De-Programming Students (Thomas Sowell)

Townhall.com ^ | February 10, 2009 | Thomas Sowell

[Marie2]

How about not letting them get programmed in the first place?

[jazusamo]

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[Mygirlsmom]

Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that students are being indoctrinated with the correct conclusions on current issues, that would still be irrelevant educationally. Hearing only one side does nothing to equip students with the experience to know how to sort out opposing sides of other issues they will have to confront in the future, after they have left school and need to reach their own conclusions on the issues arising later.

This would assume that the goal of education is to produce rational, thinking adults instead of mind-numbed sheeple.

[TAdams8591]

Good points. I hope Dr. Sowell writes a piece on tonight's Obama press conference. Obama got so many of the facts of history incorrect, including the real truth about what caused the Great Depression (which Dr. Sowell wrote about just recently), that I would greatly appreciate Thomas Sowell’s comments.

[GeronL]

we need to de-leftist our schools and colleges

[jazusamo]

I hope he does and suspect he will, wouldn’t surprise me to see it this week.

[jazusamo]

Do we ever need to and it’ll be a monumental task.

[Tomato lover]

"How about not letting them get programmed in the first place?"

By way of Home Schooling I suppose?

How is that going to help protect us from the masses who are not Home Schooled? Should we go live on a mountain top?

The outlook is very, very grim.

[John Leland 1789]

Thank you Dr. Sowell’s article. Always refreshing to read him. I hope many will go to his list of recommended books at his web site.

When we began home schooling in 1982, we enrolled in the Conservative Book Club for supplemental material. We were sent a copy of a book on economics by Thomas Sowell, a book we could have returned without being charged — it was obviously above the heads of our children at the time. But we kept it, and my wife and I read it. It was our first exposure to Dr. Sowell.

Over time we had built a small collection of his books, and also kept every issue of Imprimus (Hillsdale College) that had anything written by Dr. Sowell.

By age 12, our eldest son was reading Dr. Sowell’s books and comprehending them. So we developed some question/answer sheets and tests for our children, so that they could use the books effectively.

Our eldest son is a trained linguist today, speaking Chinese and Mongolian as well as English. He has occasionally referred to Dr. Sowell’s books in conversation with us. He still remembers what he learned growing up. Obviously, he is a conservative.

[Seven plus One]

This would assume that the goal of education is to produce rational, thinking adults instead of mind-numbed sheeple.

That assumption would be valid.

[GeronL]

if O ignites a civil war, the leftist education system will crumble as will the leftist media

[bboop]

Yup, good idea. We homeschooled. It wasn’t the perfect program in many ways but our son is a straight-thinking conservative and he rolls his eyes at the liberal Professors who try to addle his brain, brings home the funniest stories.

[ketsu]

This whole problem could be solved much more easily if students were taught critical thinking in the classroom. Logic, argumentation, fallacies etc...

Never happen. Students who can think won't sit still in the classroom.

[M-cubed]

WOW!!!......Thank You Dr Sowell!.....U just saved me a ton of work....Ive been trying to put together that “library” that none will read!

this column is going out tonight to my kids...

[jazusamo]

Thanks for your post, that’s outstanding. I print many of Dr. Sowell’s columns and give them to my daughter who home schools hers. The oldest is in high school and has learned from him on many subjects.

[jazusamo]

Good point and it’s a possibility.

[spikeytx86]

Folks can always get together and form their own private school with the focus on education not indoctrination.

[originalbuckeye]

Sad we can’t get Dr.Sowell to run for office. I’d love to see it! I suspect he’s way too intelligent to be in politics.

[Grampa Dave]

If you are lucky, it will only take a couple of decades to deprogram them.

The smart kids don’t fall for the liberal bs from faux professors. The others may be hooked for life.

Based on what we have seen with our younger relatives and sons and daughter of friends, if the brainwashed ones recover, they are often 40 something.