Government schools in Frederick County, Maryland, deem the third grade the appropriate time to push a political agenda. Cindy Rose found this out when her daughter came down with the flu and read a textbook, Social Studies Alive! Our Community and Beyond, at home.
Mrs. Rose calls the book “socialistic.”
Judge for yourself. On page 104, it reads: “Child care is important, but it is not free for most people in the United States. Families have to pay for child care. It can be very expensive. In some countries, child care is a public service. For example, in Denmark and Vietnam, child care is free or costs very little. This makes it easier for parents to work. Do you think child care should be a public service in your community?”
Rose took her complaint to the school board, which suggested that the book’s slant might be balanced by other materials — but could point to no evidence it was being balanced. Those defending the textbook insist that it teaches critical thinking, but as one school board member asked, “Do you get much pushback from an 8 or 9‑year old?”
Only if the book explained marginal utility and the Thomas Theorem would I put much stock in the “critical thinking” excuse.
“The entire slant of the book,” Cindy Rose argues, “is … the idea of government running your life.”
Thankfully, my wife homeschools our children. I can tell you that’s not one of the lessons.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
21 replies on “Johnny Can Be Indoctrinated”
If you want to talk about indoctrination of children, look at SB48 recently signed by Gov. Brown of California.
Remember when Walter Mondale said that parents were incompetent and that ALL children should be in government daycare?
Seems that they are getting there.
Why should the public pay for elevators in public buildings?
“Thankfully, my wife homeschools our children.”
Kudos!
“Yet, the practice of teaching is becoming more and more controlled by government policies and pressures to creat assimilative uniformity. Teachers are increasingly expected to reprogram children to be docile, democratically timid vessels for regurgitation in order to prevent social agitation.“___Critical Literacy as Resistance_ Laraine Wallowitz
I guess if the socialists proclaim anything’s a “right” long enough it will eventually preclude them from ever having to pay for any personal responsibilities…day care is a right, car inurance is a right, hair cuts are a right…what’s next?
@ David R — You are so right! I guess under the logic of SB48, the signers of the Declaration, our Founding Fathers, and other historical figures will have to have their sexual preferences listed next to their names now in the history books? Because their preference is what’s really significant? Geez!
Not getting the connection between socialist propaganda training in grade schools and elevators. Was that supposed to be a copy and paste to a different column?
We have home schooled our daughter for eight years because we wanted her to learn and understand the principles by which our Founding Fathers established the U.S. Constitution. No where does the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, or ANY of our state constitutions mention that our United States is a “democracy” which you and your organization claim that we are and should be! Sir, we are a REPUBLIC and our Founding Fathers created us to be a Republic because democracy aka: Mob Rule, Majority Rule, DOES NOT WORK! Keep your agenda OUT OF OUR STATE OF MISSOURI!
Melinda,
feel free NOT to read the posts. And, if I am NOT MISTAKEN, you voluntarily signed up for the emails.
I am sure that mr. Jacobs would let you opt out.
And, about DEMOCRACY: TO PARAPHRASE SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, ( sorry, don’t have Bartlett’s Quotations handy)Democracy isn’t a good system, but it is better then anything else.
AND, MAJORITY DOES RULE,IN MOST MATTERS- READ ELECTIONS – with the rights of the minority to be protected.
Jay,
Democracy is Mob Rule. Mob Rule leads to anarchy. Explain again, how Democracy is better than anything else? :-/
A Democracy is just another form of collectivism — in which collective rights trump individual rights — where 51% can take away the rights of the 49%.
I agree with Caroline and Melinda. Our system of government was never intended to be a democracy. Does this mean that Paul Jacob is homeschooling his kids and indoctrinating them with the ideology that we live in a Democracy??
To paraphrase John Adams, there never has been a democracy that did not murder itself. Fortunately their demise is as rapid as it is violent.
One further point Jay –
While it’s true that we DO elect our head of state and representatives by a Democratic system or “majority popular vote” (exception being the Electoral College system in a presidential election), once our head of state and representatives are elected democratically they are bound by their oath of office to “uphold, obey and defend the Constitution.”
But aside from the importance of having a representative government, we are a Constitutional Republic — where even “The People” are constrained by the Rule of Law (i.e., our Constitution).
