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Free Speech or True History - Whateevr that is...


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Well, I don't consider accredation to be telling schools what they can or can't teach. Like I said, you can still run a school that teaches complete nonsense. But I'd much prefer doctors who have been taught the germ theory of disease as opposed to believing diseases are caused by demonic possession.

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Rooster, for the most part I agree with you. However, there must be some sort of accreditation whether by government or an independent agency, lest we have no way of truly measuring someones accomplishments. The idea of a degree becomes as worthless as the paper they are printed on. Employers need the tools to evaluate the worth of a candidate and most don't have the resources to research each institution to validate its credibility.

 

Roll this back to scouting. What if BSA outsourced wood badge courses to private educators. I could take the official BSA wood badge training from an accredited source or I could find someone who has a course called wood badge that he runs out of his garage and take that one. I go back to my unit and claim I took wood badge. Unless the unit took the time and effort to verify my course with BSA, they really wouldn't know that I didn't take it from an accredited source.

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All the states require a physician have a license to practice medicine (I love it, they practice medicine, because nobody has it down just yet). To obtain a license the applicant must pass a test. Presumably the "germ" theory is on the test in some manner, I have never seen the test but I am pretty sure a physician only trained in the art of healing by demonic exorcism and not "true" medicine wont pass. Therefore, the state is already telling us what our physicians must know. Should I not be allowed to heal others as I see fit? My track record will determine if I stay in the healing business.

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Philly is just using this issue as a way to collect more revenue. Yeah it annoys me when a perceived informed source is giving misinformation (I was thinking of a policeman giving me directions to the Reading terminal, not to anyone in this forum :) )

 

So I'm not sure there is a freedom of speech issue here. File the application, pass the test (buy the answers in advance from the dose guys in Joisee), and continue on with "Yeah da Liberty Bell was made down da Philly naval yard. Nows National Treasure was filmed over der. Nicholas Cage ate a hoagie right where we are sitting" ... whatever you want, this is Philly where we boo even Santa Claus.

 

I don't understand how these private tour guides stay in business. The tours by the National Park Service at Independence Mall are free, and the Park Rangers are far better informed. Ya pays your money ...

 

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Last year, the Blanstens went on a tour of the Mesa Verde ruins in Colorado. The tour guides are national park rangers. Our tour guide was on his last week of his 30 year career. He started his tour stating that he would give us two versions, the official NPS version that all rangers must follow, then his own personal version. He said he couldn't give his version until now because the NPS had strict rules on what version of history was to be presented. The NPS version was that the Anazai used the cliff dwelling as cities, housing many people and sometime around 1000 years ago, the people mysteriously disappeared. The rangers version was in line with the verbal history of the local Indians. The Anazai used the ruins to store corn. Only a few stayed to guard the food stores, the rest lived on the top of mesas farming their crops. They never died off, they are still there. They just moved off the mesas and down into the valleys. However, his version was in contrast, and less compelling than the long established history some Ivy league anthropologists came up with in the late 1800s and adopted as the truth by the NPS.

 

 

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The city should worry about the safety aspects (hence the insurance policy).

 

An independent group should provide an exam program, allowing guides to be "certified local history nuts" or somesuch designation. With appropriate work and marketing, that accreditation becomes a badge of honor and tourists won't want to use anyone else.

 

Someone mention college accreditation. That is done by private groups, not the government. Business Schools are accredited by the AACSB, for example. That is NOT a government agency. Medical Schools are accredited by a group that is under the AMA (specifics lost to me at this time). There are several college accreditation agencies, some better than others. Some are not accepted by graduate schools (we would not accept Devry or ITT Tech - they did not possess accreditation from a recognized agency).

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OGE,

 

I disagree. The bar exam, the medical license exam, or the CPA exam, is an entry point for a professional practicioner. He or she then has ongoing continuing education, and is subject to professional scrutiny by peers. Further, docs, lawyers and accountants all have potential to take aspects of peoples lives into their hands.

 

Our tour guide, otoh, is showing people the sights for anywhere from 2 hours to a week... and then they never see each other again.

 

I do not know why this regulation exists, but I'm not sure it passes the "so-what" test...

 

 

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So in our society today, we have a sort of "Knowledge Relativism" attitude. There are some professions that require the public to know that the purveyors are competent and others where its Caveat Emptor.

 

The issue I have with Relativism is that once it is accepted in one aspect of society, it pervades others.

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I think there is a fairly robust set of systems in place to ensure the public is not duped/injured by bad doctors, lawyers, engineers, and accountants. Thats not to say it doesnt happen but there are safeguards. I understand the need for standards in these professions.

 

OGE,

 

I have the opposite concern. Once you allow government to declare absolute knowledge in one area (and pass laws to enforce the same), then you run the risk of government enforcing its views in every aspect of your life. Consequently, we should be very careful about what areas of our lives we allow (i.e. silently accept) government to regulate.

 

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"Should I not be allowed to heal others as I see fit? My track record will determine if I stay in the healing business."

 

And leave a trail of dead bodies of your fooled innocent believers in your wake?

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Interesting topic. I see it as a quasi- (yes master) educational question. If the customer is paying for the best facts presented the best way for learning (as, ahem, students get in my classes) then accuracy is far more important than entertainment and should never be compromised. If, however, entertainment is a component (as in certain tours...ghost tours come to mind...) then I see all kinds of liberties taken as part of the show. I just hope people don't suddenly believe in ghosts as a result.

 

So....old Ben and Betsy killed 69 children huh?

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I understand Rooster's concern. Lets say a fundamentalist administration came to power and forced NPS rangers to only tell visitors to the Grand Canyon that it was created in a few days by the receding waters of the great flood. Those rangers who might disagree, could be fined, imprisoned or dismissed. Then the next secular administration reverses the NPS policy and rangers only can give the currently accepted origination of the canyon. Perhaps it would be best to let the rangers tell the story as best they see fit, and let the audience heckle them if their version is just silly.

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