Two Thoughts

I hope it was just an incomplete (lousy?) job of reporting. Today's newspaper lauded (with several accompanying plaudits) OCC's new Global Awareness Degree. Well, first, it doesn't sound like a real degree, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. Second, and more concerning, students will take classes in foreign languages, business, political science, etc., but nothing was mentioned about any history courses. Hmmm...a "Global" course/degree without any history classes? I sure hope it was just an incomplete job of reporting. Of course, I know what those who run education at all levels think of history. Let's just say they don't think it's very important. Don't think so? Remember who many of your history teachers were...gym teachers, art teachers, foreign language teachers, etc., who needed an extra hour to fit their schedules. Consider the state tests, the old MEAPs. There were tests in math, science, reading, writing, but, for the longest time, nothing in history. Then, to placate somebody (I don't know who, but certainly not me!), a social studies (not history!) section was added--but, and this is telling, it didn't count! And, in our district, to satisfy the MEAP test dates (and remember, the history part of the social studies section didn't count!), Modern History was taught the first semester and Ancient History was taught the second semester. The ideas of cause and effect, chronology, etc., ah, how important can they be? No wonder those Bozos in DC do what they do--they know we don't have a clue about the past and what other Bozos did to start the mess up.

And if this isn't frightening, what is? Gov Jennie is on the "short list" of possible Supreme Court nominees to succeed David Souter (no prize there, esp if you value your own private property as, well, your own private property!)!!! C'mon. If anyone needs further confirmation that the inmates are running the asylum, here it is. In this country of more than 300 million people, the best we can come up is "Cool Cities!," "Everybody Goes to College!," and "They have to get over thinking it's their money." Shame on us....we let it all happen.