The news that lots of teenagers don't know who Osama bin Laden was reminds me of a story a high school teacher emailed me in 2008:
Student Named Yesenia: "Teacher! Teacher! I have a question."
Teacher: "Yes, what is it?"
Yesenia: "Who is Son of Aladdin? Why are they always looking for him in a cave?"
Teacher: "Huh?"
Yesenia: "What's so bad about Son of Aladdin? Why are they trying to catch him?"
Teacher: "Oh, you mean … Osama bin Laden?"
Yesenia: "Yeah, Son of Aladdin."
Teacher: "He's a terrorist."
Yesenia: "Oh."
Teacher [trying to make this into a Teachable Moment]: "But don't confuse Osama with Obama."
Yesenia: "Who's that?"
Teacher: "Barack Obama. He's running for President. The African-American candidate."
Yesenia:
Teacher: "You know, the black guy?"
Yesenia [Eyes widening]: "He's black?"
Teacher: "Yes."
Yesenia: "And he's running for President?"
Teacher: "Yes."
Yesenia: [With wide-eyed alarm]: "That's bad."
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44 comments:
The children is our future.
Don't worry if you missed seeing the movie Idiocracy. If you move to the hood or the barrio, you can see it every day. If you don't want to make the move, don't worry - as the hood/barrio is heading your way.
That never happened.
The news that lots of teenagers don't know who Osama bin Laden was ...
A bogus story.
As should be obvious from the fact that no numbers at all were given - except for the nine people listed, and the rank ordering of some small, undefinded subset of searches - and that all the searches were given as questions - if I want to know who someone is, I just search on the name, and from what I've seen nearly everyone else does the same thing.
Didn't I hear another version of this story that had the conversation arise out of trying to teach the students math or something involving the use of the adjectives "good" and "bad" (hence the "that's bad!)?
Silver:
Good memory!
http://isteve.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-vs-brown.html
"Don't worry if you missed seeing the movie Idiocracy. If you move to the hood or the barrio, you can see it every day."
Or, from the comfort of your own living room, you could just read the comments here on Barry.
Hey Champs: All is not lost!
I know how hard it is to look to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave and see this this damned N...-N...-uh..."Non natural-born citizen" as president. But his end is Nigh for Mr. A.A.! The Republican party has a new Frontrunner from this week's debate that's going to knock that cocky little bastard off his high horse!
No, Truth, you're still a dumbass, you're still embarrassing yourself and your race, and I still love having you around.
Regardless of the truth of this story, I can cut the young one some slack. Osama has been off the radar for years with many believing he died years ago.
"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
If Bush lost interest in 2002, what can be expected from adults today who were still in HS 9 years ago. Political awareness genearally comes in the 18+ college years.
However, for this same reason, the voting age should be raised to 25yo or when they get their first private sector paycheck. This gives young adults 3yrs to have some of their youthful idealism and academic leftist indoctranation hopefully deprogrammed by reality.
Yes, the "that's bad!" story is cute. But how many times have you told it now?
... or visit Philly, Camden, Detroit, Hartford, St. Louis, Gary or New Orleans. TV and the internet just don't give the full Sens-Surround experience.
The sad thing is the fools in those cities are still voting for Talented Tenth candidates who preach Mexican amnesty (aka Rainbow Nation) just like Barry the banker kid/prep school boy.
Frankly, its getting harder to gin up much sympathy for blacks who consistently vote for their own disenfranchisement and poverty.
If black folks want to give their jobs to Mexicans and drive down their own wages I am increasingly inclined to let them.
A comprehensive attempt to debunk the Yahoo-based version of this story can be found here:
http://studentactivism.net/2011/05/04/who-is-osama-bin-laden-do-teens-really-not-know/
Those Twitter screenshots are harder to argue with, but some strike me as clearly sarcastic in tone (e.g., the one that asks if Osama is in a band).
Good memory!
http://isteve.blogspot.com/2008/01/black-vs-brown.html
Yes, I noticed that you'd linked to it in the original post after I'd hit "publish."
