All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[Darkspellmaster]

Imagine walking into a university physics class and saying "I don't know basic math or scientific concepts at all, but it's your job to get me caught up."

And then whining about it because it's too hard, and you didn't get to frame the terms.

It's not our job to teach anyone a damn thing. We don't exist for the benefit of white understanding, so please feel free to take that bullshit somewhere else.

Because media loves to make school seem like a chore and that it's bad to want to learn. That being dumb is cool and being smart makes you a nerd. Then society reinforces that idea.

[Malvolio]

Accuracy matters. I have been consistent in my belief that the important thing is whether you're right about a specific point than whether you're on the right side. The latter approach has been adopted shamelessly by Trump and his supporters, but I see it too often on the left.

In your initial comment, you said that NRA spending has allowed it to write their own interpretation of the second amendment.

If this were true, someone else could spend a little bit more to make their interpretation the one that sticks.



I think the reality is that if the NRA did not exist, some other gun rights organization would serve the same purpose. And it isn't their spending that has an impact, as much as the signal they send to voters about where politicians stand on gun issues.

But how do they get that signal out to voters? Through television ads, direct mailing and e-mails. Those all cost money to produce and the first two also cost money to transmit. So yeah, their spending does have an impact.

[Ragged Maw]

You don't use an AR-15 to shoot deer or ducks.

Depends. Is the risk of the meat getting tainted relatively high?

[KOSLOX]

Because media loves to make school seem like a chore and that it's bad to want to learn. That being dumb is cool and being smart makes you a nerd. Then society reinforces that idea.

I think it has more to do with frustration at not being able to dictate the terms of discussion. Which is itself an aspect of institutional racism.

[KOSLOX]

As for the whole friends nephew on the knee thing. I think that's a weird thing to do in a meeting, but whatever, it wouldn't be anything that set me off.

[Scott Taylor]

Imagine walking into a university physics class and saying "I don't know basic math or scientific concepts at all, but it's your job to get me caught up."

And then whining about it because it's too hard, and you didn't get to frame the terms.

It's not our job to teach anyone a damn thing. We don't exist for the benefit of white understanding, so please feel free to take that bullshit somewhere else.

You're being too easy on the folks who refuse to learn. Its intentional stupidity on their part. Institutionalized racism is an excuse phrase for something quite a bit more sinister and disturbing, my friend.

[skyvolt2000]

I think it has more to do with frustration at not being able to dictate the terms of discussion. Which is itself an aspect of institutional racism.

It's a combination of both.

We have given too many forums to dummies.

And when we try to correct-we hit barriers.

That being dumb is cool and being smart makes you a nerd.

ESPECIALLY if we are talking black males or kids of color in general.

Funny the smart black male on a white show has no black friends until it's time for a racism or BLM related episode.

[skyvolt2000]

You're being too easy on the folks who refuse to learn. Its intentional stupidity on their part. Institutionalized racism is an excuse phrase for something quite a bit more sinister and disturbing, my friend.

In SOME cases it's no one ever told me or that information was never available.

I'll give you that I HEAR a lot. Mainly from black folks to bash schools as a source of white supremacy.

If a black boy can't read properly by the 3rd grade-he gets tossed in Special Education. No exception.

Let a school do that and that parent will have Jerry Jones and Mark Cuban money after they sue.

I work in schools-I know the process. A normal person wouldn't know that unless they were in they were researching or have a kid being evaluated to be considered Special Education.

[Jack Dracula]

The point that civilian militias would take up arms against our military is moot. With Trump as our President actively vilifying peaceful protesters and claiming they’re all Antifa, the gun nuts will be shooting right along side the military. Face it folks we’re now two separate countries occupying the same land.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Because media loves to make school seem like a chore and that it's bad to want to learn. That being dumb is cool and being smart makes you a nerd. Then society reinforces that idea.

I've seen conservatives tell people to go to trade school instead of college but never seen the media vilifying education.

[Joker]

Depends. Is the risk of the meat getting tainted relatively high?

Does it "depend"? Because I know a hunter, and his answer is no. It doesn't depend. First of all, you would't even take an AR-15 hunting.

[Mister Mets]

But how do they get that signal out to voters? Through television ads, direct mailing and e-mails. Those all cost money to produce and the first two also cost money to transmit. So yeah, their spending does have an impact.

If spending were the main thing that mattered, a liberal billionaire could just make a rival group, call it something like the Gun Confiscation Association, spend a little bit more than the NRA, and completely offset the NRA.

