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To: Paved Paradise

“The whole point of obtaining a university degree is to expose oneself to literature, history, and the arts. It is what makes a person well rounded.”

I disagree. Why would studying Plato make me ‘well-rounded’, but working with horses not? If I went back to college full time now, in my 50s, I’d be expected to take a lot of courses in accepting gays, transvestites, and on why guns are evil and people are good. My 25 years in the military, living in various foreign countries, deployments to many more countries, combat time, etc - that would be irrelevant to being a ‘well-rounded’ person.

I read Plato when I was young. He was full of crap then, and I doubt he’s gotten any smarter in the last 30 years.

I own & have read hundreds of history books in my home. Do you think the University would care?

Art? Sorry, but I’ve toured Art Museums, and wish I had spent that time on horseback, or studying the ballistics of the 44 special vs the 45 acp.

Why does reading a play by an ancient Greek writer make one ‘well-rounded’, but getting a black belt doesn’t count? I’d bet many of the ancient Greeks would say the black belt is more valuable...


27 posted on 02/29/2012 7:08:17 AM PST by Mr Rogers ("they found themselves made strangers in their own country")
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To: Mr Rogers

RE: I read Plato when I was young. He was full of crap then, and I doubt he’s gotten any smarter in the last 30 years.

_________________________________________________

Plato can’t change anything he taught, unless he can come back to life and observe how his ideas have been sort of implemented in the real world.

He’s the guy the Commies want to emulate. The one who envisions a Republic where children are taken from their parents and molded by the elite and enlightened teachers of the state.


33 posted on 02/29/2012 7:22:51 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: Mr Rogers

You are being silly. I went back to college and graduated last year, at age 53! There were no courses on accepting gays or the evil of guns. I will assume you are speaking with some measure of hyperbole.

The truth is that the secular and Lefty beliefs are permeating the humanities, so for instance when I took my course on Middle East History, I got a huge dose of the Palestinian view and how “evil” the Jews are. The books we had to read were ALL slanted towards the Palestinians and none showed the other side.

But that doesn’t mean it’s not good to know about Michaelangelo, DaVinci, or the whole movement that came about out of the “Salon” artists. Art can move people and uplift them, as can music and great works of literature. Riding a horse might be nice as well, but you are equating completely different pleasures or pursuits.

I love the outdoors, but I love going to museums. I love to travel and the fact that I know something of history (not just this country’s) and the arts and culture enriches my life.

I don’t know you, obviously, but I can’t imagine you would mesh well in a variety of circles. And the very fact that you can’t see a difference in having a Black Belt and understanding Sophocles (or even Shakespeare) is absurd.

I’ll just leave you with one thought. I am a reader. I happen to like William Styron, who wrote “Sophie’s Choice.” At some point in his life, Styron became terribly depressed and suicidal, but he was listening to a particularly beautiful piece of music one evening (and I don’t recall the composer). He made the decision that as long as that kind of beauty existed in the world, he would choose to live and so he got help. I hardly think that watching the Kentucky Derby (or even riding a horse), much less doing karate would have impacted him that way.


45 posted on 02/29/2012 9:17:27 AM PST by Paved Paradise
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