Welcome to AmeriKa, where the competent are punished and the incompetent are rewarded
Posted by freedomforall 3 years, 6 months ago to Philosophy
"One of the most obvious expressions of this principle is on the road, where the law punishes competence as a kind of affront to the incompetent. If some people can’t handle making a right turn on red without creeping out in front of right-of-way traffic and causing a wreck thereby, no one else is allowed to make a right-on-red. If someone ignores the law forbidding it and makes a right-on-red safely and competently, by judging the flow of traffic and applying the necessary degree of acceleration to merge with it smoothly, he is punished for being competent.
For having ability – and daring to use it."
For having ability – and daring to use it."
That happened in 1954 in my school. The previous year there were three separate classrooms, each at a level appropriate to ability. Then in 1954 the kids were all mixed in together. Our teacher taught separate lessons to each of three bunches of kids. The bright bunch (Snezzy waves hand vigorously) were mostly left alone to do their work. The not-so-bright got more careful attention, and the "others" got remedial reading lessons. I think we all eventually learned how to read.
By 1967, I was teaching 8th grade science at a city school, and students were grouped by ability. One of the "slow" group was a brilliant fellow who was a rebel. He rarely did any assignments, but when he did, he'd have answers we had not discussed in class. By that age, 13 or 14, the "brilliant" group were the most trouble, always interrupting. Student A hesitates, being unsure of the correct answer, and Student B yells it out, disrupting both A and the teacher. Hard to fault B for that action, which was exactly what I did or wanted to do when I was 14.
I can see how some teachers and administrators eventually welcomed the psycho drugs that calmed down the unruly kids. Diana Moon Glampers, Kurt Vonnegut’s "Handicapper General," is in that pill.
Those words, exactly.
When I was a youthful innocent, I misinterpreted it as teaching us to think for ourselves, and had to suppress a belly laugh.
I realize now it was much more malign in intent.
To pay for it, they scrapped the gifted children program. It did both groups a great disservice.
The gifted kids were left to die of boredom (I was one of them, and it was soul-crushing boredom), and those poor retarded kids went to school every day with targets on their backs.
From the group of geniuses who implemented busing in the mid 70s. Thanks a bunch. /sarc/
At home, he got an education... we spent the dinner hour and many long weekend breakfasts starting as a toddler-- playing with numbers (they are like magic), telling stories, discussing social security, etc. Whatever we thought about we just talked about. Just talk and play, nothing formal. He was doing long division at the age of 4. They booted him out of Kindergarten within a week, after they reported was he was beyond 2nd grade reading level.
He read Dune at the age of 8.
I don't know much about nature vs nurture when it comes to IQ, but this kid grew up to be a very well-adjusted, successful and, most importantly, a happy person.
My mom sent me to school with them. It kept me sane.
Occasionally I feel as if we are all supposed to measure up to Billy's standard. Luckily most of the work my wife and I do in putting little kids up on our ponies involves families that are dedicated to helping their kids become better people. Billy's class helped me understand how to handle the rare situation where a difficult pony rider needs special attention.
How awful.
by the end of my Jr. year so I majored in Perry Mason and E. S. Gardner, finishing one book and starting the next one. I had several conversations with the principal, who had earned my respect, asking for a Sr. year math class of calculus and a Spanish language sequence since it was more likely to be more useful than French. No luck for me but they added both the year after I graduated. I found my first challenging and interesting classes at the U S Army Artillery and Missile School, wondered why all H S classes couldn't be taught that well. With thanks to the people who taught me to read, and the math instructors that together gave me the education needed to succeed there. USA A&MS made life changing difference for me. Ended up teaching for 30 years using their model/methods as much as I could.
By the way, I also own a full-size pickup, so I harbor no ill will toward those who drive larger vehicles - only those who drive irresponsibly, which around here is typically SUVs (I think the 'extra steel' makes them feel impervious).
They aren't any slower than 99% of people driving Accords and Camrys.
The other 1% of people driving Accords and Camrys appear to want to make up for the 99% though (and they get punished unless they are very lucky.)
;^)
Reminds me of what I said in: The Fight for Conscious Human Life:
"Man made rules, punish the many, because of few, in favor of a few or to aggrandize the man that made the rule."
The author's site seems to have a theme against government interference in enjoyment of automobiles, so the article may not be due to a single incident.
Think of all the times you weren't paying attention to Where you Put you Keys...Laughing