Stupid Reveals Itself

Almost six year ago I wrote this article on my blog. Since that time it has become one of the top ten favorite articles I have written. Most of the comments I received about it are positive. However, every once in awhile, I receive a  specific type of negative comment whose content is noteworthy because it represents a specific way of think that is so prevalent in this nation that it should not be ignored. I included it here in red ink follow my article.

Friday, April 22, 2011


Social Studies – more important than Math and Science!

    If I had a magic wand that would allow me to prioritize the courses taught in our schools, I would make Social Studies the second most important content area in every school's curriculum throughout the United States. I would place it right behind Reading (number 1), but definitely ahead of Math (number 3) and Science (number 4).
     Most of this nation's problems are due to the fact that many of us are flat-out ignorant: The quagmire that we're in is due, in large measure, to the fact that a large number of us are socially and politically uninformed. And this makes it easy for those among us, who do not have our best interest in their minds, to manipulate us, and in many cases, to get us to vote against our own best interest!
    Reading would be number one because our ability to recall, comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize (create, compose, design, internalize), and evaluate are extremely important in a world in which a vast amount of our communication appears as printed words. Most of us would agree that excellent knowledge and skills in Reading are vital in our personal and social lives.
    Next in the order, however, would be Social Studies. I would put it second because I am convinced that if the people of the United States had a better understanding of the subject areas covered in Social Studies, many of the social and economic problems that we are having today wouldn’t exist. These subject areas include – The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, The Declaration of Independence, the separation of powers, checks and balances, American History, budgets, citizenship responsibility, the role of government, bias in interest groups and mass media, bureaucracy, capitalism, civil rights, deficits, federalism, liberalism, Medicare, Medicaid, labor unions, pluralism, immigration (past and present), (PACs) political action committees . . .
     I believe if more of us had better understanding of these subject areas, we would be making better and more informed decisions. Political ads during election would have far less influences. Political talk radio from the extreme right and left would have smaller, audiences, and debates at all levels of government would be more honest, less patrician, and far more substantive. I believe that more honest, fair, and pragmatic women and men would be elected; and they would make the type of decisions that are in the best interest of all of us!.
     Man! If I only had a magic wand!
by
James A. Porter

Dude...you are fucking WARPED!! People like you are what ruins this country...do you actually believe the bull shit spewing from your mouth? Seriously, how is learning the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence going to solve ANYTHING? Duh!! We should have a Pass/Fail reading exam...either you can read or you can't. We NEED to be teaching MORE math and science. It should be at the very top of the education system. We should also mandatory computer training. With options to go different ways like HTML and CSS web design, and Adobe training in Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as IT and computer programming. Seriously...the US Constitution? We can't even trust the government these days. How exactly is learning about that going to get people to work? Our newest generation of kids is shot. Long gone are the days of a real man that can fix the car or rewire the broken light switch. Its SICKENING what this country has come to. Obviously teaching them about how on Social Studies – more important than Math and Science!


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James A. Porter’s response to “anonymous.”


Please excuse the profanity in these comments that were submitted by anonymous. I kept the profanity in the comments for the purpose of displaying the level of misguided venom this type of writer spews under the guise of an honest dialogue. Although the identity of the write is unknown to me, I have had listened to conversations and spoken to many individuals that are like him: He is a Tea Party/Republican member. His aggressive language suggests that he is either a small business owner or a manager in a corporation. He gets his social and economic ideas from Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, FOX News, and CNN. He is poorly informed, so much so, that he is unaware that 80 percent of his social and political decisions goes against his best interest.  For example, he is unaware that his comments to this article reinforce two of the central points in the article ― 1. Many American voters have poor reading comprehension skills, and 2. Many American voters are socially and politically ignorant. This gentleman is unaware that the role of an American citizen isn’t to fear government; the role of an American citizen is to ensure that policies in accordance with her/her beliefs and values are being creating and implementing by those in political office. (He/She should always be cognizant that it is “government for the people by the people.”) The biggest irony, however, is the fact that this unfortunate Tea Party/Republican is unaware that authentic learning in each of the content areas (math, science, reading, social studies, and reading) complements and supplements each other. Someone who is socially and politically educated would know, for example, that when we (the citizens) make our government function the way it was created to function, our laws and policies are the “independent variables,” and the content of our schools’ curriculum (including how much emphasis we give to math and science) are the “dependent variables.” And this is a scientific and a mathematical fact one can gain from studying social studies!
by
James A. Porter