Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Well played, George Orwell

But Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, said lawmakers are entitled to regulate the use of tax dollars taken from Arizonans and "demand that our publicly funded education teach and inculcate our youth, our children with the values that make America what it is, the greatest and most free nation in the world."

Values like enslaving those we consider to be less than us, nearly exterminating an entire race of natives, stealing and raping a continent that had previously been inhabited by generally peaceful people, and turning South America in to a corporate colony! That way they will love America and not care so much about their idiotic cultural history. If they wanted to learn it so much their ancestors should have fought harder for it. Maybe they should have invented guns or something instead of screwing around so much with stupid corn.

To think that we have gotten to a time in history where our government thinks it's OK for them to step in and regulate what is being taught in schools is very scary. Reading the comments on the article is even worse. So many people are wholeheartedly behind this, but they don't seem to realize two things: First of all, they do not understand that this sets a precedent and can be applied to ALL types of teaching, not just that being done in the specific classes mentioned here and second, that the American history we were taught in our youth is far from what really happened in the early years of this country. Our country has filled the minds of most people with this "America is #1! America is #1! America is #1!" b.s. instead of teaching them about the real history of the United States. Maybe we'd see a little more humility and a little less NASCAR if our school system was designed to make people smart instead of to keep them quiet and ignorant.

We are seeing some disturbing trends in America today, especially when it comes to the actions of our government. Lying to the public at a level not seen in more than 30 years, ignoring the protests of many countries (friend and enemy alike) as we shove our corporate foreign policy down the throats of whomever we like, deficit spending at a level never before matched, stifling dissenting opinions through the media and by forcing protestors to set up shop blocks and blocks away from events featuring the president, the further militarization of local police, warrantless surveillance of anyone at any time for any reason, and soon perhaps determining what can and can't be taught in schools.

Does that sound fascist to you? Don't bother answering. It IS fascist.

Monday, April 21, 2008

"They voted unanimously to keep the sign up."

Oh, the South. You're like our retarded cousin.

I'm glad for Bill Hicks that he's dead and isn't witnessing this right now.