A girl in my American Gov't class thought that the US won Vietnam

[Breezy du Nord]

:wtf: And get this: I'm in the HONORS class.

The girl, I happen to know, is one of those who prove those blonde stereotypes true. You knw, sorta ditzy and popular, but still... So I guess I shouldn't be laughing.

[Demobrat]

1. She's taking the class to learn things she didn't already know.

Hopefully.

[MuseRider]

2. Oh MAN!

My youngest son was in AP American History last year. They were talking about Pearl Harbor and one of the girls in the back said she thought it was a good movie but didn't know it had actually happened. This was a senior in High School taking an AP class. It is amazing isn't it? I sure made me wonder what was going on in the regular class.

[AWD]

5. Hmmm...

Now, which is more pathetic??

Thatshe didn't know Pearl Harbor was true?
Or that she thought it was a good movie??

[blondeatlast]

15. Choice B.

[JitterbugPerfume]

3. Do not laugh Breezy. haha

the all American ignorance of our own History is sad indeedy

[Breezy du Nord]

7. At first I was kinda laughing

but then I tried to stop, because the girl isn't a bitch or anything like some of the popular girls, you know?

[Demobrat]

18. It's not her fault she didn't know.

It happened before she was born. How would she know, if her parents didn't talk about it and she didn't learn about it in school? Nobody is born knowing everything. That's what school is for.

[Breezy du Nord]

23. But we did learn it in school

She just wasn't paying attention. BushCo has convinced her that the US is infallible and anyone who doesn't agree with it is a traitor.

I'm sure this how Ann Coulter started. But then, Ann Coulter's a bitch.

[Dover]

4. Glad to hear the educational system is doing its job.....n/t

.

[HEyHEY]

6. hhahaa

Okay get this, there was a girl in my highschool who once asked the question, "Is china on earth?" Another time the teacher was explaining North America's eating disorder...she says "North America!...That's where we live isn't it?"

[Breezy du Nord]

8. Is China on earth??!!

Now that one's rich.

[Raenelle]

9. Students in my college US history class

had no word recognition for such things as Monroe Doctrine, Manifest Destiny, Joseph Stalin, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan.

I just look at them as my little blank slates. Mostly, I just try to create an interest in the subject and, where and if at all possible, to get them to think a little about it.

[JohnKleeb]

10. and what are you lol hair wise

This is amazing though. Like whatever(valley voice), my friends can do that voice so good. It is my opinion that there is no winner of a war.

[Breezy du Nord]

12. I guess I'm a dirty blonde

It kinda depends on how sunny it is out.

See, she'd asked what countries are stil communist and Dr. Scott (my teacher, who's totally awesome) told her. And she acted all shocked when she found out about Vietnam still being one.

[JohnKleeb]

19. like how I was back in the day, I am now a dark brunette and it can look

black
What a fool!, sorry if I insulted your classmate but what a fool. Thats cool that your teacher is cool, I really like my philosophy and pyschology teachers the most. I am gonna start a thread asking DU what color hair lol they have. Hey we have a height poll now.

[Breezy du Nord]

24. He let us build a shrine to Johnny Depp in the classroom.

Don't ask.

[JohnKleeb]

29. Johnny Depp is that your celeb crush

Mine is Petra Nemcova. My type too.

[yoghurt]

11. Hole in history

Don't be too upset. There is a hole in history concerning recent events. I graduated high school in 1985. Our American history would run up through the end of world war II. In high school, we discussed the Korean war and 50s a little. The 60s were not discussed very much. My senior year, a few teachers (one my govt teacher, but others had unrelated subjects) tried to explain Vietnam and all that. It was difficult for them since 1) they had lived through it and figured that "everybody" remembers it too (it's not that upon reflection they wouldn't immediately understand you not remembering, but more a casual assuption) and 2) there was a lot of controversy at the time and parents would have various strongly held opinions about it.

By the way, where do history classes leave off today? Early sixties and end at the civil rights topic?

