I keep getting emails from ultra-conservatives who are against changes in our education policy, although our old policy has caused us to be well behind most developed nations in educating children. We demand far too little from our children. The emails seem to imply anything that challenges them, as other nations do, is progressive and bad. I might be wrong but that’s what they seem to be saying. They want everything done their way.
It seems to me the ultra-right thinks a well-rounded education, including advanced mathematics, history, science, government, and sociology, as currently taught in high schools, is also too progressive. If it’s their own or Fox’s version of history, science, government, and sociology, they think it’s OK. Evidently, their kids can’t handle the truth any better than they can.
History, has always been subject to debate but was a relatively noncontroversial school subject until the Tea Party hatched up its version of history, which differs strikingly from what most historians believe. The same can be said about science. If they had their way, evolution would not be taught in either history or science classes. Creation would be taught in a new Christianity class. Conservative thinkers, from all political persuasions, have long held this belief, epitomized by the Scopes Monkey trial in 1925, when Tennessee tried to imprison a teacher, John T. Scopes, for teaching evolution.
Ultra-conservatives cling to their idea of the past as they once clung to the apron hanging around their grandma’s waist. Anything newly learned from scientific discovery that conflicts with grandma’s tales must be wrong.
Theories about earth’s history change as we learn from evidence found in the Earth, in space and even on other planets. Unbelievably, some ultra-conservatives think our landing on the moon and the TV airing of Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” was faked. I honestly think some conservatives still think the world is flat. Anyone who believes the absurd idea that humans and dinosaurs roamed the earth at the same time will believe anything. It’s frightening to hear some nuts even questioning the Holocaust.
The Tea Party rejects the idea that climate change threatens the planet. “Hogwash”, they say. They’ll be saying that when a Tsunami sweeps them off the front porch of their beach front home in Dodge City, Kan.
No sir. It seems while they think Christianity is OK, history, science and other subjects, which are too controversial for the Party of Tea, probably shouldn’t be taught in our schools. They prefer them taught at home where differences with their far-right conservative views can be ignored or altered. They’ll teach their children that racism doesn’t exist. They’ll tell them if everyone had a gun there would be no crime. They’ll tell them if we ignore hunger no one will go hungry. For sure they’ll tell their children that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. Their children won’t learn about evolution. They’ll be taught that man has done nothing harmful to the environment, and oil is good, green is bad, and global warming is a hoax. Then their children will grow up as dumb as their parents.
Conservatives have traditionally rejected any forward thinking change. They fought Social Security. They have been trying to get rid of it since it passed. They are continually trying to end Medicare. Their idea is to get rid of it by telling people “We are only trying to make it better.” Remember Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., saying that? It’s no surprise, even at a time when millions of Americans go without health care, they would do everything in their power to keep us in a system where only those of good fortune can afford good health? Nope, if they had their way, there would be no Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, welfareof any nature for the poor and for sure no Affordable Care Act. To them a perfect government would not be encumbered by compassion.
They’ll continue bloated military spending, which is much more than needed, by maintaining nonessential military bases all over the world while shorting veterans. They wasted $24 billion on a stupid government shutdown, ending, coincidentally, when Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., got his pork. They’ll continue wasting billions on an unenforceable drug policy. They’ll continue welfare for rich corporations and tax breaks for big oil, because, after all, it’s their tradition. Their tradition — which is self-serving, wasteful, and plain stupid — always trumps fiscal responsibility and meaningful change. It always will if the far-right has their way.
What happened to reasonable Republicans who would work with Democrats to make government work for all?
Glen McAdoo, a Churchill County resident, can be contacted at glynn@phonewave,net.