Having a book like that as required reading, is like having a Michael Moore film as something the children are required to watch. It's a little apalling. The book has a definite bias, and I don't understand the literary value of it to high school students. Posting this video as if the parents were nutjobs or something, is a little disingenuous. If the tables were turned, and there was a book that criticized scientists that profused their atheism, people would be in an uproar on this site that children were being indoctrinated and such.
These aren't children. These are high school students. I don't know exactly when a person should start being confronted with different ideas, granted even ideas so biased as to be laughable, but high school seems like a good time for people to realize that not everyone agrees on everything.
Don't make it seem like it's grade schoolers who are being forced to sit through an admittedly poor assessment of the American education system -- that's plainly misleading.
wow.. the fact that Jesus WAS a socialist is one of the few things I like about the guy. Read the letters of St. Paul... all disciples of Jesus sell all their possessions and live communally!!!
Ps. I love the object to there being sections about "getting out of drug use."
Looks interesting. Sorta like Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDgFiW2xtf0 I'd love to see those quotes about Jesus in context. And as for how to pass drug tests, I think the fact that the tests can be faked is pretty important. And if you don't detail it, who's going to believe you?
Fairly sure the parents actually are nutjobs, but the point about the motives for using such a politically biased book as instruction material in a public classroom are, as they always will be when dealing with the pliable minds of adolescents, pertinent and controversial.
Notice however, that on Fox Noise they cannot even begin to have a decent, "adult conversation" about the issue of potential political bias - and for instance whether or not to counterbalance the teaching of such a book with something like Adam Shepard's Scratch Beginnings - because they are distracted totally by the "assault" on their imaginary celestial dictator.
What literary value does any non-textbook have? I had to read Huck Finn in high school. I'm not better because of it. This book probably does suck but so did the Great Gasby.
The central theme of this book is that it's hard to make it in the service-workers world. That it is difficult to not make a lot of money and that many of these jobs are thankless and dangerous. So yeah, it's really really political in the sense that she claims that *gasp* poor people have it hard. My biggest problem with the book is that it's this liberal social expirement that the author can leave at any time...it's a bit on the, "oh, you poor poor people" side of things.
Robin hood was fighting against unjust taxation. The perversion of his myth into a socialist folk tale is a great disservice to the spirit of the Magna Carta which was formed at the time that the mythic Robin Hood supposedly lived.
You may want to look up Jainism. Socialism works great, so long as you're willing to live like a dog under the heel of those who merely claim to share your cause. I could easilly lie and tell people what they want to hear. I used to do it, and it's a great way to get ahead, just be a socialist deist in appearance. The reason I son't pretend to believe in God or pretend to believe that socialism works, is because I want my integrity and I want to be honest.
One day I hope you'll have the courage to say the truth, no matter who hates you for it, and to realize that no people ar enot created equal, and sharing is not a good enough incentive to get people to work for hard, just like how there's no man in the sky looking over us, and no endless afterlife when we die.
The apeals to special knowledge are ridiculous. Do you really think that I don't understand socialism? It's not exactly rocket science. In fact it's the type of ideology that little children and then uneducated flock to. That is not meant as a compliment.
The bit that got me was when they said that one of their terms for re-engagement with the school was to have a "parental review committee" of all the books offered to students. - Whoa there, that's an open door for Xtian fundamental nutjobs to control the education system. btw: no one book worries me if it is presented with careful analysis of the material - the students should be learning how to discriminate and judge written material, how are they to understand how to dissect a poor text if they are never shown what to look for?
I thought so too, BUT then it turned out the stupid woman was just saying what she meant poorly. She later said what seemed to be getting out of drug testing. I read the book a few years ago when it came out, but forgot what it had in it.
Tooth Fairy and Santa are for CHILDREN. They don't, can't, and shouldn't be out there earning money to buy themselves crap. Technically children live under (hopefully) benevolent dictatorships.
Pure Socialism is mental. Just like pure Libertarianism. 'We're all one big group' doesn't really work and is anti-freedom. And 'We're all on our own' is essentially law of the Jungle and horrible as well.
Striking a balance between efficient and needed 'group' projects -like roads, and health care, etc... and 'mostly' having as much freedom as reasonable is the goal we should all be working towards. And that's exactly what most modern Democratic Nations are. Free...within reason.
