|
||
|
||
All hail the ills of our liberal education system
The old joke says that everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten. I’m not so sure this is too far off the mark. It’s been six years since I graduated high school—three years at a community college in Southern California and three at Fresno State double majoring in English and print journalism. The 2004-05 Fresno State course catalog says, “The overall objective of General Education is to create a context wherein basic skills are developed and strengthened, scholarship and disciplined thinking emerge, awareness and reflection occur, and ultimately—the integration of knowledge begins.” According to this, the purpose of the g.e. classes we all have to take is to guide us to a healthy way of thinking, to be aware of our world around us and be able to reflect—or think critically—about what we observe. But how can one be expected to form an independent world view in an institution that promotes only the liberal way of looking at life. Let’s begin by examining the breadth area of our g.e. requirements which is intended to expose students to a variety of disciplines available in academia. Here’s a rundown of what we find: • Sciences: here we are taught the universe was formed by the simple randomness of an explosion. Do the math and you have a better chance of your roommate’s laundry pile picking itself up and taking itself to the washing machine. Scientists explain our existence by saying there are billions of other universes out there blowing up just like this one did. Lucky us ours happened to get it right. • Arts and Humanities: Here we find that so long as we put paint to paper, or stick our fingers in clay, and feel good doing it, we get an A. And if we make our finger painting just that more naked and immoral than the next, we get an A. We learn that art must be something other than a nice picture—that’s too easy. Liberals cry that the National Endowment of the Arts is under funded, but go to a modern art show and all you’ll find is the lewd, nude and crude. • History: Go to any history class, and you will learn that the evil imperialists have caused the once entirely pristine world to shrivel up and die. Forests are cut, people enslaved and natives diseased at the mere mention of a European explorer—at least that’s what I learned • Social Science: I had a class under this requirement at my junior college—cross-cultural literature in America. I learned that America does bad things by expecting immigrants to assimilate to any degree into our culture. Another one, cultural geography told me how horrible it was that some people who make more money live in bigger houses while some who make less live in smaller houses. As for my major requirements: I have yet to have a class for my English degree that didn’t either say how horrible men are, how bad America is or that there’s a woman inside me just trying to get out. Lectures are geared against opposition, I’ve had English profs sneer and shout if I suggested an interpretation of a piece of literature that didn’t agree with her own feminist view. The same professor wasted more red ink disagreeing with an essay than she did making helpful comments. Higher education claims that it offers a sanctuary where students can let their mind grow unhindered by biased viewpoints. But a 2002 survey by UCLA’s Higher Learning Research Institute shows that 48 percent of professors admit to a liberal position, while only 18 are conservative (34 percent were undecided). Fine and good so long as they keep their biases to themselves. But they don’t. The nature of the material taught is liberal—be ashamed of America, don’t declare absolute truths, don’t tell me what to do with my body, there is no God, only science, feel bad that you’re more prosperous than your neighbor—The list goes on. Academia fails at providing a sanctuary, not to learning, but of indoctrination. Classes, lectures and tests are geared to force us to believe in the professors’ immoral, Marxist, relativist, anti-American and pro-liberal views. To disagree is to be labeled as narrow-minded, bigoted, imperialistic, ethno-centric and mean. The only way to make the grade is to tow the line and regurgitate their ideologies back just the way they want it. Here lies the brainwashing. Well, six years later, and this is one kid you haven’t indoctrinated professor! — This columnist can be reached at collegian@csufresno.edu |
