Overheard on a CNN “Ask the Doctor” segment just now;
“I am 48 years old and have recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer. I am devastated. My doctor says it’s “localized” – a medical term that I can’t understand. What are the odds that I’ll recover and go back to my life as a teacher?”
This guy is a teacher? What could he possibly be teaching? As a public service, he should be identified so concerned parents can pull their kids out of his class.
What if the main qualification for being a teacher, aside from a BEd degree, is a demonstrated record of toeing the leftist line? What if the school boards deemphasize hard, real-world knowledge and emphasize the teaching of dream-world PCness?
If these circumstances are real, then Canada is in serious trouble for the long run. I personally fear that this is the direction in which our education system is moving, owing to observations I’ve made over the years wrt what is taught, the socialistic attitudes of teachers and the deterioration of the right of parents to have a say in what their children are taught.
Stephen McAllister
Wtf?
“…owing to observations I’ve made over the years wrt what is taught, the socialistic attitudes of teachers and the deterioration of the right of parents to have a say in what their children are taught.”
What the hell are you talking about? What are these anecdotal observations you’ve made? What the hell is a socialistic attitude that Cdn teachers have? If you intend to bash teachers then you should at least provide the courtesy of being specific in your accusations.
Uh, they belong to a great big radical union that marches in gay pride parades, and they teach our kids about Kwanzaa and small pox blankets. Sounds pretty darn socialist.
“Uh, they belong to a great big radical union that marches in gay pride parades, and they teach our kids about Kwanzaa and small pox blankets. Sounds pretty darn socialist.”
That’s pretty accurate. I’m married to a teacher who left the profession behind after getting tired of seeing her colleagues involved in that kind of crap day after day.
me too . . got out of public education because the union nut jobs running the show were sending my money off to support Fidel’s paradise – at the time Fidel was pimping his citizens to fight the Kremlin’s wars in Africa. I objected to funding “imperialism” and was “soundly scolded” for my honesty.
The final straw was when a group came back from a Union/NDP funded Potemkin Village tour of Cuba and went on and on and on about the wonder’s of socialist paradise.
That’s what union dues buys ya . . .
Sorry OT:
Poll: Liberals hold lead
Last Updated Mon, 15 Aug 2005 14:20:22 EDT
News polls indicate that if elections were held now, Liberals would likely be reelected but most likely remain a minority government.
A poll by SES Canada Research gave Liberals a lead of 39 percent to 25 percent for the Conservatives, with 19 percent for the New Democratic Party.
The Liberal result was three points up and Conservatives five points down from three months earlier.
Meanwhile, a Strategic Counsel poll gave the Liberals a lead of 36 to 28 percent, with the NDP at 17 percent. This compares with 35-26-19 percent respectively from a month earlier.
In general, a party needs about 40 percent, and sometimes more, to win a majority in Parliament.
Both polls have a 3.1-point margin of error.
Looks as if I pissed off a teacher, eh?
Harry, I have learned to take polls with a grain of salt. They’re like the stock market. Up, down, up, down…
Good thing this teacher has PROSTATE CANCER- if he had brain cancer, no one would notice. (Fortunately, he would not need brains to be a pollster).
Of course the Glibs would remain a minority government after the next election, ( and all the ones after that). They will continue to buy all the votes they need with our tax money, (with plenty left over to make their sycophants and camp followers rich).
Paul D., with respect, the above were my own observations, made to myself, when I realized there were patterns wrt the education system and teachers. The socialism I mentioned is actually well-known to anyone who’s watching and thinking all the time about this and other important things in our society.
It’s also common knowledge that parents are finding themselves increasingly powerless to have a say in, for example, their children’s “sex education”. We have seen that sex ed is going far beyond the necessary basics of the wee-wee and the hoo-hoo and how they combine to make babies, etc. and STDs. There’s, in the views of very many parents, and justifiably so, too much talk in schools of “orientation”, if you know what I mean, and even particular sex acts our children sure as hell don’t need to know and we don’t want them to. (I sound as if I have kids, but I don’t; yet I care about all children in our society very much, as I understand the importance of not only proper parenting but also of proper education).
