Anyone wanna talk about the conception of "gifted" status in children? - Page 47

[flyingspaghettimama]

Aha! And the "gifted child thread" has entered into conversation the ever-fascinating favorite topic of pseudo-sociologists everywhere on the 'net, the "Culture of Poverty Argument" or "why can't those poor people just not be so darn poor? What in the world is wrong with them? It's their own fault gifted programs are full of the white and the rich."

It has officially jumped the shark.

I'm unsubscribing from this train wreck completely, lest ever-more repulsive arguments be offered as to why some kids just can't seem to score high enough on IQ tests, or be as intellectually gifted as the middle-class white people. Gosh, I just can't imagine. These kinds of arguments are exactly why I don't want to hang with the "gifted" community, nor have my child associate exclusively with the children of these parents. Have fun in the small-minded, exclusive soup of one's own definitions, comprised of comparisons, and heavily spiced with insecurity.

[boongirl]

Originally Posted by heartmama

Your original statement was controversial. "Why should we avoid giving value to things? All people are not equal."

If you want to clarify that, it's probably a good idea. It sounds like you mean all people are not equal in value.

All people are not equal but I did not mean in value. I mean that we are all different and we all have value, but not necessarily to each other. We give value to that which is important to us and we value our friends and family more than strangers. That is perfectly human. That is what I meant.

[boongirl]

Originally Posted by flyingspaghettimama

These kinds of arguments are exactly why I don't want to hang with the "gifted" community, nor have my child associate exclusively with the children of these parents. Have fun in the small-minded, exclusive soup of one's own definitions, comprised of comparisons, and heavily spiced with insecurity.

While this is probably an astute statement and a bit humorous, it is also most likely a violation of the UA. But, I do see the point FSP is trying to make. I just hope she does not move to Issaquah or Sammamish (near Seattle). I used to work there and nearly 30% of those public school kids score in the 97th percentile or higher on the CogAt. That means one in three parents is the parent of a gifted kid there. A place to avoid if you are leary of the gifted child gang.

[LeftField]

Originally Posted by flyingspaghettimama

Aha! And the "gifted child thread" has entered into conversation the ever-fascinating favorite topic of pseudo-sociologists everywhere on the 'net, the "Culture of Poverty Argument" or "why can't those poor people just not be so darn poor? What in the world is wrong with them? It's their own fault gifted programs are full of the white and the rich."

It has officially jumped the shark.

I'm unsubscribing from this train wreck completely, lest ever-more repulsive arguments be offered as to why some kids just can't seem to score high enough on IQ tests, or be as intellectually gifted as the middle-class white people. Gosh, I just can't imagine. These kinds of arguments are exactly why I don't want to hang with the "gifted" community, nor have my child associate exclusively with the children of these parents. Have fun in the small-minded, exclusive soup of one's own definitions, comprised of comparisons, and heavily spiced with insecurity.

Honestly, the caustic sarcasm and oversimplification of pages of thoughtful posts makes it almost impossible to reply to a post like this.

[LeftField]

Originally Posted by heartmama

For Charles Baudelaire too...

This is worthy of it's own thread. When we get close to talking about race we turn it into a talk about poverty. I do not believe these are unrelated issues. The relationship between blacks, whites, views towards intelligence, and poverty is just too important and serious for me to do justice to it alone in this thread. You can't tease out one issue from the other and let it stand alone as a clinical view of this issue.

It's true that no blacks alive in America were slaves. It's also true that my immediate family can remember the years before segregation fondly and wish for all white schools again. We have not crawled out from under the rock of racism far enough to look back collectively and appreciate how far reaching it is, how vast, how deeply entrenched in our culture.

Just sitting here talking about this as one white person to (at least one other) white person makes me feel kind of shallow; grotesquely priveleged. Like I'm being part of the problem, sitting here at my computer dissecting and discussing something I'll never have to really experience. That I would not want myself, or my kids, to ever have to experience. I really don't know what else to say without sounding like a jackass.

You are right and I totally know what you're saying in the last paragraph. I'm going to step out of this specific portion of the thread, because it is really too complex to address here.

[darien]

Originally Posted by flyingspaghettimama

These kinds of arguments are exactly why I don't want to hang with the "gifted" community, nor have my child associate exclusively with the children of these parents. Have fun in the small-minded, exclusive soup of one's own definitions, comprised of comparisons, and heavily spiced with insecurity.

Oh, for pete's sake. Do you exit every discussion in this manner?

[NoHiddenFees]

Originally Posted by heartmama

When we get close to talking about race we turn it into a talk about poverty.

IIRC, you are the one who started talking about race. Since inherited intelligence doesn't vary as to race, there have to be other factors.

FSM: Blame poor people?