I stumbled across an article from The Guardian titled Anti-intellectualism is taking over the US and this passage induce a fair amount of anger in me:

The anti-ethnic studies law passed by the state prohibits teachings that “promote the overthrow of the United States government,” “promote resentment toward a race or class of people,” “are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group,” and/or “advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals.” — SOURCE: Anti-intellectualism is taking over the US: The rise in academic book bannings and firings is compounded by the US’s growing disregard for scholarship itself

This infuriates me because books are an opportunity to teach, not censor. I read controversial books, banned books, books that could have turned me into a racist bigot — but they didn’t. Why? Because they were used to teach me about other human beings, cultures, places in the world. I learned (hopefully you think this, too) how to be a better, more tolerant, human being by reading, discussing, critiquing lots and lots of books — and I’m still learning!

We need good teachers who are experts in their field and their techniques because we can’t all be proficient at every subject matter in existence. It is possible, even outside academia, to be a student. Yes, you can acquire information from reading a Wikipedia entry or talking to someone, but I believe you can’t really learn something unless you are given the opportunity to understand it in an environment that promotes education. Memorization, terse headlines, these are the ephemera of our day. But teachers? Irreplaceable.

Mood: Feisty
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Two with the potential for three.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Walk.
In My Ears: Birds chirping.
Game Last Played: Battle Nations
Movie Last Viewed: Harry Potter as part of a marathon
Latest Artistic Project: Crystal Cluster bracelet in gold
Latest Release: “Don’t Ignore Your Dead” included in Don’t Read This Book for the Don’t Rest Your Head RPG