Proposed bill (in AZ) would ban political opinions in classes (naturally, it's a GOP bill)

[Doondoo]

A proposed state law would prohibit any instructor in a public school or college from advocating or opposing a political candidate or one side of a social, political or cultural issue that is part of a partisan debate.

A group of Arizona lawmakers concluded Thursday that classrooms should not be forums for schoolteachers and college professors to espouse political opinions.

Supporters said the measure would let students disagree with instructors without fearing retribution.

However, college students and education advocates worry it would discourage instructors from leading discussions and debates on controversial topics.

.......

"In any class, any issue could be discussed as long as the instructor is neutral on the issue and not telling you what your conclusion should be," said Senate Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, who wrote the bill.

Sen. Linda Gray, R-Glendale, said she has concerns about Verschoor's proposal, but she voted for it so it could move out of committee and to the full Senate for consideration.



http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AZ_XGR_POLITICAL_OPINIONS_AZOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-02-16-03-03-30

[FormerDittoHead]

1. Natch, the Republicans would be the ones to decide what was 'political opinion' (like evolution) n/t

[rock]

3. Or Global Warming

Or the Round Earth Theory.

[gratuitous]

14. Or whether torture was a good idea

As a tool of foreign policy.

[Sal316]

2. Thayer's an idiot.

He's one of the ultra RW nutbags that the people of Gilbert keep reelecting.

[atreides1]

5. What does that say

About the people of Gilbert?

[youngdem]

4. This is nothing more than an attempt to legislate that wingnut mythology be taught along side facts.

Disgusting. Luckily, it is also an unconstitutional establishment of religion sponsored by government.

Nice try though, wing nuts.

Too bad you don't believe in your lies, mythology and bullshit enough to let them stand on their own, against the ideas of science, math and humanities.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. And next they'll just ban education. For what is 'education' without an exchange of

opinions and ideas? Back to the Dark Ages for America.... it's coming!

[Demeter]

18. I'm Almost Certain They've Done That Already: Every Child Left Behind Act

Too busy teaching a test to get anything done.

[THUNDER HANDS]

7. technically speaking

a good teacher would remain neutral when discussing political issues.

[Doondoo]

8. Also technically speaking....

....a good teacher would not be PROSECUTED for expressing a legitimate opinion.

[DuaneBidoux]

13. I'm a high school history teacher.

We've been talking about the Enlightenment and Galileo and the printing press.

We also are required to teach "critical thinking skills" to our students.

So if I state that the printing press lessened the power of absolute rulers (kings) by spreading reading and literacy is that a political opinion? Maybe, but it is also an historical fact.

When I talk about Galileo being locked up by the church because he threatened the power of the Catholic church is that political opinion? We then go on to discuss how the state had the power to lock him up and came to the conclusion that this is one of the grave risks that exist when church and state are mixed. Is this political opinion? Maybe, but again, it also happens to be true.

The problem is what Colbert has stated: Reality tends to have an inate liberal bias.

[mike_c]

20. technically speaking, as an educator, I completely disagree with you....

A good teacher's job is to challenge students. Neutrality is rarely challenging for anyone. The issue is one of respect for differing viewpoints, not neutrality.

[dethl]

9. Can't seem to find this mentioned in their minutes.....

I wanna see the wording of this bill. There has to be a loophole.

[dethl]

10. Guess the minutes aren't up yet...

n/t

[theaudacity]

11. I can't think of a single political science that could conduct its business under this rule.

politics is about discussion and debate. Discussion and debate is the best way to learn about it.

[gulfcoastliberal]

12. They've been waging this campaign at least 10 years now! Repukes: 1st Ad. unconstitutional

Started out with the Young Repuke Clubs complaining they were being "discriminated" against by evil liberal professors, so your usual RW "think tanks" cockroaches crawled from under their rocks. Looks like their first testbed is Arizona. Hope it fails. The cockroaches saw this as a means attempt stopping those pursuing higher education from learning exactly what and the reasons behind our sick modern administration. I can think of a number of professors in fields from Geology to History referencing politics and government in the course of learning different things. What about poli-sci? No discussions of campaigns, candidates, their policies and plans for control of government? Guess you can't discuss politics in your history classes; the repuke attempt toake absolutely certain we keepmaking the same idiptic mistakes 'till we're good & extinct. If this crap bill passes and gets signes, I hope even the Roberts court overturns this steaming pile.

[Trillo]

15. No mention of private schools?

Without including all schools, the bill is severely flawed.

Private schools are very dangerous, probably much more dangerous than public schools.

[gorbal]

16. So they basically have to balance lies versus the truth

And give conservative ideas that have no bases in fact the same attention as science. Tell me if I'm wrong here. (Please tell me I'm wrong)

[Occulus]

17. Oh, too cute

"In any class, any issue could be discussed as long as the instructor is neutral on the issue and not telling you what your conclusion should be," said Senate Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, who wrote the bill.

Let's take this literally and apply it to math class. :evilgrin:

[Fresh_Start]

19. does that mean no history studies anymore

hard to discuss civil war without discussing political opinions, hard to discuss revolutionary war without discussing political opinions.

Not it ignore the difficulty of political opinions embedded in literature.....