Politically Correct Homework Assignment in Texas Enrages Parents

[Soul Crusher]

Yay for upwards mobility! Lol. The possibility of creating more slavery doesn't sound like a positive aspect of slavery. Otherwise one could count chattel slavery as a positive. And, well, I can't think of a more reprehensible idea than the idea of breeding people as livestock.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that's not what he ment.

Today we have people that want to increase modern day slavery. The more modern slaves the better.

Do you ever feel disgusted with yourself for living in a society supported by modern day slavery? This is a question for everyone living in the West and those that want to bring more people here to keep it going.

 

[Madmick]

Why are people defending a worksheet that infers you should pretend that slavery is good?

Because nowhere does the sheet suggest that, and your side has already floundered in and lost that debate.

@Limbo Pete, can I put you down for Hunto-sized "Slavery: Teach the Controversy!" t-shirt?

Where is the insinuation that there is a "controversy"? There is none.

Indeed, both of you keep assigning exaggerated claims not rooted in the text. Why is that?

The reason is that you guys have been successfully conditioned to react to this nonsense with a hysterical, irrational hostility. The purpose is simple: to place anyone who you perceive to belong to the "other team" under the onus of investigation-- of a trial. You'll begin to push to scrutinize her social media at home. You'll dig to find a picture once of her out on a lake drinking a beer with a confederate flag hanging somewhere in the boat in the background behind her; doesn't even have to have belonged to her.

Of course, the problem with this is that none of us comes away from this sort of scrutiny unscathed because none of us shows up under a microscope without blemishes.

Ironically, I'm once again reminded of Schlink's The Reader. There is always the taint of guilt when someone is under trial because you've created the premise that she might be guilty. She might be a racist. Is she guilty? Is she innocent? Let's take a balanced view. Yes, indeed, it all comes full circle. It's similar to the classic loaded question: "When did you stop beating your wife?"

By constantly fomenting liberals into a hysteria about things with subxtextual assumption the critical race theorists have successfully created an environment where whites/Republicans are perpetually on trial, under the microscope, and on the defense, while those who attack them are not themselves ever being judged by this same semi-imagined standard.

It's oppressive.

 

[Islam Imamate]

Because nowhere does the sheet suggest that, and your side has already floundered in and lost that debate.

Where is the insinuation that there is a "controversy"? There is none.

Indeed, both of you keep assigning exaggerated claims not rooted in the text. Why is that?

The reason is that you guys have been successfully conditioned to react to this nonsense with a hysterical, irrational hostility. The purpose is simple: to place anyone who you perceive to belong to the "other team" under the onus of investigation-- of a trial. You'll begin to push to scrutinize her social media at home. You'll dig to find a picture once of her out on a lake drinking a beer with a confederate flag hanging somewhere in the boat in the background behind her; doesn't even have to have belonged to her.

Of course, the problem with this is that none of us comes away from this sort of scrutiny unscathed because none of us shows up under a microscope without blemishes.

Ironically, I'm once again reminded of Schlink's The Reader. There is always the taint of guilt when someone is under trial because you've created the premise that she might be guilty. She might be a racist. Is she guilty? Is she innocent? Let's take a balanced view. Yes, indeed, it all comes full circle. It's similar to the classic loaded question: "When did you stop beating your wife?"

By constantly fomenting liberals into a hysteria about things with subxtextual assumption the critical race theorists have successfully created an environment where whites/Republicans are perpetually on trial, under the microscope, and on the defense, while those who attack them are not themselves ever being judged by this same semi-imagined standard.

It's oppressive.

Look I appreciate your Devil's advocate stance here since I think its important to have people with that kind of instinct in society. Its why ever since I was a kid I respected defense attorneys and especially public defenders since they're the ones who complicate cases where most might want to jump to conclusions.

But in this case I don't think ti was a case of a teacher presenting a challenging lecture as much as it was what it seems. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here but I don't think think either of us can know and with Texas' history of this kind of thing I'm not as willing to extend the benefit of the doubt here.

 

[Rod1]

Do you ever feel disgusted with yourself for living in a society supported by modern day slavery? This is a question for everyone living in the West and those that want to bring more people here to keep it going.

Outside of pimping i cant think of many cases of slavery in the West...

Are you implying that hookers support the West?

 

[helltoupee]

Because nowhere does the sheet suggest that, and your side has already floundered in and lost that debate.

