How lucky your son is to have a logical rational thinking father like you! OMG! I'm glad that he could see the experience with your guidance. So I'd love to hear the continuation of what choices were made. My son is now 24 and opted for the avoidance of it all. An extreme path. However, replacing the crazies with YouTube ed videos and conversing on games with other like minded avoiders has gotten him nowhere. His dad has Alzheimer's and in a nursing home. Will this all change when Trump gets back in?? 🙏
I believe those who promote all the crazy woke ideas will have to go into hiding. Sorry about your husband. I’ve heard the carnivore diet has helped in some cases. It’s at least something to research, understanding that Google is not your friend of course.
Have you tried Phenbendazole (Fenbendazole) for your husband? It is over the counter and, I would say, worth a try. We are starting to think that a lot of what ails us may be due to parasites.
Thank you, but he is 70 yrs old and has had health problems for years, that got worse after 9/11, after working in Silicon Valley commuting for years to home. We have always been staunch Trump supporters. Having transplanted ourselves to TX to survive, my daughter now has her degree after 5 yrs. But is effected by woke and and at least has a boyfriend. 😺
Parasites. Look up Dr. Lee Merritt. Not for everybody, most people are happy being sick in a strange perverse way. It's the parasites doing their thinking for them.
Even college students with firm beliefs and solid family support are indoctrinated into the woke ideology. Once they leave home, the balance of reasonable rebuttals is absent and the voice of logic gets muddled. Having to use preferred pronouns, being told whites are the problem for social ills, and seeing guys identifying as girls, suddenly becomes the norm.
It's similar to Stockholm Syndrome, or being brainwashed, these students are in the thick of it while lacking perspective.
OK, Eric - It may be time for you to reconsider the entire "mandatory" college thing! My late husband was a professor at the University of Oregon for 37 years. He was an inveterate conservative - life-long member of the NRA, etc. At least 20 years ago, he was fed up! Our son was in a public (woke) high school and, as a sophomore, just wasn't doing well - he was disparaged by his woke teachers and classmates. So, we pulled him out of high school and put him in community college for two years. Subsequently, he completed his undergraduate degree online in 6 months. He finished his master's degree in another 12 months online. He worked the entire time. If I were in your shoes and thought my child needed a college education (which I no longer am committed to), I would consider non-convention options. Moreover, if I were raising a child at this moment in history, I would certainly consider trade school where the child would gain actual skills with which they could support a family. Anyone who learns to be an electrician, plumber, builder, etc. can make a fine living if they do it well. And If I, as a parent were still committed to college, I would certainly steer the child toward programs such as engineering, etc. Just my thoughts!
BTW: WWU is a beautiful place - we considered it as an option when my husband was young in his career. Just not worth the indignities!
Amen to that, Sunshine! Our grandkids are all looking at trades, apprenticeship, or online college with a solid school.
A man may gain the world but lose his soul. Forever.
We are by nature tribal and it is so easy for our young people to get sucked into the vortex of woke liberalism on the college campus.
Trade schools and apprenticeship do not leave students impoverished, and online schools are a fraction of the bloated costs of college.
I have seen too many lovely children of friends go off to college and lose their faith and morals. The alphabet after our names is not important. Virtue, integrity, reason and logic are to be cherished.
Really creepy. Hopefully the market will speak like it did with Bud Light and real institutes of learning will grow and prosper and all these idiot assemblies can just preach to each other.
Janine, Hillsdale is so hard to get into that it is unrealistic for many kids. I wish my daughter could go there. She just did a college tour in several Southern states to see if we could find a nonwoke option. Clemson seemed pretty cool. Then she got to Appalachian State and saw that most kids had blue hair and were lesbians.
It’s not surprising to hear, considering the lack of alternatives. My daughter graduated Kenyon College in 2023 and while there was definitely a gender studies contingent, it seemed like a conservative kid could quietly find their people there. I’m not saying I saw any red hats tho.
It's beyond ridiculous. I have given up appeasing the mentally ill who think they can 'identify' as something they clearly are not. To deny your biological sex is, IMO, an insult to our Creator.
My brother was the DEI Dean at a major US university. A very well known university. He was paid an unbelievable amount of money and had a staff of 26. He retired after he vested his pension (he already has a pension for the 20 years he spent elsewhere) and took a teaching job at a small school.
He and I don’t have much contact. But I know enough to be able to say this with 100% certainty.
In answer to your question:
It’s much, much worse than you could ever possibly imagine.
