Scott Hayden > Recent Status Updates

Worth every page

Brilliant point made by "Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America.... It was impossible for the film industry to defend itself against a generalization."

A theme of the book is voiced through actress Myrna Loy, "We question the right of Congress to ask any man what he thinks on political issues."

Reminds me of the CA exec who had to resign because of his stance on proposition 8

Through the mouth of one of the "unfriendly' nineteen, the author admits more oppression by the Soviets.

At the same time, this point is well made: that the antics of HUAC seem just as oppressive.

Author, Larry Brimner, lists various congressional committees investigating threats in a time of rising Fascism, Nazism, and Communism. Some of these committee members made accusations, which opponents said were unsubstantiated.

Thirty-six pages in, the author finally acknowledges that Russia's communist revolution was violent. Yet, within a paragraph he plays down that violence by claiming that a special Senate committee was responsible for "painting communism and communists as barbaric because of the violence that had occurred during the Russian Revolution."

Although the author does not use footnotes, he does list sources for quotes. For other claims and accusations, however, he gives no sources. For example, he claims that the real motive behind Jack Warner's "friendly" witness testimony was to smear screen writers whose guild had demanded more money for writers than "conservative...moguls" wanted to pay. No source cited for this.

The only thing the author says about communism itself is that "the government owned all industries and property as part of its attempt to create a society where everyone was equal; private ownership of property was forbidden." That's it. No admission of the millions imprisoned, tortured, enslaved, and killed under communist rule. What is this author up to?

Disappointed. The beginning makes the "Red Scare" sound like nothing more than social hysteria. Neither on the inside front flap, nor in the introduction is any mention of the USSR's betrayal of the allies in its refusal to release East Germany from its grasp. The author does not acknowledge USSR take over of eastern bloc, nor the violent suppression of anyone who might even hint at disagreeing. I'm disturbed

Wolterstorff’s four components for shaping moral character

Discipline - active engagement in practice
Modeling - active participants with people they admire
Casuistry - rationale for action [that they are already doing] rather than a reason to [hopefully someday] perform an action
Empathy - experience other’s perspective
p. 310-312

Justice, compassion, and shalom are the principles a transformative school must embrace.

Christianity can fulfill the humanist ideal.

Both conservative and progressive philosophies of education have merit that Christians should recognize. Yet both may reflect deeper worldview roots of materialism, and pragmatism. What bias do our curriculum requirements reflect?

If nature is all there is to know, science is the only way of knowing.

What are the differences between perennialism and essentialism? Is it the root "great ideas" versus "back to basics"?

It's slowly sinking in. Worldview is pre-theoretical and communal. It is more absorbed than taught.

Worldview is a shared vision of the way the world is and the way it ought to be.

Excellent! The question people in conflict almost never think to ask: "We don't want to leave. And we don't want to fight. Do you think those are the only two choices?" From the lips of children!

Ah, and a hint at deeper human nature: "You don't want to, but you do anyway. That's what makes it hard. Maddy said it was very hard. I's much harder to be good than bad, she said,"

Liking the antidote that Lina is exploring. Reversal. Return good for evil.

War seems near. Repeating the "You hurt me, so I'll hurt you back" cause of war. Correct but incomplete. But then, it is from the mouth of a youngster with little experience, just telling what she knows so far.

She has established the "hurting people hurt people" motif. Let' see how far she takes it. So far, Tick seems to stand outside this paradigm as someone who is just plain power hungry. I hope she doesn't gloss over that, but let it develop. Because "hurting people hurt people" is an insufficient explanation for evil.

"It's your word against his. And he's one of us." A reenactment of sorts of jealousies, lies, and distrust that got them in this post apocalypse world in the first place.

That Tick has to be up to no good. Caspar also is too secretive.

Fun. Intriguing.
But what's with the "Believers"?

Wow, right on. I'm savoring this.

More and more convinced. Wishing I had a classroom of my own to try this.

This book helps me understand why I loved to read, but did not like reading classes in school. Maybe reading is like running. Although attention to technique is necessary, the vast majority of the time needs to be spent doing it, not talking about it.

This is my new "must read" for curriculum development capacity building.

Know your subject, know the Bible, know your students.

Finished "Conversation 2". This is just what I wanted. He's using the same framework I use, but he's got it all laid out for easy consideration.