The most distinctive attribute about American education

[Anonymous]

Local rednecks and idiots (who, by the way, typically tend to align with "gun rights" psychos) control the bulk of the American public educational system.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:After the shooting in Newtown, I seriously just wanted to move out of the US (my DH is from another country and we could move there). That was just a knee-jerk reaction, and we didn't move. There are so many great things about this country, but seriously, this is one of the dumbest, saddest, arrogant thing about this country. Normally, I don't care what people from other countries think about us, but this one, I would agree. Even after a massacre of little children, there's no political will to save our kids. And yet, we are willing to risk our military service members to save children in other countries. The intervention here doesn't require anyone to put their lives on the line. WTF is wrong with some people in this country..like Joe the Plumber who stated that a few young children dying doesn't give anyone the right to take away his 2nd amendment.

This kind of stuff happens everywhere. Sometimes it's different weapons but same outcome. There are bombings in Spain and England, the killings in the restaurant in Afghanistan, the nightclub in Thailand, the mall in Kenya, etc. Where would you move where this doesn't happen? It's hard to police crazy people, or religious or political zealots.

Are you saying the US is like Afghanistan? You have to be kidding to compare the two.

Let's take the UK, since you mention it. How many school bombings have you heard about there vs. how many school related shootings have we heard about here just in 2014 (and we're only half way through the year)? My DW is from there, and she's told me a bit about this kind of thing. Years ago, apparently, there was a school shooting in Scotland. That was enough for the gov't to put in very strict gun laws. You really don't hear about school shootings in any other country developed country other than here. Yes, there are stabbings in other countries, but a knife can do much less damage than an assault rifle. That's just common sense.

No, I'm asking where you planned to move to get away from random violence. No place seems to be particularly immune. It may not always be in schools but it can be anywhere.

Homogenous prosperous societies tend to have less random violence.

The U.K. is far from homogenous.

it is a lot more homogenous than the US.

that said the UK is really shitty for non-gun crimes. B&E, Robbery, fighting, general 'yobbish' behavior as they would like to say.

Obviously the UK or any country is far from perfect, but no other developed country has had soo many school shootings, and certainly nothing like Newtown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After the shooting in Newtown, I seriously just wanted to move out of the US (my DH is from another country and we could move there). That was just a knee-jerk reaction, and we didn't move. There are so many great things about this country, but seriously, this is one of the dumbest, saddest, arrogant thing about this country. Normally, I don't care what people from other countries think about us, but this one, I would agree. Even after a massacre of little children, there's no political will to save our kids. And yet, we are willing to risk our military service members to save children in other countries. The intervention here doesn't require anyone to put their lives on the line. WTF is wrong with some people in this country..like Joe the Plumber who stated that a few young children dying doesn't give anyone the right to take away his 2nd amendment.

This kind of stuff happens everywhere. Sometimes it's different weapons but same outcome. There are bombings in Spain and England, the killings in the restaurant in Afghanistan, the nightclub in Thailand, the mall in Kenya, etc. Where would you move where this doesn't happen? It's hard to police crazy people, or religious or political zealots.

Are you saying the US is like Afghanistan? You have to be kidding to compare the two.

Let's take the UK, since you mention it. How many school bombings have you heard about there vs. how many school related shootings have we heard about here just in 2014 (and we're only half way through the year)? My DW is from there, and she's told me a bit about this kind of thing. Years ago, apparently, there was a school shooting in Scotland. That was enough for the gov't to put in very strict gun laws. You really don't hear about school shootings in any other country developed country other than here. Yes, there are stabbings in other countries, but a knife can do much less damage than an assault rifle. That's just common sense.

No, I'm asking where you planned to move to get away from random violence. No place seems to be particularly immune. It may not always be in schools but it can be anywhere.

Homogenous prosperous societies tend to have less random violence.

Except for the fact that most of the recent mass shootings were white, upper class individuals who came from well-educated families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After the shooting in Newtown, I seriously just wanted to move out of the US (my DH is from another country and we could move there). That was just a knee-jerk reaction, and we didn't move. There are so many great things about this country, but seriously, this is one of the dumbest, saddest, arrogant thing about this country. Normally, I don't care what people from other countries think about us, but this one, I would agree. Even after a massacre of little children, there's no political will to save our kids. And yet, we are willing to risk our military service members to save children in other countries. The intervention here doesn't require anyone to put their lives on the line. WTF is wrong with some people in this country..like Joe the Plumber who stated that a few young children dying doesn't give anyone the right to take away his 2nd amendment.

