The Politics of a High School Education

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | November 18, 2002 | Steve Miller

[fporretto]

I applaud Mr. Miller's courage, but I'd prefer to have him agitating for the exclusion of political screeds, and the speakers who make them, from his school, rather than for "balance." His parents are paying to have him educated, not fought over by competing political camps. Every time the school substitutes exhortation for education, whether the subject is some special single issue or the broadest sweep of opposed ideologies, it's committing an act of fraud.

Ironically, the proliferation of such frauds is largely responsible for the explosion of school spending. What eles would we have expected from encouraging partisans and special-interests to believe that, if they just try hard enough, they can get their claws into the till?

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

[Pookie Me]

Wow. What a good read. But someone is up bright and early, in order to support the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy..

Congrats on getting the speaker, best of luck in your future fight with the commie establishment.

Pookie & ME

[Auntie Mame]

I had no idea this was going on. Kudos to this student for not dropping the ball and for such a great article. And shame on the school. If their brainwashing was so good, what's the problem with having Horowitz speak? Interesting they're more afraid of Horowitz than Larry Elder. I had no idea Mr. Horowitz was so dangerous to their agenda.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[Phaedrus]

Truth and Eloquence Bump ...

[fone]

A high school senior wrote this? There is hope.

[weikel]

My Middle school was commie( leftist indoctrination, mindless busywork, run like the worst kind of prison) my high school was thankfully not( and after 9/11 was certainly not because a few people had parents who died).

[PatrioticAmerican]

Seems like we have a future candidate for office in Stephen Miller.

[YourAdHere]

Man, I'd love to have seen the mood in the teacher's lounge the morning of November 6th. Brings a smile to my face just thinking of it!

[A_perfect_lady]

Poor kid. If he thinks High School is bad, wait till he goes to college.

[What Is Ain't]

It's heartening to know we have such bright and determined young people in our high schools carrying the banner for freedom. This young man's parents deserve our thanks.

[BJungNan]

I applaud Mr. Miller's courage, but I'd prefer to have him agitating for the exclusion of political screeds, and the speakers who make them, from his school, rather than for "balance." His parents are paying to have him educated, not fought over by competing political camps.

Exactly! The schools should not be the political recruiting ground for any ideology. Perhaps in Mr. Miller's defense (and what a great kid he is, way to go!), the first step is to create a climate where alternative views, such as ours, will be tolerated.

[CapedCrusader]

'Taint right. IMO: all school curricula and policies should be presented to the local community for vote. If a left-leaning paradigm wins, so be it. Likewise a right-leaning paradigm. And democracy wins. Like it always should.

[bumba_rasclot]

"There is no exodus of people fleeing America because it is oppressive or racist."

As a matter of fact, black, brown, and yellow people are willing to risk their lives in an effort to partake of our wonder freedom and opportunity.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

I'd prefer to have him agitating for the exclusion of political screeds, and the speakers who make them, from his school, rather than for "balance."

Schooling is really the tranmitting of tradition to the younger generation. American tradition is freedom. That means that American tradition is to be a dynamic, innovative culture which not only adopts useful non-English words into the American language, it adopts new scientific findings.

As a practical matter the dynamism of our culture blurs the distinction between tradition and fadishness. The problem is encapsulated in the old medical-school commencement quote, "Half of what we have taught you is wrong. Your job is to figure out which half."

So I guess I don't see how your prescription can be filled.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

all school curricula and policies should be presented to the local community for vote. If a left-leaning paradigm wins, so be it. Likewise a right-leaning paradigm. And democracy wins. Like it always should.

So the culture of our children should pivot on a couple of votes in a school board election? Maybe we don't need a one-size-fits-none soviet school system in the first place.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

wait till he goes to college.

Wonder what college will accept him? And how the others will justify passing on such an obviously motivated and articulate student?