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Re:
Thanks for reading. However, I think it undermines my case to assert that "secularism" is a religion, as if removing that creed from the public schools will solve everything. The danger is not in what the state religion is, but in there being a state religion through the propaganda power of "teaching" the young. This may go to the extreme of the "Hitler Youth", but the absence of the more egregious abuse and corruption should not inure us to manipulation inherent in teaching "civic values" or notions of nationhood. If anything, we are the anti-nation which should never be too thoroughly mixed in ideas even as we mix our families.
What should we have instead for naturalization of immigrants? A citizenship exam testing English and the Constitution is a sufficient quality control. Then a separate and voluntary arrangement for teaching children and adults these subjects for free provides sufficient access to citizenship for the immigrants.
posted by
cpklapper
on March 27, 2011 at 5:58 PM
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Intereting perspective,and I agree and disagree. Public ed, beginning with the little red school house, was an important part of becomming a nation because not many knew how to read and write a century or so ago.It was also important to the influx of immigration at the turn of the century to share a common language (English) as well as civic values that made this mixing pot a nation.
On the other hand, your point is well taken, though I don't think you quite underlined your case--that secularism is a religion. I thought it quite appaling teachers would take their classroom out for a protest to suit their own aganda.
The reason public ed is failing is because how can you teach critical thinking if it begins with a social agenda? I don't think we should not hire teachers because of their beliefs, but I do think we should demand
they should do the job they were hired to do--but how are they to teach critical thinking if they themselved don't know what it is or how to do it?
I agree with your direction, but perhaps its time to set some parameters.
posted by
jfm32
on March 26, 2011 at 10:35 AM
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Re:
and thank you for reading!
posted by
cpklapper
on March 24, 2011 at 1:44 PM
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It isn't poetry but it is a good write. Thank you for publishing it.
posted by
Justi
on March 24, 2011 at 12:12 PM
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Re:
Yes, but I am only doing the one blog with Blogit and it is mostly poetry.
posted by
cpklapper
on March 24, 2011 at 10:22 AM
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I agree with most of what you say, but I must ask...wouldn't this fit better in the news and politics category?
posted by
UtahJay
on March 24, 2011 at 10:18 AM
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