Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum sounded off against California higher education in Wisconsin Monday, saying that some of the state’s universities do not teach American history.
“I was just reading something last night from the state of California. And that the California universities – I think it’s seven or eight of the California system of universities don’t even teach an American history course,” Santorum said. “It’s not even available to be taught.”
But UC spokesperson Brooke Converse told Think Progress, which originally reported the story, that all University of California undergraduate programs require students to study American history and institutions, though the exact requirements vary by campus.
Santorum has expressed critical views of higher education in the past. He once said that President Barack Obama wants everyone to go to college because they are “indoctrination mills.” He also told George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC’s “This Week,” that colleges are bastions of liberalism that are hostile to students who are conservative, among other remarks.
J.D. Morris is the university news editor.
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He is crazy. I wish him away-
Priceless, just priceless. This the guy with master’s and bachelor’s degrees, but doesn’t believe in education outside of the home?
In California we get our American History in eighth, eleventh and twelfth grades. But Santorum telling us that where he comes from, they don’t get it until College, is sure telling why those areas keep giving us these idiot politicians like Santorum. Not everyone goes to college!
“I think it’s seven or eight” just sounds like he’s making it up as he’s going along. If a guy can’t lie better than that, how can he be President?
Thsi guy seems to be losing his hold on reality on a daily basis. It would be funny — if only he was not serious — which really makes it scarey –not just that he makes these statements — but that some peole actually support him and want him to be Presient of the United States. Ironically, he is so anti-education (especially college-level0 but he, hinslef holds a number of degrees (BS, Law) — Almost like he does not want the Americna peole to gain any knowledge (don’t seek facts, or enlightment about the truth– , just do as I say, not as I do)> And to think for one second i thought he might be a decent fellow!? My mistake — please don’t let him become our nation’s too!!!
I’m amazed that this guy thinks he would be a good president. Reality is not one of his strong points.
Elect this guy! It would put thousands of comedians and their writers to work INSTANTLY!
yes, he would be a “gold mine” for the comedy shows — but do we really want another Republicna joke in theWhite House. Believe me, i am not alway Obama’s biggest fan — but these guys are making him look better and better every day. Want to assure he get re-elected by a large nargin? — Let Anyone of thes current crop of GOP clowns get the nom!!
I think the frothy version of santorum would be a better President than this guy.
Destructive rampage
Funny, he doesn’t mention all the dogmatic right leaning schools…
Take a look at the other story on the front page of the Daily Cal website right now. It discusses a report (also mentioned in Debra Saunders’ Chronicle column from yesterday) that talks about bias in the UC schools. The report states:
“All but three of the more than twenty campuses of the CSU system require American History and Institutions as an essential part of their curricula. But the situation in UC is very different: not a single UC campus has such a requirement. In fact, on four of the nine general campuses, a student can achieve a bachelor’s degree without doing any coursework in science, mathematics, a foreign language, economics, literature, or the history and institutions of their country. Those four include the Berkeley campus.”
This report (which was released yesterday) is very likely where Santorum got his information. It is true that he misstated it. The report does not say that seven schools do not offer basic American history classes; rather it says that they do not require a basic American history class. His facts were slightly off; but his criticisms of higher education are worth considering.
Please don’t make excuses for this guy. He is a grown man, a lawyer, a former US Senate and is seeking to become Presidnet of the United States — at this point in is career he should be able to read and comprhend infromation and be able to tranlate this information into logic thoughts. is ti true that a collge student does not have to take a certain course or subject area while getting a degree– especially if that course is not the area of there degree? — of course1 I earned both a Bachlor and Master degree in fields of study that did not reaquire advance course in science –so i did d not take them! By the same token — most medical school do not require you to take a lot of history classes — Not taking a class in a subject does not mean that the school does not have them to offer — unless it is a speciality institirution — either Rick realizes this and has chosen not to accept the fat — or he is truely as misinformed or as crazy as he is beginiing to appear — He would have made a wonder Presidential candidate in the ’40′s — the 1840′s!!!
