Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged'

[BlueGin]

Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged'



In a symbolic move to teach “personal responsibility,” an Idaho lawmaker has proposed requiring every high school student in the state to read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”

State Sen. John Goedde introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require Idaho secondary students to read and pass an examination on the iconic 1957 novel touted by conservatives like Rep. Paul Ryan and Rush Limbaugh.

The lawmaker, though, says the bill is meant more as a statement than an actual proposed policy. Goedde, in a statement to FoxNews.com, said media outlets have thus far “totally missed the point” of the bill — he described the bill as a protest to a state Board of Education decision to roll back online class requirements.

“Traditionally in Idaho, the State Board of Education sets graduation requirements in rule,” Goedde wrote in an email Thursday. “They recently repealed a rule dealing with online class requirements and failed to move another rule forward dealing with administrators demonstrating proficiency in evaluating teachers. I felt both were important and wanted to remind them that the legislature could also set graduation standards.”


Read more: Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged' | Fox News

 

[Lumpy 1]

I found the book quite boring..

 

[BlueGin]

I found the book quite boring..

I have never read it. But my daughter was required to read another Ann Rand book this year and loved it. Anthem.

 

[Saigon]

I think it's an interesting, if wildly outdated book, but in no way more important for young people to read than a dozen other political/historical novels.

Most Pol.Sci courses start with Orwell's '1984', Huxley's 'Island' and perhaps 'Quiet American' or 'Heat of Darkness', and they are all more important.

I also love that one establishes personal freedom by making people do something.

 

[BlueGin]

I think it's an interesting, if wildly outdated book, but in no way more important for young people to read than a dozen other political/historical novels.

Most Pol.Sci courses start with Orwell's '1984', Huxley's 'Island' and perhaps 'Quiet American' or 'Heat of Darkness', and they are all more important.

I also love that one establishes personal freedom by making people do something.

I remember reading '1984' years ago. Another one that stands out wasn't actually a novel but a short story. 'The Lottery'.

I asked my daughter if the book she was required to read was political. She said only in that it promoted the collective "we" and did away with individualism. Since she reccomended it so highly I will probably read it now.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Only college freshmen should be required to read that book. Then over the years, as they integrate themselves into greater society and apply the book's ideas to the real world, they'll realize why it was considered a work of fiction.

It was almost as good as Harry Potter (lol) for a while until it got into Levin (or Limbaugh) worthy levels of lunatic ranting about conservatives surviving in a mountain or something like that (c'mon, remeber D'Anconyan or whatever his name was going on for like a 12 page speech about how rich people were just better than everyone ).

So anyways... only college freshmen should be required to read that book because only college freshmen are open to such a phenomenal level of undeniable buuuuuullshit.

Also John Galt is not that cool.

 

[Saigon]

It also has to be said that Ayn Rand is NOT a good writer.

Huxley, Orwell, Conrad, Hemingway and Greene are excellent writers without any consideration of their subject matter, but Rand is not. Her books have very little literary merit. The only people who say otherwise tend not to be big readers.

 

[BlueGin]

Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged'



In a symbolic move to teach “personal responsibility,” an Idaho lawmaker has proposed requiring every high school student in the state to read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”

State Sen. John Goedde introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require Idaho secondary students to read and pass an examination on the iconic 1957 novel touted by conservatives like Rep. Paul Ryan and Rush Limbaugh.

The lawmaker, though, says the bill is meant more as a statement than an actual proposed policy. Goedde, in a statement to FoxNews.com, said media outlets have thus far “totally missed the point” of the bill — he described the bill as a protest to a state Board of Education decision to roll back online class requirements.

“Traditionally in Idaho, the State Board of Education sets graduation requirements in rule,” Goedde wrote in an email Thursday. “They recently repealed a rule dealing with online class requirements and failed to move another rule forward dealing with administrators demonstrating proficiency in evaluating teachers. I felt both were important and wanted to remind them that the legislature could also set graduation standards.”


Read more: Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged' | Fox News

So a law maker wants to take away people's personal responsibility as to whether they want to read a book, by making it compulsory reading? Talk about irony.

