Posted on 02/09/2009 9:05:13 PM PST by jazusamo
Letters from parents often complain of a sense of futility in trying to argue with their own children, who have been fed a steady diet of the politically correct vision of the world, from elementary school to the university.
Some ask for suggestions of particular books that might make a dent in the know-it-all attitude of some young people who have heard only one side of the story in classrooms all their lives.
That is one way of going about trying to de-program young people. There are, for example, some good books showing what is wrong with the "global warming" crusades or showing why male-female differences in income or occupations are not automatically discrimination.
Various authors have written a lot of good books that demolish what is currently believed-- and taught to students-- on a wide range of issues. Some of those books are listed as suggested readings on my website (www.tsowell.com).
Yet trying to undo the propaganda that passes for education at too many schools and colleges, one issue at a time, may not always be the best strategy. There are too many issues on which the politically correct party line is considered to be the only way to look at things.
Given the wide range of issues on which students are indoctrinated, instead of being educated, trying to undo all of that would require a whole shelf full of books-- and somehow getting the students to read them all.
Another approach might be to respond to the dogmatic certainty of some young person, perhaps your own offspring, by asking: "Have you ever read a single book on the other side of that issue?"
Chances are, after years of being "educated," even at some of the highest-priced schools and colleges, they have not.
When the inevitable answer to your question is "No," you can simply point out how illogical it is to be so certain about anything when you have heard only one side of the story-- no matter how often you have heard that one side repeated.
Would it make sense for a jury to reach a verdict after having heard only the prosecution's case, or only the defense attorney's case, but not both?
There is no need to argue the specifics of the particular issue that has come up. You can tell your overconfident young student that you will be happy to discuss that particular issue after he or she has taken the elementary step of reading something by somebody on the other side.
Elementary as it may seem that we should hear both sides of an issue before making up our minds, that is seldom what happens on politically correct issues today in our schools and colleges. The biggest argument of the left is that there is no argument-- whether the issue is global warming, "open space" laws or whatever.
Some students may even imagine that they have already heard the other side because their teachers may have given them their version of other people's arguments or motives.
But a jury would never be impressed by having the prosecution tell them what the defendant's defense is. They would want to hear the defense attorney present that case.
Yet most students who have read and heard repeatedly about the catastrophes awaiting us unless we try to stop "global warming" have never read a book, an article or even a single word by any of the hundreds of climate scientists, in countries around the world, who have expressed opposition to that view.
These students may have been shown Al Gore's movie "An Inconvenient Truth" in school, but are very unlikely to have been shown the British Channel 4 television special, "The Great Global Warming Swindle."
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.
Yet they are the jury that will ultimately decide the fate of this nation.
Read the book. Summarize each chapter in your own words before you go on and read the next chapter.
The indoctrination centers have convinced us that we need professionals to interpret the author’s words.
I sent you a FReepmail. My computer’s acting funny, or I’d look up more info for you.
Thanks.
Prov 25:11-12
A word aptly spoken
is like apples of gold in settings of silver.
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.
Looks great. Curriculum is targeted for 16 yrs and older, it appears, but they provide exceptions with instructor permission.
Worldview books I recommend for everyone - David Noebbel’s “Understanding the Times” and “Thinking Like a Christian”. You’ll see the world differently, and be more discerning about the messages you see around you.
He teaches them at different levels. I think the Logic and Rhetoric class was for 12-14 and the Economics class for 15-16.
You are more like us than I thought. We have seven. Our youngest is 7. Oldest is 31. All of them would rather be home with us than any place else on earth. God gave us great kids, too. I don’t mind sying so myself. Two are married and we have five grandchildren thus far. I think like yours, they are lovers of books and were reading very young. God is GOOD!
Our oldest will turn 18 in March, and the 9th is due in early June. No grandchildren yet, although, as I was saying on another thread, people will probably think the new brother is Anoreth’s son instead of mine, because of my gray hair! Except for the two youngest (5 and 3), they all read “Human Events,” “America’s First Freedom,” and three different car magazines. We have several reptiles and a few space aliens (or so I’m told). What could be more fun than this?
WONDERFUL! Ninth on the way. Congratulations. Our eldest son married a gal from a family of 8 children.
Some reading this wonder what all this has to do with this thread. I say EVERYTHING, because your family and ours are examples of ANTI-indoctrination, and ANTI-political correctness.
We have two grandchildren older than our youngest daughter, and let me tell you that that can be a whole lot of fun in public! We have one granddaughter who is almost a twin of our own 7 year-old, and most people really do NOT believe me when I tell them that one is my daughter and one is my granddaughter, and ask them to guess which is which.
So, you are in for some good fun, too.
Get your kids out of Public school Ping
.
Plese FReepmail me if you would like to be added or removed from this low volume CONSERVATIE Digg ping list!
Exactly! We don't have to "deprogram," because the children were never programmed ... and believe me, I tried! Children who breed reptiles and talk to space aliens in Greek were not what I planned on ;-).
I know several families with grandchildren older than their own children. Maybe we will - I'm only 42!
dugg
Dugg.
No thanks to me, I thank Thomas Sowell every time I read a new column of his. :)
Thanks for the link, jan. :)
I don't doubt that Dr. Sowell included the same information in a book and probably in several of his books. I have been reading his articles since and including college. The book to which you refer would have been just after my university studies. I'll have to look it up. BTW, according to Obama in his press conference yesterday, he thought the controversy over FDR's handling of the economy during the depression, has been resolved, and in favor of the actions FDR's administration took. Don't Liberals always think all controversies have been resolved in favor of their opinion?
He just released a book, "Applied Economics," and made the talk show circuit promoting it, which I have just begun to read. However it is a follow up to his book, "Basic Economics."
Such a wonderful and endearing testament, Alia!! And you well prepared them to interject and defend their beliefs in a univerity setting. Did they?
That’s when you buy a sailboat and take the kids on a port-to-port voyage that just happens to last their entire pre-secondary education. Nice if you have the means.
True. But, it might take a civil war to do it.
might be worth it
“I think the left has that covered. They call in social services and claim abuse. Or they pass rules and regulations to hinder home schooling.”
True, those would be the weapons they would use. However, the hippies like to home school, too, and the home schooling environment just keeps getting more and more favorable. At least in the U.S.
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