Just trying to keep you honest. :)
"you're still embarrassing yourself and your race,"
I'm embarrassing the whole race...ALL BILLION PEOPLE?
(Damn, I must be doing something right.)
I'm surprised the MSM didn't use my favorite cliche to describe OBL's assassination:
Revenge is a dish best served cold.
Steve, you should try to get a copy of today's SF Chronicle metro section. An article about a black teen charged with killing a German tourist in Union Square carries a photo of the kid's tatooed mother. She looks to be about 28 and more dangerous than he.
Hey Truth, I voted for a black man for President before you did. In '96 it was Ward Connerly, in 2000 Thomas Sowell, and in '04 it was Shelby Steele. No wait, those aren't real black men. Sorry.
Apparently the high-testosterone, unemployed and easily led Muslim youth also don't seem to remember Osama too well either.
We were misled by Western governments and the MSM to believe peace-loving Muslims were misled to hold Osama as their second coming. I was expecting the typical worldwide Muslim rage 10x the Danish cartoon brohahhah which resulted in hundreds of deaths
With the lame response to our taking out Osama it looks like we've been lied to yet again. CNN did a segment a day or two ago claiming hundreds of pilgrams already visiting Osama's safehouse but the video looped 3 shots of 6-12 people curiously ambling about randomly.
Bush may have accidently told the truth and spilled the beans about the true popularlity and importance of Osama 9 years ago:
"I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." --
George W Bush
March 13, 2002
TV and the internet just don't give the full Sens-Surround experience.
That's true. For the full Sens-Surrond experience you also need a Butt Kicker. I screwed mine onto the frame of my recliner last week. Now for the wiring.
Old timers remember Charlton Heston as Moses or Ben-Hur. But for me Heston will always be the Butt Kicker in Chief. There were only two Hollywood features (Earthquake, Midway) released in Sens-Surround and both stared Heston. There's just something about those shoulders and that jaw line that sets the seats a-shaking.
Albertosaurus
Hey Truth, I voted for a black man for President before you did. In '96 it was Ward Connerly, in 2000 Thomas Sowell, and in '04 it was Shelby Steele. No wait, those aren't real black men. Sorry.
I'm about as likely to vote for a black candidate as a black man in a majority black country is to vote for a white candidate. Blacks have different interests, regardless of their stated positions on the issues.
It's possible, but not at all likely.
"Hey Truth, I voted for a black man for President before you did."
That wouldn't be hard, I've never voted for a black man to be President.
"Blacks have different interests, regardless of their stated positions on the issues."
Yeah Svigolino, I agree: Herman Cain is a multi-millionaire rainmaker, he does have a different position than you do:
His is "success."
Herman Cain's popularity among the Tea Party conservatives is proof that most of America has swallowed the "Wise Black Guy/Gal" stuff Hollywood puts out, akin to the Black Hacker/Scientist stuff.
Herman Cain is popular among Republicans BECAUSE he is Black. No other reason. Because his Blackness is assumed to give him moral and spiritual advantages, akin to "Wise Latinas" and such. Cain if he were White would not even have been invited to the debate.
At any rate, most of the spontaneous celebrants who showed up in NYC and DC to celebrate Osama bin Laden getting killed were young. And White.
At any rate, most of the spontaneous celebrants who showed up in NYC and DC to celebrate Osama bin Laden getting killed were young. And White.
I noticed that too.
Off topic, but Tiger Daughter started a blog a month or so ago:
http://tigersophia.blogspot.com/
She seems to have turned out just fine, but that's not really a surprise considering she has top-one-percent genes.
Hmm, looks like the Tiger Daughter is an annoying and not very interesting attention whore. I expected better.
"Off topic, but Tiger Daughter started a blog a month or so ago:"
I foresee a media career.
"Hmm, looks like the Tiger Daughter is an annoying and not very interesting attention whore. I expected better."
