Is it just me, or is there a greater-than-average amount of closed-mindedness here?

She homeschools! She doesn't like the idea of tests and homework! She must be stupid!

I love the assumptions:

There's no way to judge how much a student learned unless you give tests and homework. Well, yeah, I guess they could check class participation and classwork - but how could there possibly be enough time??? Because all my classes, which ran on the "tests and homework" idea, were lecture-based, so this class must ALSO be large and lecture based, and there wouldn't be enough time to do classwork. I've never heard of class discussions, or labwork before!

And:

She withdrew her kids over this! She must not want them to learn! This must make her a bible-thumping fundie!

Aside from the obvious WTF prejudice, I have this to say: Of course, you can't learn unless you have homework and tests! This, despite the studies saying that homework and tests can be detrimental to actual learning. Seriously, think back: which did you learn better, the subject you didn't stress out over but instead liked, or the subject which had lots of tests, which you crammed for? Even if you disagree, which is fair, do you *really* think that there's no other way to learn than by lectures, homework, and tests?

Ooh!

Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19!
What Pirate do YOU Talk Like?



Yay! I'm dread! I'm piratey! And my father's name was Robert! Well, it was Bob, but close enough.

Grr. You know that MtS post?

Yeah, this one girl is now complaining that I "didn't answer her question" as to whether or not I homeschool. Well, I did answer, I answered by asking why she asked it. And that's all the answer she's getting, for a number of very good reasons.

1. I wasn't even talking about homeschooling on that thread until she asked that question, so it was completely irrelevant.
2. Even if it weren't completely irrelevant because of that, it would still be completely irrelevant. What does it matter if I homeschool/am homeschooled?
3. *laughs* Yeah, like I'm that stupid. I know perfectly well why she was asking. If I'd said yes, the reply would be that I'm biased (and maybe stupid) because of it. If I'd said no, the reply would be either "you don't know anything about homeschooling because you don't homeschool" or (since that goes both ways) "if you think it's so good, you should homeschool. You must not really think it's that good, you hypocrite". Either way, it's illogical and pointless.

I realized this way back in the sixth grade, that people ask questions to attack you, not because they're actually interested in the answers. It's been my policy ever since not to answer questions unless I could figure out why they were asked. In this case I know the reason, but that doesn't make me feel any more inclined to answer. Really, does she think that's going to work? I'd have to be very slow to keep falling for that trap, especially online where I can think of my answers.

*blinks in stunned silence*

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/09/opinion/l09iraq.html

To the Editor:

As we solemnly observe the 1,000th American military death in Iraq, let us also remember that on one day alone - 9/11 - more than 3,000 deaths occurred here on our own soil.

Most of those casualties were civilians, who were coldbloodedly targeted by terrorists. The long, sad shadow of those attacks falls upon us as we mark the third year since their occurrence.

As former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has suggested, let all of us who were fortunate enough to survive rededicate our lives to ensure that no one else will be orphaned by terrorism.

By taking the war to the terrorists, rather than waiting for them to strike us again, President Bush has done so.

Darryl W. Jackson
Washington, Sept. 8, 2004

Yes, Bush took the war to the terrorists... wait, no. The terrorists then were primarily Saudis. We're still allied with them, aren't we? Yeah, and what ever happend to that Bin Ladin guy? Is he in Iraq nowadays? Did I miss something?

And here it is again!

Here we go!

Persistant little twit, huh?

Just a general statement.

I'm horrible when it comes to spelling errors. I think they need to be corrected, stat, and I don't care who knows it, for I am the Red Pencil of Doom. I realize this sometimes seems petty. Such is life when you are the Red Pencil of Doom.

I'm also inordinately proud of the fact that, when I want to insult somebody's intelligence, I don't do it by pointing out that they can't spell, even though I could. Because I'm the Red Pencil of Doom. Oh, I might point that out in the same post, but that isn't how I know they're illogical, irrational, or just stupid.

If you tell anybody, I'll smite you. Because I'm... well, you know.

Taken from literalgirl

I use the icon, of course, but it's almost too cheery. Sorry.