Republicans think; Democrats feel" : Writing Prompt for my son's AP Government Class

A little background:

Right wing hell school district. Overwhelmingly Republican. NO racial, religious diversity. Upper middle class.

Right wing school board and administration. Rick Santorum was invited to speak to the student body shortly before he lost his bid for re-election in 2006. When a student tried to ask questions about Iraq, she had the microphone taken away from her.

Right wing teacher. My son said she is a nice person, but her political views are warped. She makes frequent jokes about Democrats. Doesn't seem to intervene when class discussions have become repulsively racist. My son has come home more than once stating how disturbing he has found the views expressed by the overwhelming majority of students in the class. Iraqis' deaths mean nothing to these kids, gay marriage is a huge threat that must be prevented, blacks "expect everything to be handed to them." I kid you not.

Also, did I mention that we feel that she seems to be biased in grading writing assignments in which our son's political views are expressed? Much of the grading is subjective due to the fact that grades are based largely upon writing assignments.

I probably won't get involved because my son is 18 and he needs to learn to deal with situations like this. But I am curious about what the purpose of this assignment was. I think it might be a healthy class discussion if it were handled properly, but based upon reports of past discussions, I don't think the teacher tries to be impartial, and does not try to have the students show respect for the political views of others. I think the class is perpetuating the nasty smear politics that have created such a divide in this country.

Opinions?

I also think that Republicans use the emotion of fear extensively, while Democrats use hope and empathy more.

It's a good thing that my son finished his assignment before he told me about it, because I would have told him to open his essay, with the remark, "Republicans think? You're kidding, right? I mean they elected George Bush who brags about following his gut, and states that God tells him what to do."

Rush, their preacher, etc.

Republicans tend to only think about themselves; Democrats tend to care more about others.

It's a broad brush, but she's doing the same thing, and I think that this is more true than what she stated. I think that she should have to visit DU to see how much Democrats are able to "think" as well as "feel"; they're not mutually exclusive.

including Trolls, and Lurkers, many of the Conservative stripe. Some come to learn/share...others come for nefarious reasons...

They wish to Steer/herd/frame our social paths to their advantage...for better odds.

Most Pubs lack empathy....

GROUP.

Many actually deny science such as Global Warming being caused by MAN

Tom DeLuded said so a few minutes ago on Hardball. Doesn't want Industry to clean up its act.

,...DO FEEL STRONGLY about constitutional and civil and human rights. It's not that Democrats don't THINK (they think about more than themselves), it's just that Republicans think ONLY about their own self-interests.

How's about THAT,...from a 17 year-old (to be 18 in time for the general)teenager, PROUD TO SAY, recently registered voter-guy,...that would be MY SON!!!!

:bounce:

want to fall in love" in respect with the election.

nothing busts a teacher like this like a tape you can give to media

Also, nothing protects your son like having a tape of her allowing what should be prohibited statements. No tape, no case. If you have a tape, everyone believes you.

This shit has no place in the classroom, PERIOD!

The school is Federally funded and must adhere to the rules in place
providing protection from these abuses.

i.e, What the teacher is doing is against the law, according to Fed. guidelines.

Get it on tape- even an audio tape will help!!

Good luck!

:pals:

And Welcome to DU, Herdin_Cats!

Yes, I would make a stink. Of whatever size you want.

Write a letter to the principal with your concerns about the flagrant bias being TAUGHT in this school and how any free exchange of ideas is suppressed. Freedom of Speech, 'eh?

And I would CC: that letter to the teacher, the school board, the school district, your congressperson, your senators, AND your attorney (whether or not you actually intend to take it that far - more important that they THINK you might. Remember? "republi-CONS 'think'"?).

