Pet Peeves

[Jennifer12]

People who want their children to be stupid.

Get ready for a big time rant here:

Did did anyone read the article on CNN.com yesterday about the school superintendent in Georgia who wants to replace the word "evolution" in the science curriculum with the term "biological changes over time?"

Putting aside the fact that that actually is the definition of evolution, I don't understand people who insist that their children NOT be taught certain things, then have the nerve to complain that public education is going down the tubes!

One of my major pet peeves is this argument that creationism should be taught as science. I have no problem with creation myths being explored in a classroom. They are beautiful examples of storytelling and cultural anthropology, but they are not science, and in no way can be classified as science.

But getting back to this Georgia thing, what happens to the kid who doesn't learn the word evolution and it comes up on a college entrance exam:

What is the definiton of evolution?
A) A really bad David Duchovny movie
B) Biological changes over time
C) substitution of a new form of government by force

Okay, I'm done.

Jen

 

[Beebers]

Hey, not only what you cited, but:
Tennessee Board of Ed wants gender, not the word sex

Illegal immigrants not to be called that when THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE

We're losing it, we really are. Soon the freakin' Word-Gestapo will be at your door to haul you to camps.

We're losing it.

 

[Beebers]

WAKE UP, everyone. Protest and stop this JUNK. It's been driving me absolutely CRACKERS for a LONG time. Political Correctness, it's going to ruin this country and I'm NOT kidding.

Oh, steam coming out of my EARS. OMG.

 

[Whatever]

Hey, not only what you cited, but:
Tennessee Board of Ed wants gender, not the word sex
.

YOU TELL THEM!! I attended Tennessee schools grades 2-11. I am telling you they are nuts. Most of the required reading in high school is really racist, like "Cold Sassy Tree" which talks about "d*** yankees" and "Native Son" by Richard Wright which talks about a black guy killing a white girl. Not to mention Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" (for the AP English class) and the "Classic Southern Short Stories" which has numberous stories of interracial related rapings, killings, etc. They are trying to train us to be brain dead little Confederates! And my dad agrees with these nuts, he used to attend Sons of the Confederate Army meetings while I had dance lessons! My mom, brother sister and I are all yankees by birth and he hates us for it! Tennessee, ugh, don't get me started.

 

[Beebers]

Is that right?

I'm going to say a thing or two here and don't everybody go fighting.

One of the greatest strengths of this country was that we were always brave enough to call a spade a spade. Don't go getting upset, that's a time-honored phrase for TELLING IT LIKE IT IS. That ability gives you the chutzpah to see clearly and act correctly. Now, we have to be nice. Everybody has to be nice. I wish I could do lots and lots of swearing here because that's what it makes me want to do.
Obese children are given easier or less phys. ed. so as NOT TO HURT THEIR FEELINGS. What???? HUH?????? We were pushed and challenged. People fought, folks, for phys ed to be made available to every child via the schools. IT DID NOT FALL FROM A TREE.
A group of white South Africans recently requested that they be regarded as African-Americans. WHICH THEY ARE. But no, big hue and cry, no, that's reserved for People of Color. Holy freakin' cow.
The race card, played over and over and over, WITH SUCCESS, in celebrity trials. What is O.J. Simpson doing out on the streets? He murdered the mother of his children. You think the white equivalent would be?
Listen, I CAME UP in the sixties. We NEEDED the civil rights movement, affirmative action, et al. We're better for it. But now, we're all bad, WE WHO WORKED FOR THAT, what an insult, and we all have to be nice and careful.
People ARE JUST PEOPLE. THAT IS ALL. There's the good, the bad, and the ugly in every crowd, good God. Where is our common sense?
There are those who would basically have you think that 9/11 never happened.
NYC now spends hundreds of thousands of TAX dollars to police and fine smokers and smoking. GUESS WHAT - THIS IS NOT A GOVERNMENT ISSUE. Establishments should AND ALWAYS DID govern themselves quite nicely. It is not Constitutional what they're doing, and I know my Constitution, don't even think about arguing.
People suing MacDonald's because they're fat. NOBODY MADE THEM GO THERE. Where's our SELF-RESPONSIBILITY gone??????
Oh, man. It just goes on and on and on. Now the Word-Gestapo. It's happening. It's the few, running the brave. The formerly brave.
A man in a bar, drunk. A group comes in and sits down. They commence to play cards. The man becomes surly, tells them he is Muslim and that this "gambling" is against his beliefs. (Alcohol is prohibited in Islam.) They attempt to be friendly and reason with him. He is belligerent and threatening. THEY are asked to leave. THEY ARE ASKED TO LEAVE. By the white management. They leave. Los Angeles, three weeks ago.
Soon we'll have Terrorist Appreciation Day, annual holiday. Just to be nice.
I can't talk about this anymore right now, it's just nuts. I hate what I'm seeing happen to my country internally lately, it's beyond idiotic.
I could cite you examples all night long on here.
The low standards in public schools to meet the lower capabilities of incoming kids. I can't even go there. We capitulate to that?
The tail is wagging the dog everywhere, and we'd better correct it or we'll be NOTHING in the space of a generation. Mark my words.

 

[Whatever]

Well, unless I get lucky I'm gonne be one of the future teachers of America dealing with those kids. I don't really want to be a teacher because it's such a difficult, thankless, underpaid job. But there aren't many German-related jobs. And I do like kids.

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

YOU TELL THEM!! I attended Tennessee schools grades 2-11. I am telling you they are nuts. Most of the required reading in high school is really racist, like "Cold Sassy Tree" which talks about "d*** yankees" and "Native Son" by Richard Wright which talks about a black guy killing a white girl. Not to mention Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man" (for the AP English class)

I've got to disagree with this--"Native Son" and "Invisible Man" are powerful novels about racism and prejudice, not racist propaganda. Considering the historical moment when each was written, each of these is a striking statement by an African-American man about the nature of the world in which he was living. I've only read "Native Son" once, a few years ago, but I've read "Invisible Man" a number of times and done some work with it. It's still one of my favorite novels of all time--not only is it brilliantly written, but it's such a brave and honest book.

Anyway, I hope I'm not being rude--I just really disagree about those two novels.

 

[Beebers]

You're not being rude. I'M the one who blew up this thread before! Though I was not being rude, just powder-keggy. I think it's just a personal sore point for Beth given her family stuff, which I totally understand. I have to second your comments about those books, well said.

 

[sarah_yzma]

I've heard of Schools in certain states banning To Kill a Mockingbird, and I don't understand the banning of books like that. And even to ban books such as Tom Sawyer, just because they say the 'n' word. I'm sorry, but if you can't accept what happened in that time frame, you've got some issues.

(not talking to you, whatever, to the people that banned the books)

topic? no I don't want any

 

[sarah_yzma]

ooh...don't get me started on the whole 'backwards segregation' thing. Yes, we needed affirmative action in the 60's and probably even 70's but since then, it has become rediculous. Some colleges give more points for being a minority than a good essay. I tried to get into a summer camp run by the state, and was edged out by minorities who were not doing well in school (and this was important, since this was a camp of higher learning) I got in as an alternative, but I almost didn't!

Just wait until I enter Miss Black America

edit note: I have nothing against those who are a minority. I just don't approve of the government in their treatment of the situation.