Conservative Reading List for 2008!

I thought that I would share a reading list with you today. Actually, a friend of mine over at Rose City Reader wanted me to put it together. Not all of the books are partisan and many deal with education and the future. Enjoy!

Summer political reading (June - August 2008):

Liberal Fascism - Jonah Goldberg
The UNTIED States of America - Juan Enriquez
As The Future Catches You - Juan Enriquez
American Evita - Christopher Andersen
Indoctrination U - David Horowitz
End of Education - Neil Postman
Hell to Pay - Barbara Olson

Books I have yet to read:

America Alone : The End of the World as We Know It - Mark Steyn

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business - Neil Postman

Boom!: Voices of the Sixties - Tom Brokaw

Building a Bridge to the 18th Century: How the Past Can Improve Our Future - Neil Postman

Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts About the Sixties - Peter Collier, David Horowitz

The Disappearance of Childhood - Neil Postman

Fleeced: How Barack Obama, Media Mockery of Terrorist Threats, Liberals Who Want to Kill Talk Radio, the Do-Nothing Congress, Companies That Help Iran, and Washington Lobbyists for Foreign Governments are Scamming Us-- and What to Do About It - Dick Morris and Eileen McGann

Illegal Immigration: Opposing Viewpoints - Margaret Haerens, Book Editor

Invasion: How America Still Welcomes Terrorists, Criminals, and Other Foreign Menaces to Our Shores - Michelle Malkin

John McCain : An American Odyssey - Robert Timberg

Left Illusions: An Intellectual Odyssey - David Horowitz ; Edited, With an Introduction by Jamie Glazov

One Nation: Patriots and Pirates Portrayed by N. C. Wyeth and James Wyeth - Introduction by Lauren Raye Smith, Essays by Tom Brokaw and David Michaelis

The Politics of Bad Faith: The Radical Assault on America's Future - David Horowitz

Teaching as a Subversive Activity - Neil Postman, Charles Weingartner

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology - Neil Postman

The Uncivil Wars: Ireland Today - Padraig O'Malley

Uncivil Wars: The Controversy Over Reparations for Slavery - David Horowitz

Why Courage Matters: The Way to a Braver Life - John McCain with Mark Salter

Anonymous

Last week, I had an incredibly interesting experience. Someone who seems to know me started posting anonymously, and intelligently, on my blog. I enjoyed the nearly week-long conversation so much that I compiled it into its own static page.

I'd love to know what others think about the conversation. I have a strong inclination as to whom posted these comments anonymously, but I'd rather NOT know. I love the mystery of it all.

Lindsey

Anonymous

Beyond Anger

I can't tell you how angry this particular piece made me. If I had been subjected to something like this at Michigan State, I hope that I would have had enough sense to see it for what it is. I really need to write another post on my experience with Multiculturalism. What is it going to take get a true educational system in this country?

When I talk to my Mom, a kindergarten teacher who is also conservative, it amazes me how much things have changed over the last 20 years or so (I entered kindergarten in 1986). My Mom talks about how they are going to all-day, everyday kindergarten, how they have very little recess time, and how many of the fun school-wide activities are now gone. It really makes me sad as kids can no longer be kids. When I was in upper elementary school (grades four through six) at Standish Elementary School (where my Mom still works), we had great March is Reading Month activities such as Friday Night Live where older elementary kids could come to the school gym during set evening hours with sleeping bags, books, etc. and read, spend time with friends, etc. I distinctly remember going with my cousin who is ten months older than me and who lived right around the corner from the school. They had all kinds of reading-related activities for the kids, snacks, and more. No more time for education related fun anymore.

If my Mom didn't love teaching little kids so much, I think that she would retire when she can in a couple of years. I can't imagine her not being a teacher, but I also understand her frustration. There is so much more expected of kindergarten students these days, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, when those new standards are mixed with a few kids in a class of 25 that are simply not ready for kindergarten, it becomes a huge juggling act. Better my Mom than me.

Anyway, I'm glad that I'm done dealing with the education system myself (at least until I have kids). I've long wanted to obtain a Masters (I have two Bachelors already) and a PhD so I could teach at the college level. Considering the state of things right now, I don't feel welcomed at all. Why should I spend tens of thousands of dollars someday only to be told that my beliefs are wrong? I've already done that. I used to wonder why my Mom was so hesitant to obtain the equivalent of her Masters (which she did), now I know. I admire her and my sister (a 3rd grade teacher) for putting up with the disgrace that is teacher education.

Pajamas Media » Blog Archive » College Mind Police Live to Brainwash Another Day

Lindsey

After Frida

For those who love Latin American art, and I mean really love Latin American art, After Frida by Arthur Lubow is a must-read. While I usually pretty much ignore the Main Stream Media (Gray Lady included), this piece really caught my eye.

Even though I don't wholly agree with Mari Carmen Ramirez, I do agree that Latin American art deserves more respect, that it needs to move beyond Diego and Frida (Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo), and that greater scholarship is needed in this area. The plans detailed in the article are exciting to say the least. There is a lot of great art coming from Latin America, and we in the United States haven't been exposed to it.

Unfortunately, I think the likes of Ms. Ramirez have an uphill battle against Frida and Diego. The story of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo has everything - political intrigue, sex, and tragedy. It is simply difficult to come up with more compelling artists, even if Frida's actual painting was mediocre at best.

My only regret with regards to this entire subject is that I didn't take the time to actually see the exhibit mentioned in the article (the Houston exhibit). I lived in Houston when it debuted during the summer of 2004. I can't wait for the online projects to become available though.

Lindsey

Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher

Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher

If you read my blog regularly, you can understand why I was drawn to this particular blog. The thing is that while the title might have lured me in, the content begged me to stay. He raises several issues that I've heard all too often from my Mom over the years. While my sister has been silent on such subjects thus far, I can only imagine that it is due to her being incredibly busy getting through her first year teaching and planning a wedding. That isn't even to mention the fact that she and her fiance moved into their new home just last fall.

I will be highlighting stories from this blog from time to time.

Lindsey

UPDATE - I incorrectly thought that the person who writes this particular blog was a woman. This is a major oversight of mine, and I apologize.