I don't think you quite understand how someone presenting such a question from a position of authority, especially to young students, is indirectly implying that's what they are looking for, ie., both pros and cons.

To suggest to children that there may be positives to treating people like animals is absolutely idiotic.

 

[PrinceOfPain]

Not really seeing the problem with a pro-con list, even for the indefensible.
It Forces the test-taker to more deeply consider the issue at hand. A school should be producing and stimulating curious minds and encouraging critical thought.

 

[ObamaPhoneLady]

Slavery is cool with you? Defend that statement.

What statement?

 

[Fawlty]

Because nowhere does the sheet suggest that, and your side has already floundered in and lost that debate.

Where is the insinuation that there is a "controversy"? There is none.

Indeed, both of you keep assigning exaggerated claims not rooted in the text. Why is that?

The reason is that you guys have been successfully conditioned to react to this nonsense with a hysterical, irrational hostility. The purpose is simple: to place anyone who you perceive to belong to the "other team" under the onus of investigation-- of a trial. You'll begin to push to scrutinize her social media at home. You'll dig to find a picture once of her out on a lake drinking a beer with a confederate flag hanging somewhere in the boat in the background behind her; doesn't even have to have belonged to her.

Of course, the problem with this is that none of us comes away from this sort of scrutiny unscathed because none of us shows up under a microscope without blemishes.

Ironically, I'm once again reminded of Schlink's The Reader. There is always the taint of guilt when someone is under trial because you've created the premise that she might be guilty. She might be a racist. Is she guilty? Is she innocent? Let's take a balanced view. Yes, indeed, it all comes full circle. It's similar to the classic loaded question: "When did you stop beating your wife?"

By constantly fomenting liberals into a hysteria about things with subxtextual assumption the critical race theorists have successfully created an environment where whites/Republicans are perpetually on trial, under the microscope, and on the defense, while those who attack them are not themselves ever being judged by this same semi-imagined standard.

It's oppressive.

I won't be doing any of those things to this teacher or encouraging any of it. The local school system should be able to determine her motives without our help, and the local community will hold the school board to account.

Although, I think these incidents should prompt an investigation to determine if these are more than isolated cases. I am suspicious, and I think I should be suspicious. It wouldn't totally surprise me (and I don't think it would surprise you) if there was some shit going down. Especially because of the fourth-grader thing. That's troubling. Let's find out what's up with that.

I'm not buying this great circle that you are drawing. The buck can stop here. I'll take responsibility for my views.

 

[salamander]

Not the best finishing move.

Lots of pain there.

You are only as sick as your secrets.

He's Christian Takferi and literally can't help himself.

 

[Limbo Pete]

I won't be doing any of those things to this teacher or encouraging any of it. The local school system should be able to determine her motives without our help, and the local community will hold the school board to account.

Although, I think these incidents should prompt an investigation to determine if these are more than isolated cases. I am suspicious, and I think I should be suspicious. It wouldn't totally surprise me (and I don't think it would surprise you) if there was some shit going down. Especially because of the fourth-grader thing. That's troubling. Let's find out what's up with that.

I'm not buying this great circle that you are drawing. The buck can stop here. I'll take responsibility for my views.

It's all really pretty straightforward lol
I mean, I get frustrated and ticked off when I see stuff like this, but i'm also looking down the barrel of potentially teaching history for a frickin living
There's been a lot of grandstanding and overly-verbose nuance splitting going on in here, but really i'm just gonna go ahead and double down on my own opinion- formed from my experience and education- that teaching history with a pro-con list is fundamentally problematic. Using such a thing as some sort of critical thinking exercise may have some merit in some circumstances, but not all merit is equally appropriate or effective. History shouldn't be taught by breaking things down along normative judgement lines. Not taught well, anyway. There's a fundamental, pedagogical problem with that hogwash.
I would literally never use a pro con list in a history classroom, even with college students. People can disagree, but imo it's profoundly flawed.

 

[Limbo Pete]

Pro tip: History isn't about learning what's "good" or "bad". It's about learning what the hell happened for the sake of understanding what the hell is happening.

 

[Madmick]

I don't think you quite understand how someone presenting such a question from a position of authority, especially to young students, is indirectly implying that's what they are looking for, ie., both pros and cons.

To suggest to children that there may be positives to treating people like animals is absolutely idiotic.

