Well, I've been thinking about starting a blog for a long time, and I'm finally so bored at work that it actually happened. A conspicuous title, I know. The central impetus for this project is that my dear wife, Scotti, for all her patience and good will, can only listen to me talk about politics and history for a limited amount of time.
My hope is that this forum of thoughts will stimulate more thoughts in each of you. And vice versa. I'm sure every blog says that, and though I mean it, the flip side is that this one is mine. So, we will talk about what's on my mind. At least, I will talk about what's on my mind and perhaps some other folks will stop in and add some comments to make things more interesting.
I read some survey the other day where 26% of High School seniors thought Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. President. And I've heard about the clips Jay Leno plays on his show, where they take a camera and ask people on the street simple questions on civics or geography, stuff we should all know, such as naming a state through which the Mississippi flows. The answers are hilarious and frightening.
My first question is, "If these folks, who we can assume are old enough to vote, are lacking in this kind of basic framework of understanding regarding the world around them, how can they have a prayer of actually questioning a line that the media or politicians feed them?"
Let's get to work.
So are you in support of a better education system? Or do you support these people, who lack understanding about the world around them, becoming home-school parents?
ReplyDeleteWhat would be your answer to solving the problem of ignorance and inadequate education?
Very much in support of a better education system. The department of education needs to go. Even if it wasn't unconstitutional, it is an abysmal failure. If it were a private venture, market forces would have chucked it long ago.
ReplyDeleteAround the time of the American Revolution, over 90% of all education was of a moral/ethical/religeous nature. We've got to stop prohibiting values in school. Why is it that we can't tell a child what's wrong in school, but if he goes out and does wrong, we incarcerate him?
Any time values (honesty, hard work, courage, responsibility) are allowed as the basis of an education system, whether in inner-city Indianapolis or LA, the results are astounding.
So my answer would be: undo all the "removing" we've tried to do in education. All the things I think should go (teacher's unions, standardized tests, whitewashed history courses, etc.) would be cured by scraping away all the structures we've placed on it. I only need to point to private schools. (Which politicians conveniently choose for their kids, by the way.)