Language

Translation, Interpretation and the Misuse of words to start wars and create hate

Many people attempt to “translate” one language into another language verbatim (word-for-word) as if the two languages were the same grammatically. After this abortion had been completed, they”interpret” what they have composed according to their own culture and history. This leads to misunderstanding and wars, and can be compared with the outburts of Bill O’Reilly of Fox News against the media that labeled Anders Breivik a “Christian” but O’Reilly demonstrates no knowledge of early Christianity, and Anders did repeat what the crusading knights did to Jerusalem one thousand years ago, but without understanding the reason nor consequences. It is the delinguency of education that brings miscreants like O’Reilly and Breivik into the public realm and gives them time to express their ignorance and hatred.

How to make learning exciting

While most will view this title as a pedagogic study, this paper is not about pure pedagogy. Instead I argue that no student will learn who is not challenged or where any subject is off-limits for investigation, interpretation, discussion and disputation. Arguments further knowledge while passive rote memorization of “established”/”set” facts discourage students and lead them into a Dark Age of ignorance. Examples must always be given with sources cited to stimulate inquiry. There is nothing sacred in “philosophy” which is the love of learning.

Dropout factories, Blacks, and Latinos

More students are dropping out of high school every day, at an alarming rate. As of 2007 it was one student every 26 seconds. The cause: bad schools, poorly trained teachers, inadequate librarys, and politicians who want to “save money” at the expense of an educated populace, with the Tea Party and GOP taking aim at further dumbing down learning and the advancement of civilization