tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post3058845886059344604..comments2024-01-02T18:05:23.666-06:00Comments on Streak's Blog: The closing of the conservative mind: front and center in my classroomStreakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01443433745929880701noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-55099762511733969062011-01-31T16:09:54.469-06:002011-01-31T16:09:54.469-06:00Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been reading...Thanks for the feedback guys. I have been reading Michael Berube's book on liberal education and am reminded that part of a liberal education means me being respectful of his ideas. That is hard in this particular situation, because I find nullification to be out of the wackjob right. But I am going to try to be a good professor to him.Streakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443433745929880701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-14529544113804475442011-01-31T13:00:44.865-06:002011-01-31T13:00:44.865-06:00You could also make sure the final exam includes i...You could also make sure the final exam includes items that do not fit into his world view to make sure he learns the real facts, not the Fox facts.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12669616484991718478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-83100416825747684442011-01-31T11:35:30.957-06:002011-01-31T11:35:30.957-06:00While it does not make your job any easier, the fa...While it does not make your job any easier, the facts of history are the only weapon against this type of thought. <br /><br />Therefore, you sir are our first defense and one soldier in the fight. This will be the only time he (is forced to) faces someone who disagrees with his crazy world view. The rest of the time he likely gets his information from those who he agrees and is equally factually challenged. <br /><br />I think you must defend on the facts in a respectful way based on your clear understanding of a topic that he does not yet grasp. You should be respectful, but your clear undertsanding will make him look foolish among his peers and they will help weed him out.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12669616484991718478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-14525832461391119512011-01-30T10:05:23.847-06:002011-01-30T10:05:23.847-06:00Wow. Ruby comes along and shows us just exactly t...Wow. Ruby comes along and shows us just exactly the closed mind. Nice. Way to demonstrate reason, there, troll. <br /><br />I see this guy as a true believer. He is really convinced that this is the way the world works. He mentioned the mandate and though he didn't say tyranny, he sure seems to believe that. What bothers me more than this kind of destructive political stance, is the lack of clear thought. I think Leighton's point of acting bored by the idea is a better one than engaging directly. My problem, as I noted, is that I run into him on the heels of another class and so start to see my fatigue rise and my patience ebb. It makes it hard to respond in the manner that I normally like to. <br /><br />I am thinking of asking him to talk after class where we can argue about these things if he wants, but am not sure.Streakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01443433745929880701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-15821393061764060892011-01-30T06:27:08.243-06:002011-01-30T06:27:08.243-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Rubynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-85041541424004343712011-01-29T15:21:24.159-06:002011-01-29T15:21:24.159-06:00Hmmm. Well I am not sure on what level you can en...Hmmm. Well I am not sure on what level you can engage him.<br /><br />As a Christian, the FIRST thing I would do, is invoke the spirit of Acts 17:11 and encourage him to search the sources of his materials to prove their accuracy.<br /><br />As to his "individual mandate" issue, there has been some recent discussion over the 5th Congress (containing many Founders) passing an insurance bill with an individual mandate in it. Surely the Founders themselves would have known what was in their own minds.Monk-in-Traininghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07373661525025912462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-28378471315545871532011-01-29T13:42:21.893-06:002011-01-29T13:42:21.893-06:00I don't get the impression that this kind of s...I don't get the impression that this kind of stuff is moving towards the mainstream, even among TP folks, but maybe I don't hang around enough kooks. Thanks to e-mail and the net, there is certainly no shortage of these kinds of people.<br /><br />I applaud your restraint and ability to let this guy express his opinion. I remember people like this over the years and they could be frustrating, in that they took up class time with their ideas and opinions. At what point do you just shut him down and move on?steveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862590608695420004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5397103.post-27060006526786381022011-01-29T11:30:33.937-06:002011-01-29T11:30:33.937-06:00It sounds like a hard situation because the founda...It sounds like a hard situation because the foundation of history consists of facts, whereas conspiracy theorists - who I don't think are mainline conservatives yet, but who are getting closer thanks to the Tea Party's mainstreaming of views held by the John Birch Society - have openly declared war on facts. <br /><br />The contrarian conspiracy theorists I ran into when I worked at the immigration firm seemed to hold the beliefs they did in good part because they needed to really piss people off in order to fulfill their social needs. Liberals who actually give a shit about suffering people tend to be easy marks for provocateurs. I found that the attitude that worked best for controlling the interaction was to act bored and vaguely amused (but mostly bored), thus establishing myself as a non-target. I have no idea if that would be of any use for your lecture style, though.leightonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07821884432248870789noreply@blogger.com