I’m pretty sure he’s confusing research and fact-based thinking with “liberalism”. Universities teach people to think for themselves and not keep feeding into what mommy and daddy taught them. Though it does seem that there is a divide between certain ideologies in terms of how they fall in to these categories…
Well, it seems to me like UC Berkeley is hostile to conservatism. Maybe not most of the classes, but certainly some of them. And definitely, the ASUC, the chancellor, and other factions.
At Cal various courses attend to the practical and ideological aspects of socio-political events, both historical and contemporary. These classes tend to attract ideologues ranging from various ends of the political spectrum, but your dead on in pointing out that some classes taught by left-leaning professors. Despite this explicit inclination towards the left, as a student you should challenge these professors and yourself rather than parroting any interpretations. In grounding your arguments in evidence based interpretations and molding the finer points with lucid logically consistent prose you may not convince the ideologue, but you’ll certainly fine-tune your intellectual skill-set and damper the cheerleading squad’s party.
Exactly!!! Consider both the material and the source and think for your elf to come to your own concludions on the topic. Plus — you are learning that age old lesson — how to deal with and get along with people you might not always agree with.
So when are you lefties going to learn to “get along” with those who don’t share your own political views? Or, like everything else, is “getting along” a one-way street?
Like you get along with ‘lefties’?
I hate to use cliches but when you point a finger at someone else, you point 3 fingers back at yourself.
The Berkely College Republicans are actually the largest political group on campus and they publish one of the most well-funded student magazines on campus. Conservativism is definitely alive on the campus. Go Bears!
I believe the California Patriot is independently funded. It does not receive money from the ASUC.
If they were real conservatives, they wouldn’t be attending a public university.
Why not, given that their parents paid taxes to pay for higher education?
Federal involvement in state education is unconstitutional (via Article 1 Section 8 + Amendment 10), and therefore requires a leftist interpretation of the constitution to justify (“constitution is a living document”). Since UC (and its students) accepts tons of federal subsidies and loans, it is impossible to be a conservative and attend a UC (without Orwellian double-think, at least).
Being a “conservative UC student” makes as much sense a “conservative welfare queen”, or a libertarian who accepts social security checks. You can’t exploit unconstitutional socialist programs and be against them at the same time.
Even if that were true, how would it excuse the either intentionally dishonest or ridiculously ignorant statements of Rick Santorum?
All the more reason for “education” and higer learning — a student should be exposed to different ideas, theories,belieifs, people,subjects, etc . It allows them the very important opportunity to them to think and explore things in these world for themselves — education is not “wrong” if it does not simply “reenforce” what you want to believe. Be exposed to the realityies of the world allows you to decide for yourself what is right or wrong or good and bad and how you want to lead your own life — and what you want to do in your life. Free your mind!!!
The real deal: “All the more reason for “education” and higer learning — a student
should be exposed to different ideas, theories,belieifs,
people,subjects, etc .”
Fair enough. When are so-called “liberal” students going to start being open-minded and treat people with conservative points of view fairly?
I say this because in reading about 3 different events that have created great controversy over the last few month (BCR Bake Sale, Farrakhan’s speech, Kooker’s Facebook page), it seems that those contributing to the Daily Cal are far less offended by an anti-semitic race-baiting hater that some student criticizing humanities majors, or mocking affirmative action with a bake sale. Berkeley liberals are some of the nastiest, spiteful, mean-spirited people I have ever had the misfortune of meeting in my life (as bad as some of the backwoods bigots I have met down South) but their outrage to any criticism of their own behavior makes it clear that they can’t take it the same way they dish it out.
It’s one thing to have a point of view, and present arguments in support of your point of view. However, it’s something completely different to be so intolerant and biased that you feel compelled to silence anyone who dares disagree with your position. I don’t see much open-mindedness or willing to be “exposed to different ideas, theories, beliefs” when you start demanding that a candidate who offends you be banned from running, or threaten to pull the charter of a campus organization for presenting a politically unpopular point of view. Sure, tolerance and diversity are all good things, so isn’t it about time for some of you to at least try to practice what you preach?
