Brits March to History We Stumble

New York Daily News ^ | 4/9/02 | E, R, Shipp

[areafiftyone]

This columnist seems to like pomp and ceremony. When Cardinal O'Connell died she was fascinated by the ceremony of the Roman Catholic Church. She is right about students not knowing about American history. American Students fail miserably when it comes to their own history.

[Ratatoskr]

She compares a state funeral to Leno's monologue and decides we come up short in the gravitas department? Uh-huh.

[lawdude]

" I used to laugh at the segment, but now it's just painful — a display for all the world to see just how dumb we are in what is supposed to be the greatest nation on Earth. "

Please understand the people Leno talks to are New Yorkers. I used to live in upstate (Rochester) and found the locals, as a group, to be totally ignorant of anything outside of their own little worlds.

For example, my neighbor, a college educated lady of about 30, was convinced that New York had mountains higher than those in Arizona. She firmly believed that Arizona was a land of scalping, rampaging indians and sand dunes!

Hers was not an isolated view and I was amazed at how ignorant of the world the people were.

Sorry New Yawkas, but that's what I saw.

[Clemenza]

I agree about that it is disgusting that the US has no sense of its history, but this slavish admiration of a bunch of millionaires without jobs (those inbreds in the "royal" family) has got to stop in this country. The USA wisely decided to throw out the House of Hanover/Windsor in 1776, yet we still have idiots in this country who devote attention to those horse-faced leeches.

[Clemenza]

Please understand the people Leno talks to are New Yorkers. I used to live in upstate (Rochester) and found the locals, as a group, to be totally ignorant of anything outside of their own little worlds.

Yeah, and people where I grew up on Lawn Guyland believed that all southerners were ignorant racist yokels. Yet these same Long Islanders would collectively freak out if a black person moved on their block and thought all Latin Americans were "Spanish" and ate Tacos.

[Cincinatus]

but this slavish admiration of a bunch of millionaires without jobs (those inbreds in the "royal" family) has got to stop in this country. The USA wisely decided to throw out the House of Hanover/Windsor in 1776, yet we still have idiots in this country who devote attention to those horse-faced leeches.

Yes, we replaced true royalty for the faux royalty of showbiz celebrity. Some trade.

[LenS]

Oops, you just qualified for Jaywalking! *g*

Leno is based in Burbank, California. He does most of his interviews with people in the Los Angeles area, not NYC. NYC is where Letterman is based.

[ppaul]

Yes, we replaced true royalty for the faux royalty of showbiz celebrity.

Actually, we do have royalty:
Government employees. Senators & Congressmen.
They enjoy perks and privileges our founding fathers never dreamed of.

[Constitution Day]

The USA wisely decided to throw out the House of Hanover/Windsor in 1776, yet we still have idiots in this country who devote attention to those horse-faced leeches.

Well said!
As someone who has an ancestor who fought in the Revolution, I find the American Anglophiles' monarchy cult quite abhorrent.

[MarkWar]

>She compares a state funeral to Leno's monologue and decides we come up short in the gravitas department?

Now that the Queen Mum is dead, does that mean Michael can finally kill Fredo?

Mark W.

[aimlow]

Last time I checked we were number 1 with everyone else looking to us. So those who are just going to college for the "experience" will soon be working for those that are attending for the education. Thought that was how it was supposed to work.

[Wm Bach]

Actually, we do have royalty:

Nah, basically just the three royal lines. The House of Bush (ascending), The House of Kennedy (waning), The House of Rockefeller (necrotic).

[KansasConservative1]

"In this country, we are too busy — and too lazy — to be bothered much with current events, let alone history."

No, we are too busy distorting our history, perverting our heros and founding fathers and basically undermining our historical foundations.

[MrFree]

I just wish they'd bury the old girl already. How much pomp and circumstance can you take?

[lawdude]

"Leno is based in Burbank, California. He does most of his interviews with people in the Los Angeles area, not NYC. NYC is where Letterman is based."

My bad. Hmmm. Shows how much I know about Leno/Letterman. I always thought la-la-landers were a tad more worldly than that. He must search out droolers then!

Appears I would qualify for the next session!

[Eva]

One of the communist goals, as stated in the congressional record of 1963, was to lighten the school curriculum, particularly regarding American History, and to emphasize the accomplishments of communist nations.

-Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations.
- Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture."
-Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of the teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

[glockmeister40]

We may be a bunch of ignorant rednecks, but we pulled england's fat out of the fire in WWII and, to a lesser extent, in WWI. Without us, they'd be speaking german (or russian) right now.

[Utopia]

Let's face it: American's aren't well educated. At a young age, my family migrated to Australia. The state education I got there was specutacular - every day I thank my lucky stars for it. I was doing calculus at 14 (as were all my other class mates)-- no special school - just the expected level for a 14 year old. American kids today can barely do fractions at 14.

There were 2 major exams throughout a kid's school life: in both you were judged on how well you performed in the entire state. A typical question from the English paper (6 hours closed book): "Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona is nothing more than a rehash of Plautus' Manachme Twins - Discuss." Those doing WWII history, had to know German in order to read Mein Kampf in the original ... etc, etc ...

When I wen to university (classics) the prerequiste BEFORE the first class started was to have translated all of Virgil's Aeneid ...

And to this day, I still know how to derive the sin-cosine of 30 degrees, 60 degree angles from first principles...

What's the difference? American kids are just as smart as Australian just not as well educated and the reason is the PC crap in American schools and lack of discipline trains the kids not to achieve, since "we are all winners". Also, there is no shame attached to ignorance. In Australia, there is.

[Ratatoskr]

Let's face it: American's aren't well educated.

Says the person who grew up in Australia. Let me axe you: we so ignorant, how's come we do so good?

Hint: it isn't in the tools you give the average kid, it's the opportunities you give your best and brightest.

[Steve0113]

American kids are just as smart as Australian just not as well educated...

Probably ten years ago, I was at a bar in a beach resort town, and heard a young woman speaking in a charming accent which I recognized as Australian. Striking up a conversation with her, I asked where she was from. She said, "Australia." I said, "Yes, but wherein?" Very doubtfully, she said "Melbourne". I said, "Sure - I know where that is." Her jaw dropped in disbelief and she said, "You're the first American I've talked to who has even heard of it." I was mortified.