I have found quite a few of your statements regarding the Constitution of the United States, the quality of public school education and general U.S. civics matters to be factually incorrect, inaccurately applied or grossly distorted.
The above statement is a perfect illustration of why I no longer post on Kevin Baker's site nor (for the most part) engage people who seek to have their paranoid fantasies legitimized. Kevin, along with his merry band of sycophants, are completely and utterly defined by the statement above. The fact that it was made by a tenth grade girl in a letter addressed to Congresswoman Michele Bachmann makes it terribly ironic considering Kevin's one note samba about our nation's schools.
Sadly, though, where Amy Myers (the author of the statement above) has failed in her educational pursuits is what the people who she is criticizing are capable of doing. Take a look at this.
"A lot of them are calling me a whore," 16-year-old Amy Myers said, referring to anonymous comments reacting to online news reports about her challenge to the 55-year-old Minnesota congresswoman.
Amy and Wayne Myers said the comments on conservative websites alarmed them most. Several commenters threatened to publish the Myers' home address.
Others threatened violence, including rape, they said.
"I got a call from the principal that the main office received threatening mail," said the computer programmer and single father.
I wish I could say I'm surprised but I'm not. This is the place you go to when you are a True Believer. Amy, like many students across the country, represent what the right fears the most: critical thinkers. She needs to understand that they will react like this because it threatens their continued relevancy. This is why the drumbeat from the right has continually been that education is filled with socialists/communists/fascists that want to brainwash our children (B to the W-I wonder if any of them can tell the difference any more between the three).
Because the truth is that the right is attempting to do their own version of brainwashing which naturally leads them to the perception bias that current educators are doing the same. Further (and Kevin is fantastic example of this), they never stop to think and reflect that maybe many children like Amy won't listen to their warped view of history, civics, and education because it's simply "factually incorrect, inaccurately applied, or grossly distorted." Why are they incapable of seeing this? Because when you strip all the paranoia, hate, and anger away all the only conviction they truly have is their own vanity.
I hope that Amy realizes all of this as she moves forward in her life. Although being a confident and intelligent student of history, she need only look at the threats of intimidation and violence that occurred in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s for insight as to what happens when you challenge the Tea Party "goddess" (also ironic when you consider the cries about Obama's brown shirts but that's just another example of perception bias again).
Oh, and no response as of yet from Congresswoman Bachmann's office as to whether or not she will accept Amy's challenge.
17 comments:
and u never mentioned the wisconsin teacher that threatened to kill gov. walkers kids in wisconsin. must not have fit your narrative that u push.
Wing nuts making anonymous threats? Christ, read the comments to any breaking story. Eventually it devolves into personal attacks and keyboard tough guys.
Doesn't seem to matter if its Right or Left.
"Doesn't seem to matter if its Right or Left."
Except that the right makes damn sure they've got guns in their hands, and are constantly pushing laws (as they did in Minnesota) to let people shoot anyone, anytime, anywhere that they feel "threatened" by.
Who is consistently for the death penalty, torture, the ability of police to seize assets of suspected criminals and to eschew search warrants and Miranda warnings? If government employees are so incompetent and corrupt, why does the right think that police and prosecutors can be trusted with people's very lives?
There was a time when left-wing terrorists were a serious threat. Those days are long gone. They died when the Soviet Union did, calling into question how violent the left wing really was, and whether violence was ever inherent to left-wing causes or whether it was just another Soviet cold-war weapon.
Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, McVeigh, Rudolph, the abortion clinic murderers: the vast majority of terrorism in the last 20 years has been perpetrated by conservative religious people who believe god is on their side.
Kids are off limits. On both sides.
But The Left has no problem publishing home addresses and protesting at the homes of it's "enemies". And they have no problem damaging vehicles as they enter a private fund raiser for Republicans. Or sending death threats via email.
So maybe you should stop. Maybe we should all stop.
Except that the right makes damn sure they've got guns in their hands, and are constantly pushing laws (as they did in Minnesota) to let people shoot anyone, anytime, anywhere that they feel "threatened" by.
Well that's a heaping helping of horse hockey!
First, we can talk about the law in question and what it actually says. Then you can post about such incidents of wild west vigilantism - real events, not just fevered imaginings.