I did that one time with my kid's school. CC'ed it all over the place when he'd been bullied on the playground and then HE was the one caught while the bullies ran off and got to go to Beach Day and he was grounded. I wrote it to the principal, CC'ed it to the vice principal, my son's teacher, my attorney, AND the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

It's important that they SEE you are spreading this around and that other eyes will see it to and thus are becoming informed about this. The farther you spread it, the tighter their sphincter's will pinch. And it also means there's less of a chance of retaliation if you've suddenly brought a LOT of other witnesses in to observe. You're, in effect, bringing them all in to have your back in case they want to make things tough on your kid. ESPECIALLY if your attorney is among those copied in. They see that John Doe, ESQ (ALERT! ATTORNEY HERE!!!) and the blood will drain from their faces in one instant.

In my case, the dumping on and singling out my son STOPPED COLD, and the disciplinary action that was initiated against him was also STOPPEd COLD. They jumped on this immediately and fell all over themselves trying to make nice-nice with me and sweetie-sweetie with my boy. OH MY MY MY they didn't mean ANYTHING by it!!! They hate it when they think somebody else is watching. But it keeps them walking the straight and narrow.

IF THEY THINK YOU DON'T CARE, THEY WON'T, EITHER!!! And this will prove to them, positively, that you do care, very much indeed. I'd start getting in their faces. Make sure they realize that YOU, a proud and activist Dem, do indeed think, also. And far better and more shrewdly than they do.

Do it.

a) they aren't very good at it;
b) odd that they typically run campaigns that pander to emotional hot button issues, 9-11 GWOT fear, the gay agenda, 'hillary care' etc.

Then they come to the wrong conclusion every time.
The Professor

Your son can start here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma

Reps & Dems *both* think & feel, it's not either-or.

They have different "reality tunnels," to use Robert Anton Wilson's term.

Each group, in general, emphasizes certain things & minimizes others.

Anyway, that's the tack I'd take.

I thought he handled it well, citing examples on both sides of the political spectrum.

We all think and feel. We all let both guide us in our election decisions, for better or worse. And both sides use fear and hope, but in different ways. Sadly, fear works better as a motivator, so we use it more. But, fear is an emotion.

Look at all the ads scaring us about terrorism that the Republicans have run over the past 6 years. IF we were to really think about it, we would realize that the number of people who have died of terrorist attacks is relatively small compared to the number of people who died of illness, or accident or plain ol' every day murder. This is not to discount any one's death or minimize a national tragedy. I am pointing out that our response, our level of fear is perhaps disproportionate. Republicans don't want us to think how small our chances of dying in a terrorist attack are, they want us to feel constant fear and feel they are the only ones who can protect us.

Democrats do it too, but not with terrorism. And Liberals want people to feel compassion for everyone.

But we both think too.

they think whatever they are told to think

dems feel, then think about what to do, and then they do it

son is in AP Human Geography, and the teacher is a Reaganologist, teaching from Friedman's *The World is Flat* book. It's a nightmare.

My son has had to learn to take in the BS, and spew it back to keep his grades up. It's a learning lesson for him, because he's going to have to deal with some phenomenal a-holes in life. He went out on a limb and used up-to-date net sources on *1* paper, and got flunked on the paper. He's really having to double up to get that grade wiped.

It's sad - but the kids need to learn how to deal with this crap. I'm going to make sure the principal knows how B AD this teacher is - AFTER my kid has his final exams. And I'm going to make sure he doesn't take anymore classes with *Das Fuhrer*.

My son doesn't want us to intervene, he's 18 and a really bright kid, and I think this class has been a real eye-opener and a good learning experience for him. Oh, and did I mention that he registered to vote the day he turned 18 and has already voted in his first election? I think he feels obligated to cancel out the vote of one of these extremists that he finds so alarming.

He has YET to get an A on any writing assignment from this teacher. This is a kid who has gotten A's in honors English class all through high school and got a 740 on his SAT essay. He asked my husband for some input on his last writing assignment which was an opinion on a hypothetical Supreme Court decision, and how a particular Justice would vote. My husband is a lawyer with 25+ years experience, and he helped him with the research. He helped him find similar cases, reviewed my son's paper and provided feedback. My son spent more than 2 hours on a one night homework assignment. He got a B. He asked the teacher about how she graded it and got a line of BS.

