<p>I frequently attend concerts and lectures at Reed and can assure you the attendees are very well behaved and intellectually curious, though perhaps a bit underdressed at times. Reed is indeed a smaller version of UChi and is known far and wide for its academic rigor and its grueling graduation requirements. Because of its sophistication and breadth of scholarship, it attracts students willing to push the envelope and examine issues and concepts in an unfiltered fashion. Nothing is taken at face value and everything is challenged. That is the essence of a liberal arts education. It’s probably best to not conflate “Liberal Arts” with the liberal political point of view since the two are not interchangeable.</p>
<p>On another issue, I have to object to the OPs repeated references to the “liberal media.” It is clear by all objective standards that the corporate owned media is anything but liberal. We have had two presidential elections determined by voting manipulation that wouldn’t pass muster in any country in the world, yet the “liberal media” was largely silent. Likewise, the unjustified wars based on fictional premises and urged on by the corporate media for their own profit again received a pass from the mainstream media. What has happened to radio media in this country is shameful as it has largely become a conservative propaganda medium. Perhaps when Cronkite ruled and the News division was independent from the Entertainment/Profit Divisions, the media could have been classified as liberal since it did not take its marching orders from its corporate masters. Now, however, that is clearly not the case; it isn’t even arguable.</p>
<p>As an aside, Bush senior characterized Portland as “Little Beirut” because its citizens exercised their right of assembly to protest his policies. If that is troublesome, perhaps a different geographical time zone is more appropriate for your son.</p>
<p>I have already recognized that my son is going to be a liberal.</p>
<p>He has his own thoughts. I do find it interesting that he routinely uses phrases such as “hate speech”, and “diversity”, and “a balanced approach to deficit reduction” that he could only have learned in school, or watching the mainstream media.</p>
<p>I have 4 college degrees and my ex wife has 3. Between us, we have SIXTY YEARS of work experience. And the experiences of our friends, and their kids as well. I think we therefore can offer some guidance that might be valuable to a 17 year old kid. My son, while academically brilliant, doesn’t even have a general sense of the ranking on US News of the various colleges. So I have no problem with him making his own decisions, but he should be making an informed decision. Again, you think that I am some sort of neanderthal conservative. In fact, I read The New York Times everyday, and am more of a liberal republican. More of a McCain type of republican, even though I conced he was a lousy candidate. I used to be a democrat. My father used to be the democratic leader of my home town. In my view however, I think that many college kids who think they are engaging in sophisticated and nuanced thinking are simply repeating the slogans they have heard in the liberal media. George McGovern used to be a conservative, when he was young. Reagan was a democrat, when he was young. Some of these kids who are so liberal now might be surprised to learn that they may wind up being conservatives. I think that many liberals hate conservatives because they don’t like their views and assumptions being questioned. But in any case, I am off topic. I don’t mind my kid going to a liberal college. I just don’t want him going to a “wacko” liberal college.</p>
<p>Florida Dad - My closest friend went to Reed, (30 years ago). She votes democratic but I would hardly call her a liberal. But that’s not the point. The types of colleges that frown on the diversity that you also despise tend to be havens for fundamentalist christians, not a place where a jew (or the son of a jew) would feel comfortable attending. You can’t have it both ways. BTW, if a school takes federal funding, they can’t take a public stand against diversity.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, have you or your son visited any colleges? Are you making judgements about schools you haven’t seen? My third child is about to attend college, and judging by the first two, I would say that their own values were pretty fixed by the time they went to college and weren’t changed very much by the college experience. They all went to the same public schools and they all turned out different. </p>
<p>I have another friend whose daughter attends a conservative catholic college and her first year roommate spent the year boinking her boyfriend in the room when my friend’s daughter was trying to sleep. That’s way worse than taking over the dean’s office.</p>
<p>Thank you for your intelligently written response. When I say “third world loving”, I mean schools that reject american exceptionalism. But I realize that american exceptionalism is no longer a permissble concept.</p>
