I like the Aberdeen paper. Its opinion pages carry some actual opinions, like Gerald Krueger’s blast this morning against the Legislature’s tinkering with the minimum wage and the definition of veteran plus a quick swipe at the unsafe 80-mph speed limit).
But Sunday’s opinion page abdicated its featured opinion spot in favor of free recruiting for a political organization. Camouflaged under the heading “Nonprofit Spotlight,” Spencer Cody pitches membership in his South Dakota Right to Life organization without offering a scintilla of developed, reasoned opinion. He also provides another example of how when anyone other than educators uses the word education, he or she is usually euphemizing propaganda:
“Working together we can change hearts and minds.”
South Dakota Right to Life’s mission is to make such a statement a reality in our pro-life advocacy and education. SDRTL, a state affiliate of National Right to Life, has three areas of emphasis in its mission:
- education
- legislation
- and political mobilization.
While SDRTL hires a full-time lobbyist in Pierre and tracks votes of legislators on bills concerning life in order to effect its legislative and political mobilization goals, education is the most vital of the three. In order to change hearts and minds on issues concerning abortion and euthanasia, it is essential that SDRTL provide a robust educational outreach program [Spencer Cody, “Education Key for SD Right to Life,” Aberdeen American News, 2015.06.21].
Yes, yes, yes, and the payday lenders will educate us as to the value of their product in the lending marketplace. And Hillary Clinton will educate us as to her vision for America. And Brock Greenfield will educate us about his rank, evidenceless, paranoid suspicion that the SDHSAA is doing the bidding of some evil organization trying to make girls and boys poop together rather than simply working to ensure every child in South Dakota has an equal opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.
But hey! Planned Parenthood has a vital mission to educate South Dakotans about important public health matters. So do the Black Hills Center for Equality, South Dakota Progress, and South Dakota Democratic Party. I look forward to the Aberdeen paper spotlighting those educational nonprofits in the near future.
According to any number of wingnuts,all PP does is abortions on demand.
spencer doesn’t like HINHAN KAGA, either. Says Indians were butchers at greasy grass and 12 years earlier at Ft. Laramie’s Grattan/Moman cow debacle, ignoring in both instances US Military was the unsuccessful, murderous aggressor. he is some sort of an educator grades 7-12 in hoven, i think.
Many commenters here enjoy sarcasm and write it well. You, Cory, are one of the best as evidenced by the latter part of your post. I enjoyed it.
Leslie, I hope you’re wrong about Cody being a teacher.
“Working together we can change hearts and minds.” I like that slogan. Sounds like what Jesus was doing. What Jesus wasn’t doing was bypassing the “changing hearts and minds” part and trying to pass laws instead.
Can you imagine Jesus saying, “To hell with it. I’ll just get Pontius Pilate to pass a law then the Apostles and I can just raise money and hire lawyers to defend it.”?
Deb, Cody teaches grade 7–12 science at Hoven. He participated in the NOAA Teacher at Sea program in spring 2014; he blogged about the experience here:
http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov/#/2014/Spencer*Cody/blogs
I have no reason to impugn his science-teaching credentials, any more than my political commentary should impugn my language teaching skills.
Cory, my comment came from concern that if he twists and distorts history as Leslie described, that leads me to wonder what he does with facts as a teacher. I think that’s a valid concern.
Ms. Geelsdottir, methinks you are treading on dangerous ground.
Can’t leave this morning without commenting. If Cody’s education method is the same as his campaign method, then be ready for misinformation, inaccurate paraphrasing, invalid assumptions, and yes, just a bit of untruth.
can’t leave this morning without mentioning that SDGOP, the party that covered up EB5 will have a rare opportunity to be exposed in rapid city if you get your RSVP (last day today) in to black hills press club for Brendan’s Johnson’s appearance the 26th i think, to take questions about that investigation and why it came to nothing.