LOL! What is she expected to be at 17? The jealousy of the low-IQ people while watching the high-IQ types soar is fascinating. :)
Good stuff. It's a shame how we even bother to educate people who obviously do not belong in the US educational system save for the reason to provide off site babysitting.
I thought this was interesting if you like philosophy
http://thepensievethoughts.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-does-it-feel.html
"(Damn, I must be doing something right.)"
Only unintentionally.
"LOL! What is she expected to be at 17? The jealousy of the low-IQ people while watching the high-IQ types soar is fascinating. :) "
Uh... "
Q: Is it possible for you to give your SAT, SAT II and any other test scores?
A: I took the SAT once. I’m keeping all my scores private." http://tigersophia.blogspot.com/2011/04/ah-you-guys-are-actually-reading-this.html
Former head of the ISI (Pakistan's intelligence agency) Hamid Gul was on CNN on Eliot Spitzer's show. He says he thinks Osama bin Laden dead some years ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbZLxh3RRK0
At any rate, most of the spontaneous celebrants who showed up in NYC and DC to celebrate Osama bin Laden getting killed were young. And White.
They looked pretty "ethnic" to me. Not really classic All-American.
"Herman Cain is popular among Republicans BECAUSE he is Black. No other reason. Because his Blackness is assumed to give him moral and spiritual advantages, akin to "Wise Latinas" and such."
Whiskey, I like you and I like Herman Cain and I don't like most black so-called conservatives. Give the guy a break. It's not like G.W. Bush had succeeded in business before pursuing a political career as his father preferred. And this time I don't think AA is the simple answer for the difference in outcomes.
LOL! What is she expected to be at 17?
With, as someone put it, top-one-percent genes, it's reasonable to expect better. Teenager or not, there's nothing really exceptional, let alone top-one-percent, about that blog.
"Whiskey, I like you and I like Herman Cain and I don't like most black so-called conservatives. Give the guy a break. It's not like G.W. Bush had succeeded in business before pursuing a political career as his father preferred."
Look at Herman Cain's career in the corporate world. If he were white, there is no way in hell he would have been as quickly promoted in the manner he was. The guy is clearly an affirmative action token.
Assuming for a moment that the story is true (which I guess is questionable), what you have here is a perfect metaphor for everything that is wrong with the education establishment:
A student asks a legitimate question ("who is Son of Aladdin/Osama bin Laden, and why is he supposed to be bad?"). The alleged "teacher" gives a perfunctory answer to a good question, and then rather than following it up with additional factual/historical background on the subject of inquiry (Osama and what he did), which the student expressed actual interest in, the "teacher" immediately changes the subject to Social Justice Dinner Theater -- Obama is running for president! -- which has nothing whatsoever to do with the student's express focus of curiosity. It's merely what the "teacher" is interested in -- not actually instructing or educating the student, but in "changing the world."
A literary friend of mine once said that everything that is wrong with today's fiction and poetry can be traced back to the word "workshop.". Similarly, everything wrong with American education can be traced back to the phrase "social justice."
"Look at Herman Cain's career in the corporate world. If he were white, there is no way in hell he would have been as quickly promoted in the manner he was. The guy is clearly an affirmative action token."
Dude, you're right, there's no way a guy who has turned around every failing company he's managed would actually get hired by other companies if he was white.
IT'S A TRAVESTY!
"Similarly, everything wrong with American education can be traced back to the phrase 'social justice.'"
If social justice was justice it wouldn't need the first word ergo it's stealth injustice.
The punchline is even funnier in the original long version.
I was right, it's a bogus story:
http://clues.yahoo.com/
and try some of the searches ("who is OBL", etc) and compare the demographics of the results with the results of some other questions - they're about the same.
Blacks are on average roughly one standard deviation below whites in IQ, but there are a large number of above-average blacks and a smaller number that are extremely bright. Herman Cain likely is exceptionally above the black average, given his accomplishments in the corporate world. I'm assuming being black helped, but I'd say that being competent was the main factor behind his success.
If Herman Cain failed in the business world, perhaps you'd have a point. He instead did very well and you need to give credit where credit is due.
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