1 He's like a better dressed Parker Louis

2 oh and I don't believe an 11 year old wrote that.

3 for one second

4
indian joo?

This kid can be anything he wants!

5 It's a bit precocious for an 11-year-old. Somebody's pulling our leg.

6 Ben, you didn't go to a Catholic grade school, did you? We had socialist nuns and I knew at age 11 they were editorializing and not teaching. Just like most of the moms I knew.

7 Yeah, I agree that an 11 year old didn't write that.  It's still fantastic though.

Also, I bet the kid gets mandatory out of school suspension for some type of violation of school rules regarding respect for teachers or impersonation or some such. 

8 What makes you think an 11-year-old didn't write it?

9

Yeah.  I wrote Corey Haim a letter when I was 11. I used really big words like "rad".

10 oh and I don't believe an 11 year old wrote that.



Maybe, maybe not. Have you seen that 14 yr old kid that was going around with the Tea Party Express giving speeches (his name escapes me)? I saw him several times on CSPAN speaking at think-tanks....including some pretty sophisticated question/answer sessions. He was more coherent and logical than a lot of 40-50 yr old adults. Awesome stuff.

Kids are capable of great things, with the proper education, discipline and supervision.

11 I saw him interviewed on Fox, seems to be a smart kid.  His parents are now home schooling him after his ss teacher kept giving him bad grades on his conservative papers, so his father wrote one and she gave him an F.

12 CA, boy am I glad I left there in 1977. CA has become a Statewide Detroit.

If I was that kid's father and the teacher threatened his grades and did that kind of shit I would have one of those 20 million dollar jackpot payouts.

That would finance a move and a new career somewhere else.

13 Does he have a 5-O'clock shadow?

14

I like the young man, Sam I am... Stick it to the brain dead zombie teachers whenever you can. McCarthy was right, you know.

BTW, Justice Thomas's wife is a Teapartier.

15 Babyface Finster or one of the "fidgets" from Our Gang? Still, him sayeth the truth.

16

Once I even felt like going into the bathroom and trying to pull off my penis.

Ahhhh...a moron-to-be

We actually call doing that something else...like "shaking hands with Mr. Happy"

17

That's a pretty effective video.  Maybe we should all try our hand at political add making on the interwebs.

Plus:

Sexy Russian spy's twin brother located.

http://tinyurl.com/29luvla

 

18 Of course, the girls loved the book and most of the boys hated it, except for a few who liked it and also wanted to become mothers some day. I was three years old and royally pissed off.

LOL.  Joke or not, that's some good stuff, there.

19
the kid who spoke at CPAC would be a better chairman than Steele

20 Palin should replace Steele, ASAP.

21 the kid who spoke at CPAC would be a better chairman than Steele

Moose and squirrel would be better chairmen than Steele. 

22

It's a bit precocious for an 11-year-old. Somebody's pulling our leg.

If a talented kid gets a decent education, he can do better than writing fart jokes.  There are a few gems out there.

23

Ben, you didn't go to a Catholic grade school, did you? We had socialist nuns and I knew at age 11 they were editorializing and not teaching. Just like most of the moms I knew.

 

no i belive teachers are commies. I don't believe an 11 year old wrote that. That isn't the writing of a 4th or 5th grader. I have never met someone that young who uses proper punctuation for quotes, has a command of adverbs, or make such coherent arguement.

Read that paragraph over again and tell me you know an eleven year old who can write like that.

24

Palin should replace Steele, ASAP.

she would be a great RNC head and it would get her out of the race in 2012. I love Sarah, but I don't think she can beat Obama. I believe Chris Matthews when he said the media would do everything they could to destroy her. And as much as i hate the media, they still do have influence with idiots who vote.

Paul Ryan 2012.

25 ...No.  No way an 11 year old wrote this.  At all.  Even the writing of a gifted, intelligent 11 year old wouldn't come near this. 

I call official English teacher bullshit.

26 I dunno, I think I could've written that at 11.

Of course, I later went horribly, horribly wrong.

27 I can't be the only one creeped out by this kid?!

Cmon. Homeslice said he once considered 'pulling off' his genitalia.

28 Palin needs to stay right where she is at doing exactly what she is doing now.

29 Speaking truth to power, I'm sure this little hero will be featured on all the newscasts. What's say, you say? LeBron's decision will be broadcast tonight? Never mind, then.

30 As soon as this kid shows us the birf certificate, we should nominate him for President.

31 I have never met someone that young who uses proper punctuation for quotes, has a command of adverbs, or make such coherent arguement.

By eleven I was on my second or third reading of Tolkien, including the Hobbit and the trilogy. I may have even tried to read the Silmarillion by that age. I dunno if I could have written that well at that age, but I see no reason it's impossible for SOMEONE to be able.

32 I'm waiting for the "you have all been trolled" shoe to drop. 11 years old.

Anyway, I don't remember having it anywhere near this bad in school. Thank goodness. For a period of time the whole school would sing the Canadian anthem (and other songs) every morning if I remember correctly. I remember a teacher who debunked nonsense and others who praised the positive aspects of western society. The same first teacher also talked about his travels in Africa and various dictators antics, probably to teach us that the world is a rough neighborhood.

I also remember a couple lessons in multiculturalism but it was more learning about various foods and dress around the world. And maybe there was a book about some Lebanese schoolchildren we read. I don't remember any multiculti nonsense, or, if it did happen, it didn't stick.

33 . I may have even tried to read the Silmarillion by that age. I dunno if I could have written that well at that age, but I see no reason it's impossible for SOMEONE to be able. Posted by: Rob Crawford at July 08, 2010 01:16 PM (ZJ/un) Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion.

