BY Kevin R. HaughnGuest columnist –

A peer of mine asked me a very profound question the other day. Heasked me how I passed all my classes in my political science majorhere at San Diego State University, knowing that I am an avidconservative.

As most of us are aware, the public education system is one of thelast liberal strongholds in our country. I know this because I haveattended only public schools for 17 years. Since junior high I canremember teachers saying things that didn’t correlate with thebeliefs I was taught at home.

What irritated me then, as it does now, is that they should neverhave been teaching us beliefs in the first place. In health”education” classes we learned about sex. They told us about condomsand that sometimes people of the opposite sex like each other –which was to be accepted as perfectly normal.

In science classes we were taught about evolution and how Earth isbillions of years old, not telling us that neither of these claimswere proven. We were taught racism when they continuallydistinguished us by color based on the bubbles we filled in on ourstandardized tests.

We stopped pledging allegiance to the flag in high school as itwas just too cumbersome and time-wasting. I learned about propagandawhen the teachers’ unions distributed fliers and had talks abouttelling our parents to “vote for the children” and the teachers.

They would tell us in economics that we need government to”protect equality” and create “fairness.” That Ronny Reagan somehowdestroyed our country when he tripled tax receipts and caused thecollapse of the Soviet Empire. I heard Republicans being calledracist because they were against affirmative action.

I couldn’t understand how my family, being conservative, was thecause of all these “social problems.” How could I be racist if Idon’t even see color? Because I am against affirmative action? Why doI hate? Because I support our right to bear arms as well as capitalpunishment for murderers? I want to kill the planet because I don’tthink technology and capitalism are bad? I was told this directly onseveral occasions and they would all have gone unchecked if I hadn’tquestioned them.

Kids actually thought that the government couldn’t lower taxes andspend less. Less government would result in less government jobs andweaker unions, as if those were bad things.

In college I noticed first-hand socialism. I had my firstconservative professor in my whole life this semester at SDSU — Mr.James Ingram in political science.

I had three moderates before him, the rest were hard leftists andmoderate liberals. It wouldn’t be such a big thing if liberalteachers didn’t influence the curricula the way they did.

So the question is asked, “How did you pass all your classes,Kevin?”

I must say that it has been an extremely diligent battle. I wouldhave stopped long ago if my parents didn’t keep nagging me aboutgetting my degree. You know, “something to fall back on.” Inactuality, I have learned more by growing up in the public schoolsystem because I now know all the arguments and tools of thepolitical left — my adversaries.

I know their agendas; I know their schemes; I know their motives.When I am right, that pisses them off. When Ronny Reagan provides forthe best non-wartime economic boom in America’s history from1981-1987, and liberals tell me that “the ’80s ruined us,” I canlaugh inside.

When the liberals say, “Live better, work union,” and screw therest of us, I know those same people taught me math, science andEnglish.

I am not afraid of my adversaries and I can effectively think formyself and know that I got duped out of what could have been a reallyenlightening 17 years.

So to answer the question: “I passed all my classes because I wassmarter than the government that tried to teach me.” –

This column is the opinion of the columnist and not The DailyAztec.

Kevin R. Haughn is a political science senior. Send comments tokrhaughn@juno.com.