If had just left it as a symbolic move it would not have been that bad. But he ruined it when he said it helped make his son a Republican. Linking the Republicans with Rand is a disaster and something to be GREATLY avoided. For many reasons. The guy sounds like a well meaning but dense Republican.

Literate high school students should be able to slog through this great but long novel given enough time, say a summer.

Back in 1982, I moved from my "normal" rural high school to a "gifted" boarding high school for students in grades 11 and 12. I learned too late that Howard Zinn stood front and center in the grade 11 American History course. I never forgave the professors for that one.

Recently, I developed a new respect for my "normal" high school when I learned that the senior English Honors course required Atlas Shrugged as its reading assignment the preceding summer. I browsed the online syllabus and the teacher obviously took it seriously as a work of American literature and included links and encouragements to enter the ARI Essay Contest. Meanwhile, it appeared that the "gifted" high school still leaned far to the left in its book choices.

My point is that once a student learns to read, assuming his intelligence does not fall to the "retarded" level, he should be able to slog through the book and at least get its gist if not its deeper meaning.

I agree with Yaron Brook's assessment of this news.

I got that the bill is meant to be symbolic and that Sen. Goedde doesn't mean to pursue the legislation. The symbolism however is lost on the irony, and that irony is compounded by Geodde's claim that Atlas made his son become a Republican, so, by my estimate, his bill is a symbolic 'fail'.

Good exposure for the book though. That's a win.

Or, did I miss something?

I can read but did I read the original post in full?!

No! Only the heading of the post and the comments!

BUT

The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man's observation, not overturning it.

Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873)

Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate itself on nothing.

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

If so, please read and digest the primary post.

Compulsory reading of a book that advocates for the ending of all compulsion.

Yaron Brook's response nailed it.

What got me though was the following passage:

When asked by state Sen. Bob Nonini why he chose that particular book, Goedde reportedly replied to laughter before the state’s Senate Education Committee: “That book made my son a Republican.”

Just goes to show, you can lead a man to concepts but you can't make him think.

it took me over a year to finish too, but not because I'm a slow reader.

I kept getting an intense headache. I thought; if I take this stuff seriously (as part of me did), my whole world will come undone including my then long-term relationship with a man who considered his "generosity" (read altruism) to be the greatest gift he could offer everybody.

Honestly, whenever I read long chapters of the book this headache would just slay me. Convictions and their consequences can be very painful.

Anyway, I agree with Rosie. Students could plow their way through instead of doing other meaningless shit.

Bah!

Wouldn't be able to? Why not?

Do you mean not able to without sacrificing time spent on Faecesbook, killing things on computer games, listening to Kei$ha, catching up on latest computer memes,hanging out in malls, looking at pornography, having sex, etc.?

Perhaps that is why it is suggested as an antidote to Airhead America/Airhead Western World. (And presumably it would substitute one book of the "required" reading list.)

Well, it took me over a year to finish it. Granted, I am a slow reader (I often read sections over and over again to fully grasp them, not to mention stopping and thinking about what I'm reading) and I did some stopping and restarting.

Atlas Shrugged is a monolith. It has so much content (and so much worth thinking about). A student wouldn't be able to fully appreciate it without ample time to read it.

I forsee students reading the cliffnotes, instead of the book, given the small amount of time they would have to read it. Not to mention they have other assignments, books, perhaps, even a job to attend to.

Also, what's with the antagonism toward Facebook (or are you being sarcastic)? I know Linz's opinion of it and why he has that opinion, but my experience with it has been fruitful since I can connect with other Objectivists and participate in discussions.

AS is a really long book, most students wouldn't be able to finish it within a school year (not to mention the other books they are required to read)

Bah!

Wouldn't be able to? Why not?

Do you mean not able to without sacrificing time spent on Faecesbook, killing things on computer games, listening to Kei$ha, catching up on latest computer memes,hanging out in malls, looking at pornography, having sex, etc.?

Perhaps that is why it is suggested as an antidote to Airhead America/Airhead Western World.

(And presumably it would substitute one book of the "required" reading list.)

Have them read it in parts over several years.

John Goedde's plan, but I would suggest requiring students to read Philosophy: Who Needs It? instead of Atlas Shrugged. I'm not sure if PWNI would teach personal responsibility better than (or even as well as) AS, but AS is a really long book, most students wouldn't be able to finish it within a school year (not to mention the other books they are required to read). 

PWNI would teach them the importance of ideas (most high school students are at that age when one begins to lose sight of this importance) and how to think critically about philsophical (and other) ideas.

I'm of the opinion that schools should teach children how to think not what to think, critical thinking skills over an onslaught of data.

Also, I've heard of some schools teaching the VoS in philosophy classes.

I would rather have young people read something a little shorter. 1000+ page books are pretty hard to cover for any high school class. Perhaps an intro to philosophy class with Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal or the Virtue of Selfishness? Lit class with Anthem?