. I worked two hours on that speech. The words of the wise Homer Simpson:
Indeed.
1
That's not the lesson I got from it when I read it. The lesson has nothing to do with the speaker but everything to do with the audience. The fact that you tried is what really counts, not that the students showed a lack of interest. I was only interested in two things in college, sex and beer, in that order, so don't give up, Rusty.
Posted by: jesusland joe at September 20, 2005 05:39 PM (rUyw4)
2
Um, given what that would do for your tenure prospects, it's probably a good thing, ya know? Meanwhile a couple of thousand interested people have stopped by here and read it.
Posted by: See-Dubya at September 20, 2005 05:59 PM (hmJ+A)
3
Yeah, but none of those thousands reading it here are hot coeds in short shorts. (yours truly excepted)
Posted by: Christopher Cross at September 20, 2005 06:33 PM (NGPlM)
4
Ewwwww. As someone who's met Chris Cross, that is not a pretty thought!
Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at September 20, 2005 07:06 PM (JQjhA)
Posted by: Vinnie at September 20, 2005 07:42 PM (Kr6/f)
6
Well CC, you're right . . .I'm not one of those hot coeds in short shorts but I did read the speech and found it inspiring. Thank you.
I don't know when Byrd's Constitution Day began but I did save a package of material received in the mail (several years ago) for that purpose to share with my kids.
This past weekend, as I checked my first graders bookbag, I was pleasantly surprised to see his completed class assignment was a coloring book used to teach the Pledge of Allegiance. He is attending public school and this particular assignment surprisingly included "under God"(despite 9th Circuit Court decision last week).
BTW, back in my day, students memorized the "Preamble to the Constituion", the "Gettysburg Address" and "The New Colossus" (plaque on Statue of Liberty) in seventh grade ('72). I guess I should thank Sister Laetitia too.
Posted by: justamomof4 at September 20, 2005 07:58 PM (7auSQ)
7
About 10% of my students come to class already having been forced to memorize the Preamble. The rest have opinions about gay marriage but have no idea what the 14th Amendment is.
Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at September 20, 2005 08:13 PM (JQjhA)
8
Uh yeah, it's uh, like, about, like, rights and stuff, because,like, the sexist white male patriarchy wanted to, like, enslave the blacks so they could like, steal their wealth. And stuff.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at September 20, 2005 09:13 PM (0yYS2)
9
It will be interesting to see how things change over the next twenty years. If academia is a trailing indicator (as I suspect), changes will be arriving even to those ossified walls.
And buttressing the new generation of professors will be a new generation of students. There are growing millions of homeschooled kids; the Irish clerics of the new millenium. Schooled in the Constitution, Latin, the classics. Heck, they even believe the US actually might be a force for good.
5000+ people visited here today, many read your speech. My 16yo son was one of them.
Hold the fort, reinforcements are coming.
Posted by: a4g at September 20, 2005 09:16 PM (2GSc/)
10
14th Amendment to what?
Posted by: Leopold Stotch at September 20, 2005 09:19 PM (Xo4uJ)
Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at September 20, 2005 09:28 PM (JQjhA)
12
Hey, if it's any consolation, I have already referenced your speech once (in a dinner conversation), and certainly will do so again. Thank you for posting it. I expect that it's penetration will be greater on the Net than the live version. I wish I could have been there to hear it, but I am glad I was at least able to read it.
As a matter of fact, I had been unaware that an actual law had been passed to enforce 'Constitution Day', although I was aware that my children had recently observed it at their schools.
You learn something every day. On the good days, maybe more than one thing.
Posted by: West at September 20, 2005 10:49 PM (0OJB+)
13
"It will be interesting to see how things change over the next twenty years."
Well, if Billary pulls off the White House/UN Secretariat hat-trick, which is their ultimate goal, the future will look like a bizarre mix of 1984 and Brave New World.
Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at September 20, 2005 11:07 PM (0yYS2)
14
So are you running in '08, Rusty?
Posted by: Oyster at September 21, 2005 05:39 AM (YudAC)
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Every day is constitution day, but the bastards in DC think they're above it.
Posted by: Downing Street Memo at September 21, 2005 06:52 AM (VhNDM)
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DSM - I assume you mean Kennedy, Byrd, Clinton, Souter & Ginsburg?
/TJ
...
NIF
Posted by: TJ at September 21, 2005 08:28 AM (/0bzs)
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The only thing I'll be running for is "Blog Pimp of the Year".
Posted by: Rusty Shackleford at September 21, 2005 08:51 AM (JQjhA)
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They are up to FOURTEEN now?
Posted by: Christopher Cross at September 21, 2005 10:15 AM (+hw3/)
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Now when you say only a handful attended, is that more or less than the mamamoonbat "loonies on parade" parade?
Posted by: bRight & Early at September 22, 2005 01:51 PM (M7kiy)
Posted by: Joseph Williams at December 03, 2005 10:08 AM (Lbpz6)
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