It's a mystery how I refuted that argument, then. The only thing implied is consideration in application of a critical thinking artifice.

I won't be doing any of those things to this teacher or encouraging any of it. The local school system should be able to determine her motives without our help, and the local community will hold the school board to account.

Although, I think these incidents should prompt an investigation to determine if these are more than isolated cases. I am suspicious, and I think I should be suspicious. It wouldn't totally surprise me (and I don't think it would surprise you) if there was some shit going down. Especially because of the fourth-grader thing. That's troubling. Let's find out what's up with that.

I'm not buying this great circle that you are drawing. The buck can stop here. I'll take responsibility for my views.

"I don't encourage it, but I support it and think it should be investigated."

Look I appreciate your Devil's advocate stance here since I think its important to have people with that kind of instinct in society. Its why ever since I was a kid I respected defense attorneys and especially public defenders since they're the ones who complicate cases where most might want to jump to conclusions.

But in this case I don't think ti was a case of a teacher presenting a challenging lecture as much as it was what it seems. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here but I don't think think either of us can know and with Texas' history of this kind of thing I'm not as willing to extend the benefit of the doubt here.

You, too, assent to investigation/trial, but can't offer any concrete, tangible racism to justify such an invasive and hostile undertaking. You have all been forced to admit there is no explicit racism or advocation for slavery. It's pure subtext. It's a Minority Report approach to dealing with teachers regarding potentially sensitive topics in schools.

It's bullshit.

 

[Madmick]

Pro tip: History isn't about learning what's "good" or "bad". It's about learning what the hell happened for the sake of understanding what the hell is happening.

You have literally joined the chorus in here reinforcing the idea that we must "feed" these kids the lesson that slavery is an unadulterated evil, and a social "bad".

Nobody objects to that, but you seem confused about what your own philosophical approach to this topic is, Pete.

 

[Limbo Pete]

You have literally joined the chorus in here reinforcing the idea that we must "feed" these kids the lesson that slavery is an unadulterated evil, and a social "bad".

Nobody objects to that, but you seem confused about what your own philosophical approach to this topic is, Pete.

I feel like you didn't really read my post, Mickster

 

[Limbo Pete]

Well, what the hell do I know. I've only got two classrooms of undergrads that i'm working with this term.

 

[Islam Imamate]

You, too, assent to investigation/trial, but can't offer any concrete, tangible racism to justify such an invasive and hostile undertaking. You have all been forced to admit there is no explicit racism or advocation for slavery. It's pure subtext. It's a Minority Report approach to dealing with teachers regarding potentially sensitive topics in schools.

It's bullshit.

Invasive and hostile undertaking? What on earth are you talking about?

Ever consider that if this teacher was indeed racist, or at least sympathetic to the idea that slavery wasn't so bad, that they wouldn't make that obvious in a lesson plan?

 

[Madmick]

Invasive and hostile undertaking? What on earth are you talking about?

She's been placed on leave which is a disciplinarian measure, first, but I was referring to the post I just made above:
http://forums.sherdog.com/posts/140599119/
You have anybody suspend you from work today in front of all your co-workers on the grounds they were going to have to get their heads together after you leave and talk about whether or not you are a racist based on a feeble subtextual reading? Would you like that?

 

[tonni]

'Better than being a slave in Africa.'

False.

 

[ObamaPhoneLady]

Pro tip: History isn't about learning what's "good" or "bad". It's about learning what the hell happened for the sake of understanding what the hell is happening.

That's how it should be but as a history student, I learned that isn't the way it works in practice.

Universities are full of liberal idiots that want to rewrite history to fit their chosen narrative.

 

[Islam Imamate]

She's been placed on leave which is a disciplinarian measure, first, but I was referring to the post I just made above:
http://forums.sherdog.com/posts/140599119/
You have anybody suspend you from work today in front of all your co-workers on the grounds they were going to have to get their heads together after you leave and talk about whether or not you are a racist based on a feeble subtextual reading? Would you like that?

Would I like that? No of course not no one likes being disciplined even if they deserve it. In this case there's going to be an investigation so as to clear things up, if this exercise was indeed innocuously intended then hopefully the investigation vindicates the teacher.

You don't see how a parent might have a legitimate concern here? Especially given the history of Texas when it comes to trying to downplay slavery in education?