3.04.2008

This is Ridiculous

In the grand scheme of things this little pet project of mine called "equality" isn't the biggest political news item this year, in fact it hasn't even been the hottest hot button issue in some time. That fact not withstanding, there is still the ability for certain political and social positions to get under my skin, and irritate me to no end, so, I rant. This is a fair waring, this is a rant of the first order...

Today, much to my dismay at reading something so propagandist and spiteful before consuming my first cup of coffee, I came across an op-ed piece by Cal Thomas; there are two versions which you can read here and here.

Oh, the horror of teaching humanist based lessons in our schools! Thomas bats around the term humanist as if it's a dirty word, right alongside the word liberal.

"The government schools want to shape a child's mind in ways that reflect a mostly liberal, humanistic worldview."


For those of you who may not be sure (although I doubt Mr Thomas is actually reading this, but who knows, the group he is promoting might be) "humanist" means

1. a person having a strong interest in or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity.
2. a person devoted to or versed in the humanities.
3. a student of human nature or affairs.
4. a classical scholar.


Yes, this is something we should outright ban in schools! The blasphemy of teaching such horrifically immoral ethics! Oh, wait, isn't that what Jesus taught? Perhaps this brand of Christian missed that lesson.

And all of this, in part, to the amendment to Senate bill 777, the anti-discrimination bill that states people, adults, children, students, or employees can not be discriminated against because of race, gender, creed, disability etc.. It was amended to add "sexual orientation". What an abomination! Who wants to see all of this equality and tolerance crap in our schools anyway? Lets abolish this bill altogether and get back to the business of education, complete with discrimination against multiple groups of people, and while we're at it, lets bring back corporal punishment.

In all seriousness though, the bill Cal Thomas and friends are crowing about simply states this:

SB 777, as amended, Kuehl. Discrimination.
(1) Existing law states that it is the policy of the state to
afford equal rights and opportunities to all persons in the public or
private elementary and secondary schools and postsecondary
educational institutions of the state regardless of their sex, ethnic
group identification, race, national origin, religion, or mental or
physical disability and prohibits a person from being subjected to
discrimination on those bases and contains various provisions to
implement that policy.
Existing law prohibits a teacher from giving instruction, and a
school district from sponsoring any activity, that reflects adversely
upon persons because of their race, sex, color, creed, handicap,
national origin, or ancestry.
Existing law prohibits the State Board of Education and the
governing board of a school district from adopting for use in the
public schools any instructional materials that reflect adversely
upon persons because of their race, sex, color, creed, handicap,
national origin, or ancestry.
This bill would revise the list of prohibited bases of
discrimination and the kinds of prohibited instruction, activities,
and instructional materials and instead, would refer to disability,
gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation,
or any other characteristic contained in the definition of hate
crimes that is contained in the Penal Code. The bill would define
disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, and
sexual orientation for this purpose.


Oh, well since the government put it that way, perhaps we should all leave the public school systems, we can't have our children learn properly when these gosh darned homos aren't being discriminated against!

The real problem with this whole issue is that, I partially agree with this group Exodus Mandate Project with regards to the quality of our public school systems. Of course, my problem has nothing to do with "humanist world views" but rather a lack of solid foundations, poor teachers, and revisionist history being fed to our children. Oh, but they take issue with what is being taught as well:

The government schools want to shape a child's mind in ways that reflect a mostly liberal, humanistic worldview. This has implications for a child's understanding of economics, foreign policy, American history and the size and purpose of government, in addition to what once were known as “traditional values.” It is about reflecting the worldview of the teachers unions, who are in the pocket of the Demo-cratic Party. In other words, the Left uses public schools to produce the next generation of Democrats.


Ah yes, there it is, that's the rub. If our school systems begin to teach about homosexuality that will lead to lessons about economy, globalization, foreign policy, perhaps we will see the overthrow of revisionist history, the purpose and track record of a poorly functioning government...no, we can't have our children learn our dirty little secrets, no sir. That would make them Democrats, and to be a humanist Democrat in a democracy is certainly treason!

Of course, we all know this is pure ridiculousness. The slippery slope argument using homosexuals, and/or the devaluing of "traditional values" as a way of indoctrinating our youth into the constraints of the conservative Big Business "do as I say or my God will smite thee" American caste system.

