A checklist for the 'educated'

email | Craig J. Cantoni

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Now that the kiddies have returned to public school, here's a checklist that you can use to determine if they are being educated according to government standards:

• Do they know that Sacagawea was on the Lewis and Clark expedition, but do not know that Thomas Jefferson was president at the time?

• Do they know that the White man oppressed Native Americans, but don't know that Native Americans oppressed and enslaved each other?

• Do they believe that FDR ended the Great Depression but don't know that he actually extended it through misguided central planning?

• Do they know about the horrors of Hitler and fascism, but not the greater horrors of Stalin and communism?

• Do they know about "sweatshops," but don't know that American overseas factories help people escape poverty and the drudgery and danger of farm labor?

• Do they know about corporate greed but not about teachers union greed, or the greed of the elderly who want to send the bill for their medicine to kiddies like them?

• Do they believe that Hispanics are a minority, but don't know enough demographics and statistics to understand that they are the largest ethnic group in Arizona and not a minority?

• Do they understand that "diversity" includes Mexicans, Blacks and Native Americans but not Bosnians, Italians, Greeks, Indians, Pakistanis, Iranians, Singaporeans and the scores of other races and nationalities?

• Do they believe that Arizona ranks near the bottom in education spending, but don't know that it actually ranks near the middle?

• Do they think that "capitalism" is a dirty word, but know nothing about its moral, philosophical and historical foundations?

• Do they think that it's OK for schools to advertise such government programs as food stamps, the school lunch program and free health care, but don't know how the programs are abused, what they cost and what their downsides are?

• Do they think that the nation is a majority-rule democracy instead of a constitutional republic, and not know the difference between the two?

• And, finally, do they see nothing wrong in a free society for the government to have a monopoly on K-12 classroom thought?

If your child answered "yes" to all, or most, of these questions, then he or she is being educated by unionized, government teachers according to government standards. Congratulations!

Craig J. Cantoni is an author, public speaker and consultant. He can be reached at ccan2@aol.com. The views expressed are those of the author.

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