From: J.Theodore.Schuerzinger@dartmouth.edu (J. Theodore Schuerzinger)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.usa
Subject: Re: Tough Tests(Re: Education (was: Re: DOES AMERICA SAY YES 
 TO
Date: 16 Dec 92 16:18:34 GMT
 <Bz7uxx.LC7@news.cso.uiuc.edu> 
 <1992Dec15.155709.26917@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>  
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Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
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In article <BzBF3B.77K@news.cso.uiuc.edu>
irvine@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Brent Irvine) writes:

> >> By emulating Europe and Japan in this respect, we would create a similarly
> >> based caste system, with the most brainy running things, and the 
> >> more practical and determined underclass less empowered.  Sorry, I 
> >> prefer the opportunity to defy the 'odds' thank you very much...
> >
> >Of course, Europe has a much better social-welfare system, less
> >poverty, less crime, etc. than the USA.  Additionally, the UK had the
> 
> We cannot be sure that less violence and such is due to their social
> welfare system, or if it is, that our crime, etc., would be cut down
> significantly [especially when firearms in Europe have been under tight
> control for a VERY long time, or illegal to own.  While that solution
> to firearms works in Europe, we cannot do it in the US: too many gun owners
> now - roughly 100,000,000+ - and that pesky Bill of Rights...]

What about the view of rural hicks who are stereotypically stupid, eg.
the stereotypical southerner, the character Woody on 'Cheers', (or here
in NH) the entire Coos county (:-))?  Aren't these the sort of people
more likely to own guns?  I don't think educated college graduates (ie.
the type of Americans who would have passed the admissions standards
for Western European countries) are as likely to own guns, or to think
gun control is a terrible idea?  For example, most of my friends, even
the conservative ones, seem to support some sort of limits on, say,
assault rifles.  My parents, who are definitely blue-collar, say it
will only increase crime because people will steal to be able to buy
the guns.  I think the same would hold for things like the death
penalty, the Gulf War, etc.

> 
> >intelligence to vote the Conservatives into power into four straight
> >elections, something the American voters didn't have the smarts to
> >do.... :-)
> 
> :) :) :) :)
> 
> >Actually, the Founding FATHERS didn't like the idea of having the
> >uneducated have a huge influence on the election; hence the Electoral
> >College system.
> 
> True, but they did support education those masses, and hence completing
> Montesqieu (sp) and the other French Philosophers envisioned in their
> utopias.
> 
> BTW:  If you have ever read Mont., our government structure is basically
> completely 'lifted' from his treatises.  Its pretty funny and kind of
> shocking that his system, as implemented, hasn't worked too badly...
> >
> >I still think US university admission requirements are too lenient.
> 
> I think that it is pretty obvious which schools are on which tiers, so
> doesn't matter much - I would much prefer to allow anyone to get as
> educated as he/she can stand than to say "Sorry, your scores on test
> xx75 are too low for us to allow you to learn any more from a school."
> 
> Granted, some schools are pretty easy to get into though...
> [you have to be breathing, and sign your name on that check...]

But doesn't this corrupt the quality of the college degree?


--Ted Schuerzinger
email: .zed@Dartmouth.EDU
"I should have known it would be bad vodka when all the label said was
'Russian Vodka'."
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