This kind of stuff happens everywhere. Sometimes it's different weapons but same outcome. There are bombings in Spain and England, the killings in the restaurant in Afghanistan, the nightclub in Thailand, the mall in Kenya, etc. Where would you move where this doesn't happen? It's hard to police crazy people, or religious or political zealots.

Are you saying the US is like Afghanistan? You have to be kidding to compare the two.

Let's take the UK, since you mention it. How many school bombings have you heard about there vs. how many school related shootings have we heard about here just in 2014 (and we're only half way through the year)? My DW is from there, and she's told me a bit about this kind of thing. Years ago, apparently, there was a school shooting in Scotland. That was enough for the gov't to put in very strict gun laws. You really don't hear about school shootings in any other country developed country other than here. Yes, there are stabbings in other countries, but a knife can do much less damage than an assault rifle. That's just common sense.

No, I'm asking where you planned to move to get away from random violence. No place seems to be particularly immune. It may not always be in schools but it can be anywhere.

Homogenous prosperous societies tend to have less random violence.

Canada is not homogenous, neither is Australia, and they are also both prosperous countries. I'm sure they have mentally ill people their, too. Again, you don't hear about school shootings so often in these countries. Maybe those countries do a better job at treating mental illness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College selection process is not based on merit.
In other developed nations admission is bases on your SAT and gpa. No need for essays or councilor letters of recommendation

No, it's not based on SAT, it's based on serious tests of knowledge, not tests of ability.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we do not take care of each other. we have an everyone for themselves mentality.

so true, we don't have that "takes a village to raise a kid" mentality here in America...unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College selection process is not based on merit.
In other developed nations admission is bases on your SAT and gpa. No need for essays or councilor letters of recommendation

Counselor recommendations ARE an indication of merit. Essays demonstrate your creativity and maturity. Nothing wrong with these things.

Back to the gun issue - yes, we need more control of gun ownership. The NRA opposes even the most common sense reforms.

Because they lack intelligence! They rather see our children get killed than to have any kind of gun control or ban. After all, "it is our constitutional right to bear arms". I guess that is more important than to raise our children in a safe environment.

[Anonymous]

Let's wait to see what happens with the top dog at the NRA's loved one gets shot and dies. Let's see how important their right to bear arms is than!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After the shooting in Newtown, I seriously just wanted to move out of the US (my DH is from another country and we could move there). That was just a knee-jerk reaction, and we didn't move. There are so many great things about this country, but seriously, this is one of the dumbest, saddest, arrogant thing about this country. Normally, I don't care what people from other countries think about us, but this one, I would agree. Even after a massacre of little children, there's no political will to save our kids. And yet, we are willing to risk our military service members to save children in other countries. The intervention here doesn't require anyone to put their lives on the line. WTF is wrong with some people in this country..like Joe the Plumber who stated that a few young children dying doesn't give anyone the right to take away his 2nd amendment.

This kind of stuff happens everywhere. Sometimes it's different weapons but same outcome. There are bombings in Spain and England, the killings in the restaurant in Afghanistan, the nightclub in Thailand, the mall in Kenya, etc. Where would you move where this doesn't happen? It's hard to police crazy people, or religious or political zealots.

Are you saying the US is like Afghanistan? You have to be kidding to compare the two.

Let's take the UK, since you mention it. How many school bombings have you heard about there vs. how many school related shootings have we heard about here just in 2014 (and we're only half way through the year)? My DW is from there, and she's told me a bit about this kind of thing. Years ago, apparently, there was a school shooting in Scotland. That was enough for the gov't to put in very strict gun laws. You really don't hear about school shootings in any other country developed country other than here. Yes, there are stabbings in other countries, but a knife can do much less damage than an assault rifle. That's just common sense.

No, I'm asking where you planned to move to get away from random violence. No place seems to be particularly immune. It may not always be in schools but it can be anywhere.

Homogenous prosperous societies tend to have less random violence.

