Holding QUALIFIED, INTELLIGENT persons back, began with the advent of “affirmative action”, a term that has now been replaced with DEI. Of course DEI is inclusive of a much larger pool of applicants
From this very site: “As of July 17, 2024, GoComics will no longer offer commenting on political cartoons.” So don’t ruin the commenting for Pearls with political talk.
This is a plank in the Dem platform. All people MUST be treated equally. That means if you’re too smart, we must eliminate Advanced Courses in high school and place you in a regular class so you are dumbed down. If you doubt this statement, you haven’t been paying attention.
Start? That we has been with us always, Kind of like the rich are with us always. What passes for smart anyway? Helping society or enriching oneself at the expense of that society? The pursuit of knowledge ( or creation of any art form) solely for the results? How smart is that?
We already do, when they’re kids. It’s called the factory model school system. It’s designed to make all kids the same regardless of personal potential.
All this and no one mentioned the real problem: parents who don’t give a $*!# if their children learn anything or not. I was fortunate to have parents who insisted every day that I do well in school…public school.
I remember the smartest kids at school were often bullied – either becasue they wore glasses or just because – wait for it – they were smart and did well in class.
Hey, rat sounds like what my director is doing to my manager right now. Only he’s doing it because she’s a woman and he doesn’t think she belongs (despite her having 17 years in the department under her belt)
I’ve started to think if other industrialized nations have the same self-defeating policy of splitting up the population into groups, highlighting their differences by skin color, language or national origin. I say self-defeating because, to me, all these policies (affirmative action, DEI, etc.) seem to divide people more rather than making them into a united group, all Americans. In the end, setting a group apart for preferential treatment (even if said group have been disadvantaged in the past) is fostering a dominance by a minority, which is antidemocratic by definition.
We are holding them back. Some schools have dropped advanced placement classes because they were seen as an inequality. Equity is if we all can’t be smart, then none of us can be smart.
Being white, male, hetero, reasonably smart, growing up a good neighborhood, born into a reasonably affluent family, easily got into college, etc. etc., I know d**n well that I am privileged, much more so than most. So I have no problem with reasonable affirmative action. My issue with it is that upper management often uses it as a way to look good and pat themselves on the back, and uses it as another way to advance themselves (and in reality don’t give a hoot about those that are being assisted, since it isn’t their share of the pie that’s getting smaller).
I saw a commercial for a cradle/crib that rocks when the infant cries. So now people don’t have to hold their crying baby, just let the machine rock it. Now how sick is that?
BasilBruce 2 months ago
Be careful, Goat; remember, you’re the smart one here.
ImDaRealAni 2 months ago
And those who come from generational wealth built off unethical means. Wouldn’t hurt to hold them back either.
hariseldon59 2 months ago
‘We’? Speak for yourself, Rat.
fretlessman71 2 months ago
Public school has been holding back the gifted and talented for decades.
salakfarm Premium Member 2 months ago
Vote R and they’ll stop that, and benefit the dummies.
Walter Kocker Premium Member 2 months ago
Why raise the bridge when you can lower the river?
iggyman 2 months ago
Nowadays only the perception of smart is what is seen! even if the person is dumb as an onion!
darkwingdave 2 months ago
Harrison Bergeron..
Bilan 2 months ago
Giving advantages to smart people? Don’t worry, Trump will take care of that.
zekepotato 2 months ago
You’ve read Kurt Vonnegut!
alien011 2 months ago
Is that you, Harrison?
californiamonty 2 months ago
Today’s strip reminds me of Kornbluth’s The Marching Morons.
Uncle Kenny 2 months ago
Send in the sapiosexuals!
CementerAD5 2 months ago
Holding QUALIFIED, INTELLIGENT persons back, began with the advent of “affirmative action”, a term that has now been replaced with DEI. Of course DEI is inclusive of a much larger pool of applicants
Charles 2 months ago
Smart kids have been held back in schools for generations now.
Troglodyte 2 months ago
That’s a dumb strategy, literally.
win.45mag 2 months ago
Ha ha ha Democrats suck !
Gent 2 months ago
Not all smart peoples Rat. To be more precise it cunning and duplicitous peoples who is has all the advantage.
jbmlaw01 2 months ago
The weird democrats will not like this comic; hits too close to their policies.
Differentname 2 months ago
“Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. The 200th Amendment to the Constitution makes it illegal for anyone to make another person feel inferior.
colddonkey 2 months ago
The Dept. of Education is on it since 1979.
Ellis97 2 months ago
Rat is basically saying that the world has to be stupid.
brianstreleckis 2 months ago
From this very site: “As of July 17, 2024, GoComics will no longer offer commenting on political cartoons.” So don’t ruin the commenting for Pearls with political talk.
paulprobujr 2 months ago
It’s funny how Asians are touted as “People Of Color” until it comes to jobs, college admissions, etc. See the latest version of Assassin’s Creed.
NRHAWK Premium Member 2 months ago
I’m pretty sure that’s part of the republican agenda.
morningglory73 Premium Member 2 months ago
The dumbing down of American is in full swing and has been for some time now.
