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What is a "values-neutral" education? When the issue of school vouchers is discussed, some people claim that they do not want "public money to fund the teaching other people's values which they do not support," i.e. G-d, religion, etc. They only want public funds to support a "value-neutral" education. Does such a beast actually exist? Let's take a look at a school in my hometown. Here is an actual writing assignment given to sixth graders at the Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Teaneck, NJ on October 6, 1999.
You can see a copy of the actual assignment at http://www.sharonhes.com/images/infanticide-tn.gif.
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The discussion of the topic is for Senior Ethics at a Jesuit college. Not sixth grade. Some teacher is badly out of line, and probably shouldn't be teaching grade school (yes, 1-8 not 1-6) at all.
God help us all if this is what they're teaching children today.
Good luck. I hope you get elected.
As we see how far to the extremes the radicals of the 60s went to when they were raised with moral teachings and the ideals that were the public school policies of the 50s, we can only fear what children taught by teachers such as this one will be like when they are in college.
Unless, they have all become robots with the chip emplants some "intellectuals" have hypothesized.
"God help us all if this is what they're teaching children today.
"
God help us all if you are just realizing that this is what they've been teaching children for many years.
Your hostility is uncalled for. How about targeting those that support teaching such garbage instead.
And how did the disabled child in the room respond?
I'm sorry to say that, while there are some good Jesuits still left, most of the order went off the rails back in the sixties, and they have never recovered their original purpose. They are disloyal to the Pope, they dissent from orthodox Catholic teaching on many issues, and they are gradually shriveling away as a result. The order is only half the size it was since this began to happen, and the situation continues to degenerate.
Similarly, Jesuit colleges are not all bad, because there is a certain moral momentum. But at places like Georgetown, you are likely to find as many pro-abort faculty as pro-life, and that's probably too kind an estimate.
You can still get a good education at Georgetown, but it is just as likely to be as morally and spiritually warped as it would be if you went to Harvard or Princeton.
One more time. Parents don't run the government schools they pay for with their taxes. Unions, liberals and the Democrat party have taken over the schools and are now indoctrinating the next generations with a bunch of socialist values neutral nonsense.
"Your hostility is uncalled for. How about targeting those that support teaching such garbage instead"
Sorry. No hostility intended. Merely an observation.
I have, in fact, been targeting "those that support such garbage" for many years. In fact, since 1972 when the socialist ideology began to raise it's head in a flagrant fashion in the formerly "local" schools. Since that time, the federal statists have taken complete control of the local school systems through bribery, threats (loss of funding), and infestation of the once proud teaching profession with the marxist moronic scum that constitutes the greatest percentage today.
It is the sheeple who have lived in blind self-denial or simple ignorance for the many years that this disease has run rampant who must carry the ultimate responsibility for the current state of affairs.
Is there any hope? Sure! But the avalanche of tyranny, in a large part supported by the successfull products (perfect sheeple) of these government schools, will require many years to either slow or reverse.
Is there enough time left? I doubt it. It will take as many generations of control to slow and reverse the trend as it took the marxists to establish it. However, they had the advantage of operating within the framework of freedoms and liberties that no longer exist.
God help us all if this is what they're teaching children today.
I hope the teacher never complains of a cold. The might make a "quality of life" decision for her just to get out of having to do homework over the weekend.
Here's a good one from The Tennesean:
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Should have mentioned up front that the picture is of a 21-week old fetus suffering from spina bifida (one of the god Prof. Singer's examples for justifiable infanticide). Just a little reminder that even a 21-week fetus is a baby, and that spina bifida doesn't change the fact.
Samuel Armas' tiny hand reaches out of the womb to grip Dr. Joseph P. Bruner's finger.
In the ultimate irony, I'm told that Bruner also performs abortions.
No, I have no idea how he lives with himself.
B.K. Eakman's The Cloning of the American Mind: Eradicating Moralilty through Education is an excellent resource for those of you interested in educational issues.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Here's a link for The
Cloning of the American Mind for those of you interested.
Thanks for clearing that up. You do make some valid points.
Having taught 6th and 7th graders myself, I would have to say that this assignment is probably beyond the analytical skills of that age group. This would be much more appropriate for an older audience, perhaps high school juniors and seniors.
However, I do not have a problem with a teacher introducing controversial topics in a classroom if they are both relevant to the subject at hand an appropriate for the maturity level of a particular class. It is important for children to learn to make effective arguments for positions and views that they support. Isn’t that what contributors to this bulletin board do every day? The ability to make and defend a position is essential in almost every position that involves management or in any situation where one is trying to influence the choices of others.
I believe that this teacher was attempting to help students develop this skill. Perhaps the instructor attempted to add relevance to the lesson by drawing on a controversial issue of the day. I would certainly be distressed if the teacher advocated the ideas of Prof. Singer in class. I would especially be disturbed if a teacher used their position of authority to impose or influence the views of students, but there is simply no evidence here that the teacher attempted to either of these things.
It is unreasonable to assume that the teacher in this instance was attempting to influence the students without further evidence. It is foolish to insist that schools do not teach children how to defend their beliefs and positions. People who cannot defend their beliefs shortly find them changed to the views of people who can.
It seems that we are sinking in quicksand. So many of us have tried so hard to stop all this from happening. I feel we are nearly finnished. Very depressing.
I am the author of this article. I concur with the need of children to develop analytical skills. My primary point is that the assignment was not appropriate to the age and ethical circumstances of the students. The fact that we on FR discuss difficult subjects as adults is not appropos.
There are many ideas and pictures that we regard as acceptable for adults to be involved in while we try to protect children from premature exposure to them. I would put the ideas of "utilitarian ethics" and infanticide in the same category as pornography or extreme violence. Early exposure to these items tends to desensitize people.
You've really got your work cut out for you in NJ....(:-)
Good luck on you political aspirations.
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