If a child asks, “Daddy, what does %^%$## mean?”, it’s better left up to the parent to choose (freedom of choice is good here, too!) how to answer the question. It’s scary to me to think that the socialistic, PC-extensive “progressive” types who determine curricula these days can have the state-granted power to impose whatever doctrines proffered by whatever special interest groups want them instilled into the minds of impressionable youth upon children against their parents’ wishes and Charter-guaranteed and -protected religious beliefs.
And, believe it or not, my viewpoints as given here are actually not a minority viewpoint. They’re the majority; the mainstream. The state apparatus we have today, ruled by the Libranos, who, btw, are in power illegally after refusing to step down following repeated nonconfidence votes and refusing to obey the majority vote in the House to start the Air India inquiry, want to transform the views of the population to adhere to the views of the special interests who help keep them in power.
In Canada the word ‘education’ should be replaced with the word ‘indocternation’. No facts, no debate, no comprehension. Instead of teaching students HOW TO think, the teachers are paid to preach WHAT to believe – do not deviate from the accepted socialist line or you will be put into ‘special ed’ for a good humiliation.
Ummmm.. Apart from this being such an absurd question, did this “teacher” ever think to ask his doctor what this “medical term” means when his doctor told him? Instead, he calls into CNN to find out? Wow. And this man is teaching..
Mike R., excellent point. I always ask questions of doctors, and they do seem pleased at that and happy to explain what terms mean. If I was a doctor and I gave some big, fancy medical terminology to a patient who didn’t care what I meant, I’d think perhaps the patient would benefit from a CAT scan on the brain, just in case they recently banged their head and are losing their mental sharpness!
It’s scary to think that the state may be recruiting line-toeing, zombieistic idiots with BEd degrees as teachers today. How, then, will our youth end up? Picture shaggy, scruffy masked moonbats holding up Palestinian flags, wearing Kaffiyeh, waving rainbow-colored banners while naked in socks and sandals, effigizing Bush and Blair, beating up Holocaust survivors, and even a few blowing themselves up inside a crowded Pizza Hut…
Hey, it’s not so farfetched. Haven’t we already seen it on the evening news?!
Dear “Paul D”
Please go back to your education union bosses and let them know that we’ve figured it out…
Stephen is 100% correct. I’m a parent with school aged kids and I CAN cite specific examples. Our children ARE being taught that it’s “ok” to be gay. Our children ARE being taught that tolerance matters more than truth. Our children ARE being taught revisionist history (you really expect me to buy that midevil sailors brushed their teeth with their own urine because they didn’t have fresh water? Did it ever occur to you, mr. history teacher, that midevil sailors didn’t brush their friggin’ teeth? – dumbass!). Our children are also being taught, Paul, that failuer is acceptable because we don’t want to affect their self esteem…
Parents are paying attention now Paul…
I don�t think there should be any public school whatsoever � the only bigger waste of time I can imagine other then high school is elementary school. But surely those in favor of public school can see that our current system has utterly failed! Kids come out dumber then they went in! Every single statistic I have seen about the effect of public school on children has been negative. According to what I�ve read, their graduates can�t read, write or understand arithmetic. According to what I�ve seen, their graduates can�t reason or express themselves clearly. The only thing the public school system has been successful at is indoctrinating socialist ideals. I was hoping that the outbreak of school violence would be the last nail in the coffin, but it appears that NOTHING can deter parents from sending their little ones off to school. Not even the endangerment of their children�s lives.
I love it when people when make fun of people with cancer. Awesome.
As for polls, they don’t go up and down on a whim. It’s pretty clear that the Liberals lead has been consistent and measurable.