And libertarianism is how animals live. Your point? Democratic socialism is anything but how you've proposed it to be. It's your bogeyman. Your satan. You're fucking afraid of it. Your defensiveness reeks of fear.
In highschool you are supposed to be exposed to different views. That is part of growing up. As far as the obscenties in the book, I guarentee you that the boy has been exposed to the cursing from his fellow students. Let's just pretend that highschool students don't curse.
I hope that the school doesn't cave to these two parents. Let the boy be homeschooled but what will he do in college when he has to learn about things like evolution.
Andrew: It's easy to ignore many of the gems you bless this site with, but your "hatred of Jesus" was one I just couldn't pass up. Predictably, you missed the entire point when I asked<span> "....do you hate the tooth fairy, santa & robin hood too?</span>...." I certainly didn't expert an explanation of Robin Hood's socio/political convictions. I'll put it in simpler terms: Do you hate a lot of things that don't exist, and possibly never did?
Well, John the baptist was DEFINITELY a socialist: Luke 3: 10 What should we do then? the crowd asked. 11 John answered, The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.
The butthurt is strong in this one.
ReplyDeleteHaving a book like that as required reading, is like having a Michael Moore film as something the children are required to watch. It's a little apalling. The book has a definite bias, and I don't understand the literary value of it to high school students. Posting this video as if the parents were nutjobs or something, is a little disingenuous. If the tables were turned, and there was a book that criticized scientists that profused their atheism, people would be in an uproar on this site that children were being indoctrinated and such.
ReplyDeleteIs anyone surprised by them anymore?
ReplyDeleteThese aren't children. These are high school students. I don't know exactly when a person should start being confronted with different ideas, granted even ideas so biased as to be laughable, but high school seems like a good time for people to realize that not everyone agrees on everything.
ReplyDeleteDon't make it seem like it's grade schoolers who are being forced to sit through an admittedly poor assessment of the American education system -- that's plainly misleading.
wow.. the fact that Jesus WAS a socialist is one of the few things I like about the guy. Read the letters of St. Paul... all disciples of Jesus sell all their possessions and live communally!!!
ReplyDeletePs. I love the object to there being sections about "getting out of drug use."
Perhaps I am simply confused.. but wasn't Jebus indeed somewhat of a vagrant and a socialist?
ReplyDeleteYes he was. And that's a great reason to hate him even more.
ReplyDeleteLooks interesting. Sorta like Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDgFiW2xtf0
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see those quotes about Jesus in context. And as for how to pass drug tests, I think the fact that the tests can be faked is pretty important. And if you don't detail it, who's going to believe you?
I guess homeschool is the right place for a kid who only wants to learn what his parents deem acceptable.
ReplyDeleteFairly sure the parents actually are nutjobs, but the point about the motives for using such a politically biased book as instruction material in a public classroom are, as they always will be when dealing with the pliable minds of adolescents, pertinent and controversial.
ReplyDeleteNotice however, that on Fox Noise they cannot even begin to have a decent, "adult conversation" about the issue of potential political bias - and for instance whether or not to counterbalance the teaching of such a book with something like Adam Shepard's Scratch Beginnings - because they are distracted totally by the "assault" on their imaginary celestial dictator.
I would say his socialism is one of the only reasons to look up to him.
ReplyDeleteHate the tooth fairy, santa & robin hood too, Andrew?
ReplyDeleteWHY IS THIS FUCKING NEWS!?
ReplyDeleteYeah, let the poor people starve..no, I mean cake, let them eat it
ReplyDeleteAt least through school one has more than two teachers.
ReplyDeleteWhat literary value does any non-textbook have? I had to read Huck Finn in high school. I'm not better because of it. This book probably does suck but so did the Great Gasby.
ReplyDeletewhat? we ban books now? commee onnnn. what is this?
ReplyDeleteThe central theme of this book is that it's hard to make it in the service-workers world. That it is difficult to not make a lot of money and that many of these jobs are thankless and dangerous. So yeah, it's really really political in the sense that she claims that *gasp* poor people have it hard. My biggest problem with the book is that it's this liberal social expirement that the author can leave at any time...it's a bit on the, "oh, you poor poor people" side of things.
