Thursday, August 13, 2009

In Reply to ‘Anonymous’ on Ken Gordon’s Site

Something to do with lousy education.

There was a rather cogent comment over on Ken Gordon’s web-site on a thread discussing HR 3200....in an indirect manner.

I thought my reply too lengthy to take up his band-with and also that it should be seen by more than just the people on that thread.

So here ya go.....

TO: Anonymous
RE: It’s Gotten Worse

The present downfall of our government started in the 60s, when English and History professors gave up the Greek and Roman classics and standard English language documents in favor of being “revelant” [sic] and popular.—Anonymous

I sit in the judges lounge and I hear the high school teachers/coaches/judges jabber and I’m appalled at what passes for a ‘teacher’. I hear them continually refer to the students as “their children”. Their CHILDREN! For crying out loud.

In the first place these are not ‘children’. They are young adults. Some of whom could be called to throw themselves onto the field of battle, at the President’s request. Even against their will....via a ‘total war’ situation where the draft is activated.

Secondly, they are their ‘students’. Not their ‘children’. These young adults. These manifestations of the future are the children of OTHER PEOPLE.

And I reflect upon these comments and their import for the young adults under their charge—in loco parentis—I tremble for the future of this country.

Young people (except in some private schools) seldom study the time-honored disciplines of grammar, rhetoric, logic, and traditional literature. Many of them are good at math but unable to handle words with any sophistication.—Anonymous

It IS the truth. But then again, maybe it was all part of the plan....the dumbing down of America.

Thus when demogogues like Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh appear, they don’t know how to refute them. Instead of debate, we have yelling.—Anonymous

Good God almighty. Yes. YES. YES!!!!

If ONLY the vaunted American public education system had taught people HOW to think and understand and USE the words. I’d be hearing a lot more than THIS particularly crude but frequently sort of ‘debate’ I encounter.

Heck. They might even begin to realize when someone on the other side of the ‘debate’ has made a valid point and learn something useful.

Without that sort of dialogue. Without that sort of consideration. Sooner or later....it will come to blows. Or much, much worse. And unless the schools learn better, THEY will be the ones ultimately to blame for their failure.

The people in all the media can communicate on a gut level through pictures, but they can’t write coherent sentences, use vocabulary that recognizes fine distinctions, or recognize logical fallacies.—Anonymous

True. It’s the simple and easy way to rile up a mob. It’s tried and true. Especially amongst people who have not learned how to think for themselves. [Note: Hey! Wait a minute. How many Rush Limbaughs are there out there? Compare that to the numbers of all the other “people in all the media”. Hmmmmm......Is Rush ‘out-numbered’?]

In the last forty years, students have chosen to major in “journalism” and “communication” rather than solid subjects like languages, literature and history, which they find too hard and therefore characterize as irrelevant.—Anonymous

The path of least resistance. However, as I stated earlier, it has gotten MUCH worse. On one civic commission I sit on these days, I continually hear from the local public school district what a wonderful job their doing. Then later in the meeting, I’ll hear from the rep from the local university on the drop-out rate due to poor math and language skills.

Forget LOGIC. Forget RHETORIC. Forget HISTORY.

If the local public schools, K-12, were doing such a great job. There wouldn’t be the disasters we are hearing about at the college level.

And yet no one calls the teachers to account for their failure.

Students who have come up in the last forty years are functionally illiterate, no matter how many “doctorettes” they have collected.—Anonymous

I’d not say their “illiterate”. Rather, they’re just plain stupid.

My working definition of ‘stupid’ is ignorant and proud of it.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
Class of 1969

Less...