[Milton-L] Milton, Tom Clancey, and education

[Kathy Vidovich]

Having never responded to this list before, I've been lurking and enjoying
reading the responses of others.  However, part of my intention in bringing
up Tom Clancey novels was to provoke some discussion.  And so you see, my
evil plan worked!

I knew that this comment would spark conversation, since I've previously
heard value judgments of this type equated with class discrimination,
sexism, elitism, and any other number of bad -isms.  This is at least mildly
ironic, don't you think, since Milton was scarcely of a democratic temper
and since many of the semi-Tom Clancey readers in question are not so kind
to intellectuals in return.  Of course it is not a lack of intelligence that
creates adults who prefer to watch TV rather than read.  It is our society,
our values, and our educational system.

A central concern I have for Christian children who are being home-schooled
in the classics is that some parents favor the course of studies because
they believe it will help to instill moral standards in their children.
(Let me say in advance that I think this because that is what a few of them
have told me.  It would also save some time if no one extends this to imply
that I think that *all* or *most* home-schooling Christian parents think in
this way.)  Yet I cannot imagine that an orthodox Catholic or Protestant
parent would, if he read Milton carefully, for example, approve of what he
found.  Also Milton himself seemed to have quite a bit of difficulty
reconciling his beliefs with his classical studies.