Mel-T-Pass Premium Member 2 months ago
“They” already are, Rat. For example, downfunding education promotes ignorance which makes frightening people, and thus control, easier.
klapre 2 months ago
This is a plank in the Dem platform. All people MUST be treated equally. That means if you’re too smart, we must eliminate Advanced Courses in high school and place you in a regular class so you are dumbed down. If you doubt this statement, you haven’t been paying attention.
rugeirn 2 months ago
Americans hate, loathe, fear and despise anybody with a brain.
Bendarling1 2 months ago
Start? That we has been with us always, Kind of like the rich are with us always. What passes for smart anyway? Helping society or enriching oneself at the expense of that society? The pursuit of knowledge ( or creation of any art form) solely for the results? How smart is that?
davidlwashburn 2 months ago
We already do, when they’re kids. It’s called the factory model school system. It’s designed to make all kids the same regardless of personal potential.
Blaidd Drwg Premium Member 2 months ago
Do you sense quite a lot of panic from the trumphole trolls here? It’s like they can’t make up stuff fast enough!
zwilnik64 2 months ago
Pastis read Harrison Bergeron?
gregcomn 2 months ago
Sounds like Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron.”
DD IN AZ Premium Member 2 months ago
All this and no one mentioned the real problem: parents who don’t give a $*!# if their children learn anything or not. I was fortunate to have parents who insisted every day that I do well in school…public school.
zodismoon 2 months ago
Rat must be a stupid person.
ajakimber425 2 months ago
And technically, that’s where our Society is already doing.
Goat from PBS 2 months ago
As a smart person… I protest.
poppacapsmokeblower 2 months ago
Intelligent people are held back, few are in high political office.
Upton O'Goode 2 months ago
It’s always been that way.
zeexenon 2 months ago
The Donald will take care of that … he’s started with his gang of 75 million. Not to forget our Legal System.
EXCALABUR 2 months ago
too many stupid smart people in this world
Mekoides 2 months ago
I remember the smartest kids at school were often bullied – either becasue they wore glasses or just because – wait for it – they were smart and did well in class.
moondog42 Premium Member 2 months ago
Hey, rat sounds like what my director is doing to my manager right now. Only he’s doing it because she’s a woman and he doesn’t think she belongs (despite her having 17 years in the department under her belt)
KEA 2 months ago
I don’t think smart people are given much if any advantage – the egregiously wealthy on the other hand…
wordsmeet 2 months ago
I’ve started to think if other industrialized nations have the same self-defeating policy of splitting up the population into groups, highlighting their differences by skin color, language or national origin. I say self-defeating because, to me, all these policies (affirmative action, DEI, etc.) seem to divide people more rather than making them into a united group, all Americans. In the end, setting a group apart for preferential treatment (even if said group have been disadvantaged in the past) is fostering a dominance by a minority, which is antidemocratic by definition.
rhpii 2 months ago
Ivy league schools admission practices have been doing that for years.
Hello Sweetie 2 months ago
Smart people, pretty people, tall people, strong people, athletic people, talented people……
William Stoneham Premium Member 2 months ago
We are holding them back. Some schools have dropped advanced placement classes because they were seen as an inequality. Equity is if we all can’t be smart, then none of us can be smart.
Dr. Whom 2 months ago
Evidently you think that two whites make a wrong.
[Unnamed Reader - 14b4ce] 2 months ago
we can’t afford to start such a program before December 2024
MFRXIM Premium Member 2 months ago
“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has it’s limits.” E. Einstein
dpatrickryan Premium Member 2 months ago
Isn’t that exactly what the Rethuglicans are doing?
WF11 2 months ago
Being white, male, hetero, reasonably smart, growing up a good neighborhood, born into a reasonably affluent family, easily got into college, etc. etc., I know d**n well that I am privileged, much more so than most. So I have no problem with reasonable affirmative action. My issue with it is that upper management often uses it as a way to look good and pat themselves on the back, and uses it as another way to advance themselves (and in reality don’t give a hoot about those that are being assisted, since it isn’t their share of the pie that’s getting smaller).
pchemcat 2 months ago
We’ve been holding back the smart people since the 1960s with the “mainstreaming” of students and then teaching to the lowest common denominator.
mail2jbl 2 months ago
No Child Left Behind = No Child Gets Ahead
eddi-TBH 2 months ago
Schools do their best to level the playing field. To fit in smart kids play dumb.
Otis Rufus Driftwood 2 months ago
I think Kurt Vonnegut wrote a story about this thing.
Serial Pedant 2 months ago
Nice hate!
morningglory73 Premium Member 2 months ago
I saw a commercial for a cradle/crib that rocks when the infant cries. So now people don’t have to hold their crying baby, just let the machine rock it. Now how sick is that?
redback 2 months ago
TV, man, woman, broccoli.. no wait. man, woman, refrigerator…no, it was woman, man covfefe.. darn, I wish I was that smart