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
Squeeky, your last comment is spot on.
Paul, and the constant then and now is always the bureaucracy.
You can’t imagine how stupid the whole world has grown nowadays. The things these scribblers write! ”
― Nikolai Gogol, Dead Souls
The formula ‘Two and two make five’ is not without its attractions.
Fyodor Dostoevsky
mespo, when I saw your comment yesterday, I said to myself, I think I will post a something, custom tailored to draw your fire, to watch you, the predictable creature you are, poke your head from a hole like a groundhog, check to see if the coast is clear, and… well, it worked. But you are twisting your conclusion from what I said, confusing Dostoyevsky’s views with those of a character’s.
“Who diggeth a pit for another one, the same shall fall into it himself.” –Fyodor Dostoyevsky, “Poor Folk (People)”
There is a lot of self loathing. Some of these people are like flagellantes in pursuit of their goals. For example ,every country on the planet protects its borders in some way, yet America is supposedly racist if it does so. Ridiculous.
Squeaky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky, The “America Sucks” leftists never can explain why the world wants to live here. Why people die trying to get here by any means necessary and LOVE this country they hate. I think it’s really self loathing @ its core.
FWIW, the neo -Puritan PC crowd can ‘t function if Americans are proud and self -confident. That is why they loves them some “America Really Sucks! ” Michael Moore -ish movies, and hate the beejesus out of the Dinesh flick. Show these guys a film of Valley Forge and they will b*tch and moan about how Von Steuben was prevented from wearing his cute little flowery frock in public.
It is a psychological thing. For them to be relevent, and profitable, they have to trash American swagger. Just like the preachers used to trash Elvis and rock ‘n roll. I suspect that if this film was Mein Angst, about troubled gender -screwed up kids, some here would have less objection to it being required.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Samantha, The template is conservatives are stupid, lazy and heartless. Liberals are smart, hard working, and caring. It’s all in the little red book. Once you realize liberals are better than you it all makes sense.
samantha:
” Everything about Dostoyevsky was understanding of the downtrodden, compassion for those oppressed by bureaucracy and the well heeled…..”
*****************
Yeah, he’d love those conservatives cutting benefits for the “downtrodden.” And he’d certainly fight any efforts to help them no matter how imperfect.
Do conservatives even read what they write? Can they read? Must they reinvent even literature?
Hey, I do know why the Repubs love Fyodor though and it likely springs from this quote from their favorite subject “Poor Folk” which pretty much describes a lot of their blog postings:
“I don’t even know what I’m writing, I have no idea, I don’t know anything, and I’m not reading over it, and I’m not correcting my style, and I’m writing just for the sake of writing, just for the sake of writing more to you… My precious, my darling, my dearest!”
As to his views of the conservatives of his day forever chiding the poor that there must be something criminal in their plight:
“Remember particularly that you cannot be a judge of anyone. For no one can judge a criminal until he recognizes that he is just such a criminal as the man standing before him, and that he perhaps is more than all men to blame for that crime. When he understands that, he will be able to be a judge.”
No, Fyodor was no conservative. He had too big a heart for that.
Jim Mc, Great comment. The liberal education industry is incredibly intolerant. And it has failed miserably, in part because of that intolerance.
Bindar, Good comment. It is my understanding D’ouza’s background is similar to Fareed Zakaria’s, absent the Catholic education. Fareed is liberal so the MSM accepts him. I like both D’ouza and Zakaria, both are eloquent, intelligent, intellectually honest people w/ a much different perspective on their adopted country, which they BOTH love.
Authoritarian thinking catches on if they keep catapulting the propaganda:
Studying history and government in school significantly involves a review of different viewpoints and political opinions. As a parent, all I ask is that the viewpoints studied be inclusive so that the students can develop a broad perspective.
The use of films and documentaries is simply a new form of media used in today’s classrooms. Unfortunately the education establishment has proven to lean in the liberal direction, hence the effort for legislative correction. But what is really needed is comprehensive reform at the K-12 and college level to insure objective inclusion of all relevant viewpoints and and to encourage tolerance of opposing viewpoints. As the annual uproar over college graduation speakers shows, the US education establishment has a long way to go.
Funny how the attempt to legislate a particular book/movie as statutory required but regarding Pre-Algebra 101 it seems every college and high school in the state uses one of perhaps hundreds of publications; and algebra last I checked hasn’t changed in a long time.
Somehow I keep thinking of China’s little red book.
What about Ron Paul’s tutorial for kids, youth & young adults? Anyone know more about that?
Gene in Graham WA who wrote: “I’ve seen the movie. As a Libertarian I found it refreshing to see a more positive perspective from someone that has come to this country from a pretty poor background. To see America as an idea. The Constitution as a set of Principles.”
I’ve not seen the film yet, but as I read your comment, I wondered what prompted you to comment on D’Souza’s ‘pretty poor background”? There was nothing poor about it…his family was quite well off Catholic and he enjoyed a fine Jesuit education there at a time when few could…So, if you see this would you explain that comment? Its not as if anyone from Mumbai is a requisite beggar.. Just saying.
“Then, I remember, I maintain in my article that all… well, legislators and leaders of men, such as Lycurgus, Solon, Mahomet, Napoleon, and so on, were all without exception criminals, from the very fact that, making a new law, they transgressed the ancient one, handed down from their ancestors and held sacred by the people, and they did not stop short at bloodshed either, if that bloodshed — often of innocent persons fighting bravely in defence of ancient law — were of use to their cause.” –Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment
Nick, Everything about Dostoyevsky was understanding of the downtrodden, compassion for those oppressed by bureaucracy and the well heeled. Pretty much all Russian novelists made a mockery of bureaucrats, especially. Liberals wouldn’t take to it very well. You’d see it as treasure.
Churchill was an enigma. Clinically depressed, calling it his “Black Dog.” But, also optimistic. One of my favorite quotes being, “A kite soars highest against the wind.” The relationship between him and FDR was fascinating.
Nick Spinelli
Tried to read Crime and Punishment, Samantha. That was before Prozac. Maybe I should get an RX and try again.
==========================================
CAN I GET AN AMEN!
Nick, Dostoyevsky is a delight. I think Churchill read him, inspired by: “When reason fails, the devil helps!” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment