Sunday, July 13, 2008

Black Holes

Hubby, plus many others, have a post about some politician taking umbrage with the term "black hole", calling it racist. This kinda crap just makes me sad, but reminds me of a story....

Back in the day, when I was about 13, my sister and I were talking, arguing, really. At some point I told her she was illiterate, I can't even remember why.

Now, you have to understand a few things about my family- my mother read all the time. She could spell or define any word I could think of. She had Skills. I was also an avid reader, but I liked biographies at that point and my mother was in her Harlequin Phase. Bodice-rippers, she called them. My sister was (and still is) gorgeous. She reminded me of Jacqueline Smith- ice blue eyes, dark, rich, lustrous hair. Skinny, with a quick laugh. I was dumpy, still having not "grown into myself" as my mother would say. But as a reader? Not my sister. She managed to pull B's and C's most of the time. If I got a B, there better be a Damn Good Reason.

So any way, I've called her illiterate, she gets mad, tells my mother I've called her a nasty name. I point out the obvious with, "See, she is!" Heh.
I still got in trouble. Fighting with the unarmed, and all that.

There is a push for Scientific Literacy for all Americans by something like 2010. I'm thinking we're going to miss that mark. I worry that so few people understand basic concepts. But then I think that maybe people are pulling my leg, we (adults) can't be that stupid. Can we?

6 comments:

Joan of Argghh! said...

Seriously. When we quit teaching kids to think, we signed our own doom.

Elisson said...

The term "Black Hole" is considered obscene in parts of Asia.

Interestingly, those are the places where the teenage boys all brag about "getting inside the Schwarzschild radius" instead of "getting to Third Base."

Green said...

My mother, a college biology professor, actually had to explain to a female student how the girl got pregnant.
Sad.

Holder said...

Every year, I get to teach my students how to "tell time" and every year more students suggest I should get a digital.
Green- thanks for coming by.

Mrs. Who said...

What?? Teach kids to think? Then how would there be any Democrats?

Sorry...snark off.

ppjakaJim said...

"I still got in trouble. Fighting with the unarmed, and all that."

Funny.