I will probably wait until he graduates this spring to say something, but knowing the extreme political leanings of the principal and the administration, I doubt it will have any impact.

Democrats rely on science, Republicans prefer religion and other fantasies. Democrats try to uncover the truth, Republicans try to cover it up and keep it secret. And yes, Democrats use thinking and logic, Republicans prefer emotion and fixed dogma.

Even in the emotional realm, Republicans are limited and stunted. The primary emotions acted out by Republicans are fear and rage. (Ever listen to Rush Limbaugh?) Other emotions like joy, love, and compassion are just as foreign to the right as genuine thought.

How on earth did you end up in a right-wing hellhole anyway? Any chance of escaping?

In fact the voter registration in our county is over 60% Democratic, but a lot of those folks are voting Republican. I honestly think that a major factor in the move to the right is the fact that Richard Mellon Scaife has bought all the local newspapers in our county and has turned them into rabidly right wing rags. He loses money on his newspapers every year, but keeps them to influence politics.

This seems like a good writing assignment, all he has to do is write a paper that proves this is not true.

The irony is that, in many ways, the opposite of this is the truth, but of course that is a poor generalization as well.

If you look at the majority of people in general you will find that most people make most of their decisions based on emotions.

The difference that is often highlighted between "Democrats" and "Republicans" is really the Democrats seem, in a very stereotypical way, to base much of their support for issues on sympathy for others. Republicans on the other hand tend to be more swayed by exclusion and fear.

Fear and sympathy are both emotions.

Simply listen to Rush Limbaugh or Bil O'Reilly, both are very emotional speakers who appeal to the issues on an emotional basis. Its just different emotions.

Look at the Iraq War for example. Clearly the Republican supports were not thinking clearly on the issue and were swayed by emotion. The emotions they were swayed by were fear, "faith", group think, patriotism, etc. Those are all emotional reactions. The entire so-called "evangelical base" is rooted in emotion. The entire "right to life" movement is based on emotions.

Republicans try to paint themselves as pragmatic, but in reality they are really the much more emotionally driven group. They are driven by the emotions of tribalism, exclusion, patriotism, etc.

Hating homosexuals is an emotional issue, it certainly isn't an issue driven by logic and reason.

The idea of "Democrats" being "emotionally driven" comes from stereotypes of the women's rights movement, as well as other issues that manifested themselves in the 1960s.

In reality, however, Leftist movements in general, and Leftist ideology, (which in reality has very little to do with Democrats though) is very driven by scholarship and pragmatics. I don't see anyone reading Karl Marx and coming away saying Marx was just some emotional guy and wasn't a thinker, LOL. Marx is about as dry and emotionless as you can get.

To the extent that "conservatives" are driven by religion I would say that this is an emotional issue. Religion is about as an emotional driven system as can be imagined.

I think unfortunately, that this teacher will take offense at his comments, which I think are legitimate. It will be interesting to see the teacher's reaction.

Also, I would have simply taken the major issues that Republicans vote on. I would have found some polls to be able to identify the top 4 issues to Republicans vs Dems, lets say, and talked about the reasoning behind the views of each group on those issues.

We know for for Republicans it would have been something like:

> Abortion
> Illegal Immigration
> Taxes
> "Values"

It would not be difficult to show that the abortion issue is essentially a purely emotional issue. From a pragmatic point of view access to legal and safe abortion is clearly and conclusively shown to be better for women and society as a whole. Opposition to legal abortion is nothing but an emotional issue.

As for "illegal immigration" (they really hate all immigration) and the so-called "Amnesty" issue, once again this is emotionally driven. Clearly from a practical and pragmatic point of view some type of program to legalize the illegal immigrants that are already here is the only viable option. Throwing 12 million people out of the country would bankrupt out country and probably destroy our economy. Doing so would be impossible from a logistic point of view, costing billions of dollars to round people up and ship them out of here, most of whom are hard working people that would be more than happy to be legalized and start paying more taxes. The opposition to this approach is purely emotional, an "us vs. them", "its not fair" mentality.

In relation to taxes, all of the stock views on taxes by Republicans are driven by emotion. Working class Republican voters vote against their own economic interests and against our national economic interests based on emotional appeals to "don't let the government take your money from you". Out of this shallow individual protectionist mentality larger losses are incurred. The debt is totally out of control, and yet all of the Republican candidates are still talking about cutting taxes, its totally irrational.

"Values" is of course a purely emotional issue, and also one that both Republicans and Democrats are concerned with anyway. Three words, "Faith Based Initiative". You don't get any more emotionally driven than that.

The Republican base is totally driven and manipulated by emotions, once again, they are just unsympathetic emotions, but clearly those are still emotions. Selfishness, callousness, fear, protectionism, patriotism, etc., are all emotions, and thats what drives the Republican base.

Oh, absolutely.

And we wonder where the 30% supporting GWB's presidency come from? I'd guess not a few were students in school districts like this one, and didn't have parents (or other mentors) like you to support their intellectual growth and freedom.

The touchy-feely aging hippie and the emasculated nancy-boy as typical democrats are stupid stereotypes.

Most democrats vote that way because they've studied enough history and economics to know that more equitable distribution of wealth benefits the entire society. It's an intellectual conclusion, it's not about "feeling good".

Conversely, most republicans vote that way because GOP politicans appeal to their baser EMOTIONS - fear, anger, fetishization of masculinity and power, etc. It's repugs that vote based on emotion, or more accurately, the reptilian brain. Most Republicans would read the preceding sentence and simply take it as an insult, completely oblivious of what the reptilian brain is and how it influences human behavior...

And the fact that any teacher would give a writing assignment that is so biased is insane. It takes all of my class time trying to teach my students the fundamentals of the Constitution and the basics of American government. Most high school students graduate without any real clue about how our government works, and the fact that this teacher is spending valuable class time on petty writing assignments that have nothing to do with academics but rather trying to get the class involved in silly Republican vs. Democrat debates just blows my mind.

It is a writing assignment that was obviously made based on emotion....

Welcome to DU! :hi:

I haven't seen any evidence that she is trying to promote civility and respect, in fact the opposite seems to be true. My son says the class often devolves into people making outrageous and cruelly insensitive remarks. He hates the class.

We barely got to know thee. :cry:

Am I missing something?

That was his first and only post.

:shrug:

or not very weird i guess , since i hang out at DU ;)

last time i checked tho, alot of republicans go by their religion... faith and believing in a religion are 'feeling' if you ask me.

Democrats feel that things are quite possibly more complicated than that.

Oh, I would have loved to get such an assignment at age 18, presumably with my college admission already lined up and nothing to lose. I'd be sure to make a federal case of it. I do applaud your letting him take care of this himself, though.

It's not worth troubling their beautiful minds over.

I survived. It sounds like your son is a senior, so there probably isn't much point in fighting the school system right now. I hope that your son goes to an excellent college or university and has a successful and happy life!

I consider my years in a hard-right school system to have been "real world" training.

He'd like to get an A in the class, so he is extremely careful in how he expresses his opinion, trying to appeal to logic and reason and staying away from personal attacks. Not so with the right wing majority of students because they know the teacher is on their side. I probably won't do anything because my son is very capable of defending his stance on the issues. He's very well-informed and a good kid overall. It just pisses me off because my tax dollars pay this Bushbot's salary, and her class does nothing to move the political dialogue forward. It just perpetuates the divisive and nasty tone that political discourse has taken since the days of Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove.

I agree with everything you say in your post, too. Sigh.

encourage your son to think of these assignments as "creative writing" assignments, rather than respond to them seriously.

What do I mean by "creative writing" assignments? Ask your son to read Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal", which seems ostensibly the product of 18th-century Englightenment rhetoric and argumentation. Until you actually consider what the speaker (or "persona") is advocating, i.e., eating the poor as a way to handle the famine in Ireland.

