indoctrinate students rather than teach them the facts and let them decide for themselves... after all, if they did that, about half would reach what they consider to be the "wrong" conclusions and support smaller government, lower taxes, less regulation and govt control, and reject identity politics... and they don't want that to happen.

I am right above you in Portland, OR, samurai. probably one of the most liberal cities in the country. I also went to college in Eugene, OR, another incredibly liberal college town.

I am not going to discount your experience, but after all the meetings and conferences I went to with fellow teachers over the years I can tell you that if there is any method of organized liberal indoctrination going on in this country they sure never let me in on it.

I had both conservative and liberal colleagues when I was a teacher, but there was an unwritten rule that politics stays off campus. To be honest we were all too busy trying to fulfill our lesson plans and scrapping money to pay for supplementals to think about filling kids' heads full of political talk.

So I think statements like "the left controls the schools" are a little misleading. Even if the majority of teachers tend to be democrats doesn't mean there is an organized attack on the nation's education system. Every industry has a majority one way or the other politically. It doesn't mean indoctrination is happening.

DJnohara 10-17-2009 04:33 AM

I couldn't help but laugh when I hear them say this on Comedy Central:
"He won the Nobel Peace prize for NOT being this guy":

Ryzorian 10-17-2009 10:29 PM

Ironically, Bush has a favorable rateing well over 70% in Africa. Nor do I think the Bush administration did anything overly horrible. The Obama admin apparently doesn't either, since most of it is still being done by them as well.


Anyhow, I don't see how thinking the US tries to correct certain aspects of itself makes my statement invalid, unless you refer to my thinking only the US does that. That's fine, though it won't change how I think on that. I still think the US bends over backward compared to other nations, reguarding things of that nature.

My university days were pretty much the same as what Samurai007 mentions. Professors were not only leftest, but blantantly taught that socialism was the best way for America. I argued with them constantly, my days in private schools probably left me with a different idea on national history than those taught in the public schools.

Education should be designed to allow for independant thought and an appreciation of national history. To much of it today is built along the lines of group think.

MMM 10-17-2009 11:16 PM

Change takes time. Republicans say things like "You can't just close Gitmo," "You can't just end the war in Iraq," "You can't just change emissions laws," and the like, and then turn around and say "Look, Obama is doing the same things Bush was doing. He must think Bush was right." Can't have it both ways.

We both know that isn't true on many many issues. Not even a full 9 months into the presidency... I know we are living in a time of instant gratification, but the best wines don't become the best right out of the barrel. It takes time.

Voyager 10-17-2009 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryzorian (Post 778265)
Education should be designed to allow for independant thought and an appreciation of national history. To much of it today is built along the lines of group think.

My god..a group of people...who..think..alike.


OMG TEH GROUPTHINK IS COMMINGZ. LOCK UR WINDOZE PAGE TEH GLENN BECK B4 ITS 2 LATE

clintjm 10-18-2009 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voyager (Post 778272)
My god..a group of people...who..think..alike.
OMG TEH GROUPTHINK IS COMMINGZ. LOCK UR WINDOZE PAGE TEH GLENN BECK B4 ITS 2 LATE[/size][/size]

Your humor escapes me.

TyreaL 10-18-2009 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MMM (Post 778270)
Change takes time. Republicans say things like "You can't just close Gitmo," "You can't just end the war in Iraq," "You can't just change emissions laws," and the like, and then turn around and say "Look, Obama is doing the same things Bush was doing. He must think Bush was right." Can't have it both ways.

We both know that isn't true on many many issues. Not even a full 9 months into the presidency... I know we are living in a time of instant gratification, but the best wines don't become the best right out of the barrel. It takes time.

I Agree that obama is having a hard times under the current circumstances but that doesn't mean that obama is walking on bush's trail ..

Actually , he is cleaning his mess up .. even if it's so soon to jump to conclusion
but I believe that obama is going to make a change ..

he is a man of peace

samurai007 10-18-2009 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TyreaL (Post 778359)
I Agree that obama is having a hard times under the current circumstances but that doesn't mean that obama is walking on bush's trail ..

Actually , he is cleaning his mess up .. even if it's so soon to jump to conclusion
but I believe that obama is going to make a change ..

he is a man of peace

Obama is making a far, far bigger mess than Bush ever did. And he's a man of appeasement, not peace... there's a big difference.


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