Your comment about acknowledging that the college was on stolen Indian land, reminded me of something I came across last week. Our family was visiting Maine and my wife and I drove out for the day to explore Deer Island (close to where we were staying). We passed an Episcopal Church (so many of the historic churches are shuttered) which had a sign out advertising a Celtic Eventide service - which sounded like a really nice idea, but just to be sure, I went to their website to check out the church (knowing the reputation of Episcopalian churches). Sure enough, in their order of service the first thing was an acknowledgement that the church was on stolen ground taken from the local tribes. Furthermore, in the liturgical prayer they referred to Jesus Christ as a "Climate Refugee". Needless to say, we didn't attend their event.
Good Lord ! That story is both sad and funny ! I hope your son and you as well have good luck traversing all of this craziness. At least you have each other to lean on.
Yet another excellent piece, Erik! I know! How about an anthem exclusively for us poor, demonized, Deplorable Caucasians?! O wait! We already have one written by Francis Scott Key for all of us!
And I do know of at least one non-woke, traditional college that you might want to consider. Hillsdale College in Michigan. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Formed around Civil War times with a strict policy of non-discrimination, they have never accepted any public funding.
Trump has already posted a policy to rid public schools of DEI and CRT. It will take a while and I'm sure will be accused of being unconstitutional in the courts but will eventually have to be enacted in order to help rid ourselves of the cancer of the Globalist Deep State.
Why not trade school? or even him starting a small business and going to community collage to learn about the basics of running a business?
I'm not anti-education, I have three STEM degrees, one up to the Masters level.
I enjoyed the tough academic subjects like Physics and Math, but I went to school in the 80s when it wasn't insane and I had a firm goal in mind and didn't goof off wasting tuition on "trying to find myself" courses.
If your son is academically focused and inclined then by all means choose the best collage/university you can afford and are inclined to fund and aren't cesspools of woke(there are some out there).
But most kids I've observed these days lack a lot of skills that would make them successful in the academic environment.
Unfortunately they won't be taught those skills in university like most parents assume.
Basics such as reading comprehension, writing skills, logical and analytical thinking, deductive and inductive reasoning, the use of the Socratic method are no longer taught to students even in the STEM and philosophy fields! The most basic skill of all, asking questions and not blindly believing everything which is thrown at them is avoided at all costs.
Instead what's on modern day campuses are courses on political and ideological activism and class warfare plus being taught to never disobey or question authority in the form of professors and senior academics.
The bravest students I've ever seen are those who ask questions and believe me I've seen professors go off the deep end for anyone daring to question them on their statements and assertions.
How do I know all this?, I did a graduate degree and finished in 2015, I was 25 years older than the students around me and I saw them subjected to these "influences" by the academic staff.
Of course I came from a different era and was not susceptible to brainwashing and social engineering.
Some profs tried their pathetic "Jedi mind tricks" on me to get me to conform but left me alone after I basically stated I was there to learn the subject matter, not to be indoctrinated and as a 48 year old, I was older than the prof and wasn't intimidated by titles and academic ranks, this isn't the Army don't ya know?
Also consider doing a gap year, this means don't immediately go to collage, instead have your son do some real life stuff like getting a job and learning about the real world first hand to sample what he might want to do.
A gap year does not mean traveling the world and goofing off! I've seen parents fund a gap year for travel and thinking their kid would learn about the world, instead they get pics of their kids shitfaced drunk in a beach bar on Mallorca, Spain.
Good luck in whatever path your son chooses to do, one thing to keep in mind, he is always free to change his mind and should never feel as if his choice of life path is locked in. This is the biggest mistake I think parents make because post-secondary education is so expensive, you need to finish no matter what! that's a fallacy and causes a lot of problems down the line.
Thank you. This is all really good advice and we are keeping the door open to multiple paths. Community college, distance degree program, trade and even the Navy.
Mad world. Hope your son will find an interest and find further education that suits him!! Good to start early in the quest. Best to you both! God Bless.
How lucky your son is to have a logical rational thinking father like you! OMG! I'm glad that he could see the experience with your guidance. So I'd love to hear the continuation of what choices were made. My son is now 24 and opted for the avoidance of it all. An extreme path. However, replacing the crazies with YouTube ed videos and conversing on games with other like minded avoiders has gotten him nowhere. His dad has Alzheimer's and in a nursing home. Will this all change when Trump gets back in?? 🙏
I believe those who promote all the crazy woke ideas will have to go into hiding. Sorry about your husband. I’ve heard the carnivore diet has helped in some cases. It’s at least something to research, understanding that Google is not your friend of course.
