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Showing Original Post only (View all)Fact Checked My Teacher [View all]
Last edited Tue Oct 23, 2012, 11:14 PM - Edit history (3)
Before I begin, I would just like to formally introduce myself on DU. My name is Aaron, I'm 16 years old, and I'm from New York City, New York.
Anyway, let me begin, so in New York State in order to graduate, one must take a Health course. I know it sounds stupid, but for me its an easy 95. Regardless, my teacher is former military, pro-small government, and around fifty years old. He also has a sticker saying that he supports the separation of "Darwin and state," so it comes as now surprise that he is a Republican.
So in today's class, I walked in and saw on the board "$712 billion cut from Medicare" and an arrow pointing to AARP. This didn't come as a surprise since he done enough Obama-bashing for a lifetime. Anyway, I, who is not a fan of political discussion with teachers, thought to myself, seriously. So, we begin discusses what AARP actually does and why it endorsed the Affordable Care Act. He came to the conclusion that AARP endorsed the Affordable Care Act simply because its "Medicare cuts" forced seniors to get more supplement coverage from AARP. In other words, lobbying. It's an interesting argument that sounds reasonable, obviously it's was a bunch of stuff, malarkey if you please.
I'd had enough. I'd allowed him to walk over the Affordable Care Act for nearly two months, and allowed him to spew GOP talking points to the fellow classmates. I had heard this Medicare crap all throughout the summer, the conventions, and the debates. I, being a policy wonk, had that Joe Biden smile of death on my face as I raised my hand. When I was called, I quickly pointed out that it was not $712 billion in cuts but actually $716 billion. Next, I pointed out that the Medicare cuts wasn't from coverage to seniors, but actually from wasteful spending to hospitals and big pharma. Finally, I said that the Paul Ryan's budget also cut the same number, but the cuts under "Obamacare" extended Medicare by eight years. As I spoke, I realized that the class favored by facts over his talking points.
He tried to cut me off, but I persisted. I, then, pointed out the Washington Post had given it four pinocchios, and that PolitiFact.com (I had also pointed out that it was an arm of the Tampa Bay Times and was a winner of the Pultizer Prize) had deemed it as utterly false. He, then, said, "The Washington Post endorsed Obama. It's not true." I simply, "No, it's called facts." The class, in unison, yelled, "Oh!" My teacher looked at me with that face (the "I know I just got fact-checked face" , and had no reply.
Shut him up real good...
Edit: He also attempted to tell me and my friend that Fox News wasn't biased.
Note: I attend a Catholic High School on a scholarship; since most NYC high schools are terrible especially in the Bronx.