Indiana Governor vs Academic Freedom

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/19/mitch-daniels-howard-zinn_n_3625599.html

   Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana wants to ban the use of Howard Zinn's book A People's History of the United States from schools in Indiana.

   He's purported to be one of the last smart and moderate Republicans.

   I'm betting that "history" books by David Barton are to be recommended instead.


   "Daniels says he is a firm supporter of academic freedom."

   The entire text of  A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn is online here:

  http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html

Comments

Anonymous said…
What could you have expected from Mitch Daniels? What scares me the most is that people voted for him. And for all the other conservative governors of so many states. And Florida? Rick Scott. That surely explains a lot about Florida, huh? Sandra O'Connor finally admitted that the US Supreme Court's involvement in the Gore/Bush election should never have happened. Thank you Florida and thank you Supreme Court, not for nothing, but for all that transpired afterwards, for which we are most of us still paying.
July 21, 2013 at 3:16 PM
Unknown said…
I'm not sure the election of 2000 would have made a long term difference. A Gore victory may have had the opposite effect. The far right-wingers are looking at the long term. Perhaps they would have been more able to garner their forces under a Gore presidency, considering how vulnerable Gore turned out to be. On the one hand it may well have allowed us to avoid the tragedy of 9/11, and the destruction of America that followed. On the other, we would have forestalled so much exposure to the dangerous idiocy of what the GOP really has become. There is a chance, a very slim chance, that neo-conservatism is self-collapsing in front of us. The problem with my premise is that Americans are easy to distract, and short on memory and intelligence. We have taken to heart Ayn Rand's short-term self interest in the simplest of understanding, but can't see the destruction it causes.

I would have to see a self-evident, overwhelming rejection of the current GOP and the Teabaggers, AND the ideology that spawned them, AND the nefarious greed-heads that fund them in the next several election cycles to have any hope that our country has a chance to live up to its (supposed) aspirations.

That would have to mean the ousting of the GOP from the congress, and from a large majority of state houses. It would mean that Fox News (and pretty much ALL media) would have to start reporting honestly and ethically. It would mean that public pronouncements by people that have no idea of what they're talking about (Barton, Nugent, televangelists, the Pope, etc, ad infinitum) would be met with scorn and derision by almost all of the country. And a few other things.
July 21, 2013 at 3:49 PM
Unknown said…
In retrospect, it is possible that having avoided the disastrous George W Bush presidency, we could have had an even worse Newt Gingrich, or Mitt Romney (or insert any of the dangerous clowns from the past 2 elections, even a Bachmann...) presidency to follow a mere four years later.
July 21, 2013 at 3:59 PM
Unknown said…
On the other hand, I still hold that it's all Jerry Ford's fault. If Nixon was sent to prison, we may well never have had any of this to live through.
July 21, 2013 at 4:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Well, on the other hand, I just cut my finger. Better to never have put away the dishes and just have waited until morning. Hindsight is the real Hell.
July 22, 2013 at 3:32 AM
Anonymous said…
And, by the way, that was no joke. My finger got cut by the apple slicer when I was putting away the avocado cutter. And my finger is still bleeding.
July 22, 2013 at 4:55 AM
Unknown said…
My professional advice? Don't do that.
July 22, 2013 at 11:56 AM
Unknown said…
And what the hell is an avocado slicer? Kind of a uni-tasker, no? I just use a good sharp knife.
July 22, 2013 at 4:32 PM
Unknown said…
And a separate apple slicer? What the hell are you doing? Industrial produce?
July 22, 2013 at 6:28 PM
Anonymous said…
LOL...just trying to stay healthy eating apples and avocados. The avocado slicer cuts it in half, then there's a round gripper to take out the pit and then there's a grater looking area and is supposed to slice the fruit part into strips. I don't use that. I believe the pit remover part (which is metal that hooks onto the pit) is where another finger got scraped a week and a half ago (while I was washing it) and it took forever to heal because I have my hands in water a lot.

The apple slicer is where you push down on the apple and it takes out the core and leaves you with apple slices. That was the culprit that got my finger last night (the tip). It's rather sharp of course. And it hurts to type. Ouch
July 22, 2013 at 7:31 PM
Unknown said…
Give me sharp knife and a soup spoon. I bet I can open, slice, and peel an avocado faster (and safer) than your gadget. The apple? You're on your own.
July 22, 2013 at 9:42 PM
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