Now that a vast majority of states have concealed weapons laws that actually agree with the intent of the 2nd amendment, the number of 'justified killings' should have gone through the roof.
Did it?
Is it possible that you don't really know anyone that thinks like the phantasmagorical 'right-winger' you describe?
It used to be left wing terrorism... now it's right wing terrorism... perhaps it'll be left wing terrorism twenty years from now.
and you say they should be considered different... why again?
I don't think I could come up with a better summation of Kevin Baker and his denizens. I pop into his site once in awhile and always seem to find his latest Bircher rant on our nation's schools. He clearly has not spent any significant amount of time in one nor have most of his readers. He bitches constantly but does he do anything like volunteer his time? No. What a coward. I'd like to see him face a class of 7th or 8th graders for one whole week. All his BS about Gramsci would out the window the first day.
Hmm...it looks like he had three posts about education in the last week. Guess he misses you, mark. Childish baiting-part and parcel to bullying. I think that might be the only language he understands. He strikes me as someone who was bullied at school for being in the Dungeons and Dragons group.
What amazes me is how Kevin puts up a post about once every two months from someone (usually a young person) who has "seen the light" because of TSM. This person is overwhelming with his gratitude, showering praise on Kevin and his commenters, and thanking all for the rescue from the communism rampant in the schools. It all strikes me as very insecure. Why the need for self congratulations?
Yeah, there isn't anything wrong with our schools that more money wouldn't fix, right?
Why the need for self congratulations?
oh, brother. If you read, the purpose of his blogging is educating others about rights - primarily gun rights but he covers more. Reaching 'students' is the whole point and I am sure gratifying. Especially true when someone comes out of the lefty stupor. You have a ways to go.
Daniel, I see no need to rip D&D players. I played D&D in high school and really enjoyed it so I don't see what that has to do with your point at all. But the rest of it is very true. Kevin should spend a week in a junior high in Tuscon and then write about his experience.
6Kings, I will agree that Kevin does a good job on the gun rights issue. Even though he has a bias, he does an excellent job looking critically and reflectively at the issue. He still does have a little of the "coming to get my guns" thing but with day after day of gun rights victories, it's going to be hard to maintain that paranoia with a straight face. And all with President Obama in office..hmm...
Jeff, to answer your question, it's because he's likely insecure about his views on things other than gun rights. This is actually quite common with people that are out there on the fringe-they need to have the numbers and feel that if they have a few, it validates their point of view.
Funny how you claim Kevin's posts are evidence of how out of touch and ignorant he is of what really goes on in schools... and yet are completely silent on the fact that his supporting evidence for his last 2 education posts are taken directly from a school textbook and a school handout brought home by a student.
It doesn't even matter if it has the school letterhead on it, it doesn't really exist because you say it doesn't.
Sorry, Mark, that came out wrong about D&D. I simply meant that bullying usually produces bullying.
yet are completely silent on the fact that his supporting evidence
More childish baiting. Are you one of those guys, anonymous, who wants mark to go back to posting on Kevin's site but can bring yourself to come right out and say that you miss him? That it's just not the same without him? Sniffle sniffle. Hence the anonymous name! But to your point, I'm certain I could find a Republican that has most of the same views that I do. Does that mean that all Republicans are actually Democrats? No. Kevin goes looking for that information because he can't conceive of operating outside of confirmation bias. He uses his examples and translates that into ALL schools. It's ridiculous. Even the examples he offers are such a caricature that within those schools he mentions, it's probably not even true. That's why I say he should go into one of these schools he talks about and spend a week there. I doubt he will learn anything, though. Somehow, he will be right in the end. He always is.
So the use of factual evidence is 'childish baiting'?
Tough crowd.
So the use of factual evidence is 'childish baiting'?
Apparently. But,
Kevin goes looking for that information because he can't conceive of operating outside of confirmation bias.
must be true, no supporting facts needed. Because he says so!
Amazing how that works, huh?
More childish baiting.
Speaking of which M, which exactly was my question to you about why Buffett should only be asked to voluntarily relinquish his SS bennies: baiting, hyperbole or games? I'd really like to know - so I can avoid doing that in the future.
he can't conceive of operating outside of confirmation bias.
Ah, this truly is the land of projection!
Childish baiting.
Childish {Blah, blah, blah}
Did I miss the (D)umbass convention that put this buzzphrase in play?
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