Oh, really?

Apparently there's some idiocy going on in Georgia, where state congresscritters are basically on a witch hunt to get rid of (I'm guessing sociology) courses at state universities, the ones that are on things like sexuality and I'm sure gender studies. I have little doubt that it's based in "OMG teh gay!!1" nonsense. While I'm dubious about the value of stuff like that*, I don't think it's the state legislature's place to say whether or not it should be taught. I also think that the budgetary excuse is grade-A bullshit; education at any level should be the absolute last thing to have it's budget cut, and I don't care if we're talking about Head Start or graduate programs at Big State U.

But here's the best part of the article:

"Our job is to educate our people in sciences, business, math," said Hill, a vice chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee. He said professors aren't going to meet those needs "by teaching a class in queer theory."

Did you catch that? The part that pisses me the hell off?

"Our job is to educate our people in sciences, business, math," said Hill, a vice chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee.

Oh, really? Reeeeaaaaally? Sciences - presumably he means only the hard sciences such physics and biology - and business and math? That's all?

I'm sorry, but what an idiotic jackass. How about grammar? How about composition and rhetoric? Logic? Obviously I'm a bit biased, but I also acknowledge that a curriculum based solely on the classical liberal arts is not for everyone. To even imply that, say, language for the sake of language isn't an important part of higher education is reprehensible. What about history? Philosophy? Poli Sci 101?

The point of education is to educate. If you have a problem with that, well, tough shit - that's the way it is. It's not to prep the businessmen of tomorrow to make money at any costs and it's not train the next generation of engineers so they can come up with the next superweapon to use against whatever nation we decide to bomb next. The purpose of education is to educate, to teach students how to think critically and understand the world around them.

And for what it's worth, Rep. Hill graduated from either Arizona State or University of with a degree in business. I'm shocked. (Hint: never vote for a businessman. Government is not a business.)

*I hear the angry womyn coming now to revoke my feminist ID card....