Republican state Sen. Alan Hays really really liked the film “America.” So much so that he wants to make viewing the film by conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza required viewing for all students. Hays seems entirely unaware of the inherent conflict in responding to what he views as the dangerous influence of liberal views by seeking the mandatory viewing of conservative views.
Hays reported that “I saw the movie and walked out of the theater and said, ‘Wow, our students need to see this.’ And it’s my plan to show it to my colleagues in the legislature, too, before they’re asked to vote on the bill.” He would make every student, absent parental objections, watch the film in middle and high schools. That would cover 1,700 Florida public high schools and middle schools. For many of us, such a law seems a tab Orwellian.
D’Souza has become a rallying point for conservative due to a federal investigation that was launched while he was marketing the movie. He pleaded guilty in May to a charge that he made improper donations to a Senate candidate in 2012, though he insists that the case was the result of selective prosecution.
In fairness to Hays, he said that he would not object to a pairing of the movie with Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth (which is already shown in many classes) or some of Michael Moore’s left-leaning films. However, mandating such films through legislation is a dangerous and destructive path for politicians. These classes should be left to teachers and school administrators — not dictated by the shifting alliances of the legislature. These children are not a captive audience to be tossed about by our increasing rapid political debate. While I have been a long critic of administrators over the application of zero tolerance rules and lack of accountability, this intrusion into the classroom is menacing and ill-considered.
On the slippery slope of politically mandated education, we could see a race to the bottom as liberal and conservative states implement their own agendas of education. The result will be the further reduction of educational standards in the United States and the replication of the same intolerance that we see across the country in our political discourse. I have not see D’Souza’s movie or read his book. However, I am opposed to politicians picking reading or viewership lists for students. Indeed, politicians may be the least suited for such a role. There has to be some limit on the mutually assured destruction of the two parties — some protected zone that can be free of this self-destructive internecine struggle. We should at least be able to tell politicians to keep their hands off the kinder.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
I agree, never mind the content of the film, it is not for any legislative body to say, any more than presentation of Darwinism should monopolize exchange of ideas about the origin of life.
D’Souza, himself, once a liberal, converted to conservative politics, as with Arnold Schwarzenegger, after coming to America and seeing, first hand, about what was really going on. The noise about this legislative proposal, however, is disingenuous and misdirected, considering the sheer volume of lunacy and left wing dogma that already monopolizes nearly all of academia, government, the media, and popular culture, for which dogma there is already far too much silence, if not strictly adhered to, can mean the loss of your livelihood, reputation, and even your life.
I always wonder how many more converts there would be if there was some balance when it comes to dogma. But when it comes to maintaining power and influence, balance is your greatest enemy, because not everyone has the capacity to see through the fog, like D’Souza and Schwarzenegger.
I was wondering when D’Souza’s film would finally surface in this blog. It is almost as if the temptation to expose the legislative proposal was simply too tantalizing to maintain continued silence.
mhj,
Good point!
Dealing with teacher unions, school boards, PTA’s is another issue.
Get this, there’s a family in my area with 7 brothers. Their all highly paid public school superintendents.
Then you have some double dipping pension padders who came out of retirement and are working in the system again.
So, back to your question. According to who? And what’s the cost? Ya got me.
I think having middle and high school kids watch political documentaries is a good thing. Making them watch is tricky.
There is a enormous amount of material out there.
But first you have to teach them critical thinking skills and ensure balance among the points of view.
Tom Blanton wrote “The mindlessness of both the Republican and Democratic Cults is going to eventually lead to a civil war, and I look forward to it.”
The Republican and Democratic Cults are indeed ruining the country, but civil wars tend to get out of control. Have you read the history of the Spanish and Russian civil wars, especially regarding the aftermath? You have noticed what is going on in Ukraine, right?
P.S. I firmly believe that all students should be forced to see Triumph of the Will and Lord of the Flies, with Reefer Madness in between.
Dredd wrote “That is the FCA (first common ancestor) of the Saucy species …”
Hey, Dredd, I looked up the words moffie, cretin, and halfwit, and your photo was included in all three.
Paternalistic scolding? Nick, you didn’t have a problem with me, you made a false and disgusting accusation and repeated it and I called you on it. Along with Paul and Karen. So no, you didn’t have a problem, you created one out of whole cloth by making up false accusations. Let’s keep the record straight.
