Bill Savage, an English professior at Northwestern University, has written a fascinating bit explaining why he doesn’t feel threatened by “red states” (i.e. conservatives, Christians, Republicans, talk radio listeners, people who like having children, etc, etc) having babies at a markedly faster rate than blue states.
His intentions with children of conservatives:
But even if this prediction comes to pass, one other fact remains which makes me sanguine that blue America’s Urban Archipelago can grow larger, more contiguous, and more politically powerful even without my offspring.
If we assume that red-state secondary education systems don’t utterly collapse due to underfunding caused by Republican anti-tax mania, then colleges and universities will come into play. The children of red states will seek a higher education, and that education will very often happen in blue states or blue islands in red states. For the foreseeable future, loyal dittoheads will continue to drop off their children at the dorms. After a teary-eyed hug, Mom and Dad will drive their SUV off toward the nearest gas station, leaving their beloved progeny behind.
And then they are all mine.
First off, if his ideas represent the front line thinking of liberal “culture warriors,” then I can rest a bit easier. This guy thinks I’m stupid and can’t even see that his university has an agenda. And it is a good thing when the “enemy” underestimates you.
Secondly, there’s a big difference between vapid inch-deep evangelicalism and gospel-centered Biblical christianity. I’m committed to sharpening my arrows before I send them out so that some of the empty heads that Mr. Savage is so keen to indoctrinate can be faced with truth. His comments may have some stereotypical truth in them, but both liberals and conservatives alike can be bad parents!
The rancor and arrogance of Mr. Savage’s comments have created a self-parody of secular liberalism. If this is the best that academia has to offer…well, my kiddos are pretty safe.
More… (Warning…for an English professor, he can’t seem to rise above foul language to communicate)
This professor doesnt sound like a very nice person.
I am glad that there are still some havens of higher education not run by his ilk. There are also other alternatives, like distance education & trade schools.
Like you, though, I think making sure our young’uns are as well-taught & well-trained as posible may make such a scenario more an opening for Christ’s gospel than theirs.
Salar
November 14th, 2005