Are American Universities the "Covert Enemies" of America?

Parent Cafe
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<p>I’d still like to know what constitutes “democratic values”.</p>

<p>Are they kind of like “moral values”?</p>

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<p>

I’ll take a stab at it. Ahem…Historically, democratic values are those values espoused by puppet regimes we have propped up around the world with guns and gobs of money (Shah, Saddam, Bautista, Somoza, General Pinnochio ;)). These values are always - “just around the corner”. </p>

<p>Undemocratic values are those values espoused by popularly elected governments in Venezuela (or for the oldtimers Chile) that don’t agree with us/like us so we take them down with guns and gobs of money. </p>

<p>We like - good guys. We don’t like - bad guys. I don’t see why y’all are having a problem with this.</p>

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<p>Hanna,</p>

<p>Just so we are clear, my comment #22 was discussing professors who espouse moral equivalence and who believe America is morally inferior. I believe that does undermine us as a nation. </p>

<p>I’m interested in discussing what you describe as our nationwide ignorance and lack of skills, and why you think voters are not making educated choices.</p>

<p>Finally, in my opinion, democratic values are not exclusively American values but are a commitment to self-governance and/or representative governance, civil liberties, and the common law.</p>

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<p>Well, DRJ, I am all for commitment to civil liberty and common law. Please tell that to the big guy in the White House, the one who has ignored parts or all of around 800 laws during his tenure.</p>

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<p>I think the author might have a point. After spending some time in a university class, I began dreaming about secretly sneaking explosives onto commerical airplanes in my shoes and started watching PBS and getting my news from the BBC.</p>

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<p>

Dear ICrisis, Please ignore the clicks and whirs on your phonelines. Nothing to worry about. This is the phone company. Your good old phone company.</p>

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<p>Holy cow! Is this thread STILL going?</p>

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<p>What makes the low points in our history seem that much worse is that we have such a high set of ideals. Anyone who is really intent on tearing America down in the classroom really should teach the good stuff to make the bad stuff seem even worse.</p>

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<p>I personally found it ODD that my sons’ U.S. history textbooks (both 8th and 11th grades) did not include the information that President William Jefferson Clinton was impeached. I suppose there was not enough room in the text among the accolades. Luckily, I kept a major city newspaper which proclaimed such in my family momento chest. Since kids tend to believe what the schools proclaim more than they do their so hopelessly out-of-date parents, it has come in handy. I have learned over the years (oh so many times) not to leave the education of my children up to the schools.</p>

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<p>

Wait. Is WJC really part of your family? I bet that doesn’t sit well with you at all. Dang. :)</p>

<p>I can’t help myself. I know I shouldn’t ask but it can’t get a lot stranger than some of the posts on this thread so - why would you keep something like that? Did you think Mel Gibson’s dad would deny it happened?</p>

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<p>When I went to school, history books were at least 10 years old. That will be a challenge… describing the sexual context behind the impeachment to a young audience. Wonder if that means there’ll be a permission slip involved?</p>

<p>This does lead to an interesting question. Would Barone say that you just shouldn’t talk about just the impeachment and that you need to teach the positive stuff about Clinton as well?</p>

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<p>How much of your kids’ awards and family pictures did you have to toss out to make room for all the newspapers you would need to cover all of Clinton’s misdeeds?</p>

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<p>Not to mention it could get confusing Dadguy. “Little Johnny, here’s a picture of your dad with our prize angus. No wait, that’s Bill and Monica.”</p>

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<p>I think you missed part of Barone’s point. Those of us on the right would argue that whatever Clinton did that was positive (i.e. whatever you think it might be) should be discussed, but don’t leave out topics that obviously display him in a bad light like his perjury. He was impeached because he perjured himself. That’s pretty important. To leave it out smacks of the obvious.</p>

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<p>An example of a PC teaching that doesn’t help kids learn - in this case British kids:</p>

<p>

<a href=“http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$2EMWOQBRDBANZQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2002/11/24/ngreen24.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/11/24/ixhome.html”>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$2EMWOQBRDBANZQFIQMFSFGGAVCBQ0IV0?xml=/news/2002/11/24/ngreen24.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/11/24/ixhome.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Then the answer to my question is “yes”, I presume?</p>

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<p>LOL! You guys are right; I can see now that the location of that particular newspaper does seem very funny! By way of explanation, I just toss certain items I think have historical interest in the box (it’s sort of a large chest) because the location protects newsprint and magazines. I have a Life magazine from the '60’s when Churchill died, and of course a Time magazine about the JFK assasination (I was in ninth grade at the time). It’s not every day a U.S. President is impeached, is it? I thought it was rather important, even if our hs textbooks don’t. :slight_smile: Btw, our school district has “curriculum cycles” every three years, and textbooks are replaced at least every four years (we are not a poor district). The most egregious changes in curriculum (in my eyes) have occurred during the last six or seven years.</p>

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<p>(I’m still chuckling over that Mel Gibson’s Dad comment!) :)</p>

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<p>I myself am curious where this idea about “liberal Professors” comes from. </p>

<p>Seems very very, very very strange. I’d need to see studies and maybe some anecdotes (preferably celebrities) to back up such a bizarre comment. And what’s all this about liberals being down on America? Always being the first to criticize America, like it’s merely a broke version of Europe? I don’t buy it!</p>

<p>Where’s the evidence…the proof? Professors are just smarter than normal people and therefore appear liberal, because liberals are smarter.
-Seems clear enough.</p>

<p>I’d say the op has gone way out on a limb on this one. Don’t be a dummy!</p>

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<p>Mockery, sarcasm, intellectual smugness. FS, are you sure you’re not a member of the liberal elite?</p>