Posted on 12/18/2017 11:40:25 AM PST by x1stcav
America’s lack of civic and cultural knowledge is an existential threat, says Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn in his introductory lecture to the college’s free online lecture series, “History 101: Western Heritage.”
“We’re living in a time as if some blight has come across the earth,” Arnn says. “Something fantastic, something deep, something old, something elevated, something high is basically being obliterated.”
He points to the constant litany of public surveys stretching back decades that keep showing large percentages of Americans cannot say when Abraham Lincoln lived, who Joseph Stalin was, or what century the Civil War took place. Pointing this out has become a sort of cottage industry of reoccurring bestsellers such as E.D. Hirsch’s 1984 “Cultural Literacy,” Neil Postman’s 1985 “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” and Allan Bloom’s 1987 “Closing of the American Mind.” Despite constant re-acknowledgement of this phenomenon, however, it not only persists but has worsened.
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
It's free.
Hey, hey
Ho, ho
Western Civ has got to go
Trying to recapture your youth?
My wife and I homeschooled our three kids through the 90s and into the 00s. They were taught Western Civ and History from the perspective of reason and truth.
You hater, you!
I have found this to be true among both young people and adults.
My gate code is 1941. When people ask what it is I tell them ‘the year Pearl Harbor was attacked’.
Fewer than 50% know.
Sad isn’t it? I remember about a decade ago, when my kids were teenagers asking my son and his friends when the Civil War took place, one guessed 1941!
bump for later
Good times and great memories.
Especially of the Great Grape Caper at the United Farm Workers Union march and occupation of the student mall
My finest moment undoubtedly was an on air TV interview where I described Jesse Jackson to some cute reporterett as a race hustler and poverty pimp and totally blew my chances for a date with her out the window
Those were the days
Bookmark
That’s me!
I have been a fan of Hillsdale for a long time. I have been getting a little concerned that Arn has missed the neocon proclivities of some of his lecturers/ contributors.
The most recent Hillsdale newsletter features Matthew Continetti, one of those contributers , who seem Neocon bent.
His publication apparently funded the Fusion debacle. In the article he makes a big deal about his fantssy that we need lots of Mexican immigrants who will ultimately assimilate and vote conservative.
Unfortunately he ignored the fact that even many of the second and third generations of Mexicans are being turned into leftist America haters by our public schools even if their parents have assimilated. They will never be conservative.
And Continetti appears to be promoting the cheap labor express. Conservative not!
Hadn’t thoguht of the UFW in years.
Back in the early ‘80s they were striking my partner’s operation and every day at lunch time they had to go a couple of hundred yards up the road from where they would picket. They’d leave their flags stuck in the ground along side the road.
I was at his office one day when they broke for lunch I never knew him to be a particularly courageous guy but that day he said ‘C’mon lets go’. I didn’t have foggiest idea what he was up to but followed him up the the entrance where they’d left their flags.
We gathered them all up, stacked them in a pile, doused them with diesel and when we saw they were coming back from their break set them on fire.
Man, were his attorneys busy with all of the ALRB filings but he didn’t give a shit.
He was just fed up.
Those, indeed, were the days.
That is impressive and commendable! If you don’t mind me asking, what were your results? What colleges did your kids attend? What are they all doing now? What are their politics in 2017?
We used public schools. Our oldest is 31 and a lib. No sign she will change. #2 and #3 are apolitical. Our youngest is a son and is very pro-American, pro-military, and pro public-safety (training to be a firefighter), but hates discussing current events or politics. At his fire academy graduation, they were quoting the Constitution and showing the flag. Very cool.
I think #2 is in the same vein, but harder to figure out.
Exploring Western Culture, History, and Philosophy;
promoting Freedom and Individualism,
identifying and preparing for the threats facing us.
...that I'm planning to develop into a full website with hyperlinks to relevant subsections.
I get Imprimis mailed to me and have completed a number of their courses.
Hillsdale College is a wonderful treasure and a great resource.
I’ve activated this course, should be a good one.
Good start on your website.
Like the name.
Our eldest went into sales. Passed on college.
Our middle, the girl, was a volunteer firefighter with us and went on to be a paid firefighter/Paramedic. She is now a stay at home most of the week Mom who does enough medical work to stay qualified. She has a scholarship pending that she needs to use or lose. She’ll probably let it lapse as she loves what she’s doing now.
Our youngest logs trees and does farmhand work. He’s starting mechanic courses online.
Their politics are pretty conservo/libertarian like their mother’s and mine. All gun-owning, leave me alone kind of self responsible Americans.
Thanks! Your comment motivated me to make the next step forward with my idea.
Just spent an hour and a half online with a helpful GoDaddy fellow
and set up a 5-year web hosting agreement.
When it’s up and running it will be at northernsentinel.net
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