It is pure propaganda, and yet it still annoyed me to no end. It also, for the record, reinforced my opinion that neo-cons and the Conservative Christian Reich Right has absolutely no plans for peace, no plans for improvement, and positively no intention of making this world one of equality, and tolerance.

Their words and actions have betrayed them once again. What is sad to me, however, is that it is the upcoming group of children who will pay for their ignorant indignations of what is and isn't properly righteous, not us.

8 comments:

Dave Dubya said...

Anok, as I am fond of ranting on the Republican War on Education, I hear you loud and clear.

The Reich hates public education because, of course, they can't tolerate any point of view other than their own. And their view has little to do with reality and everything to do with promoting conformist thought and behavior. Theirs is a holy war on truth and independent thinking.

The reason we can't eliminate the Taliban in Afghanistan is because we have our own Taliban in Washington. Religion-fueled conflict is the perfect formula for permanent war. And that is just what the enemies of reason and compassion want. The Bushies, bin Ladens, and Taliban mullahs are all cut from the same fabric of intolerant belligerence.

Anonymous said...

Everytime I read this sort of nonsense I think what would those Christians do to Jesus Christ if he walked amongst us today. Would he be stuck on the cross all over again because his humanist views disagree with right thinking Christians?

jmsjoin said...

I get very confused not by a subject but by the way some want to interpret it to fit their own agenda. My only agenda is truth and honesty!
You may have noticed I am totally unbiased. If I remember correctly and I do, we were founded by those seeking Religious freedom. The Revolution was instigated by those holy rollers wanting to get away from the Godless Brits.
They were called Holy Rollers by the way because there was a group that would go into a trance and fall down in convulsions. this was spreading around the Colonies.
Those people were the foundation of our society and were considered Liberal as everyone was accepted and able to do as they would and do the best for society.
I am not Religious as taught but I am Religious in that being a Humanist which I am innately is the foundation of any Religion. I don't understand how either is a construed as a dirty word.
It is not what you do. It is how you do it. People today as Bush does, have to create division and hate so they can follow their own biased agenda.

Anonymous said...

I'm all for equality and don't disagree with anything you've written. I think what scares a lot of folks is when they see things like the California bill (the exact bill # escapes me) that the "governator" had to veto that would've removed terms like "mom and dad" from textbooks. That's where I draw the line, but clearly that's not the issue you are describing.

I see nothing wrong with a humanist standpoint. I do think that objectivity has to be taught as well though. In other words, I think it's perfectly fine for us to look at cultures that won't allow women to partiicpate in political processes and muse that our culture is "better" (or perhaps more rightly put, 'more progressive") rather than just stating it is somehow "equal" to our own. I think that's fair.

I'm right with you on the darn revisionist history stuff though. Nothing makes my stomach turn faster.

Unknown said...

Well yes, people are reacting against the capitalist elite's attack on the family.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry for the most part I'm a community service girl. Interesting points though. I really think you'd like a book called "Lies My Teacher Told." Don't remember the author something Lowen.

Anok said...

Thanks for all the comments guys and gals!

Dave Dubya, Jim - as always we agree.

Carl, yes! I'm pretty sure that if Jesus walked into a church they would nail him to the wall (no pun intended, honest!).

Kdawg - that bill you're talking about is a rouse/rumor that actually, the leader of the out of public school program is spreading around....why would the terms Mommy and Daddy be removed from texts and schools because of anti-discrimination laws? The kids would still have Mommies and Daddies - they would just have Mommies and mommies, or Daddies and Daddies or Mommies and Daddies or Mommies, Daddies, and step- parents whatever you get the idea.

I'm not arguing, just sayin' because that type of hype is what crawled right up my nose in eh first place about this article and this group!

Daniel Heh ;)

Shirely, thanks for stopping in! I'll check that book out.

PoliShifter said...

Where are we going to get all the badly needed future soldiers to go around the world killing brown people so we can steal their oil if we teach our kids how to be all human and other liberal crap like that?

So I guess the bigger message Cal is trying ot get across is humanity bad, killing good
peace bad, war good

Thanks Cal!