EDUCATION is the most powerful weapon

[OneGrassRoot]

When I saw Tina Brown make this comment on Bill Maher last week, it struck me as SO VERY POWERFUL. And true.

We see attempts to restrict education (especially with critical thinking skills) here in the US and around the world as well. An informed populace is viewed as dangerous to those who are an enemy of the people.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Kicking for this good shareable graphic w/important message. n/t

[duffyduff]

2. Prove it about "critical thinking skills."

Define it. Hint: Somebody who possesses "critical thinking skills" is NOT necessarily somebody who happens to agree with you politically.

When somebody makes a false assertion our schools don't teach it, it pisses me off.

[OneGrassRoot]

3. Good grief...

take a deep breath.

There are many people in this country who prefer critical thinking NOT be employed. THAT is the point.

[liberal_at_heart]

4. As someone who has two children in school I can attest to the fact that there is less critical

thinking skills being taught. Especially now that our public schools are being privatized and kids are being taught to pass tests so that schools can receive federal money. My son who is autistic is at a 5/6th grade math comprehension level. He is being taught 8th grade math. It is required that every 8th grade student learn 8th grade math even if they don't understand it. My daughter took an advanced English/History class her junior year. It was the first time she had to critically read documents. It would take them weeks to get through a chapter. This year she is in a regular English/classic literature class and there is no critical reading of the material. They skim the material and take a test on it. She took this regular English/lit class because she knew it would be easier and she wanted an easy grade. She didn't want to have to spend hours reading and writing critical essays every night like she did last year. She loved the class last year. It's just she wanted a break. She wanted to have some time to spend on other classes, time with friends and time to look for a job. I am grateful she did take that class last year though. It is because of that one class that she learned how to critically think. Our kids need more than one class that concentrates on critcally thinking. And the only reason she was taught it was because she took an advanced class.

[libtodeath]

5. The christain taliban here wants to stifle education as well.