'Klanderud's List'

[(M) Kathleen Scanlon]

A few observation  about the discussion :

Interesting how several people would like to lay  blame on the
doorstep of The Media - which is itself another symptom of the
current state of affairs  (who else have we heard blaming the media
for what in the past few years?  perhap those same budget cutting
legislators and bureaucrats who are also accused?)

Perhaps we need to examine the nature and goals of our
educational system - our need to quantify secondary school achievment
with standardized tests - intended to provide a fair and equitable
method of measuring one candidate for another - has resulted in a
cookie cutter,  multiple choice,  non-analytical general public.
Critical thinking,  if it is ever addressed,  comes into play in
post-secondary education - a level the majority of the public in
question never reaches.

Once we have produced these bubble sheet filling automatons en masse,
how can we be surprised when they only can see in black and white?
The academic occupation of ever more precisely defining shades of gray
cannot help but be perceived by a public of this sort as a waste of
time,  money and effort.

I heard an interesting definition of liberal and conservative:
      The liberal is constantly seeking Understanding
      The conservative is constantly seeking The Truth
Perhaps the rise of conservatism in our general public shares the
same roots as the lack of respect for academic research.
Shouldn't the goal of an education at ANY level be the ability to
critically assess what is put before us?

Of course things like arts, literature and "soft sciences" will be
cut first - how do you quantify the benefits?  Where are the bombs,
the vaccines,  the microwave ovens?

Finally,  the elite (another term from a couple of elections ago),
will always be both admired and despised (workers vs. managers,
commoners vs. gentry, enlisted vs. officer  ITD).


- Kathy
*******************
M. Kathleen Scanlon
TX Dept of Health ADS
(512) 458-7111 x6093
kscanlon at ads.tdh.state.tx.us