tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post5548433285850085405..comments2023-09-05T09:05:57.488-07:00Comments on Seven Miles to Nowhere: Call Me an Elitist. No, Really, I Want You To.Lisa Dunickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08530026652363687161noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post-19329621095429161592008-09-14T06:31:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:31:00.000-07:00Since when did "smart" become "elitist"?My husband...Since when did "smart" become "elitist"?<BR/><BR/>My husband has two and three-quarters degrees under his belt, and one of those is from Harvard. He is the first person in his family to get a college degree.<BR/><BR/>It is elitist to do better than your parents? To pull yourself up by your bootstraps?<BR/><BR/>My dad slept on porches in rented two-room shack houses while his teenage single mother worked at the donut shop.<BR/><BR/>He died a millionaire with three US patents in his name.<BR/><BR/>I'm an elitist, too, and proud of it.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11342425698876916791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post-21883861190085800112008-09-12T16:42:00.000-07:002008-09-12T16:42:00.000-07:00I agree, wholeheartedly.I agree, wholeheartedly.The Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14199421109765929440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post-87088608169131362202008-09-12T13:09:00.000-07:002008-09-12T13:09:00.000-07:00absolutely! But there are different types of educ...absolutely! But there are different types of education-- and they higher you go, the less--in many ways--education is "useful" in any "ordinary folks" practical sense. I guess my only point is that we shouldn't denigrate a candidate because s/he is intellectual and educated.Lisa Dunickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08530026652363687161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post-13388472889782891182008-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:002008-09-12T10:52:00.000-07:00I feel I now must clarify.I am a teacher, I am wel...I feel I now must clarify.<BR/>I am a teacher, I am well-educated. I was also raised in severe poverty by a fork-lift operator and a teacher's aid; I had five other brother's and sisters.<BR/><BR/>I went to a very prestigious private university on an academic scholarship as well as with the assistance of a Pell grant and student loans of which I will be paying off for many years to come.<BR/><BR/>So while I feel I am a member of the "elitist" class due to my education, I am most certainly not due to my upbringing or my pedigree.<BR/><BR/>I will never doubt the value or virtue of education. As Jefferson, I believe education can be the force of equalization in any culture.The Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14199421109765929440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post-12080099551949055922008-09-11T09:07:00.000-07:002008-09-11T09:07:00.000-07:00While unfortunate, I think mocking the learned is ...While unfortunate, I think mocking the learned is nothing new. Plato told us that if we left the cave, we might have trouble communicating with those who remained behind. It's all a matter of perception.<BR/><BR/>I agree with you that wisdom and learning are virtuous things. However, if every educated person you met spoke unintelligible gibberish (known in our society as having an expansive vocabulary), you might doubt the virtue of education, as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post-72209029439795452232008-09-10T13:29:00.000-07:002008-09-10T13:29:00.000-07:00Thank you for this. As a fellow educator and memb...Thank you for this. As a fellow educator and member of the "elitist" group, I too am growing tired of the criticism of well-educated people. When did this ever become something to mock? I always thought to be a learned, well educated knowledgeable person was a virtue. <BR/>Somehow ignorance is now the quality we seek most in our policy-makers and leaders. <BR/><BR/>It makes me very sad.The Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14199421109765929440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1658392846922406557.post-12724666830309047412008-09-10T12:53:00.000-07:002008-09-10T12:53:00.000-07:00Elitist! There. Feel better?One thing to keep in m...Elitist! There. Feel better?<BR/><BR/>One thing to keep in mind is that everyone you see running for national office is the elite of the elite in America. George W. Bush, in spite of the created image, is a product of expensive schools and overflowing opportunity. It was a joke for Bush to say Kerry was too elite just the same as it's a joke for McCain to portray Obama as such. Anyone that is nominated by one of the two major parties has seen the best our society has to offer.<BR/><BR/>As to who should lead in a society, it can get pretty tricky. The problem with people who are members of the elite class is that they, too, tend to be elitists. Government by the rich and powerful, for the rich and powerful just doesn't have the same ring to it, though the concept feels vaguely familiar.<BR/><BR/>I'd like to suggest an alternative, though. What if the government were run by non-elites? Granted, you'd need better education in our society, but it seems like the elite just keep that to themselves. Put the average American in office and (SURPRISE!) the educational system might start to serve the average person. Next thing you know, everyone is better informed and able to govern themselves. It's a really wild concept, but I think I read about it in the "Democracy 101" book we sent to Iraq.<BR/><BR/>Very true, indeed, on the electoral college point. However, don't forget that there were insanely radical founding fathers who put great faith the people's ability to govern themselves. I tend to think they may have been on to something. We got lucky 200 years ago with elites who were benevolent enough to liberate us from tyranny, even from the tyranny of their own opulence. In the end, maybe average people are just the victim of blatant manipulation by the insanely powerful and affluent. Given the chance, ordinary citizens may make the best decisions under conditions of freedom and empowerment.<BR/><BR/>All that said, I, like you, haven't quite recovered from 2004 and the consequential sense that maybe people are not able to act in their own interest. Bit of an internal conflict for me, really.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com