[Breezy du Nord]

21. nope. In 7th grade our books went up to the Gulf War

My teacher there was totally awesome. He was real cool. He was also the teacher who first told us about the WTC towers on 9-11. So i guess I just liked him a lot.

[newyawker99]

28. Hi yoghurt!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[demnan]

13. This is nothing new

take it from a baby boomer - I was in elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia from 1964-68. Alexandria is just shy of Washington, DC by a few miles. Now it's a pretty liberal place, but back then it was very conservative southern. The first grade history book was called "Cavilier Commonwealth". This was a huge joke with my family at the time (displaced yankees). This "history" book sort of implied that Virginia won the Civil War with a little help from some of the other Southern States. We moved to Prince William County (Woodbridge, VA) when I was in middle school, where the education was even more stupid.

Here is what parents need to do: Encourage your children to read, especially beyond the school books offered in school. Openly question what the teachers and books say. (Hey. as a high school student I once spent an afternoon in the Principal's office for disputing my high school biology teacher's assertion that "women were not as smart as men because their brains were smaller".

Good student Nancy raised her hand, "Mr. Parker, does that mean the elephant is more intelligent than a man because his brain is larger?

Needless to say, there was no disciplinary action.

[blondeatlast]

14. Wat's the problen? Didnt wee?

Ignorance comes in all intellectual circles; GDF is a perfect example.

Hope you straightened her out BUT GOOD!

edit: make that perfect example.

[Swede]

16. I was watching Jaywalking once,he was at UCLA for crying out loud

and he was asking how many moons does earth have? Holy fuck it stumped some of these people. Anne Landers had a column where someone told her New Mexico wasn't in America.

[carpetbagger]

17. Well, we did win. Just not in the way one would normally think.

http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany/cfs/cfs_vietnam.html

[2cents]

20. Is her family connected?

She could wind up a Yale history major.

[JohnKleeb]

22. lol

That reminds me of this SNL I watched today on Comedy Central and Clare Dames was saying she got in to Yale and then they badgered her, "how were you qualified", and didnt you not finish your SATs. It was a joke because she was the host.

[blondeatlast]

25. ROFLMAO! How have I missed you? Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[2cents]

27. Thanks

I've been a long time lurker (I hate that term).

[PittPoliSci]

26. i've had people like that

not only in honors high school classes, but also in some of my college classes. its not just females, or blondes either, this kid we call signpost (cause that's how smart he is) says some of the most ridiculously inane right wing bullshit! hey, go figure, his last name is SCAIFE.

[trof]

30. WE DID!

So quit saying that.

[SoCalDem]

31. Unless school has changed A LOT...

They hit heavy on the American Revolution, and the Civil War..
Spend a teensy bit of time on WW1..a little more on WWII and by then it's spring break..

Gotta get the kiddies ready for the "TEST", so not much more learning goes on ...then it's time for finals, and before you know it...school's out..

"Rinse & repeat"... year after year..

Take a look at the history books..you will be amazed at the LACK of analysis, and the lack of actual information about all wars since WWII..


I can still remember how irritated I was that we spent so damned much time on "Teapot Dome", when MY FORMER CLASSMATES were being sent off to Viet Nam....

As a senior , I was lucky to have a teacher who showed us tapes that his brother who was IN viet nam, had sent him.. He actually got suspended for a week for showing them to us..:(

[BrotherBuzz]

32. If you talk to a Marine...

He will convince you the Marines won, but that the Army, Navy, and the Air Force lost the war in Vietnam.

[JanMichael]

34. THAT, that, was funny!

Bwahahaha!

I think I may have heard it before but thanks for jogging my memory!

[Loyal]

33. Sean Hannity does those

stupid street interviews with people on his radio show, so he can laugh at how "stupid" they are. The funny thing about this is that Hannity didn't know the answers beforehand either. He has to get the information from his staff becuase he's such a dumbass himself. I don't mean to get this thread off-track but I'm just in a Hannity-hating mood right about now.

[LSdemocrat]

35. We did win, didn't we?

Because clearly the United States always has been and will always be favored by God.

Just kidding.