tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post6962353898318224251..comments2023-09-15T08:07:28.542-06:00Comments on Western Hero: College: It's Not Just For Smart People!Silverfiddlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13541652236676260219noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-23150368558056700712011-10-30T05:53:49.803-06:002011-10-30T05:53:49.803-06:00FreeThinke,
once something is made readily availab...FreeThinke,<br /><i>once something is made readily available to "everybody," and "anybody," it soon gets cheapened and degraded and quickly loses first its edge, then its meaning.</i><br /><br />And standards get dramatically lowered.<br /><br /><i>an eighth grade education in the "old" days made students better equipped to be useful, productive citizens than an undergraduate degree in too many "junior" and "community" colleges today.</i><br /><br />Back in the 1960s, my mother discovered in her niece's math college course the very same easy problem that was in Mom's 6th or 7th grade math textbook. Mom's niece was taking second semester freshman math at a well respected private college -- not some remedial course at a "loser" college.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-70969158533883825492011-10-30T04:03:09.998-06:002011-10-30T04:03:09.998-06:00Not only is higher education becoming more unaffor...Not only is higher education becoming more unaffordable, but getting that degree is also becoming a sign of having a skull full of useless leftist shit.<br /><br />Thankfully it's not all those leaving universities these days, but it is becoming an uncomfortable number.MathewKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14385674205383405783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-11087774529216175542011-10-29T20:42:40.423-06:002011-10-29T20:42:40.423-06:00Z, are you for real? Have you still not read Silv...Z, are you for real? Have you still not read Silver's post???<br /><br />Cited, as in citation, AND sited, as in linked.<br /><br />Dude. WT...<br /><br />JMJJersey McJoneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15426560061830038806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-53553786620128437492011-10-29T19:10:12.030-06:002011-10-29T19:10:12.030-06:00Opps put it in the wrong post, here it is again..
...Opps put it in the wrong post, here it is again..<br /><br /><b>Lots of us are. One of the problems with chat room communication is that so many are so anxious to make themselves heard theye forget-- or don't bother -- to listen. So, we wind up mired in redundancy and talking at cross purposes about things that don't really matter.</b><br /><br />I said it elsewhere FT, conversations in this arena can often times be like arguing religion and politics in a barroom full of drunks!Scottyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16121811949825846208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-66297685368251282722011-10-29T18:00:54.695-06:002011-10-29T18:00:54.695-06:00Z, some of the liberal posters think they "kn...Z, some of the liberal posters think they <i>"know"</i> what we're going to say before we say it, and so they don't believe it's necessary to read what we write. That's why so often false conclusions get drawn, and before you know it everyone's "off to the races" focusing on the poster who said something wrong, instead of staying on the topic at hand.<br /><br />Using diversionary tactics to get people so confused or irate it keeps them off balance is standard operating procedure for the left, although I don't think Jersey is guilty of that degree of guile. I think he's just overeager to jump to conclusions without really knowing what he's talking about. <br /><br />Lots of us are. One of the problems with chat room communication is that so many are so anxious to make themselves heard theye forget-- or don't bother -- to <i>listen</i>. So, we wind up mired in redundancy and talking at cross purposes about things that don't really matter.<br /><br />A pattern to avoid, I should think.<br /><br />~ FreeThinkeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-88846230127916052552011-10-29T17:06:10.071-06:002011-10-29T17:06:10.071-06:00Bastiat, If you don't want do remedial teachin...Bastiat, If you don't want do remedial teaching, why not make a joke of it?<br /><br />Tell 'em "respectively" means "with mutual respect." <br /><br />If you told 'em the truth, it would probably fall on deaf ears anyway.<br /><br />OTOH, you might bet sued for "malpractice" by some cunning type always looking for ways to use his intelligence to undermine and punish authority. "Perversity is so "kewel," don't you know?<br /><br />~ FreeThinke<br /><br />Best to put it on the board in big block letters and tell 'em to look it up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-87502576950963884602011-10-29T16:41:15.619-06:002011-10-29T16:41:15.619-06:00JMJ: Not sure what you mean there, but it surel...JMJ: Not sure what you mean there, but it surely isn't CITED anywhere in SF's post that he doesn't value all education , arts or sciences, unless you have a hankering for considering Lesbian Dance EDUCATION worth of a university class?<br />He's saying some degrees don't pay well..........that's news to you?Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989573357446569262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-10223755038140780272011-10-29T16:22:37.953-06:002011-10-29T16:22:37.953-06:00>All knowledge has value.