In the same way, you might ask you son to adopt the 'persona' of a RW kook and then write from that persona's perspective.

Just a thought.

repukes think fascism is an acceptable idea.

repukes think as long as they are personally wealthy (or can imagine the *could* be) that everything is fine.

repukes think nasty little reptile thoughts.

That teacher has no business teaching an AP course. Even ignoring the inappropriate political bias, it's simply a waste of time to ask for things like this instead of teaching the students how government functions.

How can someone believe that "Republicans think and Democrats feel". On the surface, it seems clear that this "thinking" excuse is nothing more than a way of suppressing the self-evaluation of biases which they know in their gut are immoral.

If I can pretend that I reached my bigotry through logic, I can live with a clear conscience.

Thus, if I think that they have earned bad things, I can pretend that I have reached that opinion through some process other than bigotry.

How can a minimally sentient person believe that the "elitist pointy-headed liberals who run academia" are also, simultaneously, disinclined to think?

At the same time, all of "us good folk", who go to church on Sundays and accept what we're told, obviously and proudly take that lesson of uncritical credulity to heart the other seven days of the week. I guess no one every explained the dictionary definition of 'faith' to them.

Every time I hear something like this, I think of the film clip of Brittney Spears interviewed by Michael Moore in Farenheit 911. "I just think we should trust him".

The party of thinkers. That's the ticket.

which is somehow wrong? How do they think it is wrong to feel anything for the unfortunate or down and out or oppressed. Do they consider it weakness? Why then do so many of them hijack Christianity? The very person who said to sell all you have and give it to the poor, they claim to be following.

And exactly, they think Chimp is a nice guy they want to have a beer with, they like him, so they just trust him. Half the time when you argue with them they are whining that you just don't like Chimpy, as if that alone is a good reason why you are wrong.

Then I clicked on your profile, and I find that it very well might be.

I totally understand what you are saying.

I think that the teacher's out of line, actually.

Most Republican voters I know vote based on their emotions. Emotions like fear of terror that the Repukes stoke like fire. Like outrage and self-righteousness over things their politically-motivated preacher told them are abominations like homosexuality or abortion. Like greed for tax cuts. Like racism, misogyny and homophobia. Like a desire to be associated with the party of the rich, even if they themselves are dirt poor. Etc. Etc.

Playing on those emotions is how Repukes get themselves elected.

Democrats = Corporate Responsibility and Personal Freedom

and high school grades are not that important. Let him say his piece and grades be damned.

A conscience is a terrable thing to waste.

Talk about the pot calling the "non-kettle" black.

I understand him not wanting to rock the boat, but playing along probably won't get him an A. If he's able to think for himself enough to recognize this question for the bullshit it is, he is probably already doing A level work, and is being held back by the teacher's bias. Only way out is to fight it.

It's funny because he tries very hard NOT to let emotions enter his arguments, instead using facts to back up his point of view, while a number of students on the right have engaged in racial remarks, personal attacks and name calling. It sounds like the class is a high school version of the old CNN program Crossfire.

feeling. A person that feels is a person who is able to see the consequences of their actions. A person who thinks but not feel has no emotional connection to the consequences of their actions. A person who feels cannot torture another because they can empathize with the victim.

There needs to be a balance between thought an feeling. The mind can lie, but the body, the feeling part, never lies. Pure thought devoid of human feeling can conceive of mass murder, torture, unprovoked war, unending incarceration without charges and trial.

Have you thought about contacting the ACLU?

I always thought they were a bunch of sheep.


Probably because they are.

in a very blue area (phila). Political stuff doesn't make it into the classroom very often but there have been prayers during assemblies and professional developments. Our principal and VP are both ministers.

edited to add:

I also worked in a school where the leadership was very left and brought LOTS of politics into the classroom. I think politics need to stay out of the classroom whether or not they are right or left.

global warming isn't.

That pissing away half a trillion dollars in Iraq is "fiscally responsible"

That the way to keep women from having abortions is to make it harder for them to fill their birth control prescriptions.

