|
February 09, 2006
But criminals can add and subtract!
Should cops be able to understand simple math? Apparently, the Justice Department doesn't think so. VIRGINIA BEACH - The U.S. Justice Department has found that the math portion of the Virginia Beach Police Department's entrance exam discriminates against black and Hispanic applicants.A math test? How can testing simple math -- the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide -- discriminate on the basis of race? I know that there's a movement to dumb down math, but's not as if math is a race issue. Might this be part of "whiteness theory"? Actually no. The contention isn't even made that math is racially biased; only that there's a disparate impact: The city requires all recruits to score at least 70 percent on all parts of the written exam the National Police Officer Selection Test.I'm sorry, but if an applicant can't figure out answers to problems like the example above, I don't think he should be working as a police officer, because the criminals will bamboozle him! This is crazy. Officers should be physically fit too, and I'm all for tests that have a "disparate impact" on blind or paraplegic applicants. Furthermore, the test -- known as the National Police Officer Selection Test -- is not unique to Virginia Beach. It's used in a lot of cities including Washington DC, Boulder, CO, and Providence, RI, and it is designed to be fair and non-discriminatory. If for whatever reason someone is unable to perform simple math, it's either because he is stupid or else he's had a very poor education. In either case, why should everyone else be made to suffer? Years ago, I ate lunch with a couple of law professors who got into a ferocious argument over how to grade essays written by law students who were "unable to write an English sentence." One professor thought it was unfair to penalize a conscientious law student for what he should have learned in the seventh grade, but the other thought it was equally unfair to inflict an illiterate attorney on his clients, and on society. Cops should know math. I think it's a public safety issue having nothing to do with fairness. Frankly, if that question about the overtime is any example, I don't think the test is hard enough. If they keep this nonsense up, the only "disparate impact" will be on public safety. MORE: j.d. at evolution (commenting below) highlights what may be part of the problem -- a growing "educational" trend to declare math a form of oppression: ....traditional mathematics the mathematics taught in universities around the world is the property of Western Civilization and is inexorably linked with the values of the oppressors and conquerors.I suspect that the people who can afford to experiment with these theories make damned sure their own kids master traditional math! posted by Eric on 02.09.06 at 07:53 PM
Comments
Selfishly, I wish more cops could write simple, declarative sentences. Good lord, I could chapter and verse on the incoherent reports I have to process! And that's not even discussing penmenship... ;-) Darleen · February 10, 2006 01:06 AM Math does play a role in many police investigations, such as with auto accidents. Measuring skid marks and computing the speed the car was going, etc. And since such calculations can determine whether a ticket is issued, or a criminal charge filed, or whether there was liability (say for speeding) that could result in the cop's analysis being entered into evidence or testimony in a criminal or civil action, I'd say simple math comprehension is a must. Jeff Soyer · February 10, 2006 04:54 AM 2 + 2 = A) 4 Beck · February 10, 2006 10:36 AM |
|
March 2007
WORLD-WIDE CALENDAR
Search the Site
E-mail
Classics To Go
Archives
March 2007
February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 May 2002 See more archives here Old (Blogspot) archives
Recent Entries
War For Profit
How trying to prevent genocide becomes genocide I Have Not Yet Begun To Fight Wind Boom Isaiah Washington, victim Hippie Shirts A cunning exercise in liberation linguistics? Sometimes unprincipled demagogues are better than principled activists PETA agrees -- with me! The high pitched squeal of small carbon footprints
Links
Site Credits
|
|
Oh, some of the wonderful things I've seen...