That won't really work, because it's not just about spending. The NRA is responding to the concerns of a large enough section of the population.

It's becoming easier than ever to get a message out relatively cheaply, which might be why the NRA has had some spending scandals.

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/15/72296...ons-at-nonprof

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/21/83999...ation-100-mill

I think it has more to do with frustration at not being able to dictate the terms of discussion. Which is itself an aspect of institutional racism.

I would imagine someone might be bothered by being being called a racist for having a friend's nephew on their lap, moreso than being able to dictate the terms of discussion.

A lot of the arguments were also between white people.

Because media loves to make school seem like a chore and that it's bad to want to learn. That being dumb is cool and being smart makes you a nerd. Then society reinforces that idea.

I don't think this response fits the Atlantic article, or either excerpt.

The idea that someone on an education committee is obligated to agree with Robin DiAngelo or Ibram X. Kendi goes well beyond the insistence that they do some education.

There is also the question of whether conservatives could expect members of education committees to read books by conservative thinkers like Thomas Sowell.

I've seen conservatives tell people to go to trade school instead of college but never seen the media vilifying education.

Do you believe a bachelor's degree is for everybody?

[Scott Taylor]

I've seen conservatives tell people to go to trade school instead of college but never seen the media vilifying education.

Separate issue. Trade school gets villified in media, its the reason the show "Dirty Jobs" existed, to raise awareness that there are jobs out there that get a bad rap but where people put in the same or better work ethic as everyone else. There is nothing wrong with trade school or doing menial jobs, at all.

[Ragged Maw]

Does it "depend"? Because I know a hunter, and his answer is no. It doesn't depend. First of all, you would't even take an AR-15 hunting.

Well, in a hypothetical awkward situation where I was invited on a hunting trip by a couple friends, and they provided it as an extra firearm for me, that would be my first question because I find venison delicious and would hate to kill wild game for nothing. But you’re right when it comes to the majority of outings.

[Darkspellmaster]

I think it has more to do with frustration at not being able to dictate the terms of discussion. Which is itself an aspect of institutional racism.

I agree, but it's also to me a question of how most people view learning. In a lot of cases among peers there is a desire to not be seen as smart because then its uncool. Especially among young men of certain ages. Example I can give is a group of 18 year olds in the careers class I TA for. A discussion among the group lead to 3 of the 5 starting that they didn't pay attention in class or do their best because of how their peers teated them if they did. And a lot of the time that idea of learning is seen as a bad thing if you want to be respected among your peers. Like be dumb but not too dumb, be smart but only average.

.

ESPECIALLY if we are talking black males or kids of color in general.

Funny the smart black male on a white show has no black friends until it's time for a racism or BLM related episode.

Yup I see that a lot in sitcoms and movies, especially when it's with teen shows. And it seems a lot of POC characters get this happening to them. Like you can't be a smart black/brown/Asian/Indigious character without some sort of stereotype attached to it.
I'll even argue that the image is also heavily projected on people from the Applachian region as well. It's like they have too choose between hanging with cool kids or the nerds.

I've seen conservatives tell people to go to trade school instead of college but never seen the media vilifying education.

It's not education itself that is vilified, it's how intelligent people are seen as uncool. Now mind its changed over the years, but not by much. The popular kids in shows are not the smart kid, unless they're a good looking girl that's the valedictorian who happens to be dating the star sports guy. News sources don't, movies and shows do, even if they're just trying to be funny. See Big Bang Theory or Friends for example. The college educated one gets made fun of a lot for being a nerd and liking smart things.

I don't think this response fits the Atlantic article, or either excerpt.

The idea that someone on an education committee is obligated to agree with Robin DiAngelo or Ibram X. Kendi goes well beyond the insistence that they do some education.

There is also the question of whether conservatives could expect members of education committees to read books by conservative thinkers like Thomas Sowell.

This issue wouldn't be happening if various social norms made it where learning history and understanding how it affects others was applauded. This is not just a US issue, it's an international thing. Should they read opposite views, sure, if it's not a rewrite of facts. Just as the should read liberal thinkers.

Separate issue. Trade school gets villified in media, its the reason the show "Dirty Jobs" existed, to raise awareness that there are jobs out there that get a bad rap but where people put in the same or better work ethic as everyone else. There is nothing wrong with trade school or doing menial jobs, at all.

Nothing wrong at all with Trade schools. The issue to me is how a lot of shows tend to make Trade work seem low brow. Or if you're studying physics your a weirdo who cant talk normal and acts socially weird. The same is true of the reverse.