Can you imagine what he reads for information?
incorrect. But the UC system is hostile to ignorance
Deke the UC system is definitely not hostile to you. You are INTELLIGENT AND and CORRECT! Why can’t Republicans tell the truth, instead of repeating lies hoping they will magically turn to truth. BUZZ SANTORUM, INCORRECT!
If he get he become President , will will use Bible as history and the world is start with good creation in 7 days. We can also abolish Geology, evolution biology, Astro Physic and Astronomy.
It’s hard to take you seriously for criticizing Santorum for making things up, when you apparently do the same.
There is a difference between an opinion and a fact…and Santorum’s “fact” about the history classes was obviously an opinion (because facts are true by definition).
What an idiot… apparently neither facts nor common sense are involved when it comes to Mr. Santorum.
Once again it appears that “facts” and the “truth” don’t play into the statements of a Republican/conservatitive!
Where are the “facts” that back up your accusations?
he is ridiculously stupid
Based on what? As I mentioned elsewhere, I have no plans to vote for him whatsoever, but based on some of the ignorant bleatings of certain left-leaning students prattling about “democracy”, Santorum certainly has a point in that any form of balanced coverage of American history has been subjugated to those with a left-leaning agenda. Certainly the vast majority of blathering progressives in the Daily Cal have NO clue that our country was founded as a consititutional republic, not a direct democracy, nor do they have any clue as to why that is. He’s also correct about the statement of “indoctrination mills”, as all one has to do is look at the plethora of race/grievance studies courses in the UC system to see where the real priorities lie with a certain sector of academia. You can disagree with his political and social philosophies (as I do in a number of areas) and still recognize that Santorum makes some legitimate points worthy for discussion.
[ He's also correct about the statement of "indoctrination mills", as all
one has to do is look at the plethora of race/grievance studies
courses in the UC system to see where the real priorities lie with a
certain sector of academia.]
Have you ever taken courses in Ethnic Studies (ES)? Have you read any books, articles, or studies coming out of that specific wing of academia? I ask because you express strong disapproval of ES, which would mean either that you have substantial experience in ES or your opinion is formed by hearsay. If in fact your perspective derives from the former, please feel free to share and enlighten us as to the shortcomings of ethnic studies.
Up until this point not a single person has provided any argument of substance in their grievance against ES.
”Have you ever taken courses in Ethnic Studies (ES)? Have you read any
books, articles, or studies coming out of that specific wing of
academia?”
Yes I have taken such courses at the CC level, as well as read such articles, enough to realize that the vast majority of it is subjective opinionated bullcrap devoid of critical thinking. There’s a reason that some of chose to major in the math/sciences end of the spectrum when we finally returned to school. We got fed up with having to deal with propaganda on a regular basis.
Thank you for the response. Having attended a CC lacking ES courses, I’m personally unfamiliar with ES articles or courses deriving outside the University level. What I am wondering is if your familiarity with ES includes exposure to and analysis of University level articles, publications, and studies? If not then would you consider the possibility that your class room experience and readings of the articles produced by ES scholars may not be representative ES as a whole?
On a side note, I too am a former CC student. But lets get honest here, those of us that came out of the work force should have had at minimal hunch that a degree is not some sort of magic bullet. My experience in the work force showed me that you have to build that resume–acquire job experience, work internships, build connections etc.
I would agree with you — if Mr. Santirum was simply saying that CA colleges don’t teach the kind of “Americna History course” he would hope to see –(more ‘fair” or “balanced” or even with a more “right-wing thinking agenda) However, he did not say that — he said that most of the college do NOT offer any history classe — which is an outright untruth — why the misinformation? To want end? He is an college educated man, himself — he should know better!