Book Communism: State Mandated Reading Lists

A favorite activity of pundits and the fear-mongering news machine is to lampoon the American educational system. This is a veritable gold mine for attracting viewers; where reporters shout out test scores and restate the same studies over and over, often comparing the United States to Europe and Asia, and finding the United States lacking. One of the differences between our educational system and the “superior” educations that Europeans receive is that they use a standard canon of books that all students must read; while American teachers still maintain the autonomy to choose what books they want to teach. Although many look for holes in this plan, as it is now standard to do, the independence allowed by choosing reading lists allows for the organic evolution of class discussion and a wider availability of reading than a limited and narrow list of standard books. This system repeats a common theme in American education that is favorable – regardless of what the news machine likes to tell the public –a more encompassing system less married to standardized testing model.

            With the ability to create their own reading lists, American teachers can quickly and nimbly adapt their courses to current issues.  Because they do not have to appeal to a central bureaucratic body, the teachers could, for instance, introduce books that relate to modern issues such as the globalization of communication networks and relationships. The study of literature is not supposed to be a boring recitation of texts that no longer relate to modern society; instead it should be a time for students to study human interactions and relationships, a truly valuable activity that is too often lacking in curriculums solely focused on standardized testing. Additionally, this capability for change reflects modern trends of media consumption, where books are often consumed digitally and at a different level of understanding then in the staid world of print sources (Source F). The freedom to adapt their reading lists gives teachers the power to evolve and change.                    

  Not only are diverse and variable reading lists more capable of adapting to modern conditions, they also are more global than the anthologies and standardized reading lists. A photo of a common textbook opens with the title World Masterpieces. But this title is inherently lacking; it is simply impossible for the masterpieces of literature to be held in something so limiting as a textbook (Source D). This image reflects and represents how narrow state mandated reading lists are. With the ability to choose which books they want, teachers can choose “masterpieces” as varied as age-old texts like Beowulf, to modern giants like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Not only do anthologies and standard reading canons eliminate a large majority of literature, they are also so widely scrutinized that they often end up being the run of the mill, safe choices, and often cut out crucial but controversial parts of text because of the need to appeal to the country at large. For example, Clayton Eshleman, a professor at Eastern Michigan University teaches the whole of one of Walt Whitman’s poems, even though the specific passage is often axed by editors because of sexual themes (Source C). Although the literary community at large would agree that Walt Whitman is a masterful Romanticist poet, they are all too willing to cut out passages that they deem too “edgy.” Thus, the major problem with required anthologies is that they can in no way represent the vanguard of literature; instead they are relegated to the safe and the accepted.

            At the heart of this issue is the fear that the American educational system is failing. And while there are definitely aspects that need improvement, we cannot eliminate all of what makes the system unique. Because frankly, there is one thing that works. Just because it is different than the European and Asian model does not mean that is wrong. Freedom and variability in reading lists are useful tools for teachers because they allow for a class to be able to evolve and adapt to current issues. They let reading happen on a global scale, without being married to a narrow list of “classics.” This autonomy may not seem important in the overall swamp that is education, but it is a necessary one none-the-less.

           

Space: A Necessary Fronteir

When America looked up to the skies in 1969 they did not simply see a vast expanse of unreachable and untouchable blue – for the first time in human history they saw something that they could reach out and touch. Human limits suddenly became breakable; if it is possible to overcome everything we have ever known about out physical world and put a man on the moon, then what could the human race not do? That one image of Neil Armstrong inspired a generation of Americans, in both practical and psychological realms. It motivated Americans to apply themselves to math and science, to further technology, and to create a precedent for international cooperation and collaboration. These consequences are vital to the evolution of society and technology, for this reason, space exploration must continue. Although people often incorrectly cite that NASA is sucking funds that need to be used for “real world issues”, these funds represent the best investment that America – and the world – can make in her future.

            The quickest claim that anti-space exploration advocates will jump on is that it is unnecessary cost. They reach for the highest statistic that they can find in order to shock the public into agreeing with them. But, put in context, the amount of government funds dedicated to NASA is relatively miniscule. In 2006, the government estimated that only a fraction of .06 cents for every dollar of government spending was actually spent of space research (Source C). This small amount that is spent is actually vital to the economy – in fact it is one of the best investments America can make. David Livingston, in “Is Space Exploration worth the Cost?” explains only some of the everyday benefits for space exploration, “The money that is spent goes to manufacturing, research and development, salaries, benefits, insurance companies, doctors, teachers, scientists, students, blue- and white-collar workers, and corporations and businesses both large and small.”(Source A). These funds are so well dispersed into the economy that they touch every citizen in some way.

            Not only is the direct economic benefit relevant to American life, but it has a profound effect on the American psyche. The space race with Russia during the 1960’s caused an increased focus on mathematics and science in American education. Calculus began to be part of the standard mathematics track, in an attempt to get more students who would one day be able to be “rocket scientists.” Additionally, this renewed focus on technology meant that young kids had new heroes in physicists and astronauts like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Suddenly academic stars, not just sports stars, were cool. As David Livingston articulates, “We can give hope and provide inspiration for our youngsters to grow up, do the schoolwork, and accept the challenges that await them to make our world even better.”

            Space exploration is not just good for internal American affairs, but for the international community at large. By working together for a larger goal, to better understand our universe, the international community can be strengthened. As we move on from putting a man on the moon, the race has become a relay. International cooperation is now the future of space exploration, as evidenced by the success of the international space station. And perhaps more importantly, space exploration could create a stronger push for peace over war when viewing international politics. Viewed from space, the political boundaries and walls that we as nations put up become meaningless (Source E). We all share the earth, and space exploration is the strongest reminder of that.

            It is all to easy to push aside space exploration as a waste of money, and forget about it in the face of escalating national debt. But this is a mistake. Investing in space technologies is the strongest way to insure a bright future for America and the earth as a whole. While it is not an immediate payoff, the benefits of this investment pay out decades into the future. The increased childhood focus on education and increased peace among nations are only a few of the critical outcomes to space exploration. As citizens of the earth, we should not look at space as a luxury for times of financial success, but as a critical step for a future of financial success.