ReplyDeleteRobin hood was fighting against unjust taxation. The perversion of his myth into a socialist folk tale is a great disservice to the spirit of the Magna Carta which was formed at the time that the mythic Robin Hood supposedly lived.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to look up Jainism. Socialism works great, so long as you're willing to live like a dog under the heel of those who merely claim to share your cause. I could easilly lie and tell people what they want to hear. I used to do it, and it's a great way to get ahead, just be a socialist deist in appearance. The reason I son't pretend to believe in God or pretend to believe that socialism works, is because I want my integrity and I want to be honest.
ReplyDeleteOne day I hope you'll have the courage to say the truth, no matter who hates you for it, and to realize that no people ar enot created equal, and sharing is not a good enough incentive to get people to work for hard, just like how there's no man in the sky looking over us, and no endless afterlife when we die.
Andrew's always been a disingenuous brat. Pay him no mind. He's pretty stereotypical in that he hates what he doesn't understand.
ReplyDeleteHey, at least she does the libertarian thing and exploits the poor people's stories for her own gain.
ReplyDeleteProudly ignorant fascists, pure and simple. What else is there to say?
ReplyDeleteThe apeals to special knowledge are ridiculous. Do you really think that I don't understand socialism? It's not exactly rocket science. In fact it's the type of ideology that little children and then uneducated flock to. That is not meant as a compliment.
ReplyDeleteThe bit that got me was when they said that one of their terms for re-engagement with the school was to have a "parental review committee" of all the books offered to students. - Whoa there, that's an open door for Xtian fundamental nutjobs to control the education system.
ReplyDeletebtw: no one book worries me if it is presented with careful analysis of the material - the students should be learning how to discriminate and judge written material, how are they to understand how to dissect a poor text if they are never shown what to look for?
I thought so too, BUT then it turned out the stupid woman was just saying what she meant poorly. She later said what seemed to be getting out of drug testing. I read the book a few years ago when it came out, but forgot what it had in it.
ReplyDeleteTooth Fairy and Santa are for CHILDREN. They don't, can't, and shouldn't be out there earning money to buy themselves crap. Technically children live under (hopefully) benevolent dictatorships.
ReplyDeletePure Socialism is mental. Just like pure Libertarianism. 'We're all one big group' doesn't really work and is anti-freedom. And 'We're all on our own' is essentially law of the Jungle and horrible as well.
Striking a balance between efficient and needed 'group' projects -like roads, and health care, etc... and 'mostly' having as much freedom as reasonable is the goal we should all be working towards. And that's exactly what most modern Democratic Nations are.
Free...within reason.
You should be 'pro' some reasonable socialist programs, but 'anti' Socialism.
ReplyDeleteYou should be 'pro' liberty/freedom, but 'anti' Libertarianism.
And libertarianism is how animals live. Your point? Democratic socialism is anything but how you've proposed it to be. It's your bogeyman. Your satan. You're fucking afraid of it. Your defensiveness reeks of fear.
ReplyDeleteYou're forgetting he also never had a girlfriend and traveled with twelve men.
ReplyDeleteBecause it's Christmas time and that means more outrage against unsubstantiated and over-exaggerated invasions of Jesus.
ReplyDeleteBecause it's Christmas and that means the outrage machine has been taken up to 11.
ReplyDeleteIn highschool you are supposed to be exposed to different views. That is part of growing up. As far as the obscenties in the book, I guarentee you that the boy has been exposed to the cursing from his fellow students. Let's just pretend that highschool students don't curse.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the school doesn't cave to these two parents. Let the boy be homeschooled but what will he do in college when he has to learn about things like evolution.
Andrew: It's easy to ignore many of the gems you bless this site with, but your "hatred of Jesus" was one I just couldn't pass up.
ReplyDeletePredictably, you missed the entire point when I asked<span> "....do you hate the tooth fairy, santa & robin hood too?</span>...." I certainly didn't expert an explanation of Robin Hood's socio/political convictions.
I'll put it in simpler terms: Do you hate a lot of things that don't exist, and possibly never did?
Well, John the baptist was DEFINITELY a socialist:
ReplyDeleteLuke 3: 10 What should we do then? the crowd asked. 11 John answered, The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.