Peter
Homeschool! Keep them at home under the care of people who love them. By all accounts, the educational result will also be more satisfying. We just “graduated” our oldest, proudly homeschooled since birth. Learning is a lifelong assignment. The public school system does not instill a love of learning.
Peter:
As for polls, I realize you’re a semi-professional when it comes to analyzing polling numbers, but beware of not being able to see the forest for the trees. The real world isn’t exactly as described in polling numbers. Plus, surely you concede the possibility that a polling firm could be corrupt and could utter phony numbers to help the Libranos, don’t you? We must be open-minded about these things, especially after the revealations of the Gomery Commission.
Peter L….people aren’t making fun of people with cancer,they are pointing out the fact of a dumbass teacher.My Granddaughter came home at the end of last school year and wanted to know who was PM in 1979.I told her Joe Clarke.So,she said,why is my teacher telling me that TRUDEAU was responsible for helping get the American hostages out of Iran.I told her,just typical socialist,Librano$ revisionist history,sorta like Stalin.
Here’s a quote that sums it up nicely.
“What is education? Properly speaking, there is no such thing as education. Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. … What we need is to have a culture before we hand it down. In other words, it is a truth, however sad and strange, that we cannot give what we have not got, and cannot teach to other people what we do not know ourselves.” – Chesterton
“This guy is a teacher? What could he possibly be teaching?”
If he’s lucky enough to live in B.C. he gets to teach the kids, as well as their parents all about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for Teachers.
B.C. Court of Appeal rules teachers may post their views, criticize government to parents
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/soundoff/story.html?id=b2c3d342-696a-4c37-b7bb-d8b62fc52d9a
Well, maybe the guy is an English teacher, and doesn’t know a lot about science, and his doctor has given him a convoluted explanation of localized cancer, and he is a little scared and sent off the email on a whim. Who knows. I just think it’s a little tasteless.
As for polls being run by corrupt companies, it’s possible because anything is. But, there is the obvious disincentive to fraud of having several polling firms in the field at one time. Rigged numbers will quickly be found out.
Peter
“And, believe it or not, my viewpoints as given here are actually not a minority viewpoint.”
I’m one of those who doesn’t have a problem with SSM, and I *still* don’t want my daughter in a public sex-ed class. I can’t think of any reason why elementary or junior high school kids should be taught about ‘fisting’ regardless of their orientation, thank you very much.
We’re leaning seriously in the direction of home-schooling, and this is coming from a fairly moderate person who disapproves of organized religion. It’s pretty bad when public schools have gotten so extreme that they’re scaring my crowd as well.
“Our children ARE being taught that it’s “ok” to be gay.”
I take it that if you had a say over how the country’s legal system ran, it would ‘not be ok’ to be gay. What do you propose to do with gay people? Use tractors to topple brick walls on them, Taliban style?
“Well, maybe the guy is an English teacher, and doesn’t know a lot about science, and his doctor has given him a convoluted explanation of localized cancer, and he is a little scared and sent off the email on a whim. Who knows. I just think it’s a little tasteless.”
My wife is an English teacher and she’s aware of what the prostate gland is and how it functions. (She took science classes as well.) Perhaps this fellow is a PhysEd teacher? The spectacular idiocy on display here is rather typical of jocks.
Sean, without looking at any other sources, please tell me what it means for cancer to be localized.
Peter
First of all, it depends on the school & the school board as to whether a “real” education occurs or not. I was lucky enough to get my daughter into an IB program, so trust me when I tell you that she’s being challenged and taught well. (Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream in the 4th grade, the underground railroad, indepth, in 5th grade, etc.). WRT sex ed, all parents have a right to pull their kids from the class. I spoke with the Vice Principal this year and was prepared to pull my daughter if SHE wanted but she didn’t want to feel ostracized or different, so I left it (the same happened with other kids in her class) once the school split the girls & boys out (which, for 10 & 11 yr olds I think is a better idea). Next year may be different, as that’s when it gets a bit more… interesting, shall we say?