Canada is not homogenous, neither is Australia, and they are also both prosperous countries. I'm sure they have mentally ill people their, too. Again, you don't hear about school shootings so often in these countries. Maybe those countries do a better job at treating mental illness.

Canada has free health care maybe that's why.

[Anonymous]

Waaay to much emphasis on MLK. We are studying European History this year -- so great to study a history where something happens instead of milking the MLK thing to death.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Waaay to much emphasis on MLK. We are studying European History this year -- so great to study a history where something happens instead of milking the MLK thing to death.

maybe it's the guilt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not really that we're underperforming compared to other developed countries. After today's shooting in Seattle, it must surely be that kids go to school here to get shot. And half the country looks on and says that that's just fine as long as they can keep their lethal toys.

The premise of this thread is pretty funny when you think about it. Here's the thing, the real thing, that distinguishes the American education system from the rest of the world: the world's elite send their children to this country for education. Not just college either, the elite schools in this countries are inundated with students from abroad. Like healthcare, the Best of America is recognized as the Best of the World. That may be the one thing that most distinguishes American Education.

Sadly, however, there is another characteristic of American Education and that is Education Inequality. The public schools in many areas are a disaster and many parents who are otherwise egalitarian could care less so long as THEIR school district is strong - or they have access to a strong private school. This is not a question of funding as much as it is a question of corruption and misplaced priorities. Parents lose interest in schools when their children graduate, but the entrenched interests remain.

I abhor gun violence as much as anyone, but those who corrupt our public school systems are doing far worse damage tour society than the occasional gun toting nut.

[Anonymous]

To those of you that are saying that guns and violence happen on foreign soil schools too and American schools are no different, thinking more critically is needed.

Those countries where bombings are occurring in schools are countries that are fighting wars on their soil and/or 3rd world countries.

This is AMERICA, we boast that other countries should aspire to be like us. Our democracy, our capitalism, our freedoms.

The people that are causing those bombings and shootings overseas are poor, fighting for their lives, engaged with terrorist organizations or religious zealots.

Our school shootings are committed by people that come from middle class to upper middle class backgrounds, they have food and shelter, they have normal communities, they are not living in a war zone.

There is absolutely no excuse for this to occur here. We are a privileged society, even our most poor have some amount of safety net. They do not face the same kind of poverty, the same kind of absolute destituteness, they same kind of literally fighting to survive each day struggles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To those of you that are saying that guns and violence happen on foreign soil schools too and American schools are no different, thinking more critically is needed.

Those countries where bombings are occurring in schools are countries that are fighting wars on their soil and/or 3rd world countries.

This is AMERICA, we boast that other countries should aspire to be like us. Our democracy, our capitalism, our freedoms.

The people that are causing those bombings and shootings overseas are poor, fighting for their lives, engaged with terrorist organizations or religious zealots.

Our school shootings are committed by people that come from middle class to upper middle class backgrounds, they have food and shelter, they have normal communities, they are not living in a war zone.

There is absolutely no excuse for this to occur here. We are a privileged society, even our most poor have some amount of safety net. They do not face the same kind of poverty, the same kind of absolute destituteness, they same kind of literally fighting to survive each day struggles.

What specifically do you suggest? [unless you are just here to whine]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those of you that are saying that guns and violence happen on foreign soil schools too and American schools are no different, thinking more critically is needed.

Those countries where bombings are occurring in schools are countries that are fighting wars on their soil and/or 3rd world countries.

This is AMERICA, we boast that other countries should aspire to be like us. Our democracy, our capitalism, our freedoms.

The people that are causing those bombings and shootings overseas are poor, fighting for their lives, engaged with terrorist organizations or religious zealots.

Our school shootings are committed by people that come from middle class to upper middle class backgrounds, they have food and shelter, they have normal communities, they are not living in a war zone.

There is absolutely no excuse for this to occur here. We are a privileged society, even our most poor have some amount of safety net. They do not face the same kind of poverty, the same kind of absolute destituteness, they same kind of literally fighting to survive each day struggles.

What specifically do you suggest? [unless you are just here to whine]

The OP didn't write anything about wanting suggestions. It sounded like a vent about school shootings with some folks comparing America with war torn and 3rd world countries with regard to school violence. This is my post in response. Clear as mud??

Seems like reading comprehension is needed in addition to critical thinking.