The opening of the first episode of Portlandia is among the funniest satires:
But now I see that it wasn't satire at all. 7/2/18 Campus Reform:
The Portland State University Women’s Studies department will offer a course next semester exploring “ecological feminist spirituality” and the potential for an “ecological revolution.”
“Ecofeminist Spirituality” is a senior-level course taught by Dr. Frodo Okulam, and primarily aims to explore “different forms of ecofeminist spirituality” including “feminist biblical interpretation” as well as “goddesses and spirituality.”This surprised me not at all. My son went to Portland City College. His English Composition instructor taught them that AIDS was invented by the U.S. government to exterminate black people. (And how does this fit into a English Composition class? It doesn't, of course.) My son knew this was nonsense, but it was not clear that many of the foreign students knew to be skeptical. When are Oregonians going to expect responsible use of their tax dollars?
“The insight of Ecofeminism is that the oppression of women and the exploitation of the earth are related,” Okulam told Campus Reform, adding that “in its least radical form…it would use existing laws to reform our relationship with nature.”
But Okulam also teaches students about other variations of ecofeminism. In a handout she often provides to students, for instance, she explains that there are Socialist Ecofeminism, Radical Ecofeminism, and Spiritual Ecofeminist schools of thought.
The most radical of these, she says, is Socialist Ecofeminism, which “would end the domination of women and nature inherent in the capitalist economy’s exploitation of both” and “transform the structure of power itself.”
Oh, and Frodo is teaching the course? Let's see the feet!
I lived in Portland (Oregon) for 20+ years, and during several of these years (1980 plus) I was a volunteer instructor in the Portland State University (PSU) "English as a Second Language" in night school. The students were usually either (a) Mexican immigrants or (b) Middle-Eastern immigrants. We spoke English ALL the time, as this was "immersion course" focused on "idiomatic" American English.
ReplyDeleteThese people just wanted to fit in. They worked hard at night even as they worked hard at their (usually) entry level jobs during the day.
It was an interesting change of pace for me, because 10 years earlier I was an Infantry Platoon Sergeant in Viet Nam, working hard to kill the countrymen (perhaps relatives) of some of my students. I wanted to get to know them, and for them to know me. U didn't want them to fear me; I just wanted them to learn the language skills they needed to hold a job and earn a living in America.
Because that's what it's all about.
I introduced my two-year-old daughter, and a Viet Namese "boat person" to snow on the same weekend ... when my wife and I brought them to Mount Hood in the winter. The snow was over
Both my daughter and "Phoung" learned to correctly pronounce "Hospital" at the same time ... although Phoung never got closer than "HOSHPISHTOL", Jennifer got it right the first time. The need to overcome latent language habits were never more clearly illustrated.
Now, new citizens are learning "Eco-feminism"?
I'm appalled that the current era seems focusing on creating political bias rather than socially useful skills.
Emigrants use to be taught to gently enter a new national community; first learn the language, then decide for your self where you fit in.
They don't need to be "indoctrinated"; they got enough of that where they came from, which is why they came from there!