"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972

Monday, November 07, 2005

More Cultural Museums and Fewer Cultures

Ten years ago there was a healthy discussion underway in America about diversity, multicultural education, and shared commitment to American ideals. Now in the atmosphere of testing hysteria, that discussion has been replaced by children chanting from the same textbook all the way down the American school hallway from Maine to California.

Multiculturalism--what's that? America needs workers who can read, march, follow orders, speak when spoken to--this is the way we will maintain our economic superiority against a world of interlopers. We must out-China the Chinese, and cultures be damned. Social studies?--get out of the way.

Have a look at this post from 2 feet in to get a snapshot of this phenomenon.

And now Maggie has taken her cheerleader speech to the National Congress of American Indians, a group that could not be totally wiped out in the last century when the U. S. official policy was "kill the Indian, save the man." The Indians at last week's conference were quick to remind the bubbling Spellings that their children were left behind many years ago. In an appropriate close to her speech, "Spellings said she can look out and see the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington from her office and is reminded of the relationship between the United States and sovereign Indian nations."

Yes, there is the cultural relic on the Washington Mall, secured safely within the walls of a museum, just where the current Administration would prefer to put the rest as well.


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