Education: Too Late to Save English Departments?

By Mary Grabar
Thankfully, much is being made of Heather Mac Donald’s recent piece, “The Humanities and Us,” [HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING] in the City Journal. She illustrates the decline of college English departments, where “gender, sexuality, race, and class” have taken over Chaucer, Milton, and Shakespeare. The radicals of the 60s and 70s are firmly in charge; their diktats have attacked the hallmarks of literary study; and Mac Donald rightly calls for a return to standards at colleges. But standards won’t do any good if incoming freshmen are incapable of reading, thinking independently, and using logic. That has already begun to be the case, and it is going to get worse thanks to new “standards” known as Common Core.

Read more at The Pope Center for Higher Education Policy Read More......

Federal agency warns of radicals on right

WASHINGTON TIMES, 4/14/2009 by Audrey Hudson - 9-page report sent to police. ∴ The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," saying the economic recession, the election of America's first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias. ∴ A footnote attached to the report by the Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines "rightwing extremism in the United States" as including not just racist or hate groups, but also groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority. ∴ "It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration," the warning says. Read the rest at the Washington Times...

Related: JUDGE ANDREW NAPOLITANO: Six Things You should Know About the Homeland Security Report on ‘Rightwing Extremism’ Read More......