That stem cells should have rights but people should not.

Should I go on?

for a college freshman, though I'd also make it clear that they could turn it around the other way, if they wanted. Not to overgeneralize, but many people in America today, to include, apparently, this teacher, don't seem to realize that this country is a creation of the enlightenment. If it had been me, I wouldn't have actually written an essay in response, except to use just enough text to string together a series of quotations from Voltaire, Jefferson, Franklin, and the other luminaries of the Enlightenment. The argument has already been made, three hundred years ago. Today's Republicans are the same people who would have supported those who wanted, but didn't get, an established church in America. The irony of this is that many of them are Baptists, who wound up supporting the side of the deists and freethinkers in opposing such a thing, because it probably would have made the US a permanent part of the Anglican church.

many people in America today, to include, apparently, this teacher, don't seem to realize that this country is a creation of the enlightenment.

How right you are.

Our system of government is a liberal democracy (as opposed to a monarchy).
Our Constitution is a liberal document.
In the Revolution, the right-wingers sided with King George (sound familiar?).
In the Civil War, the right-wingers sided with the secessionist slaveholders in the south.
In WW II, the bush family did business with Hitler.

Oh, and Jesus was a blatant liberal as well.

Do modern Republicans realize any of this? Or would that require thinking?

It doesn't matter if you're a very smart person, if you only use your knowledge to promote the cause of evil.

I know you were writing broadly, but it's also a little unhistorical to write of Jesus as a liberal, because liberal ideas per se did not arise for another 1700 years, unless you want to include Hobbes as a protoliberal, which would set the date back only 100 years. Jesus himself didn't spend a lot of time on private property, political rights or any of the other concerns that have historically occupied liberalism. They being said, I do know what you mean--Jesus was certainly someone in favor of truly decent behavior, as opposed to the petty and hypocritical moralism that has come to characterize modern American conservatism.

On the subject of the US as the product of enlightenment thought, I know some modern Republicans realize this. I am dead certain that Bill Buckley and the smarter sort of academic conservatives (who media conservatives refuse to admit actually exist, as it would falsify their little story about liberals in the academy, just as it would falsify their little story about liberals in the media if they were to admit that they are, themselves, conservatives in the media) know full well that our nation's intellectual, moral and philosophical heritage is the work of freethinking men who admired science and cherished ideas. That these men have collaborated with the religious right to concoct a slipshod Christian revisionist account of our nation's origins. Truth is subordinated to political ends, and it suffices to them that they know what it is.

I don't blame the bubbas who wear mesh tee shirts and get hammered on Natural Light every night for being reactionary and ignorant. They are told what to think by Limbaugh, and they like it that way. But conservative Republican intellectuals, those who have been responsible for creating out of whole cloth the mental atmosphere of the Republican party of today, they are beyond reproach. They are themselves people who live by their minds. If they are really successful, there will be no such place for them in the thing that they want America to be.

assignments"

I dispute your warrant.

Repukes' positions are entirely created by their feelings.

Climate change might bring about regulation, they dislike government regulation with emotional intensity, therefore there is no climate change.

Republicans need someone to hate so they can feel superior. They used to have the commies. 911 gave them the Muslims. Never mind how impractical it is to bomb Iraq and Iran and how ineffective it is against terrorists. It makes repukes FEEL better, FEEL stronger, and FEEL superior because they were born in the country which currently has the biggest military. They want other countries to recognize and feel that and often express frustration that it doesn't happen.

Republicans have to be right, and can't stand disagreement. Because of this, they develop feelings of inferiority just because others are different. If others are not Christian, then Christians are persecuted. Repubs often express their feelings about this. If others are gay, then it is persecution of the straights to let the gays have equal rights to straights. If there is not an "out" group, repuke feelings are hurt. They have to feel superior to someone and don't care who dies to make it happen.

ALL committed partisans show the same sorts of emotional reaction to certain "my team" stimuli. Right AND left. So there's some empirical research he could site with a little bit of research.