Indeed, wokesters will become marginalized after the near death experience our nation is about to live through.
Have you tried Phenbendazole (Fenbendazole) for your husband? It is over the counter and, I would say, worth a try. We are starting to think that a lot of what ails us may be due to parasites.
Thank you, but he is 70 yrs old and has had health problems for years, that got worse after 9/11, after working in Silicon Valley commuting for years to home. We have always been staunch Trump supporters. Having transplanted ourselves to TX to survive, my daughter now has her degree after 5 yrs. But is effected by woke and and at least has a boyfriend. 😺
Parasites. Look up Dr. Lee Merritt. Not for everybody, most people are happy being sick in a strange perverse way. It's the parasites doing their thinking for them.
Even college students with firm beliefs and solid family support are indoctrinated into the woke ideology. Once they leave home, the balance of reasonable rebuttals is absent and the voice of logic gets muddled. Having to use preferred pronouns, being told whites are the problem for social ills, and seeing guys identifying as girls, suddenly becomes the norm.
It's similar to Stockholm Syndrome, or being brainwashed, these students are in the thick of it while lacking perspective.
OK, Eric - It may be time for you to reconsider the entire "mandatory" college thing! My late husband was a professor at the University of Oregon for 37 years. He was an inveterate conservative - life-long member of the NRA, etc. At least 20 years ago, he was fed up! Our son was in a public (woke) high school and, as a sophomore, just wasn't doing well - he was disparaged by his woke teachers and classmates. So, we pulled him out of high school and put him in community college for two years. Subsequently, he completed his undergraduate degree online in 6 months. He finished his master's degree in another 12 months online. He worked the entire time. If I were in your shoes and thought my child needed a college education (which I no longer am committed to), I would consider non-convention options. Moreover, if I were raising a child at this moment in history, I would certainly consider trade school where the child would gain actual skills with which they could support a family. Anyone who learns to be an electrician, plumber, builder, etc. can make a fine living if they do it well. And If I, as a parent were still committed to college, I would certainly steer the child toward programs such as engineering, etc. Just my thoughts!
BTW: WWU is a beautiful place - we considered it as an option when my husband was young in his career. Just not worth the indignities!
Thank you. I agree with everything you mentioned and we are considering all options.
Amen to that, Sunshine! Our grandkids are all looking at trades, apprenticeship, or online college with a solid school.
A man may gain the world but lose his soul. Forever.
We are by nature tribal and it is so easy for our young people to get sucked into the vortex of woke liberalism on the college campus.
Trade schools and apprenticeship do not leave students impoverished, and online schools are a fraction of the bloated costs of college.
I have seen too many lovely children of friends go off to college and lose their faith and morals. The alphabet after our names is not important. Virtue, integrity, reason and logic are to be cherished.
If they had the option for "Love", I would have "loved" your comment. We need to put the Corrupted Universities out of business!
Absolutely!
Really creepy. Hopefully the market will speak like it did with Bud Light and real institutes of learning will grow and prosper and all these idiot assemblies can just preach to each other.
This would be funny if it weren’t true. I hope these colleges are financially starved into reality.
Maybe the new college Trump has spoken of will be open by the time your son is ready to head off. Otherwise, maybe Hillsdale?
Janine, Hillsdale is so hard to get into that it is unrealistic for many kids. I wish my daughter could go there. She just did a college tour in several Southern states to see if we could find a nonwoke option. Clemson seemed pretty cool. Then she got to Appalachian State and saw that most kids had blue hair and were lesbians.
It’s not surprising to hear, considering the lack of alternatives. My daughter graduated Kenyon College in 2023 and while there was definitely a gender studies contingent, it seemed like a conservative kid could quietly find their people there. I’m not saying I saw any red hats tho.
It's beyond ridiculous. I have given up appeasing the mentally ill who think they can 'identify' as something they clearly are not. To deny your biological sex is, IMO, an insult to our Creator.
That’s why they push the lie….rebellion against our Creator!
Did you dare ask, or did they mention if they had a segregated dorm for whites only?
I’ll assume no. 😂
I would agree. If they don’t practice equality, they can not provide a quality edumaindoctrination.
My brother was the DEI Dean at a major US university. A very well known university. He was paid an unbelievable amount of money and had a staff of 26. He retired after he vested his pension (he already has a pension for the 20 years he spent elsewhere) and took a teaching job at a small school.
He and I don’t have much contact. But I know enough to be able to say this with 100% certainty.
