Do conservatives understand how important the Founders believed education was?

Question

The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance - Madison

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain. - Adams

It becomes expedient for promoting the public happiness that
those persons, whom nature has endowed with genius and virtue, should be rendered by liberal education worthy to receive, and able to guard the sacred deposit of the rights and liberties of their fellow citizens; and that they should be called to that charge without regard to wealth, birth or other accidental
condition or circumstance. - Jefferson

Answer 1

I'm not sure Conservatives understand the importance of a lot of things the founders believed in, particularly our rights and the Constitution. Conservatives talk about the founders being Christian and loving God. Funny thing they never mentioned God in the Constitution. They also never mentioned the flag and a lot of other things that seem to be important to Conservatives. They did mention freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to assemble and petition the government, the right to be free from unlawful searches and seizures, and the right to a trial.

Answer 2

If you just want to rant and rave, I guess it doesn't matter whether you spell correctly or use correct grammar, but if you're actually trying to convince someone of your point, you're not going about it very well. Anyway, your question is a non-sequiter. Someone who believes in creationism would certainly also believe in education. You can accuse them of being crazy or whatever you want, but that has nothing whatever to do with education being important. Finally, I've never found it to be healthy to accept the mainstream belief without question. That would have been true in ages past when some form of creationism was the mainstream belief, but it's also true now when a new form of dogmatic evolutionism seems to be taking hold. If one is unable to weather questions and challenges without resorting to namecalling, that leads me to question the position you're defending. And, just a factual point: I don't know whether the three people running for president would or would not argue for teaching it. But at least try to be factual in your accusations. The question that was asked was if they believed in evolution, and three of them said no. There was no discussion about teaching it, one way or the other. I guess one other thing. Do you even have a clue what the word "conservative" means?

Answer 3

I think they do understand. It's just that they want it for their own only. It is going to be almost impossible for the next generation of middle class families to send their children to college. The cost of higher education is skyrocketing. Recently, Bush has vetoed a bill to increase student aid. The future of higher education will be one without reach for many Americans. For those who take out student loans, Bush is in the middle of creating a new system of paying it back, which will make it harder and more costly and more profitable for his cronies. Say goodbye so Sallie mae and other friendy companies that buy and handle student loans.

I would like to see what middle class conservatives will be doing when they can't get an education, lest be in life long debt. Construction and other blue collar jobs will be given to immigrants. Not to mention, elementary education is has a lower standard than other countries. All the science, medicine,and tech engineering jobs will be (and currently are) filled by importing those more qualified.

NCLB has been the biggest mistake in education, and takes time away from teaching to test.

In the mean time, AIPAC just convinced our great nation to give their country more welfare, now totaling $30,000,000,000.00 a year! That could buy quite the amount of educational resources combined with the war in Iraq funds. Does anyone wonder why public schools are "failing"? As far as I can see, it's because the government wants us to stay dumb.

Answer 4

I think the first 5 years of education should be considered a national responsibility .
It should focus on vocabulary writing and math . We spend millions on public libraries around this nation .
Education comes from reading .Indoctrination takes place when you grade the work of others and what they have read based on the content you wanted them to receive .
How is it so many Americans are not aware of what Columbus did to the people in the new world .

The violence and 100's of thousands he killed and what he started that later resulted in the deaths of millions .

Teaching that Columbus was and explorer is leaving out that he was a genocidal mass murderer .

Answer 5

George Bush is a landmark president. Previously intelligence was a prerequisite for the job. The intellectual did well. But in GWB's case being stupid was an asset that was leveraged as a virtue. Think carefully its only been recently that criticizing the stupid things he says and does became something to do. For the first few years of his presidency it was as if you were criticizing the average american to say he was stupid.

Answer 6

They most certainly do, so as long as THEY are the ones setting the parameters what is considered necessary and beneficial education for society. (The input of others is not taken into consideration as, in their warped minds, only "real" American conservatives can have any say-so.)

"God, Jesus, Ten Commandments in. Evolution, cultural awareness, Constitution out." That's generally the far-right's version of what is "education."

Answer 7

You want your readers to make the leap that, because Conservatives don't want to flush excessive loads money down the drain of our failed educational system, that they oppose education.
Throwing good money after bad does not make the necessary improvements.
The tenure system that entrenches inadequate teachers. The teachers unions that hold hostage the parents and taxpayers. The overwhelming agenda-based teaching that indoctrinates students to the particular political ideology of those who hold government jobs rather than attempting to make it in the real world.
Conservatives are great supporters of quality education. Voucher programs for private and charter schools have a proven record of providing measurable quality education at a cost appropriate to the service provided. Government has a proven record of layer upon layer of bureaucracy and wasteful spending with poor education as the product of exorbitant costs.

Answer 8

No, they were told that public education means that the socialists are taking money out of their wallet and they stop thinking right there.

They do not understand that universal education is absolutely a requirement for a strong economy, and making cuts, especially to the Department of Education, which among other things, sets standards for rights of handicapped and learning disabled, weakens the education in every school district in this country.

Answer 9

I don't think they do today. The old style Republicans understood that educating the population meant that those kids would someday pay taxes and contribute to society-and GNP. Of course that's long term thinking. Even thinking simply in terms of dollars and cents, it's a good idea.

Answer 10

great quotes!!! i think any average American understands how important education is. as someone whos generally against raising taxes, i dont think its a bad idea if those taxes are going to fund education. its just the things like welfare and "free" healthcare i have a problem with raising taxes for. why do you single out conservatives though? do liberals understand how important education is? some of them probably dont, seeing that they want things like welfare and universal healthcare instead of better education. theres only so much money to go around, we have to decide whats really important and spend our tax money on that. education is probably the most important because the smarter you are the more you can depend on yourself.