H. L. Mencken Quote

"That erroneous assumption is to the effect that the aim of public education is to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence, and so make them fit to discharge the duties of citizenship in an enlightened and independent manner. Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all, it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever the pretensions of politicians, pedagogues and other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else."

by:	H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) American Journalist, Editor, Essayist, Linguist, Lexicographer, and Critic
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Categories:	America, Dissent, Education, Independence, Intelligence, Knowledge, Obedience, Politics
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YES, that truth is very self evident  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
I attended a half dozen schools of different types in different states, and this quote says it all. I was always ahead of the class and bored stiff. I could not understand why there wasn't more attention paid to encouraging and empowering students to LEARN rather than be 'taught.' Even a 10 year old can recognize the truth of this after years in the institutional education system. Smart kids are told to wait for the slowest kid who never really catches up. It's glorified social work. While I was lucky enough to get a few good teachers in my life, the 'system' itself was the primary obstacle for teachers and students alike.  -- E Archer, NYC      1
I can't believe Mencken said this... He was privately educated and graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic when he was 16 - he believed in Evolution and thought religion was a tool for manipulating the masses.  -- RBESRQ      1
Robert, religions have always been a tool for manipulating the masses, for good and for evil. The greatest theocracy of all (government) is no exception. It doesn't matter the author's belief in a supernatural deity, the observation of religious activities, no matter where they may be found, is sound. The realized politics of the current theocracy is most devilish and destructive (which I believe is the aim of public education). I also believe many teachers have a good intent, regardless of what is being taught  -- Mike, Norwalk      3
The aim is to get people up to speed so that they can have their own lives. Thank God that every one is not an Honor Student or a Magna Cum Laude. We need the C students like Winston Churchill and the bottom of their class and playboy types like John McCain. The problem with the Kens, Mikes, and Warrens and home schooler types on this site is they want to create a lock step social order where everyone must be the same bore ass A student and super achiever. School should create worlds of meaning and opportunity for individuals to graduate and branck out and take the world on in their own way. I think that is what Public School does. I have one nephew who is a Phd and his brother is a carpenter. Both are happy public school graduates!  -- Waffler, Smith, Arkansas      1 2
Marx must have read the Bible or at least the Book of Proverbs: "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he slall not depart from it." Pr. 22:6 So from that, he made "free education in public schools" one of the 10 planks of his Communist Manifesto. Train up deceived children and when they are old, they will remain deceived. Only United States citizens are subject to the draft. Most Americans are not United States citizens but schools don't teach this fact and we have had thousands killed in military service when they were not required to register. I have 2 pages by edrivera@edrivera.com that may clarify this. Some understand that United States citizens are those who live in the District of Columbia or the territories or are immigrants while other Americans are citizens of their respective states. Get a draft registration card at your Post Office. If you google United States citizenship. I don't think you see any indication that people born to citizens of the United States of America will be found there. A prominent lawyer says children born to illegal immigrants have no birthright to citizenship.  -- Dave Wilber, Saint Louis      2
-- V, Anywhere
-- jim k, Austin

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