For whatever reasons:):):)...
My comments for Ala and Bigandmean on their Blogspot blogs have not
been going through:):):)...
So...I'm reproducing them here since I thought we were having some
pretty decent discussions that I wanted to continue but wasn't able to
on in their comments' sections:):):)...
First...my response to Ala's most recent response in her school
discipline forum:):):)...
"Ala:)...
You're right:)...there are A MILLION great teaching movies to inspire
efforts to improve schools:):):)...
And the ONE thing that ALL of those movies have in common, without
having to parse out of the particular situations that schools face is
that teachers who build good RELATIONSHIPS with students are far more
likely to make a difference than teachers who are either unengaged,
discouraged, or who treat students like the enemy rather than as those
they are responsible for caring for...
Let's start with the movies, Ala...and then we'll move to where this
conversation needs to move...to the most engaged THINKING about schools
in universities and elsewhere:):):)...
I LOVED Stand By Me:):):):):):)...still do:):):):):):)...
And much of this movie was kind of candy, really:):):)...
Stand and Deliver, on the other hand, was a TERRIFIC movie about a
teacher who, BY AND LARGE, built strong relationships with his students
rather than bullying them...Jaime Escalante stood up to bullies...but
he did not bully them like principal (I'm forgetting his name, right
now...Joe...something:):):) in Stand By Me:):):)...
And remember, Ala...the superintendent in Stand By Me STANDS UP to Joe,
the principal -- Morgan Freeman's character -- FOR EXACTLY THAT
REASON...
As Ben Guillaume's character says in the movie, "Because contrary to
the conventional wisdom around here, I AM THE HEAD NIGGA IN CHARGE
around here"...
Meaning that not even Stand By Me romanticizing Joe's bullying as much
as your post might suggest...and even that movie romanticizes it too
much...
Stand and Deliver, on the other hand, romanticizes such nonsense almost
NOT AT ALL, as much as it is critical of the mindsets of teachers in
neighborhoods like their's where teachers assume that kids cannnot
achieve and create self-fulfilling prophecies...
The REAL POINT, Ala, is that there has always been and ALWAYS will be
plenty of "blame" to go around for who is responsible for failing
schools and failing in schools...
But the most constructive approaches to improving schools need to come
from OUR BEST efforts to think through alternatives to improve school
situations...
Many of these -- like school choice, vouchers, charter schools, etc. --
come from conservatives like Terry Moe and Chester Finn (though I love
Chester's work on charter schools, I'm not a big fan, AT ALL, of his
poorly-conceived ideas about school discipline...he wants to pattern
American life and American schools on SINGAPORE for God's sakes...I
say, Chester, you want to live in Singapore...go live there, you
ungrateful fuck...and leave the freedom of America to stay in
America)...
And many of them come from liberals --
like all Rich Simpson and Tom Skrtic -- and their ideas on least
restrictive environment and schools taking responsibilty for their own
too restrictive practices and the ways that this creates many problems
that they might otherwise ignore...
There are GREAT THINKERS ALL OVER THE IDEOLOGICAL SPECTRUM...
But the thinking is what we are FAR TOO BEREFT of in public school
discussions...as well as enough opportunities for parents and teachers
and students and others to get involved in such discussions to improve
schools...
It's crazy to me, Ala, how so many conservatives can embrace "tough
love" approaches and not see that all those liberal professors who
graded them down for expressing different ideas were also engaged in
"tough love" as much as anything that conservatives or anyone might
engage in with kids or liberals:):):):):):)...
The truth is, Ala, that we are ALL a bunch of bullies...looking to
limit discussion that we don't like...with one another...with
kids...with other parents...with teachers...with just about everyone...
Because we're all so GODDAMNED SURE that we know what's best...
It's self-righteous...and it's bullshit...and a more engaged discussion
of ALL of the complex issues in schools is the best antidote, I
think:):):):):):)...
I'll write more, later, Ala:):):)...
Talk with you later:):):):):):)...
Ben"...
...next...my comments for Ala on her higher education forum:):):)...
"Ala:):):)...what a crazy picture, huh?:):):):):):)...
Not the picture you want to show or see on the campus tour, huh, as
you're checking out those dumpy little dorm rooms?:):):):):):)...
No offense, y'all...but I think most people here are missing the
point...
Professors...teachers...administrators...none of
them...left...right...far left...far
right...libertarian...anarchist...socialist...theocratic (I'm quite
surprised that folks are not as outraged about a lot of the bullshit
that pretends to be a genuine pursuit or knowledge that shows up in
religious colleges and universities)...
