My students, when asked about their mandatory high school classes in American and State/Local Government will usually say they were boring, they didn't learn anything and they were taught "by the coach." As the course goes on and they demonstrate their superficial knowledge of the basic structures of our government and their non-existent understanding of logical political discussion, I wonder if they are getting a reasonable education.
So, when the headline said, "Texas HS Government Teacher Calls Tea Party Leader a Nazi" I had to take a look:
Response to Challenge? The Standard Fall-Back!
He puts forth a "gotcha" question. It is designed to illicit either an emotional response or an objective but unfortunate truth. Either way he wins. Or at least that's what the youngster thought.
Would you deport students in this room who were here illegally?
Well, you have to view the question from the perspective of adult political dialogue. If you are teaching high school students how government works you would be required to explain where the policy comes from in the first place. How can we change a policy we disagree with? What is the outcome if we are not in the governing majority? What do we do when we don't like a law? What are the methods of getting a change other than legislative action?
Then your students come away knowing that there are things in life that may not be fair. But they are reality. They can be changed, but not necessarily easily.
But does Mr. Government Teacher provide any rebuttal when the Tea Party leader simply notes that illegal is illegal. The law says this is what is done. Processes are in place. And maybe Mr. GT should try to offer a more objective and balanced approach to his students so they can be better informed citizens.
No, there is no rebuttal in Mr. GT's bag of rhetoric. The solution is the person you disagree with is a Nazi.
All is clear to me now.
11 comments:
I think we are nearing the point of realization about how deep into the abyss our educational system has fallen.
Sure, in my generation, we had Messrs. Rogers and Waters exhorting that "...we don't need no education", a point which many apparently took literally.
The social promotion and egalitarianism of the '60s through present have so devalued the concept of learning that today's typical high school graduate would probably do well to recognize even 10% of the baseline knowledge or concepts described in Dr. E. D. Hirsch Jr.'s Cultural Literacy.
I usually get a chuckle out of Leno's Jaywalking segments when a supposedly educated person is oblivious to history or major current events, but in fact the consequences are rather grim.
Speaking of which - my office colleague this morning related to me that two other co-workers, a woman in her thirties, and a man in his forties, were, respectively, utterly unaware of the Holocaust, and of the Japanese-American internment camps.
To be fair, my organization is not an educational one, but I was nonetheless surprised at such a knowledge gap.
The Nazi's were anal orifices, right? And I think we can put anyone who might think that a person who was dragged into this country at three years old and raised by their illegal parents until they reached ther age of eighteen should be deported to a country they know nothing about might also be an anal orifice. And I'd put the parents of said children in the anal orifiice category also. Down right despicable to put a child into a situation like that. So let's cut the professor some slack for not realizing that while all Nazi's are anal orifices not all anal orifices are Nazi's.
And while I'd like all the Illegal aliens who were over the age of 14 when they came here, especially the illegal Canadians who infest North Scottsdale buying up luxury home foreclosure, drinking our liquor and stealing our woman we may not have the money to do so.
~Leadfoot
PS
It's not always the educational system either. You got to have students who want to learn and are capable of doing so.
Checking out of the grocery store last night. Pretty Little Blond Haired Blue Eyed High school girl was bagging my groceries as she was ringing me up, she ripped the grocery bag on the corner of a box, and sighed saying "I guess I killed another tree" I asked what she meant she replied "They make bags out of trees". I then told her that it was a plastic bag and those are made out of oil. This really happened last night.
Yes. and the Nazis' were socialists and so are the Liberals. So what does that make them? I wonder how the childen of Illegals manage to get into school in the first place.
@Hitman
The Supremes ruled long ago that you can't keep children who are illegal aliens out of US schools. It's called Plyler v. Doe
~Leadfoot
Leadfoot, as usual, you don't get the essence of the discussion. It isn't about illegals going to school. It isn't about illegals getting in-state rates for state universities (are they, by definition, citizens/residents of the state?)
The question is about the quality of education in our schools in which a supposedly qualified teacher of government cannot conduct rational debate or defend his position. He descends immediately to ad hominem name-calling.
