Here is how one of my students' midterms discussing McCarthyism during the Cold War concludes:
"Personally I don't see anything wrong with restricting what people say about their government publicly. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but since no one has all the facts, each person should be allowed to decide for themselves what is right, without outside influence."
Apparently the only "outside influence" this student approves of are the government propaganda videos I showed them endlessly in section. Also, these two statements don't even logically get along with one another. Unless you're only entitled to your own opinion if it's government-sanctioned and you keep your mouth shut otherwise. Hey, we'll let you think it really hard! How awesomely freedom-loving are we? I guess all W.'s "work" the last few years has paid off. The kids today really get his message!
I also enjoyed the exam that discussed the need to fight communist Japan during WWII. That was, as we all know, the reason for the emergence of anti-communist internment camps. Oy. Of course, then I read a few that apparently wrote down and memorized every random thing I ever said about racism in Disney movies, read the text cover to cover, and are so ticked off about injustice that they draw all these unprovoked connections to 9/11 and inequalities today. Those make it all worth it.
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2 comments:
racism in Disney movies? From yours and Elizabeth's stories, I get the impression that the Amer Hist students are generally of a lower caliber than the Western Civ students. Granted, there were idiots, but nothing so bad as that. Yeah, you do it for the slim minority that gets it, right? Or just for the stipend. :)
Some of my students are glorious and make me giggle with glee. Others are enough to provoke me into wearing a hair shirt and rubbing ash on myself. Let's face it. None of us can compete with ideology! Unless we use the power of - cleavage? Maybe? Well it was worth a shot.
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