The true dichotomy is between the authoritarian & authoritarian-follower types, and free thinkers -- John Dean has a good book out on this. (sorry, can't think of the title just now)

sw

Then, you can help change things for the better.

well to be completely honest, I had a similar prompt in a college course i took in my Political Theory class. That is an actual prompt so don't let it get to you. As for the unfair grading, I don't know what to respond with. If your sons 18 then I wouldn't put myself in the situation. Also, since it is an AP course a B grade is like receiving an A in his regular classes (depending how your school's grade scale is). Anyway, he sounds like he will be graduating soon with excellent grades... good for him. Who knows, this experience may even better him in the future and make him stronger.
best of luck to you and your son.

because he is quite capable of advocating for himself. At this point his GPA isn't all that important either, because he's already been accepted to his first choice of colleges.

I just don't like what I am hearing about the nature of some of the class "discussions". Apparently, screaming, personal attacks and racial slurs are par for the course. I think that a high school teacher has a responsibility to promote civil discourse and respect among students. That is not happening in this case. I don't know how we are ever going to make meaningful progress in solving our country's problems when the emphasis always seems to be on the spectacle of political brawling, rather than resolving differences. It's sad.

Welcome to DU!

When I asked him what was so funny, he said that his teacher's candidate of choice was Mitt Romney and he just heard that the ole Mittster was dropping out of the race. He speculated as to who had the second nicest hair on the Republican side, Huckabee or McCain.

Otherwise, only the grades will exist after the end of the school year.

Democrats feel based upon what they see & think.

Republicans are followers. Democrats are leaders.

If this is the school I am thinking of, I went there. AND I had her. She tries to pretend she is playing both sides, when in fact she isn't. It is a difficult school district to be in because the conservatives there are so closed minded. It was hard to keep under control. However, one comment did bother me: "iraqis' deaths mean nothing to these kids, gay marriage is a huge threat that must prevent, blacks "expect everything to be handed to them." Please, don't generalize. Some of these kids really do care about the world; they are just silenced by both the teacher and their peers. The only thing that makes me feel better is that these kids realize how they are different, how they are most UNDERSTANDING and OPEN to the things around them. They are the ones who make the world a better place, not the desensitized ones who refuse to see what is in front of them.

I was just wondering if your son ever found out what he got on this prompt.

No offense but... all the opinions you get from this are going to be in your favor. After all, this is a democratic forum... So all the replies are biased. You should post it on a regular political forum and see what kind of response you get from both Democrats and Republicans... and Independents, Moderates etc; Just a thought. Also, it is an AP class (a college level course). When your son goes to college many of his professors will have 'warped political views'. How do you know she is biased when grading assignments? Maybe it's the student's writing? After all, your son should not expect 100% on each and every paper in a college course. Your son should express his political views to the teacher when she expresses her own. It would make for a good debate. Would you have posted this if the teacher were a 'left wing' democrat making fun of republicans? You have to put yourself in multiple scenarios when an issue like this arises.

That is my opinion. :)

the other in the interest of fairness. That is in some forms of MSM not wing nut talk radio or Faux News.

One side presents facts and the other presents propaganda or spin to counter the argument. Both are given equal weight.

In this case, the idea that conservatives or Repubs think and liberals or Dems feel is a meme straight out of wing nut talk radio. I've heard it many times there.

First, everyone thinks and feels. We have a brain and emotions. That is fact. Both are there for a purpose.



I have seen the right use dogma or ideology constantly as a basis for everything they support. And they listen to wing nut radio almost to a man or woman and can repeat and recite word for word the right wing talking points they hear there. That in my opinion is not thinking. As Immanual Kant said:

IMMANUEL KANT
An Answer to the Question:
What is Enlightenment? (1784)
Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! "Have courage to use your own understanding!"--that is the motto of enlightenment.

In that vein those who listen to wing nut radio are not enlightened but are living in a self imposed immaturity. That is not thinking that is letting someone else do your thinking for you.