None of these folks are perfect...
And the WHOLE POINT of democracy -- especially for a more authentic
democracy -- is that it accounts for the fact that people are
imperfect...the unique thing about democracy is that it openly
acknowledges that it is far from ideal and all of the discussion and
debate that takes place within it is far from ideal...always seeking
and searching out better and better ideals...that's the nature of free
and engaged thought and expression...
Meaning...that EVERYONE has to stop being such whining little pusses...
And start writing good papers and making good arguments and engaging in
good discussions NO MATTER WHO your professor is...
Because I GUARANTEE that -- as a general rule -- you will have FAR MORE
FREEDOM to do so in UNIVERSITIES than you will in almost every other
area of life...business, included...but much more than institutions
like, say, the military or law enforcement, where heterodoxy is treated
with MUCH less respect, in my study and experience, than in
universities...
So, contrary to the little dark fantasies of less capable folks like
David Horowitz (whether he was a radical liberal or a radical
conservative) is not to CENSOR the views of liberal or conservative or
WHATEVER professors we might have...
It's to stop whining, for goodness sakes...and start engaging the
discussion with MORE INTELLIGENT ARGUMENTS, if you got them...
And whoever said that universities are not the same as they were in the
old days are RIGHT...
They are FAR MORE OPEN:):):):):):):)...FAR MORE
EGALITARIAN:):):):):):)...FAR MORE READILY and FINANCIALLY within reach
of FAR MORE PEOPLE:):):):):):)...there are FAR MORE AMERICANS who go to
college today than any other time in American or probably humanity's
history:):):):):):)...which has EVERYTHING to do with the EXTRAORDINARY
efforts of all of those liberal, conservative, radical, anarchist,
libertarian, unaffiliated, and otherwise bright folks who teach and
work in universities...
The fact is that everyone who has been to a university needs to be a
hell of a lot more GRATEFUL that those folks helped create as many
opportunities for them that they did...
And if you want SMARTER ARGUMENTS to be taken more seriously in
universities...
Then START MAKING THEM...
And STOP WHINING...
It's unbecoming:):):):):):)...
In my experience...though I've dealt with FAR MORE than my fair share
of liberal, conservative, radical, religious, anarchist, libertarian
and other professors giving more hell than was good for my education...
Most if not ALL of these people...will...as a general rule...listen to
GOOD ARGUMENTS BETTER than almost anyone else in the
culture:):):):):):)...
Universities don't have the reputation of having the smartest folks
among them for no reason at all, for goodness sakes:):):)...
A bit of conventional wisdom that I'm surprised that this forum engages
in so much CONSPIRACY THEORY to ignore:):):):):):)...
(Nonsense conspiracy comes from ALL DIRECTIONS, folks:):):):):):)...not
just from the left:):):):):):)...
Universities have that reputation...
Because they, generally, ARE the places where the SMARTEST PEOPLE hang
out...and teach...and get hired:):):):):):)...
And Lefty is right:):):):):):)...
If you want to change them...I suggest you study up...and become a part
of one:):):):):):)...
Or study up...and become a part of one of the HUNDREDS of think tanks
that CRITIQUE them:):):):):):) (fairly
and...often...not-so-fairly:):):):):):)...
But the thing that the right is FAR OVERREACHING itself on these days
is in the terribly deceptive and awfully-conceived effort by folks like
David Horowitz to CENSOR people they disagree with (and it becomes
clearer the more you read and listen to David that what he means is to
censor the LEFT, not the right, as he DEFENDS -- rightly -- Larry
Summers -- against efforts to impose political correctness from the
left...and DEFENDS -- WRONGLY -- efforts to impose political
correctness on folks like Ward Churchill or this professor that Ala
features, from the right...
What EVERYONE needs to learn how to do is to BE A GROWN-UP, write GOOD
PAPERS...make GOOD ARGUMENTS...and STOP THE WHINING, for god's sakes...
I thought the point of the best of conservatism was to LEAVE BEHIND THE
LEGACY OF VICTIMHOOD...NOT EMBRACE IT AS CONSERVATIVES' OWN CAUSE, for
goodness sakes...
Really...y'all...
Victimhood looks unattractive on liberals...and it looks EQUALLY
unattractive on conservatives:):):):):):):):):):):):)...
The secret to improving Universities...always...perpetually...
