Thread: Another Language Virus

Originally Posted by Phrank

We had an NDP candidate - an MA in education I believe, and the Superintendent of a School District, who got in trouble for taking a selfie at Auschwitz, of one of the electrified concrete fence columns and comparing it to a phallic symbol.

When she got called on the callous lack of respect for, a) taking the "selfie" in a concentration camp, and b) comparing it to a phallic symbol, she claimed she didn't know what Auschwitz was, she'd never heard of it or the concentration camp. She was running for Parliament! Lots of excuses were made for her, but the fact remains, she's an idiot. A buffoon who should have resigned immediately.

To be fair to her, it wasn't a selfie but rather she commented on a photo that someone else had posted.

That having been said, her comment was bafflingly stupid. And as bad as that was, her attempt to explain away the comment by saying that she didn't know what Auschwitz was or what had happened there was even worse. That an idiot like that was in any way responsible for the education of our next generation beggars belief.

But then, we were spoiled for choice when it came to idiot candidates having to withdraw from the recent election, weren't we?. At times I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Originally Posted by Phrank

University is to instill a firm foundation of basic intellectual skills, through critical thought, analysis and broadening the mind to ideas outside your own comfort zone. Most don't teach that anymore, they teach ridiculous courses, and anything that may frighten or disturb these poor "kids", is littered with, "trigger" warnings now, whitewashed, or rewritten to suit various political agendas. It's ridiculous, and the "progressive left" on many campuses now, are in fact a type of politically correct thought police, squashing anything outside their little comfort zones.

And we wonder why, when they're out in the real world, they are completely incapable of dealing with conflict or adversity - or anyone challenging their "rote" taught ideas.

I fall comfortably into the progressive left end of the spectrum and I totally share your concern re coddling students, political correctness, and all of that jazz that caters to the helicopter parents and their desperately unprepared (adult) children. Luckily there are plenty of us on all sides of the political divide who can't stand that crap, so there's still hope.

Originally Posted by Cangooner

To be fair to her, it wasn't a selfie but rather she commented on a photo that someone else had posted.

That having been said, her comment was bafflingly stupid. And as bad as that was, her attempt to explain away the comment by saying that she didn't know what Auschwitz was or what had happened there was even worse. That an idiot like that was in any way responsible for the education of our next generation beggars belief.

But then, we were spoiled for choice when it came to idiot candidates having to withdraw from the recent election, weren't we?. At times I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.



I fall comfortably into the progressive left end of the spectrum and I totally share your concern re coddling students, political correctness, and all of that jazz that caters to the helicopter parents and their desperately unprepared (adult) children. Luckily there are plenty of us on all sides of the political divide who can't stand that crap, so there's still hope.

Yes - the Conservative candidate who was also a appliance repair guy peeing into the homeowners coffee mug was a splendid example of stupidity.

I had some great day's at Trent University, W.O. Mitchell's son, Orm, head of the English Department, some great Profs, in the history department as well, some real hard nose, cranky types who wouldn't let you get away with anything.

Personally, it was during this period in the mid-80's, as the feminist influence started casting it's grey cloud over thought that it began. I remember in a Medieval Literature class, having to listen to several women spout their modern day theory on literature and a time hundreds of years in the past - spoke out about it as well, that this wasn't the subject of the class, and the Professor agreed with me, she was one of my favourites there.

Now, you wouldn't get away with a complaint like that, you'd be branded and shamed from a buffet of new words to silence thought - if you could even find a course like that to begin with.

What a great day for ranting this has been!