And, yes, I know, high school kids have books they have to read to complete their course, but this is the first time I've heard this ludicrous reasoning.

Kind of like that they are promoting making kids think. They could even offer a left leaning book to the curriculum to balance things out if they wanted. Anything that will teach them something of value instead of letting them skate by on mediocrity.

 

[Saigon]

Kind of like that they are promoting making kids think. They could even offer a left leaning book to the curriculum to balance things out if they wanted. Anything that will teach them something of value instead of letting them skate by on mediocrity.

That's true, but 'Atlas Shrugged' is mediocre. It's fame is from politics, not from literary merit.

If schools were looking for a right wing book which has literary value, I'd go with 'Fahrenheit 451', 'Manchurian Candidate' or even 'All The Kings Men'.

None are so overtly right wing, granted, but they are all books young Republicans might enjoy.

 

[Esmeralda]

Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged'



In a symbolic move to teach “personal responsibility,” an Idaho lawmaker has proposed requiring every high school student in the state to read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”

State Sen. John Goedde introduced legislation on Tuesday that would require Idaho secondary students to read and pass an examination on the iconic 1957 novel touted by conservatives like Rep. Paul Ryan and Rush Limbaugh.

The lawmaker, though, says the bill is meant more as a statement than an actual proposed policy. Goedde, in a statement to FoxNews.com, said media outlets have thus far “totally missed the point” of the bill — he described the bill as a protest to a state Board of Education decision to roll back online class requirements.

“Traditionally in Idaho, the State Board of Education sets graduation requirements in rule,” Goedde wrote in an email Thursday. “They recently repealed a rule dealing with online class requirements and failed to move another rule forward dealing with administrators demonstrating proficiency in evaluating teachers. I felt both were important and wanted to remind them that the legislature could also set graduation standards.”


Read more: Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged' | Fox News

I don't think schools should be teaching literature as a way of forcing students to think in a certain way. A novel should be taught to open up ideas for thought and consideration and students allowed to think independently about the work's themes.

I read Atlas Shrugged on my own when I was a teenager. I read it because I'd seen the movie on television, and I thought it was a good story. No one forced me to agree with the themes or ideas in the novel, and I grew up to be a liberal democrat who does believe in personal responsibility but who also believes that there will always be a need to work together and help those in need. I don't apply Ayn Rand's philosophy to my life: she is an extremist, and I don't apply any extremist philosophies to my life.

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

Idaho bill would require students to read 'Atlas Shrugged'

Idaho is stupid.

 

[S.J.]

You mean it has to compete with "Heather Has Two Mommies"?

 

[OohPooPahDoo]

You mean it has to compete with "Heather Has Two Mommies"?

Why do you hate the gays?

 

[007]

You mean it has to compete with "Heather Has Two Mommies"?

... and "Johnny Has Two Daddies."

 

[S.J.]

You mean it has to compete with "Heather Has Two Mommies"?

Why do you hate the gays?

Why are you an idiot?

 

[Noomi]

I found the book quite boring..

I read the first page once and nearly fell asleep.

 

[Bill Angel]

I've never read the book but enjoyed watching the movie. The movie based on the book was rather well made I think. In an entertaining bit of casting Armin Shimerman, who played a Ferengi bartender in the TV show Star Trek Deep Space Nine, had a part in the movie. Ferengis were a race of creatures whose society appears to have been based on Ayn Rand's philosophy. He also appears briefly in the movie's trailer.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W07bFa4TzM]Atlas Shrugged Trailer - YouTube[/ame]

 

[editec]

If you want kids to read a book about rugged individualism and egoism, MOBY DICK is a far better choice.

That book recounts what happens when a Randian (Cptn. Ahab) is in charge of his society (the Pequod).

And how'd that work out for the crew on the Pequod?

 

[Saigon]

Haven't seen the movie, but the trailer looks good. I'll check it out.

 

[Sunni Man]

Kids in the U.S. are required to read the fictional novel, "The Diary of Anne Frank" in order to prepare them for rule by AIPAC and the ZOG