Debbie Schlussel: Sad Sign of the Times: Environmentalists/PETA Beat Down Patriots, History
Need a sign that enviro-nazis and People for the Unethical Treatment of Animals and humans (PUTAh) are winning . . . and that Americans are dumbing down our sense of history, honor and patriotism?
As we near the celebration of our nation's birth, the Fourth of July, the Center for Civic Innovatoin at the Manhattan Institute reports that fewer and fewer schools are taking their names from Presidents and other American historical figures, and more and more of them are being named for bodies of water, trees, and animals. It's about the influence of lesser topics over important ones like history and the founding of our country. But it's also about PC-culture--no-one wants to upset anyone by picking a "dead White man."
Still, if you are one of those Black militants who doesn't care for schools being named for "dead white men," this is your issue, too. Not only are fewer schools being named for Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, but fewer schools are being named for George Washington Carver and Martin Luther King, Jr., also.
More of this sad story, which is stark evidence of the Granola-ing of America causing its dumbing down:
Public schools across the USA are increasingly more likely to be named after bodies of water, trees and animals than historical figures, a study reports today.The shift toward names such as Skyline High and Owl Creek Elementary represents a decline in the civic mission of school names, suggesting schools are not taking advantage of a key teaching opportunity, an author of the study says.
"It's a reflection of what our priorities are," says Brian Kisida, a research associate at the University of Arkansas. "Clearly, we can't change all the school names to honor leaders and expect everyone to rush out and start voting. But the name provides an opportunity to teach about values . . . and create effective citizens.
"I attended Eisenhower Elementary School in Davenport, Iowa," he adds. "If I hadn't had a reason to know who Eisenhower was, I probably still wouldn't know. But my school used its namesake to give us something to think about."
The study, published by the Center for Civic Innovation at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, analyzes school names in Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Ohio and Wisconsin.
* Less than 5% of schools nationwide are named after presidents.
* Five public schools in Florida are named after George Washington, while 11 are named after manatees.
* In Arizona, public schools are 50% more likely to be named after a natural object, such as a mesa or cactus, than a current or former leader.
Up next: Jerry Garcia Junior High? Maybe. And in that case, the "high" is a double entendre. And a double cultural downer.
Posted by Debbie on July 2, 2007 04:13 PM to Debbie Schlussel