Okay, I'll try a...>All knowledge has value.<br /><br />Okay, I'll try again, more slowly.<br /><br />We're not talking about knowledge.<br />We're talking about pseudo-scholarship.<br />Pretend academic programs that are about emotions rather than truth.<br />Anti-knowledge.<br />Pretend knowledge.<br />Pseudo-intellectualism.<br />You know. Women's Studies programs and all the other "liberal" touchy-feely, rainbows-and-unicorns, "Oh, look at me! I'm so transgressive!" kind of programs that infest higher education, as well as the legitimate programs that have been remade into squishy leftist mush.<br /><br />Nothing in that asserts or even implies a lack of value in knowledge. Just the opposite, in fact. Knowledge is good. Emoting instead of reasoning is bad. Women's Studies, etc., etc., and etc., are about emoting, not knowledge or reason.<br /><br />I stated it in simple English, so there's not much more I can do for you. (Sorry, I'm not interested in remedial teaching.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-43365861593675181872011-10-29T15:26:51.382-06:002011-10-29T15:26:51.382-06:00Z,
""Jersey McJones said...
I am extrem...Z,<br /><br />""Jersey McJones said...<br />I am extremely disappointed by this post and almost all the comments. I just can't imagine finding knowledge, and knowledge, "worthless." It's so fucking ignorant"<br /><br />Can you show where anybody said that? thanks."<br /><br />Z, did you happen to actually read Silver's post? Look at it again. It's sited and cited, too.<br /><br />Bastiat,<br /><br />All knowledge has value.<br /><br />For Christ's sake man, you sound like a friggin' backwards Catholic afraid of the big bad apple!<br /><br />JMJJersey McJoneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15426560061830038806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-89831770437385460552011-10-29T15:12:30.772-06:002011-10-29T15:12:30.772-06:00A lot of kids should just skip college, go to a te...A lot of kids should just skip college, go to a technical school and learn physical skills like carpentry, masonry, plumbing, auto mechanics and HVAC etc. Liberal arts degrees are increasingly worth ZIP in today's world. Unless you can get job as a college professor, where are you going to get work with a degree in Philosophy or Women's Studies? Or how about a BS in Puppetry Art? Not a lot of opportunity out there for those things.Alligatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03764752508206031685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-46532785140904432842011-10-29T10:33:47.096-06:002011-10-29T10:33:47.096-06:00If human society were an orchestra, some are neede...If human society were an orchestra, some are needed to play the violin, the viola, the cello and the double bass, others the clarinet, others the flute, others the tympani, others the trumpet, others the French horn, others the celeste, and so on ... Except in the rarest of incidences, these roles are NOT interchangeable. It's important to remember too that <b>there can only be <i>one</i> conductor, and everyone in the group must agree to follow his lead. If each member of the orchestra just "did his own thing" cacophony -- musical chaos -- would ensue. <br /><br /></b> And so it is with society. To belabor the analogy further the "orchestra" not only needs players and a <i>conductor</i>, it also needs people to compose the music, prepare and print the scores, music librarians to keep track of the printed scores. An orchestra certainly needs a <i>building</i> with good acoustics in which to rehearse and perform. The building needs to be equipped and maintained. Someone -- or a group of "someones" -- has to <i>administer</i> the care and feeding of the building. Knowledgeable people must be given the <i>authority</i> to plan a series of programs with the conductor, set dates, make rehearsal schedules, plan tours. Others are needed to make sure all members of the orchestra and the staff that supports them are fed, housed and clothed. Everyone involved must have adequate means of <i>transportation,</i> etc., etc., etc.<br /><br />And THEN -- ta ta ta TA ta TAH! -- there must be an AUDIENCE to enjoy the fruits of all these labors. That's where the "aristocracy" comes in. THEY are every bit as necessary to the proper functioning of an "orchestra" as the composers, conductors, players, and all the rest of the necessary components of a working organization.<br /><br />Don't you see? EVERYBODY involved is highly significant. There is <i>no</i> part of this highly <i>organic</i> system that could be deemed unnecessary or unimportant. BUT the idea that janitors, purveyors of food, music librarians and builders are operating on precisely the SAME LEVEL as the COMPOSERS, CONDUCTORS and PLAYERS is ludicrous. <br /><br />As for the "aristocrats," whom everyone seems to want to dispense with today, It is <i>their</i> need to be entertained, their desire for improved social status, and <i>their MONEY</i> that provided the <i>impetus</i> for the whole shebang in the first place.<br /><br />No analogy is perfect, of course, but there may be merit to this one, even though “life” is far more complicated than even the finest symphony orchestra could ever hope to be.<br /><br />What I’ve said, however, is fundamentally true not only of the symphony orchestra, it’s true of farms, factories, schools, churches, clubs, theaters, service organizations -- and any other conglomeration of human beings who get together for a particular purpose.<br /><br />If the paradigm works for every sort of organization, why shouldn’t it also hold true for every other aspect of life, as well?<br /><br />~ FreeThinkeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-78840223271617928332011-10-29T10:12:18.102-06:002011-10-29T10:12:18.102-06:00Good morning, AOW. Whether you intended to or not...Good morning, AOW. Whether you intended to or not, you have confirmed most of what I said about my own family background -- and the way things used to be before the Sick-sties. Not only did you confirm it, you expanded on it with eloquent, convincing testimony. <br /><br />The idea that "IQ" is the only significant measure of a person's fundamental worth and capacity is idiotic. everyone with any sense ought to be able to see that for himself. May God forever bless the practical men and women who produce what we need without rancor or greed, make things run, get things done, keep things clean so they're fit to be seen, and continuously smooth the way so that we may live more comfortably every day.<br /><br />It used to be rare for anyone to "go to college." In those days "college" was an experience meant only for those with rare gifts, genuine intellectual curiosity, a penchant for scholarship, and also, I'm afraid, a place where people of means could send their sons and daughters to receive the kind of "polish" then required so they could take their place in "society."<br /><br />It's a funny thing, but <b>once something is made readily available to "everybody," and "anybody," it soon gets cheapened and degraded and quickly loses first its edge, then its meaning</b>. Very sadly that seems to be what has happened to what-passes-for "higher education" these days.<br /><br />I wasn't kidding when I said an eighth grade education in the "old" days made students better equipped to be useful, productive citizens than an undergraduate <i>degree</i> in too many "junior" and "community" colleges today.<br /><br />I'm all for equal <i>opportunity</i> for everyone, but I abhor egalitarianism. I truly believe humanity is structured in such a way that we are all destined by Nature to play certain roles in what-I-could-only-describe-as a Natural Hierarchy. Humankind is in many ways constructed to live in super-refined, a tremendously complex version of the <i>hive.</i><br /><br />~ FreeThinke<br /><br />(CONTINUED)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-75845798792741830012011-10-29T09:28:07.383-06:002011-10-29T09:28:07.383-06:00Jersey, if you pay closer attention you will see t...Jersey, if you pay closer attention you will see that we are not bitching about knowledge and education but about the fact that far too too many of us come out of our post-secondary educational system with virtually no education at all.<br /><br />The graduates don't know how to think, write, or learn on their own. The point of an education is to teach you how to learn.. it doesn't stop with a piece of paper and a pat on the back.<br /><br />A favorite question of mine to ask candidates in job interviews is "What have you learned since you got out of schoool?" and you should see the looks on their faces and hear their stammering answers.<br /><br />Cheers!Finntannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09234170229108668040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-81085021591370989952011-10-29T09:24:23.669-06:002011-10-29T09:24:23.669-06:00Liberal Dude, try it this way:
If you're indo...Liberal Dude, try it this way:<br /><br />If you're indoctrinated you vote Dem, if you're educated you're just plain pissed off about the whole situation.<br /><br />For those with an actual education realize that there is not an infinite amount of money to fund all of your entitlement pipe dreams, buy all your votes, and pay off all your cronies.<br /><br />Believe me, we would all love to live in an idyllic utopia with free food, free housing, and free medical care. We would love to be able to work a few hours a day and spend the rest of the time off pursuing the arts, music, philosphy, and the like.<br /><br />If we had a vast surplus of money I'd be happy to discuss how best to allocate to improve the lives of the people, but our infrastructure is crumbling, basic government services are inept, and our politicians are fiddling (as Rome burns... sad state of affairs that I feel I actually have to complete that statement and not leave it just at fiddling).<br /><br />We as educated realists look at the data and all your utopian idealism has ever produced is absolute misery and horror. We understand that you could tax all income over 250,000 at 100% and still not have the money to pay for what you want.<br /><br />My challenge remains unanswered to this day: Point at a successful socialist/marxist/communist state that has elevated the position of its citizens rich and poor to the level of western civilizaation and I'll be happy to reconsider my position.Finntannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09234170229108668040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-91918697621438760842011-10-29T08:15:18.810-06:002011-10-29T08:15:18.810-06:00"Jersey McJones said...
I am extremely di..."Jersey McJones said...<br /> I am extremely disappointed by this post and almost all the comments. I just can't imagine finding knowledge, and knowledge, "worthless." It's so fucking ignorant"<br /><br />Can you show where anybody said that? thanks.<br /><br /><br />Silverfiddle...congratulations on Liberaldude's attendance! I keep asking him who's paying him to stop by our blogs (He hasn't one)...I think we'll get a lot more of this before the election.<br /><br />Liberaldude....do you know how dumb that sounds? Conservatives "demonize" education because we're trying SO HARD to get students to get educations which will make them happy, self-supporting Americans? WOW. Remember the days of a MAJOR and a MINOR? We MAJORED in something productive, job-provoking...we often MINORED in something wonderful like philosophy or art...that worked then.<br />And CRAFTSMANSHIP, learning a TRADE, is NOT disdaining education.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15989573357446569262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-80445708404109525302011-10-29T08:06:51.241-06:002011-10-29T08:06:51.241-06:00I love how the right demonizes education whenever ...I love how the right demonizes education whenever they can. The GOP is making it harder and harder to go to college, like it was in the 50's only the rich can go.<br /><br />They know if the masses are educated they will see through their shameless lies. <br /><br />Simple truth: If you're educated, you vote Dem, if you're a dumkfk, you vote GOP.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-32581616434037516732011-10-29T05:12:16.060-06:002011-10-29T05:12:16.060-06:00I grew up in the household with a father who was a...I grew up in the household with a father who was a master mechanic and a mother who was a statistician. Today, the knowledge that my mother used for her career would require a college education.<br /><br />Dad, who was on occasional consulted by Mercedes Benz fellows sent from Germany, dropped out of high school in 10th grade in 1927, but he was one of the finest mechanics in the region. And everyone knew so!<br /><br />He was well respected by the intellectual community in general until the early 1960s; after that, the three piece suits looked down on him -- until they engaged him in an intellectual conversation about history or philosophy, at which point they found out that their PhD's didn't provide them any more intellectual facility than Dad had. And what was that? Dad had an excellent basic education. Even after he left the classroom, he read, read, read. In college as a junior, I started getting snooty about attending college, Dad helped me out of a couple of academic messes in history and philosophy when I was all balled up. And when I got all balled up in my computer programming class, my grandmother with only an 8th grade education got a copy of the textbook and set up a tutoring session with me to rescue me from failing the course. My grandmother apparently had "the imprint" for computer programming; that imprint was fine tuned when IBM trained her when she entered the work force at the age of 45 -- with no computer experience whatsoever. She did have watch-making experience. On her first day on the job at the