I got the impression the Vice Principal wasn’t that thrilled with the curriculum, particularly once we looked up the specifics and she realized how much had changed since she was a teacher. I’ll be keeping my eye on this next year, that’s for sure.
But am I ready to toss public school out the window? Hell no, for +/-$80/yr in AB I’m getting the same education for my daughter that I forked out $7k (gr 1, would be around 9k for gr 5) for.
Yay AB Education. (sorry Sean, if you disagree)
I think it’s more fun to teach them yourself than to monitor what’s going on in the public system. I think that’s one thing that isn’t emphasized enough is what a thrill it is to be the one seeing the light bulb go on when they learn to read or to have them read Shakespeare and then assign roles to their cousins and act it out for the extended family. Or to have them do University level Calculus on-line at age 16 and score 97% and after a totally personalized grad of their own choosing, which, not having had the creativity knocked out of them in kindergarten, is a fabulous culmination of 12 years of setting your own agenda without the state dictating when you get to take holidays…after all of this have them qualify for a $20,000 university scholarship because their SAT scores are through the roof. All of this plus you get to sleep in!
Candace, isn’t the underground railroad the birth of illegal immigrant smugling in Canada? Where do you think the socialists get their ideas? And you’re ok with that? You even sound proud. Then try to tell your daughter that boatloads of Asians and Haitians is whats tearing Canada’s social fabric apart. She’ll laugh in your face, or worse, report you.
Oh my god, Maple Stump, you’re not going to argue that the underground railway was bad, are you? A new low, perhaps.
I was golfing in BC as part of a foursome.One of the golfers hit a ball towards another group and one of our foursome asked him why he didnt yell”four”? to which the hitter replied that the ball would have got there before the sound.The gentleman asked what the guy did before he retired and he replied that he was a physics teacher from Ontario.The gentleman then asked him”did anyone ever pass in your class?”
“Sean, without looking at any other sources, please tell me what it means for cancer to be localized.”
When prostate cancer is localised, the carcinoma has not spread (metastasized) beyond the prostate gland itself, usually to the nearby lymph nodes.
“(sorry Sean, if you disagree)”
Not at all. Just keep in mind that I’m now living in Bucksnort, Alberta, and our schooling options are considerably more limited than what you’re used to. There might be an IB program on running a PMU farm out here, but I can’t say for sure. 😉
Sean. Well done. I do think most people would understand that. But this fellow could still have had a super bad doctor.
peter
Duke, education is the knowledge that remains, after you’ve forgot everything else that you learned in school.
Peter, I wanted to be a doctor at one time, although a bad drinking habit kind of killed off that notion. I still enjoy reading medical literature and am one of the few and the proud who owns a PDR.
Peter, you said: “disincentive to fraud of having several polling firms in the field at one time. Rigged numbers will quickly be found out.”
Oh, really? Adscam wasn’t found out all that quickly. We still have no idea what’s going on with billions of our dollars in unaccountable foundations which the Auditor General cannot look into.
How, btw, would rigged polling numbers be proven to be rigged? I don’t see how. Would the dirty pollster admit to falsification? Not necessarily. Would the MSM bother to tell the people about corruption wrt pollsters? Not necessarily.
Perhaps you have way more faith in the system under the Libranos than I do. Perhaps you have yet to see the country as it really is. You need to learn to be as suspicious and critical of the Librano-led system as you are of the people on SDA. That’d be fair.
“Just keep in mind that I’m now living in Bucksnort, Alberta, and our schooling options are considerably more limited than what you’re used to.”
Wow Sean, you seem bitter… Toronto more your speed?
“I take it that if you had a say over how the country’s legal system ran, it would ‘not be ok’ to be gay. What do you propose to do with gay people? Use tractors to topple brick walls on them, Taliban style?”
No Sean, That would be murder and that’s a bad thing. What I would do is use the tractors to push them back into the closet where they belong. They don’t belong in my kids school on recruiting drives.