In answer to your question:
It’s much, much worse than you could ever possibly imagine.
Yikes. I’ve got 2 kids headed to college this year.
Your comment about acknowledging that the college was on stolen Indian land, reminded me of something I came across last week. Our family was visiting Maine and my wife and I drove out for the day to explore Deer Island (close to where we were staying). We passed an Episcopal Church (so many of the historic churches are shuttered) which had a sign out advertising a Celtic Eventide service - which sounded like a really nice idea, but just to be sure, I went to their website to check out the church (knowing the reputation of Episcopalian churches). Sure enough, in their order of service the first thing was an acknowledgement that the church was on stolen ground taken from the local tribes. Furthermore, in the liturgical prayer they referred to Jesus Christ as a "Climate Refugee". Needless to say, we didn't attend their event.
Wow. 🤯
Hopefully your son can find a wonderful Christian college that will fit his needs. I am only praying that not all of them have gone woke 🙄
Hillsdale!
I agree. Hillsdale is a wonderful college. I take a lot of their free online courses. Very good stuff! Plus I’m a Michigander so there’s that 😉
Good Lord ! That story is both sad and funny ! I hope your son and you as well have good luck traversing all of this craziness. At least you have each other to lean on.
Yet another excellent piece, Erik! I know! How about an anthem exclusively for us poor, demonized, Deplorable Caucasians?! O wait! We already have one written by Francis Scott Key for all of us!
And I do know of at least one non-woke, traditional college that you might want to consider. Hillsdale College in Michigan. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Formed around Civil War times with a strict policy of non-discrimination, they have never accepted any public funding.
Trump has already posted a policy to rid public schools of DEI and CRT. It will take a while and I'm sure will be accused of being unconstitutional in the courts but will eventually have to be enacted in order to help rid ourselves of the cancer of the Globalist Deep State.
Just my $0.02 here...
Why collage or university?
Why not trade school? or even him starting a small business and going to community collage to learn about the basics of running a business?
I'm not anti-education, I have three STEM degrees, one up to the Masters level.
I enjoyed the tough academic subjects like Physics and Math, but I went to school in the 80s when it wasn't insane and I had a firm goal in mind and didn't goof off wasting tuition on "trying to find myself" courses.
If your son is academically focused and inclined then by all means choose the best collage/university you can afford and are inclined to fund and aren't cesspools of woke(there are some out there).
But most kids I've observed these days lack a lot of skills that would make them successful in the academic environment.
Unfortunately they won't be taught those skills in university like most parents assume.
Basics such as reading comprehension, writing skills, logical and analytical thinking, deductive and inductive reasoning, the use of the Socratic method are no longer taught to students even in the STEM and philosophy fields! The most basic skill of all, asking questions and not blindly believing everything which is thrown at them is avoided at all costs.
Instead what's on modern day campuses are courses on political and ideological activism and class warfare plus being taught to never disobey or question authority in the form of professors and senior academics.
The bravest students I've ever seen are those who ask questions and believe me I've seen professors go off the deep end for anyone daring to question them on their statements and assertions.
How do I know all this?, I did a graduate degree and finished in 2015, I was 25 years older than the students around me and I saw them subjected to these "influences" by the academic staff.
Of course I came from a different era and was not susceptible to brainwashing and social engineering.
Some profs tried their pathetic "Jedi mind tricks" on me to get me to conform but left me alone after I basically stated I was there to learn the subject matter, not to be indoctrinated and as a 48 year old, I was older than the prof and wasn't intimidated by titles and academic ranks, this isn't the Army don't ya know?
Also consider doing a gap year, this means don't immediately go to collage, instead have your son do some real life stuff like getting a job and learning about the real world first hand to sample what he might want to do.
A gap year does not mean traveling the world and goofing off! I've seen parents fund a gap year for travel and thinking their kid would learn about the world, instead they get pics of their kids shitfaced drunk in a beach bar on Mallorca, Spain.
Good luck in whatever path your son chooses to do, one thing to keep in mind, he is always free to change his mind and should never feel as if his choice of life path is locked in. This is the biggest mistake I think parents make because post-secondary education is so expensive, you need to finish no matter what! that's a fallacy and causes a lot of problems down the line.
Thank you. This is all really good advice and we are keeping the door open to multiple paths. Community college, distance degree program, trade and even the Navy.
Can you please provide me with a map of all universities so that I may avoid them...
Mad world. Hope your son will find an interest and find further education that suits him!! Good to start early in the quest. Best to you both! God Bless.