Posted on 11/30/2004 2:28:45 PM PST by Lorianne
As I stated, I was born here in America. I'm not just a citizen, I am an American-born national. That's not a liberal definition--it is a fact.
I think Canada, Australia, South Africa, Russia, and Brazil would dispute that.
I read somewhere, that American children are even with, and in some cases more mentally developed than those in countries that consistently beat us later on. It is not that our education is completely broken, only that somewhere between grades 4-college, something is introduced that destroys the discipline and love for learning.
Or adulterous desire, for that matter.
The fact that I am "oriented" to adultery does not make me demand a liturgy for blessing the motel room keys.
While we're on the subject, why not consider the granddaddy of all parent-child separations, the school. The idea of taking children away from their parents for eight hours a day, beginning at age six, and turning them over to strangers to be "educated," is a relatively new and radical development in human history. That we take this form of parent-child separation for granted is a testimony to its success, inasmuch as success is defined by schools having attained the goals of its developers.
A real feminist movement would be agitating for more flextime, telecommuting, and job-sharing for women, and for all-day schooling for kids. And for more restrictions on divorce.
What a great idea. I'd urge you to consider this further, and maybe put it in a vanity post.
Russian 81.5%
Tatar 3.8%
Ukrainian 3%
Chuvash 1.2%
Wow! That is one diverse nation!!! How about Australia?
Caucasian 92%
Asian 7%
Aboriginal and other 1%
South Africa has a more diverse mix, certainly:
Black 75.2%
White 13.6%
Indian 2.6%
Other 8.6%
That's a mixed plate, isn't it? And all of those ethnic groups in South Africa are known the world over for their deep love of one another, aren't they??! Canada? As of 2002, their ethnic groups broke down as follows:
British Isles 28%
French 23%
Other European 15%
Amer-Indian 2%
Other 6%, mostly Asian
Being in Michigan, I frequently visit Canada, at least once a year, sometimes more. White white white white white. Sure, that's diverse. /sarcasm
Brazil? You're right, they come awfully close.
I think it's primarily the liberals and masses of inner-city welfare addicts of various flavors who vote for tax increases and government handouts. All the rest of us -- the taxpayers -- are left to contend with the monster they have created.
Wow, well said. I'm going to have to chew on that for awhile.
Really? Schooling is neither "radical" nor "new."
The ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Indians all had schools - predominately for boys, but schools nonetheless.
Monasteries set up schools in Europe, but the most common way of educating the younger sons of the upper classes was to send a boy to a monastery at the age of seven or so *to live.* Many of these boys never returned home, becoming either lay brothers, monks, or priests. Girls were sent to convents in a similar manner. The book "Galileo's Daughter" is a compilation of letters which passed between the 17th century scientist and his daughter, who was sent to a convent around age 10.
There was no lower-class or peasant alternative to a monastic education, and thus the lower classes were resolutely illiterate for centuries in Europe.
Further, parent/child separation was widespread for economic reasons all throughout European and early American history. Parents had their children apprenticed out around age 10, and the apprentice went to live with the master, essentially receiving room, board, and training. These apprenticeships lasted many years,a nd the apprentice didn't normally run back home to his family.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, areas of Europe where schooling was widespread, literacy rates were high and scientific/technical development flourished. In areas of Europe where schooling was infrequent, literacy was less and so was economic progress.
Early Americans had widespread forms of schooling. The largely Protestant settlers were either Anglican (in which case they were well-educated and had fine prep schools for their boys, and "French" educations for their girls - i.e. French, drawing, and music), or evangelical, in which case they believed that salvation came from reading the Scriptures, and that literacy was absolutely necessary.
These early Americans formed schools - some were private, some were publicly funded (even if there was no colony-wide mandate for schooling.) Schools required that you know how to read and write *before* you entered, so "dame's schools" sprang up, where older women would teach their neighbors' children for pay.
When children went to school in early America, they went for long days (although not so many days per year, like today.)
The Little House books (Laura Ingalls Wilder) give many engaging and highly accurate accounts of prairie schooling in the 19th century. One of the first things Western settlers did when they had the population density was to form a school board and a subscription school district (i.e. a public school paid for by the parents who used it.)
When Catholic immigrants came in large numbers, many of the imported orders of nuns set up schools (in the Midwest & West, often German nuns who set up German-language schools.) Catholic schooling exploded in the late 19th century after the Cardinal of Baltimore (name escapes me) mandated that Catholics send their children to parish schools on pain of excommunication. (Was he a "radical?")
I am pointing this out because the comment made was not about *public* vs. *private* schooling. I grant that private schooling was a dominant feature in both the US and Europe for centuries. But *schooling* itself (as opposed to home schooling or no schooling) has been established for thousands of years. It's nursery-through-high-school homeschooling (exclusively) that's rare and radical among the literate.
Since when is all-day schooling to accommodate working mothers a "great idea?" Such schooling would have to be year-round as well. Why not just state-funded boarding schools? Saves on babysitting...
Those who would speak disparagingly about a woman who was charitable enough to adopt children who needed a home, out of the kindness of their heart, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity, have no shame. Such petty criticisms reveal them to be little men with something to hide and something to prove.
This country was founded, built and is being defended this day, for women like yourself; Christian women who are the heart and soul of America, around which the lives of American men revolve.
God bless you for your your love, compassion and charity. Your reward will be great.
Don't have time to read all the posts, but here's my two cents. We do well on one income due to one (small) tv, one company-plan cellphone, no cable, free dialup internet access, and we only eat out on rare occasions. We just don't need all that extra stuff.
Make that "compulsory schooling." Invented in Prussia in the early 1800s and imported to America around 1850. It's not an accident that Hitler rose to power in the birthplace of kindergarten.
There was no lower-class or peasant alternative to a monastic education, and thus the lower classes were resolutely illiterate for centuries in Europe.
Learning to read, prior to the invention of the printing press in the late 15th century, didn't make a lot of sense, since there was no printed material to read. A hand-copied Bible cost the equivalent of 3 years salary (roughly $100k today), which is why Bibles were often chained to pulpits.
Thereafter, Christians were generally satisfied with teaching their children how to read and write, along with a little bit of mathematics. After that, they were expected to learn on their own, if they were interested.
I've read some really horrible things online. His stuff's been added to my list.
Very best regards to you and your family from another adoptive mom.
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