As a person who has experienced prostrate cancer and had my prostrate removed this is not a laughing matter. I was lucky with a great outcome. The fact that it is �localized� means that he has a good chance of recovery but without knowing the treatment recommended and the ability of the doctors during the procedures he has reason to be devastated. There is a chance that he can have the surgery and come out of it impotent and incontinent, the latter which might make teaching a bit difficult. Any one diagnosed with cancer has to go through denial, anger, etc. The younger a man is when he is diagnosed, especially under 50 years old, the more likely it is that he has an aggressive form of cancer that might not remain localized.
While I am the first to decry bad teachers and broken school systems I think this matter needs to be viewed in the context of a frightened cancer patient who is asking what might be a legitimate question. I wish him the blessings of our lord and a good outcome to his cancer treatment.
THANK YOU “Had mine removed.” I first read this thread last night and couldn’t believe my eyes at the bashing of the education system and the complete lack of compassion or understanding for an individual who is clearly stressed and groping to come to terms with his diagnosis. I thought that maybe I wasn’t reading this right and was missing something important that I’d understand better in the cold light of day. So I checked in again today. Nope. Still feel the same way. Your post is right on the money.
Marg
Even though I’ve known some not very bright teachers – along with some very bright ones – I think the “illiterate teacher” bandwagon is just a little premature, for two linked reasons.
First, it is at least possible that the teacher wondered whether the word “localized” was a term of art used by doctors specializing in prostate cancer, and he wanted it clarified.
And second, he didn’t want to ask the doctor to clarify, because a number of doctors have reputations for being quite touchy about explaining themselves.
I just think the “stupid teacher” meme is much too easy; I’ll reserve judgement on this one.
“Wow Sean, you seem bitter… Toronto more your speed?”
No, just honest. I like the area and moving out here was my choice. That being said, there are certain ‘realities’ in rural communities that one has to learn about and adapt to in relatively short order. (Like having your kid in a mixed grade 1/2/3 class.)
“No Sean, That would be murder and that’s a bad thing. What I would do is use the tractors to push them back into the closet where they belong. They don’t belong in my kids school on recruiting drives.”
Many would say the same things about Christians teaching in schools. While I have no respect for the faith system itself, I respect peoples’ rights to believe in silly things.
Here’s a compromise for you: If Christians can keep their prayer and faith out of my daughter’s classroom and leave that sort of exposure (or lack thereof) to her parents, perhaps gay teachers can leave matters of explaining sexual orientation to mom and dad as well?
This way we don’t need to use tractors to push anyone back into a closet or a church.
What’s with you people – the term localized when used outside of a medical diagnosis is not difficult to understand – so why should this guy get a free pass because he has cancer. The word did not change it’s definition because the word cancer came next in the sentence. Think – this guy is teaching your children – what else are you willing to give him a free pass on. Call a spade a spade!!
Where did you get the idea that prayer and faith instruction were normal in classrooms? No point asking where you got the idea that religious faith is in any way comparable to sexual perversion.
Sheila – Being told that a cancer is “localized” needs to be followed up with “and so this means the following…blah, blah, blah. The guy is a teacher, not an oncologist. Please re-read “Had Mine Removed”‘s post for the description he should have received (and for all we know may well have – but you don’t hear the next things so clearly right after someone has just told you that you have cancer). Like I said – can’t believe how uncompassionate you are – just calling a spade a spade.
Bucksnort…Bucksnort!!?? Well dang Sean, if that’s the asshole of Alberta then I ain’t that far up it here in Dogpound now am I?
“Where did you get the idea that prayer and faith instruction were normal in classrooms?”
My grade three teacher.
“No point asking where you got the idea that religious faith is in any way comparable to sexual perversion.”
I don’t suppose you’ve heard about some of the scandals plaguing the RC church in recent years?
“Bucksnort…Bucksnort!!??”
Kirriemuir, actually. I just like to refer to it as Bucksnort. It’s beautiful country.