As to feelings. We all have them. One feeling is compassion and that is in abundance on the left and is very rare on the right. Why take pride in that? Compassion is what leads us to care about the condition of mankind. Lack of compassion lets us live in our individualistic self centered world. Sort of like "I got mine you get yours" or "I got mine and you can't have any" or "you lazy ass you are at fault for being poor and I don't have to give a damn."

So truth is that we all think and feel. Those on the right deny their feelings thinking in an individualistic self centered I don't have to care about anyone else sort way.

Now if your were in need of help who would you rather we have more of, people with feeling and compassion or people who don't give a shit about your plight?

Just like the two sides of the culture wars, Fundamentalism vs. Science.

I think this kid realizes that professors may be INSANE in college...I know some of mine are! But there's a difference between having assignments that make you thing versus ones that make you argue for reasons that they don't even know. They'll never agree...they're too young to compromise!

You know, the guy saying schools are out to get conservatives. I wonder how he'll respond to it.

if public, there are people beyond the local school board u can go to for things like this. i remember 'liberal' teachers being suspended or fired for suggesting things about republicans or the war to their students, i dunno why this wouldnt be treated the same. the classroom(especially pre-college) isnt a political pulpit either.

and if there's any funny business, just make it public.

in a way. :)

FYI ... You should send pvt messages about taping the class because that'd get out fast he might as well just put the recorder on the top of his desk.

Lakoff is a linguist and cognitive scientist, and a highly respected political theorist on OUR side. Among the books he has written --

• Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives
• Thinking Points: Communicating Our American Values and Vision
• Metaphors We Live By
• Whose Freedom?: The Battle over America's Most Important Idea
• How Democrats And Progressives Can Win: Solutions From George Lakoff
• Moral Politics : How Liberals and Conservatives Think
• Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know That Liberals Don't
• Framing the Debate: Famous Presidential Speeches and How Progressives Can Use Them to Change the Conversation (And Win Elections)

Lakoff's ideas will help arm your son against the tyranny of this particular majority. Best of luck to him.

Hekate

Was the prompt specifically to support this thesis, or could your son have also refuted it?

I'm in this class, and I wrote a response to this prompt.
I'm also a registered Democrat.

This prompt was not meant to be biased. This phrase, whether you agree with it or not, is a commonly-used phrase. The assignment was to EITHER support OR refute it, using your own opinion as well as facts to back it up. It was not an attempt to isolate anybody from either party, but rather a chance for us to express our opinion and support it with facts.

The teacher knows full-well that I am a Democrat, and many of my writings reflect that. However, I have NEVER been unfairly graded. This teacher is extremely opinionated, but she does not allow it to reflect in her grading. In fact, I have talked to other students in both classes who are also Democrats, and they have all agreed with me.

The discussions can end up being biased, but that is because we do live in a predominantly conservative area of Southwest Pennsylvania. Also, it is not the teacher saying any of the remarks to which you may be referring (though I cannot think of a single racist remark which has been made, at least not in my first period class). There are many anti-liberal remarks made, by none other than the most conservative students in class. This is not to say that the teacher guards your son from making any comments. I do not know if he is in my class, but if he is, the only reason his beliefs are not being expressed is because he is not supporting them. He has other Democrats in the class (in either class) who would back him up, as well.

Also, the APGP classes this year wanted to concentrate on party issues. A lot of students were unsure on what exactly their beliefs were. Our teacher rose to the occasion. She often gives an extremely unbiased view of the subject matter at hand and then allows us to debate it. If all of us are of one opinion, she plays devil's advocate, even if it means she is taking the more liberal point of view.

As a student in this class, I have to wholeheartedly disagree with you. As much as your son may not want to admit it, it may not be his opinions that are earning him his grades. I have a high A in her class so far this quartile, and I also earned an A in the first nine weeks. The only reason I received a B last quartile is because I slacked off. It has nothing to do with how our teacher grades because I believe, when it comes to grading, she is one of the most fair teachers I have ever had.