The assumption that "social evolution" will somehow contradict or even change cognitive reality seems to be cemented in the thick heads of the most ardent uber-liberals. Reality points to the observation that human beings are, by nature, incredibly competitive. Never the less, there are a few that would see fit to change the "unfairness" of social reality through what can only be labeled as indoctrination. To wit:
Children at the Oakdale School here in southeastern Connecticut returned this fall to learn that their traditional recess had gone the way of the peanut butter sandwich and the Gumby lunchbox.
No longer could they let off their youthful energy — pent up from hours of long division — by cavorting outside for 22 minutes of unstructured play, or perhaps with a vigorous game of tag or dodgeball. Such games had been virtually banned by the principal, Mark S. Johnson, along with kickball, soccer and other “body-banging” activities, as he put it, where knees — and feelings — might get bruised.
Instead, children are encouraged to jump rope, play with Hula Hoops or gently fling a Frisbee. Balls are practically controlled substances, parceled out under close supervision by playground monitors.
Facing the ire of many parents, Mr. Johnson relented a bit:
Mr. Johnson finally relaxed some prohibitions after a parade of parents complained. Now, twice a week when a parent or grandparent is present, fourth and fifth graders are allowed to play a modified version of kickball as long as the score is not kept.Ah, now that's better, isn't it?
How people like Mark Johnson maintain their positions in light of what is a most obvious program of attempted indoctrination defies reason. We're some six millennia along in the game of organized society, 6000 years of success, failure, rise and fall of various societies and the likes of Johnson would have some hundreds of students turn out believing the field of life has been nicely leveled for them. Indoctrinating children to believe that "trying=success" is disgusting and ironically, completely unfair as it prepares them for a future that simply does not exist. Shame, Mr Johnson, shame.
(Thanks to Bookworm Room for this.)
8 comments:
Wow, you are a uber-moron. Did you know your evil nemeses the NEA are against some of the more excessive curtailments of recess? Just because a few schools are overdoing it with protecting children and the school from risk does not mean there is some imaginary "liberal social engineering" taking place.
Jesus, think before you post. There are concrete reasons for why schools do this stuff, although I too am not convinced that rules against games is the answer. Your silly conspiratorial abstractions have nothing to do with it and you know it.
Ronb. Thanks for the vapid and generally meaningless comment. If you're going to refer to someone as a(n) uber-moron, at least get the grammar straight. Not sure where you get the "evil nemesis NEA" bit as it's not mentioned in the post. I suspect you either have an extremely overactive imagination or have brought some preconceptions with you.
Let's see if I can inject some substance into this discourse, eh?
What "risk" does keeping score in kickball carry?
What are these "concrete" reasons for eliminating competitive play?
If that's a liberal recess, what would a conservative recess look like? Perhaps something like this:
In a kickball game, the biggest kids lobby the teachers to enter the game on their side, preventing other kids from catching or kicking the ball and ensuring the biggest kids win by as large a margin as possible. The smaller kids, bullied by big kids and by the teachers, are told "look how much fun you are having! The big kids' fun is trickling down to you!" Any sign of not wanting to play kickball is harshly punished by forcing the kids to sit alone in a corner and cry until they graduate.
=P
Maybe the good principal was bullied by jocks in his youth, and is now exacting his vengeance?
Of course, I think his "solution" is vindictively brilliant: I wasn't very good at dodgeball or kickball, but I could do those things FAR better than I could jump rope or "hula hoop"!
Pre-9/11 CNN was all about how dangerous dodgeball was. They had townhall meetings and professional dodgeball players discussing the dangers of the game. It was sickening to say the least.
After 9/11 CNN apologized and said it was time to focus on real things...apparently some principals still think that dodgeball is the biggest problem with schools.
jacob,
I can recall the wall to wall coverage of the shark menace as well. The media is driven by profit and fear (and humiliation) sells. In times of general peace (and lacking scandal) the media has to dig hard to find the days (or weeks) mantra.
Who knew sharks could eat people. Nice investigative journalism CNN.
In a kickball game, the biggest kids lobby the teachers to enter the game on their side, preventing other kids from catching or kicking the ball and ensuring the biggest kids win by as large a margin as possible. The smaller kids, bullied by big kids and by the teachers, are told "look how much fun you are having! The big kids' fun is trickling down to you!" Any sign of not wanting to play kickball is harshly punished by forcing the kids to sit alone in a corner and cry until they graduate.
Or we can look at reality, which is the US Army infantry brigades and the United States Marine Corps warrior ethos.
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