Psychology

Defending Against the Indefensible.
The essay Defending Against the Indefensible contains several different ideas all of which, I do not think the writer intended. And though I agree with most of the observations made in the essay I would like to discuss two points, which, presumably, were unintended by the author. The fist is setting up education and reform as a type of war where as the second is the (again presumably)unconscious Christian subtext. These two ideas could lead one to believe, that the author sees educational reform as some type of Christian crusade. In the following I will look into these ideas in more detail.

The title Defending against the Indefensible is itself a theme maker. By using words like defense, protection, and countless others, the idea, that war can be used as a metaphor for  educational reform is made most apparent. Additionally, in his seven points, the inclusion of the answer we should send Marines to Nicaragua though, anachronistic, too helps set the back drop that war as a metaphor and educational reform can be confused.
   
As for a Christian bias, this is apparent through out the essay however, it is made most notable in the choice of quotes it is unfit for a Christian ear to endure this, along with gods sake and other allusions such as the joke about the two priests, the Christian bias is most pronounced and obvious. I would think, if this had been written in a culture that was not predominantly Christian, the use of such language would seem odd and out of place, however, I think to the unobservant, the use of these easy anecdotes could easily go by unnoticed.
The previous two ideas do not necessarily reflect my opinion, but, inform by opinion in the sense, that I agree with his general statements and could not find fault with any of them. It is true, that definitions are too often used as the end of authority, rather than the starting point. As a society, we rely on these intellectual short-cuts, as a means of not having to think. For the most part, schools in general, and the United States in particular, are really nothing more than indoctrination centers.  Day in and day out, they produce good little citizens, that understand the top-down modals of life and economics, never questioning, their brothers plight, nor that of their own sad dreary existence. However, to conclude with  a slightly happier note, I found the line metaphors like questions, are organs of perception really quite funny. Here he is using the language of simile, to talk about metaphor, which if anything, further makes his point.