Veterans Administration, she tore the back off the mainframe and rewired the board so that the machine worked more efficiently. The little old lady from the hills of Tennessee, the little old lady who said "you is" and "you was," stunned all the experts, I can tell you. <br /><br />I clearly remember when the switch to respecting Dad and dissing Dad (and the trade of automotive mechanic) occurred because I heard it from my friends and their parents. They harped on his dirty fingernails and called him "grease monkey." Dad took it all in stride and said, "Some people don't have anything to think with." And he sent them away, only for them to find out that the fancy garage up the street charged and arm and a leg without fixing their cars the first time.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-61031063390605007752011-10-29T04:58:53.958-06:002011-10-29T04:58:53.958-06:00Here in Northern Virginia, respect for certain voc...Here in Northern Virginia, respect for certain vocations were well respected by the intellectual elite (those with advanced college degrees).<br /><br />Once the college meme of college is for everyone came along, respect for the trades started eroding at a rapid pace.<br /><br />Without mechanics, electricians, plumbers, and the like, we who so prize our intellectualism have to flounder around.<br /><br />This fact was again brought home to me last night when my Crown Vic stranded me on the side of the road during peak rush hour on Friday evening -- a time of hell on the roads even in good weather. I know how to diagnose an automotive problem and even passed automotive certification on papaer, but swinging the wrench is something I never could learn to do -- probably because my spatial IQ is much lower than my verbal IQ. Most likely, the Crown Vic's fuel filter was clogged although the fuel pump was also a possibility because of the age of the vehicle; I won't go into the details as to how I made that diagnosis. Indeed, my diagnosis will be confirmed or debunked on Monday.<br /><br />A kind three piece suit stopped to see if I needed any help. But he knew less than I about the ins and outs of the internal combustion engine and so stated. Now, if I were able to change a fuel filter, I could be saving a boat load of buck. As the situation was, I had to (1) phone a tow truck and (2) arrange for a ride home from the gas station that does all repairs on my vehicles. The latter was a real pisser as the family member I was forced to call bitched at me over the phone and all the way home.<br /><br />Enough personal stuff. I refer any interested to read about Howard Garner's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences" rel="nofollow">theory of multiple intelligences</a>. Our education system hasn't really learned how to tap into that theory. As Z mentioned, the European model of education surpasses the one that we have in America.Always On Watchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08192688822955022541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-39490412493334036052011-10-29T01:35:01.125-06:002011-10-29T01:35:01.125-06:00>I just can't imagine finding knowledge, an...>I just can't imagine finding knowledge, and knowledge, "worthless." <br /><br />We're not talking about knowledge. We're talking about pseudo-scholarship. Pretend academic programs that are about emotions rather than truth. Anti-knowledge. Pretend knowledge. Pseudo-intellectualism. You know. Women's Studies programs and all the other "liberal" touchy-feely, rainbows-and-unicorns, "Oh, look at me! I'm so transgressive!" kind of programs that infest higher education, as well as the legitimate programs that have been remade into squishy leftist mush.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-20166156606730042772011-10-29T00:56:20.184-06:002011-10-29T00:56:20.184-06:00I am extremely disappointed by this post and almos...I am extremely disappointed by this post and almost all the comments. I just can't imagine finding knowledge, and knowledge, "worthless." It's so fucking ignorant.<br /><br />JMJJersey McJoneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15426560061830038806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-75214863643927116102011-10-28T21:41:02.628-06:002011-10-28T21:41:02.628-06:00Finntann,
