Plan targets anti-Western lessons

[Heracles 417]

SB 1108 states, "A primary purpose of public education is to inculcate values of American citizenship. Public tax dollars used in public schools should not be used to denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization."

My point exactly..

[HAL 9000 96]

so, according to these congressmen, western civilization is flawless? that's why is pointless to talk smack about it and criticize it? or does this also damages the troops morale?

what's next, teaching Toby Keith's 'Courtesy of the Red White and Blue' song in elementary school??

patriotism over education. BS

Kind of unrelated, but check out the movie "Idiocracy"... quite an exaggerated foretelling of things to come if we keep letting idiots run the educational system of this country.

Arizona public schools would be barred from any teachings considered counter to democracy or Western civilization under a proposal endorsed Wednesday by a legislative panel.

Yes how terrible of them. Must be a sad day for liberal Americans that someone does not want filth taught in their state. I am sure the repeated noble prize winning organization, the ACLU, will be on to this...

The good thing downunder is that this is a given, common sense, and does not need to be legislated.

so, according to these congressmen, western civilization is flawless? that's why is pointless to talk smack about it and criticize it? or does this also damages the troops morale?

what's next, teaching Toby Keith's 'Courtesy of the Red White and Blue' song in elementary school??

patriotism over education. BS

Nothing to do with that. It is clearly targeting schools which allow anti-western professors to teach rubbish in schools. There is no place for that.

rubbish, I agree.. but a rational discourse, or criticism.. would that reform also ban that?

Lets remind ourselves of the pettiness of what scholarly curricula gets imposed upon by the less-than brained whenever a political agenda is pushed.

[Heracles 417]

rubbish, I agree.. but a rational discourse, or criticism.. would that reform also ban that?

If someone does not like the west they should living be in the west. That is what freedom is all about.

Tax payer's money should only be used on what is in the interest of the tax payer. And definitely not on some wacko professors view of the west.

Here is a great example of what should not be permitted. He is a professor.

[HAL 9000 96]

rubbish, I agree.. but a rational discourse, or criticism.. would that reform also ban that?

If someone does not like the west they should living be in the west. That is what freedom is all about.

Tax payer's money should only be used on what is in the interest of the tax payer. And definitely not on some wacko professors view of the west.

Here is a great example of what should not be permitted. He is a professor.

Taught as an elective where the student chooses to take a class?

What about the views that teach that anything that is not a Right Wing point of view is not only incorrect, but morally reprehensible? Should teaching such un-American views be banned as well?

[Heracles 417]

Taught as an elective where the student chooses to take a class?

What about the views that teach that anything that is not a Right Wing point of view is not only incorrect, but morally reprehensible? Should teaching such un-American views be banned as well?

Most colleges in the US are pro left anyway.

This is not about inhibiting different views but about removing the weed where someone can currently teach hatred towards our way of life in our classrooms. Teach whatever you want in private but not in public schools or when using tax payer funded student loans.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That would sure make political science classes a bit less interesting.

I don't think we need that sort of dumbing down.

[Heracles 417]

That would sure make political science classes a bit less interesting.

I don't think we need that sort of dumbing down.

Discussing is one thing. Allowing someone to teach hatred, in our schools, is another.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That would sure make political science classes a bit less interesting.

I don't think we need that sort of dumbing down.

Discussing is one thing. Allowing someone to teach hatred, in our schools, is another.

The obvious question is how does this legislation differentiate discussion from "hatred" or "seditious thinking".

These bills are always a blunt instrument - they never bloody work and end up being either totally unenforceable or cause more problems than they solve.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I started a poll, the text contains a definition of sedition passed by Congress in 1918 -

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=122673

[Heracles 417]

That would sure make political science classes a bit less interesting.

I don't think we need that sort of dumbing down.

Discussing is one thing. Allowing someone to teach hatred, in our schools, is another.

The obvious question is how does this legislation differentiate discussion from "hatred" or "seditious thinking".

These bills are always a blunt instrument - they never bloody work and end up being either totally unenforceable or cause more problems than they solve.

Even in terms of discussion there is a fine line. Tax payer money should never be used to pay for some wanker professors anti-west / anti-democracy views. They can teach whatever they like in private but not at our expense.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That would sure make political science classes a bit less interesting.

I don't think we need that sort of dumbing down.

Discussing is one thing. Allowing someone to teach hatred, in our schools, is another.

The obvious question is how does this legislation differentiate discussion from "hatred" or "seditious thinking".

These bills are always a blunt instrument - they never bloody work and end up being either totally unenforceable or cause more problems than they solve.

Even in terms of discussion there is a fine line. Tax payer money should never be used to pay for some wanker professors anti-west / anti-democracy views. They can teach whatever they like in private but not at our expense.

Someone has to assess individual courses to make that determination. You don't think that's just a bit of a headache...?

[Heracles 417]

Someone has to assess individual courses to make that determination. You don't think that's just a bit of a headache...?

That is the schools responsibility. Obviously this law applies to extreme cases. Therefore there should not be much to administer or check. They can easily give the lecturers a code of ethics to follow. I know they do so in universities in AUS.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The irony here is that for all those people (alleged conservatives) who complain about political correctness pervading every aspect of daily life - this is one of the biggest examples of PC thinking going.

Can you imagine the lawsuits that will spring up from this - when some fundamentalist christian or neoconservative student gets offended by the content of the curriculum.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Tax payer money should never be used to pay for some wanker professors anti-west / anti-democracy views. They can teach whatever they like in private but not at our expense.

Of course it doesn't need to be pointed out that the right to Freedom of speech is a public value.

I'm not lawyer - but denying someone public funding because you disagree with the content of a particular course - I have a hard time seeing how that is not both unconstitional and discriminatory.

[HAL 9000 96]

Taught as an elective where the student chooses to take a class?

What about the views that teach that anything that is not a Right Wing point of view is not only incorrect, but morally reprehensible? Should teaching such un-American views be banned as well?

Most colleges in the US are pro left anyway.

This is not about inhibiting different views but about removing the weed where someone can currently teach hatred towards our way of life in our classrooms. Teach whatever you want in private but not in public schools or when using tax payer funded student loans.

Most colleges in the US are what?

What hatred is so predominant? Really, BY... give it a break already. I think that college students, for the most part, are not as impressionable as those that seek to limit education by imposing a curriculum by way of supporting ideals that are frankly against the very foundation of what it means to be a free thinking, pro-democratic individual. Doing anything contrary would be supportive of totalitarianism in foundations of educational philosophy and also gets plenty of laughs from even Right Wing educators, be they as you imply, in such a minority position.

Not going to fly. Thought and choice are not mandated nor should their availability. Plus the entire issue of controlling what themes are available to students is even more Orwellian than even what the totalitarians in education are comfortable with, save a few nutjobs in favor of controlling what we are allowed to see and experience for ourselves.

True, common sense is needed. Hence common sense is sought after in actually exposing oneself to the entire shebang of American higher education from social foundations on through educational policy.