The bad (typically gun related) things happening in America thread

A single child's life should unequivocally supercede the rights of millions to privately own a piece of metal that uses exploding powder to fire a smaller piece of metal. A gun culture is equal to culture of cowards.
 
I’ve built an (irrational?) fear of traveling to the US for work - bailed on a meeting recently - feels absurd considering I’ve gone to Albania, Czech Republic, Poland, Colombia and Pakistan for work: on paper one would think I would feel more scared in any of those places than the ‘greatest country on earth’
 
Shez said:
I’ve built an (irrational?) fear of traveling to the US for work - bailed on a meeting recently - feels absurd considering I’ve gone to Albania, Czech Republic, Poland, Colombia and Pakistan for work: on paper one would think I would feel more scared in any of those places than the ‘greatest country on earth’
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I don't think it's irrational at all. I once had a chat with a woman who worked for an american company for a few months and traveled regularly between dallas and oklahoma. She ended up requesting a transfer because of the stress she felt having people with guns around her when she was traveling on the road.
 
R.67301bdc4d83b672b0ebecf6a24152fc
 
Red in STL said:
Unless they suffer from dyslexia then they only have themselves to blame IMO
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Or the education system just does not do enough (in terms of formality and intensity) to develop basic academic skills and enforce those skills at younger ages. In a number of Asian countries, rote learning accompanied by regular reviewing and testing is an approach that proves extremely successful in establishing those basic academic skills. I read that in an article from The Guardian around 10 years ago.

It is not a coincidence as to how and why East Asia keeps on scoring ever so high in international numeracy and literacy tests. Unless one has a confirmed dyslexia diagnosis, it should be near impossible for anyone with bad literacy levels to get near any good paying job on the labour force.
 
RedDevilQuebecois said:
Or the education system just does not do enough (in terms of formality and intensity) to develop basic academic skills and enforce those skills at younger ages. In a number of Asian countries, rote learning accompanied by regular reviewing and testing is an approach that proves extremely successful in establishing those basic academic skills. I read that in an article from The Guardian around 10 years ago.

It is not a coincidence as to how and why East Asia keeps on scoring ever so high in international numeracy and literacy tests. Unless one has a confirmed dyslexia diagnosis, it should be near impossible for anyone with bad literacy levels to get near any good paying job on the labour force.
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The way I view it is that if you've spent 10 years or whatever it is in any education system and you can't read, write or do basic arithmetic to a reasonable level then you've not been trying or paying attention, and that's on you
 
RedDevilQuebecois said:
Or the education system just does not do enough (in terms of formality and intensity) to develop basic academic skills and enforce those skills at younger ages. In a number of Asian countries, rote learning accompanied by regular reviewing and testing is an approach that proves extremely successful in establishing those basic academic skills. I read that in an article from The Guardian around 10 years ago.
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Rote learning and regular testing might be a good way to learn very basic skills, but the problem is that if it's then carried on throughout the school system it's directly counter-productive for making pupils capable of independent thought.
 
nimic said:
Rote learning and regular testing might be a good way to learn very basic skills, but the problem is that if it's then carried on throughout the school system it's directly counter-productive for making pupils capable of independent thought.
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This is true, but from the sound of it the basic skills haven't been attained yet
 
nimic said:
Rote learning and regular testing might be a good way to learn very basic skills, but the problem is that if it's then carried on throughout the school system it's directly counter-productive for making pupils capable of independent thought.
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Red in STL said:
This is true, but from the sound of it the basic skills haven't been attained yet
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That's exactly the thing: rote learning being applied with regular testing at elementary school level (or even into middle school) is the key to stimulate and develop those basic skills.

Something is obviously very deficient in the US education system and it must be corrected ASAP.
 
RedDevilQuebecois said:
That's exactly the thing: rote learning being applied with regular testing at elementary school level (or even into middle school) is the key to stimulate and develop those basic skills.

Something is obviously very deficient in the US education system and it must be corrected ASAP.
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We need someone with kids in this age group to jump in, I've no idea what the US system teaches currently in this age group, but I'm not convinced it's just the system that's deficient
 
Only read up to the wall, it sounds absolutely horrific.

There should be a law that prescribes the same torture on someone if they tortured someone / thing smaller than them...

 
calodo2003 said:
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Not surprised.

The high schoolers I taught this year were among the worst readers I’ve seen in my career. Wasn’t just me either, all the folks in my department and in the English department said the same thing.

Whatever they’ve been doing at lower levels of school, combined with the brain rot of smart phones and social media, has done a number on American literacy.
 
As I said in the Hypernormal thread, M4L is a grass roots terrorist organization...

 
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