It says much about how we have gotten here. It may even explain your disjointed comments that often range far afield from posts in this forum.
Leadfoot,
You consistently demonstrate what I'm talking about. You have an innate ability to ignore the topic and flog some left-wing talking point.
Note: My education in Catholic schools was a fortunate thing for me. My religious beliefs today are considerably different and totally irrelevant there.
Note: I teach political science including American Government in college and have done so for 11 years now.
Note: The issue here is about first debating ability and second about laws.
Note: If someone enters this country in non-conformity with the law they are illegal.
Note: Age of an individual is irrelevant to legal or illegal.
Note: If you are unhappy with a law you don't simply ignore it. You follow due process and change it.
Note: If you are a high school instructor teaching government you should know and understand that.
Note: If your response to someone who lists these facts is simply to call him a Nazi, you are immature and poorly qualified to teach government.
Note: If the core of your position on an issue is emotion rather than fact, you may have the wrong position.
Note: If someone argues the need to act "for the children", I will guarantee your Constitutional guarantees are threatened.
Now, try to focus on the discussion at hand. Try to ignore personality traits or background. Try to stick to facts. And skip the reading of the morning list of DNC talking points. They don't play well among literates.
Happy Birthday Ed. I thank you for your service as a teacher. I wish that even 10% of students had a teacher(professor? sorry if I screwed up) like you that has actually done something for thier country. Unfortunately, the vast majority are taught by persons like the one in the video(I can't find his name) which I think is directly attributable to the sorry state of our country today. Someone recently called colleges "Socialist Training Camps" I have seen this with my own eyes.I probably live in one of the most Conservative communities in the US. My daughter made a complete 180 degree shift to Super Liberal not long after starting college several years ago.
Ed,
Note: I don't get my talking points from anyone. I especially don't let Rush, Glenn or Sean tell me how to think. The failure of left wing talk radio is because we usually listen to rock and roll ;-)
Note: Making a judgment as you have done about a ten second period in a teacher’s life is utterly ridiculous. How many ten second periods in your life would you like to take back?
Note: I'm actually pretty hard line on immigration. I make an exception for children who came with no choice and have lived her long enough to be assimilated into American culture. It’s sad you don’t feel the same way. But if your illegal come heare as an adult and working I want you sent back. I also want those who hire the illegals to face stiff punishment.
Note: I didn’t know 3 year olds could commit illegal acts. Are you sure about this?
Note: The Teachers comment was at a political forum. One of the starting places to discuss political ideas such as immigration and changing the laws regarding it. People should know where political candidates stand.
BTW My American History teacher was one of the finest baseball coaches in Southern California. Nothing remarkable about his teaching but he wasn’t any different than my other teachers. He was a very positive influence on a lot of HS baseball players. (I’m not a baseball player BTW) The American Government teacher however was one of the worst teachers in the school. Didn’t have to attend class, everyone got an A, smoked pot with the kids on Friday night… but he wasn’t a coach. But he did have the credentials
Now some questions.
Have you looked into the plight of those who have been deported who came to America as three year olds and were raised to adulthood here? What despicable act did they commit to deserve their fate?
How do you feel about the Dream act?
Did you ever think about teaching High School?
~Leadfoot
I think there is something more pressing than all of this for govt. classes -- judicial corruption.
There seems to be a huge degree of legal cases being secretly won/altered significantly via judicial corruption these days. One site trying to spotlight the outright ILLEGAL behavior of the courts, attornies, etc. is about the case of Noack vs. YMCA, on a site called SupremelyUNjust (http://www.SupremelyUNjust.weebly.com ).
Although apparently blackballed by the news media, the site contains evidence - legal documents even - showing illegal & grossly unconstitutional activity by multiple federal courts, ranging up to & including the U.S Supreme Court itself. Amazing & outrageous!
A definite interest to H.S. students of govt I think, as they can see the actual legal documentation for a petition to the Supreme Court, citations of precedent cases & evidence, etc., plus a very socially-important topic for all.
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