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Dr SEUS's Birthday on Wed March 2. No Christmas, No Lincoln, No Washington, No Jefferson
March 1, 2005 | mlmr

Posted on 03/01/2005 11:42:00 AM PST by mlmr

Tomorrow is Dr Seuss’s birthday, the highest holiday of the elementary public school calendar. The close second is the 100th Day of School. This is our first year in the government’s education clutches…my 7 year old came home so gleeful…Mommy, I have to wear my cat costume today….it is Doctor Seuss’s Birthday!

Now I am not going to argue the merits of Seuss…but if I ever read Hop on Pop again I will self-destruct. I have four children all, thank God, well past the Green Eggs and Ham stage.

My daughter never came home to tell me that she had to dress up as Washington, or Betsy Ross, or as a Johnny Reb, or as a WWII WAC, or as one of the hundreds of heroes of American history. Yes, she did have some tasks to perform during Black History Month. However, Blacks are not the only ones with history in this country, not by a long shot.

If the teachers at our local elementary school put half the effort into history and other subjects that they do into such a non-event as a mediocre children’s author’s birthday…then perhaps we wouldn’t have as much cultural idiocy and failing grades... To tell you the truth all this focus on this “nothing event” is embarrassing. That I pay for it with my tax dollars and time out of my daughter’s life, is infuriating.

What is behind this focus on nothing? My daughter told me that her class was not permitted to talk about Christmas. That is the birthday of someone whose philosophy altered the course of Western Civilization. However, there is not even a cultural acknowledgment. Washington and Lincoln? Forget it… not even a story at story time. Jefferson? Franklin, Daniel Boone? What kind of culture erases its history?

Pol Pot’s? Stalin’s?.

Where on earth are we heading?


TOPICS: Books/Literature; History
KEYWORDS: education; government; happybirthday; schools
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1 posted on 03/01/2005 11:42:04 AM PST by mlmr
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To: mlmr
Mediocre children's author???

I enjoy reading his work to my grandson!

2 posted on 03/01/2005 11:48:06 AM PST by knittnmom
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To: mlmr

"mediocre children’s author"



I'm kind of curious about what childrens author meets with your approval. BTW kids around here still take presidents day off from school.


3 posted on 03/01/2005 11:52:07 AM PST by cripplecreek (The crippled stool is the cadillac of poopin stools.)
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To: mlmr

While I can see your point that the focus on Seuss for a holiday or special event could be out of line (in context of course) I disagree that he was a mediocre writer... for the age group his stories draw them into the joyful world of stories and words...


4 posted on 03/01/2005 11:52:50 AM PST by Barney59 (Now there's a man with an open mind - you can feel the breeze from here!)
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To: mlmr
"The close second is the 100th Day of School."

When did this 100th day of school thing start? I can't recall the hundreth day of school even being mentioned, let alone celebrated, when I was in elementary school (early 1980's). Yet at my kids school the "100 day party" is just about the biggest celebration the school has...

5 posted on 03/01/2005 11:53:32 AM PST by apillar
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To: mlmr

A stupid populace is easy to control.


6 posted on 03/01/2005 11:53:35 AM PST by Killborn (It's called C4. Use lots and lots of it.)
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To: mlmr
To tell you the truth all this focus on this “nothing event” is embarrassing.

It gets kids to read.

(making note to self to wear "Cat in the Hat" tie tomorrow)

7 posted on 03/01/2005 11:54:36 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (One Iraqi purple finger took more courage than John Kerry's three purple hearts.)
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To: cripplecreek

BTW kids around here still take presidents day off from school.


They don't around here.. it is part of vacation week. I could care less whether children had the holiday off, it is about the loss of our history in the schools.

I think Laura Ingalls Wilder is a great children's author for the elementary and primary grades.


8 posted on 03/01/2005 11:55:22 AM PST by mlmr (The Naked and the Fred....is back!)
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To: Corin Stormhands

It gets kids to read.

So would stories of American History winsomely presented.


9 posted on 03/01/2005 11:56:48 AM PST by mlmr (The Naked and the Fred....is back!)
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To: apillar

It started as a non offensive PC holiday in the 90's by stupid school administrations.


I imagine teachers always celebrated it.


10 posted on 03/01/2005 11:57:53 AM PST by mlmr (The Naked and the Fred....is back!)
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To: mlmr

I happened to be home the other day and my niece had "Blue's Clues" on. The effeminate host got a "Love Day" card. I asked my wife what the $%^# is Love Day. She told me they are starting to wipe out the name "Valentine's Day". You could have knocked me over with a feather.


11 posted on 03/01/2005 11:58:08 AM PST by MattinNJ (Stop voter fraud-enact voter ID cards with photos w/ magnetic stripes that prevent multiple voting)
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To: Killborn

A stupid populace is easy to control.

Seems like they are getting dumber by the minute.

What is a people with an erased history?


12 posted on 03/01/2005 11:58:39 AM PST by mlmr (The Naked and the Fred....is back!)
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: MattinNJ

She told me they are starting to wipe out the name "Valentine's Day". You could have knocked me over with a feather.


Oh yes, Valentine's Day is based on an historical, Christian character.

No history in our schools, only today!

No Columbus, Vasco de Gama, Marco Polo (unless you are talking about the game), Cortez...


14 posted on 03/01/2005 12:00:48 PM PST by mlmr (The Naked and the Fred....is back!)
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To: TonyRo76

Wait a second, I loved Dr. Seuss when I was a kid! His books were among my earliest pre-school memories, and the first book I ever read cover-to-cover was a Dr. Seuss book.

Seus was a decent author, but the issue is whether he is a good replacement for our history in our children's classroom education?


15 posted on 03/01/2005 12:02:09 PM PST by mlmr (The Naked and the Fred....is back!)
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To: mlmr

Slaves.


16 posted on 03/01/2005 12:09:45 PM PST by Killborn (It's called C4. Use lots and lots of it.)
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To: Killborn

Slaves.

You think we are heading there as a culture?


17 posted on 03/01/2005 12:11:12 PM PST by mlmr (The "Naked and the Fred"....is back!)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: Killborn
A stupid populace is easy to control.

Yup. This ain't no accident.

The Underground History of American Education

19 posted on 03/01/2005 12:14:47 PM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: TonyRo76

I can't imagine any of my old grade school teachers reverting to children's books—even good ones like Seuss—in the classroom! But that was a different time (I'm only in my 30s; how sad is that?)

The libs' Gubmint Edgemukation cartel has apparently accelerated its dumbing-down efforts in recent years.

We are being robbed!
Thousands rally for school funding (it'll never be enough...)http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1353518/posts


20 posted on 03/01/2005 12:15:20 PM PST by mlmr (The "Naked and the Fred"....is back!)
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