Is really no secret at all:):):):):):)...
In fact, it is the MOST OPEN SECRET in the culture, all taken
together:):):):):):):):):):):):)...
It is to think...
To think more...
To think better...
And to subject your thoughts to the criticisms and constructive
suggestions of everyone...
Including and ESPECIALLY people you disagree with:):):):):):)...
Which means all of those KOOKY, CONSPIRACY-SPEWING, liberal AND
conservative professors that you or I might run across in a university
setting:):):):):):)...
And even they -- in my experience -- will tend to treat you
fairly...roughly speaking...if you have good ideas:):):):):):)...
So bone on the studying, folks...because a culture cannot sustain
itself on WHINING, I guarantee you:):):):):):)...
It can only sustain itself on GOOD IDEAS:):):):):)...and if you got
em'...offer 'em up:):):)...
And if they're good:):):):):):)...
I GUARANTEE:):):):):):)...THEY WILL STICK:):):):):):):):):)...
Because THAT...by definition...is what a GOOD IDEA
is:):):):):):):):):)...
It is an idea that gets picked up:):):):):):)...because it is just TOO
GOOD TO PASS UP:):):):):):):):):):):):)...
Have a great day, everyone:):):):):):)...
Love,
Ben"...
...and...finally...my post to Bigandmean's roughly paraphrased
question, "How do you stay so open-minded in a liberal university
town?":):):):):):) (Bigandmean is a conservative law professor who I
PRESUME does NOT live in a liberal university town:):):):):):)...
"It's a great question, bigandmean:):):):):):)...
I ask myself that question ALL THE
TIME:):):):):):):):):):):):)LOL:):):):):):):):)...
My undergrad experience was in my home town of Wichita, Kansas at
Wichita State University...which is a much more open university to
conservative ideas...MANY of my professors were conservatives and
Republicans...and I was more of libertarian, really, going into college
from high school...I read and argued with my liberal professors about
authors like Ayn Rand, and Nathaniel Branden, and Murray Rothbard, and
ALAN GREENSPAN:):):) (did you know that Alan was an Objectivist and
SERIOUS libertarian, back in the day?:):):):):):)...that was the FIRST
encounter I had with the name, Alan Greenspan:):):):):):)...on the
cover of an objectivist newsletter way back in my last years of high
school researching for debate rounds at the nearby university
library:):):):):):)...
WSU was also MUCH MORE involved with the business community in Wichita
than the University of Kansas is, here in Lawrence, I think...MANY, of
the business owners in Lawrence are KU grads...but...in Wichita...not
only were many of the folks Wichita State grads...but the university
made a proactive effort to connect the university with the local
business community...
A MUCH DIFFERENT OUTLOOK than a liberal university town campus
perspective:):):):):):)...
So when conservatives criticize liberals as not being REALLY in favor
of diversity -- meaning ideological diversity:):):) -- I know EXACTLY
what they mean:):):):):):)...
I had ONE HELL of a time in grad school trying to voice conservative,
libertarian, Christian, and religious viewpoints in a radical/liberal
graduate program dominated by two radical Ph.D.'s/professors who showed
FAR TOO LITTLE tolerance for viewpoints different from their own...
But it was good getting all of the experiences...the good ones and the
bad ones...
I call myself a liberal because of my deepened theological perspective,
lately...
Meaning...I grew up and was a youth leader in a little liberal church
in Wichita, Kansas called Unity Church...which was, generally, a REALLY
WONDERFUL spiritual/religious experience for me:):):)...
And...fundamentally...for me...this meant living a life of authentic
love and compassion and understanding for all people...no matter
what...just like Christs' example...
This doesn't mean you let people murder you, of course...that you don't
take terrorists seriously...or murder seriously...or crime...or
violence...or whatever...
It just means that -- as Bobby Kennedy spoke about after the
assassination of Martin Luther King --that you reach past your pain to
find compassion and understanding that helps to better deal with these
and other serious problems in a society and a community:):):)...
And I do that to the best of my ability every day of my
life:):):):):):)...
Desult has counciled me on keeping these posts shorter,
Bigandmean:):):):):):)...so I'll do that now and we can talk more
later:):):):):):)...
Talk soon:):):):):):)...
Love,
Ben"
Thanks...Ala and Bigandmean...for offering such great forums to discuss
important stuff:):):):):):)...
And thanks to everyone else for being patient with the little
technological snafu that we encountered, here;):):):):):)...
Love,
Ben