Well, Paul/“Jay”. Winston Churchill never lived in a Republic. Great Britain is NOT a representative Republic like the U.S. Furthermore, our Founding Fathers anticipated those like you who would try to impose tyranny on others, thereby establishing our great nation as a representative Rebublic that is a nation of individuals and of law, NOT one where he who yells the loudest and who has the most money rules, as it would be with a democracy.
I decided to do a little bit of research and it has become extremely obvious that this organization does in fact support Direct Democracy. Paul Jacob was a featured speaker at the 2010 Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy last October! I’m surprised that Paul Jacob, a parent who homeschools his children, would support such a form of government. This doesn’t sound like “common sense” to me! Under a direct democracy, people could outlaw things like homeschooling.
[…] *** Johnny Can Be Indoctrinated https://thisiscommonsense.org////?p=6487 […]
I for one don’t see a problem with government assistance with child care.
With the high cost of living in this country and espessially in the area where I live, both parents have to work to make ends meet. A lot of these families just can’t afford to pay the full cost of child care. Give these families a break.
Our Republic is held together by democratic power exercised by the people – from voting for elected officials to voting on constitutional amendments in every state but one (can you name it?) to having the right in 26 states to some form of initiative and referendum. Here are a few things I’ve written on our Republic and the democratic checks on power I think a healthy republic must have:
Speech at the US Conference on Initiative & Referendum July 31, 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8JhnZCGRr0
“A Republic, If We Can Revive It”
http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2004/07/04/a_republic,_if_we_can_revive_it/page/full/
(The double-dashes in the text have become question marks. It makes it a little tougher to read.)
“Rights and Democracy”
https://thisiscommonsense.org////?p=5954
“People Of, By and For the Government?”
http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2011/05/29/people_of,_by_and_for_the_government/page/full/
“In Defense of Democracy”
http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2004/05/03/in_defense_of_democracy/page/full/
“Sisyphus in Boulder City”
http://townhall.com/columnists/pauljacob/2011/01/23/sisyphus_in_boulder_city/page/full/
Reading this article and the comments that followed prompted me to do a little bit of research and I must say I’m completely disgusted. WHO are you, Mr. Paul Jacob? Do you really care about this country and what it stands for? Our forefathers fought and died to protect the very freedom you are asking us to give away. American soldiers are on the front lines defending our nation as I type, yet you have publically admitted (I get the impression you are bragging) how you dodged the draft. If you get your way, you and your ideology will fundamentally change this country from a Constitutional Republic to a Direct Democracy. God only knows what would happen if this were to occur but the term Oligarchy comes to mind.
Mr. Jacob, you are talking out of both sides of your mouth by saying you support a Republic and Direct Democracy. In your article, “A Republic, if we can revive it” quotes you as saying: “There is a reason that today’s dictionaries define “democracy” and “republic” almost identically.” “Almost” is the key word in that statement. In a Republic the sovereignty is in each individual person. In a Democracy the sovereignty is in the group. By pursing this idea of Direct Democracy, our basic freedom is at stake. I guess it’s safe to assume that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance isn’t a common practice among you and the members of your organization…. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” The United States of America is a REPUBLIC. Our Constitutional Republic was founded upon the principles of Liberty and limited government, not democracy. We are a Republic to keep people and organizations like yours from destroying us from the inside out. I see where you have referenced your own articles in the comment above as evidence to support your theory of democracy. Democracy is not synonymous with freedom. I strongly suggest you read the United States Constitution as OUR evidence supporting a Republic and please take note where the word democracy is not used one single time.
I find your organization extremely dangerous and feel it is distorting the truth by indoctrinating your subscribers and followers to believe we should change our form of government to a Direct Democracy. Quoting from your Citizens in Charge site: “Citizens in Charge Foundation is the only national organization dedicated to the belief that citizens should be in charge of their government.” Mr. Jacob, please pay close attention to the first three words of the Preamble to our UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
In a Republic, the People enjoy their God-given natural rights. In a Democracy, the Citizens enjoy only government granted privileges. Maybe your organization should spend more time educating our nation’s public on the principles of our U.S. Constitution rather than changing it. Now THAT is common sense!
“A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.” John Adams
I wonder whether the expert here, Sonya, is aware that the draft is a form of imposing involuntary servitude.
Paul and others should certainly be proud of their opposition to the draft, for it is as a result of their efforts that the men and women who serve in the military join of their own free will (although, alas, the length of their commitment seems to be often misrepresented during recruitment).