<p>I think that the fact that you can’t concede that the architecture and culture of Italy is superior to that of Chad is a perfect illustration of what I am talking about. You think you are engaging in sophisticated and nuanced thought, but what I respectfully suggest to you is that you are engaging in PC thought. When something is so obvious, but you can’t concede it is true because it conflicts with your political/world philosophy, I respectfully suggest that it may be your mind that is rigid, not mine. But I will re-read what you have written, and consider it. Thanks</p>
<p>anyway back to the topic: floridadad55, it’s pathetic that you would put political views over the educational quality of a school. would you rather put your son into a school that’s strictly conservative but offers a blatantly subpar education and doesn’t make rankings anywhere… or a school like reed that consistently places in the top 50 for every college ranking, undergrad and grad, and provides a top-notch, world-class education with an abundance of postgrad opportunties…an education that a plethora of international students would give up their lives for?</p>
<p>and honestly if you’re that worried about your son turning into a liberal nutjob, then just persuade him to major in something STEM related (math, science, technology). he might even turn strictly non-political and that way you don’t have to worry like this anymore :D</p>
<p>First, my name is not Pomona 15. That is my college. My name is lllllll.</p>
<p>Perhaps American exceptionalism used to be realistic (I’m thinking hundreds of years ago), but it really isn’t anymore. I would expect some Reed people do reject American exceptionalism, but I would also guarantee your son, should he bring up the topic, would hear a rich debate with strong arguments from both sides. That’s how intellectuals handle things.</p>
<p>I said, “Who, pray, are you, to decree that Chad is inferior culturally to Italy? That Italy is “better”? Are you aware, I wonder, that archeologists have discovered evidence that there have been human ancestors in Chad for millions of years? Did you know that Chad is home to more than 200 ethnic and linguistic groups, which give it a rich and varied cultural heritage? Did you conclude their inferiority simply because of their economic and political status? Charming.”</p>
<p>You’re confusing open-mindedness with political correctness; if you knew me, you would realize I am very, very far from politically correct. But you don’t, and you never will.</p>
<p>Now to the crux of the matter. Here are the questions I raised in that portion of my post:
Who are you to decide which culture is superior?
What, precisely, is cultural superiority?
Do you actually know anything at all about the culture of Chad?
Or did you decide Chad was “worse” because they’re African and poor?
In my post, I never implied that the architecture (incidentally, what is the relevance of architecture?) and culture of Chad are “equal” or “superior” to those of Italy. You just thought I did. All I really said was that you probably have no knowledge of Chad that would allow you to make a reasonable conclusion as to their cultural status, and that even if you were a scholar specifically focusing on the history and society of Chad, you still haven’t explained exactly what makes a culture “better” or “worse” than another. Do you realize that your views as to which culture is “better” are strongly influenced by the fact that you are American and were born in America (probably), and America is hugely more influenced culturally by Italy than by Chad?</p>
<p>The “obvious truth” behind European superiority is not obvious to me. I don’t understand why white people (that’s what it boils down to, isn’t it?) are better than black people because we’re richer (currently and historically). That’s just hard-core racism.</p>
<p>Floridadad, I don’t think you’re “evil” or a “neanderthal”. Just because I don’t agree with you, doesn’t mean I hate your beliefs or think that everything is completely false. However, I don’t feel like you see things that way.</p>
<p>Personally, I feel like you’re doing the right thing in assisting your son. But I think ultimately, with your suggestions and opinions in mind, he should have the final say.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but I do not believe that all cultures are “equal,” nor does it require any intimate knowledge of one culture vs. another to have the ability to state this point or, more specifically, to state that the culture of Italy is better than the culture of Chad. I am thinking of the culture of the Renaissance, which through Da Vinci and Michaelangelo and their many peers (or lessers), has provide the ENTIRE WORLD (don’t mind if I shout . . .) with instruction in science, politics, and art that extends to human science and behavior to this very day and continues to influence how people think, what people feel is true and valuable, and even HOW to think and create great work. OK, now let’s turn by contrast to Chad.</p>
<p>I’m thinking . . . </p>
<p>I’m thinking really hard . . . </p>
<p>I’m thinking really, really hard . . .</p>
<p>Nope, nothing. Nada. Zilch. Maybe a mud mound or two with an alligator tooth necklace. Help me with how Chad culture has influenced the world . . .</p>