The issue is not whether the movie has merit, but whether the State of Florida ought to be enacting a law compelling that it be viewed. I think not.
Greg, According to who?
No more Harry Potter books, or movies in public schools. Just teach the facts.
As a real libertarian, as opposed to a self-loathing conservative ashamed to admit to intellectual bankruptcy, I find D’ouza to be little more than a goose-stepping nazi with a grab bag full of myths, platitudes and lies.
If superficial blind allegiance to a nation state (but only when run by the Republican political cult) is your thing, rush out and consume the D’ouza propaganda.
The mindlessness of both the Republican and Democratic Cults is going to eventually lead to a civil war, and I look forward to it. I’d like to sell as much ammo as possible to both sides. These authoritarians hell bent on using violence, or the threat of violence, to control others deserve to experience the misery they seek to inflict on others.
Tom – have you seen the movie?
Not sure why there is a problem with this movie when there is discussion. We had to put with Al Gore’s film and the Common Core.
Mespo, Given the arc of History. I’d say you must read it to study Hitler but it’s not necessary to understand Hitler to understand the theme. But this is a diversion.
JT, I read your comment after posting mine @ 5:29pm. I think it is wnl.
Mein Kampf?? Wow.
Well mespo, Your “utter contempt” is duly noted but I don’t know specifically about which you speak. “Despicable and unmanly.” I reckon there must have been some back channel conversations. Is this the end of the paternalistic scolding, or will it continue? I do not choose to get into a pissing match w/ GBers. I had a problem w/ both Raff and Elaine. I was brought up that you deal w/ the people w/ whom you have a problem, not anyone else. That keeps it in focus and helps to stop escalation, which often occurs here. So, you have vented. I’ll now go on to the substance of this post.
Because this guy pled guilty does not mean he was not selectively prosecuted. Like collusion, selective prosecution is very difficult to prove. Imagine Michael Moore being prosecuted by the Bush Administration for his 9/11 polemic on some horseshit charge. Would you be so cavalier?
This “right winger” voted for Obama, wrote just today about my opposition to capital punishment, has never voted for a Republican for President, I could go on. Ideologue friends of mine right and left don’t get me. Saucy and I chuckle about this. But, you have a chip on your shoulder right now. So, it might be prudent to suspend debate.
There’s a difference between education and indoctrination. In my mind education is teaching critical thinking, skepticis, and a need for further inquiry. Indoctrination relies on assumed traditions that may not be questioned. The D’Souza film might be a good topic for discussion and analysis, as might the Michael Moore films. In the 50s when kids were shown films of the President, flag waving, military propaganda, those should have been analyzed and debated, not taken at face value. But a teacher would probably have been fired for doing that then and maybe also now.
mhj:
“Why is the discussion about Mr. D’Souza have any bearing on content of the his movie? Why can’t the movie be judged on it own merits?”
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Sort of like asking why another personal odyssey, Mein Kampf, can’t be evaluated without reference to Hitler wouldn’t you say?
What’s wrong with this picture?
The education industry and school curricula have been commandeered by the government which, by definition, is indoctrination.
For example, the lesson might be pro-abortion or anti-abortion. For the government to operate the industry, the lessons it approves will be the lesson taught, implicitly or explicitly, and that is indoctrination. School choice addresses differences in opinions and positions and provides freedom which is the American thesis. Is America for freedom or for indoctrination? Seems clear to me.
Private school offers choice in every form and aspect to citizens. Freedom of education must be commensurate with freedom of speech, press, religion, etc. How can it be that the Founders provided Americans with these freedoms and not the freedom of all industries including education, charity and healthcare? How can Americans be free and simultaneously subject to the dictatorship of the proletariat.
Did Stalin, Mao, et. al. commandeer the schools and indoctrinate children?
Someone here is not being honest and objective.
Does public school/college exist solely to redistribute wealth to the “poor,” teachers unions and elite “administrators?”
Does anyone believe that the Founders deliberately denied the freedom of educational choice to citizens? Was the Constitution written to afford the opportunity for government to dictate the education of the children of citizens?
Someone has something disturbingly wrong in America.
Why is the discussion about Mr. D’Souza have any bearing on content of the his movie? Why can’t the movie be judged on it own merits?
Fair enough, JT. My positions on nick and D’Souza are quite clear.