I know what you're saying, but I ra...Finntann,<br /><br />I know what you're saying, but I rather wish they <i>would</i> want to be "spoon fed". Too often, if you try it, they're very likely to spit it back in your face.<br /><br />Since the Sick-sties introduced anarchy to the campus, teaching has largely become a thankless task.<br /><br />Instead of listening and learning with respect and curiosity, too many want to argue with the teacher about the "relevancy" of the course work or just talk endlessly about their <i>feelings</i>. It's easier for teachers to give in than to stand up to the persistent pressure to remain ignorant and unproductive. <br /><br />Jersey thinks I'm a fascist, but I can't see how anything worthwhile could ever be accomplished without strict adherence to an orderly, respectful code of conduct. The Sick-sties idea that inmates ought to be running the asylums and staff should be there to follow inmates' orders is palpably insane.<br /><br />~ FreeThinkeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-72785623232190632072011-10-28T21:24:53.413-06:002011-10-28T21:24:53.413-06:00This post by Scotty is so good it deserves to be r...This post by Scotty is so good it deserves to be repeated:<br /><br /><b>Scotty</b> said...<br /><br /><i><b>"Well Scotty, that's nice. The fact remains that you would be one of the first to denigrate an art school grad, something you couldn't handle."</b></i><br /><br /><i>"I'm amused by how you like to put words in peoples mouths, Ducky. With statements like that your snobbery shines like a beacon in the night.<br /><br />"Unlike you Ducky, I would not denigrate anyone, especially someone that is seeking to improve themselves. I would give ANYONE a big atta boy for getting a degree in anything they would like to try and peruse. BUT, not all degrees are created equal and a degree guarantees nothing, that's the point.<br /><br />"Hell, I would even venture to say you may have made a GOOD soldier, Ducky. I don't prejudge like you so often do."</i><br /><br />That's a great criticism -- and kindly meant.<br /><br />Naturally, then I agree.<br /><br />~ FreeThinke<br /><br />PS: My verification word is VALET. How about that? - FTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-46680387300833891552011-10-28T19:05:55.548-06:002011-10-28T19:05:55.548-06:00Ducky, RISD is obviously the exception to the rule...Ducky, RISD is obviously the exception to the rule, consistently ranked as the top fine arts college in the US and one of the preeminent design schools in the world.<br /><br />Trying to equate RISD to any other school is like trying to equate Harvard to the University of Bridgeport.<br /><br />Most of the comments on degrees today are spot on, the number of college graduates who can't put a coherent thought on paper is really depressing, along with a pronounced proclivity for wanting to be spoon fed everything does not bode well.<br /><br />Cheers!Finntannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09234170229108668040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-54700184237711549632011-10-28T18:48:25.843-06:002011-10-28T18:48:25.843-06:00B... try this one:
A paradox is two dox.
Cheers!...B... try this one:<br /><br />A paradox is two dox.<br /><br />Cheers!Finntannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09234170229108668040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7674333464171899932.post-31745178186539892012011-10-28T17:11:06.019-06:002011-10-28T17:11:06.019-06:00Bastiatarian,
College today, apparently is what J...Bastiatarian,<br /><br />College today, apparently <i>is</i> what Junior High probably used to be in "your" day. I suspect it may be what fourth and fifth grade were in mine.<br /><br />Our general levels of literacy, vocabulary and writing ability have disintegrating since the Sick-sties.<br /><br />One of my friends from college just retired a year ago from a full professorship at the University of Massachusetts. The stories she reported about the dramatically declining standards she had to deal with over a forty year period were frankly heartbreaking.<br /><br />My parents, who would be over a hundred years old if hey were alive today, never had the opportunity to attend college. My father was forced to go to work right after he finished eighth grade, yet their command of English was superb and their understanding of reality amazingly advanced and sophisticated. The public schools of that era gave them a good enough foundation to enable them to educate themselves as the years wore on. Both of them read obsessively, read aloud to me and to each other. From the way they presented themselves, you'd never have known they hadn't gone to college.<br /><br />Kids entering <i>graduate school</i> today seem far less well informed, far less polished and have nowhere near the level of literacy my parents had.<br /><br />Now why do you suppose that was the case?<br /><br />~ FreeThinkeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com