34 It's a cool idea, but I'll call BS lacking further proof. No 11 year old understands political bias, and no preschooler does either, no matter how smart they are. Still, it's interesting at least. It's get that subtle ring of thruthiness that I just adore!

35 Read that paragraph over again and tell me you know an eleven year old who can write like that.

Myself, when I was 11.

36 I'm not sure the kid wrote it, but I'm not certain the kid couldn't write it. I've seen 13 year olds in Engineering School fer crissakes. There are some who could damn sure write it.

37 Hey I think the kid is great whether he really wrote it or not ( not is my bet ) but hey he is only 11, let him go memorize some Baseball trivia

38 Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 08, 2010 01:19 PM (0GFWk)

Sorry, kiddo, but I've read it twice.

39 Whoa... breaking...

Prosecutor: Jesse Jackson Junior Bid $1 Million for Senate Seat

40 Hey I think the kid is great whether he really wrote it or not ( not is my bet ) but hey he is only 11, let him go memorize some Baseball trivia

Why? You want him to become an emotionally stunted, intellectually withered sports fan? Or worse -- an athlete?

41 5 It's a bit precocious for an 11-year-old. Somebody's pulling our leg.

Posted by: joncelli at July 08, 2010 01:01 PM (RD7QR)

Read that paragraph over again and tell me you know an eleven year old who can write like that.

Posted by: Ben at July 08, 2010 01:11 PM (wuv1c)

I wrote and spoke like that at 11.  It is possible for kids to be well spoken at a young age.  People who doubt this are just an obstacle to overcome.

42 Yeah I've read the Silmarillion too. Actually love it.

43 Speaking of Paul Ryan: Six days before the filing deadline, the Democratic Party has no candidate to run against incumbent Paul Ryan for the 1st District Congressional seat. Mark Pienkos, chairman of the Democratic Party in the 1st District, said itÂ’s possible the Democrats wonÂ’t run anyone.

44 Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion.

I read it multiple times before the age of 18.

No, I didn't have a life.

45 From the American Thinker boards, fwiw:

"Re the source of this article. The detractors here are correct. Sorry, but my child attended school with Sam (we are moving out of state this year). Not to diminish any native intelligence, but to my knowledge, Sam has special needs and disciplinary problems and poor academic performance completely unrelated to his political assertions here."

Says he's being puppeted by his parents.  Of course "Sam" comes in later to defend himself.  I'm not saying that this kid isn't articulate and bright, as he acquitted himself well on Fox and Friends.  And I've no doubt he thinks this way.  But this is the Balloon Boy of conservative media, people.

46 Sorry, kiddo, but I've read it twice. Posted by: maddogg at July 08, 2010 01:21 PM (OlN4e) Yeah that's what I meant. Nobody but you and Alex

47
Democrats benefit as we become a nation of  pussies.

Left-wing democrat communists can suck my big.  black.  DICK.

48 Nevergiveup, Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion. Heheheh... Granted, I read it in freshman year of college, but still...

49 That's the great thing about Rush and the Nets. We know we're not alone.

50 Why? You want him to become an emotionally stunted, intellectually withered sports fan? Or worse -- an athlete? Posted by: Rob Crawford at July 08, 2010 01:21 PM (ZJ/un) Yeah just like me!

51 The problem I see with this, beyond the obvious mastery of language (which could be edited it by an adult) is that it's just TOO perfect. We are expecting this kid to understand not only that there is a bias, but what the different political ideologies are (beyond simply left vs. right) and also what the long term ramifications of ideology on our future are.

52 No, an 11 year old can understand political bias if his parents say to him; "Son, I bet your teacher is saying X and you need to know that she is wrong for ABC reasons. She is a liberal because the govt gives the teachers money. She wants you to be a liberal too so that when you grow up you will give the teachers even more money. Listen to what she says but don't believe it until you check it out with me." I also read every single text book. Even in Kindergarten you ask if the teacher has talked about Obama and global warming and then set them straight.By 6th grade they are able to do a lot on their own even though this kid is a little over the top.

53 Umm, errr, those who say, uhh... Yeah, I got nuthin'.

54 A lot of those fancy words and terms pop up pretty regularly in conservative magazines/blogs. Don't be surprised if "put me some knowledge" is also in his vocabulary.

55 Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion. Heheheh... Granted, I read it in freshman year of college, but still... Posted by: Mastiff at July 08, 2010 01:24 PM (8dy/N) Yeah I tried to read it in College also, but every time I did a took a toke or two and well shit happens

56 That isn't the writing of a 4th or 5th grader. I have never met someone that young who uses proper punctuation for quotes, has a command of adverbs, or make such coherent arguement.

"I asked my parents to take me out of the school and put me in our local public school, Beverly Vista Elementary. They agreed since spending money on a private school which didn't teach traditional American values seemed to be a waste of money. Unfortunately, the worst was yet to come."


Ah yes private school. That explains a bunch

57 Nice to see an eleven year old that gets it.  By my last count, we're now at 50 or so "out" convervatives in California.

Welcome to the club, Sam.  Get ready to have your grades nosedive, be stuck in detention about 3 of 5 days of the week, and your car keyed by teachers in the high school parking lot when you're old enough to drive.  But it's still worth it.  Reality will always avenge you.

58 This was written by a 11 year old, and he attends public school? He writes better than most college students....

59 I wrote that way by age 11. I was less focused on socio-political bias and more on gothic death-poetry, but still.

60 That kid is really annoying in the video. I also have doubts he actually wrote the article. It would be great if he did, but I suspect not.

61 Ah yes private school. That explains a bunch

BTW you too can click through and learn relevant though not pertinent information that answers logical questions about the analysis.

62 That isn't the writing of a 4th or 5th grader.

I was in seventh grade when I was 11. I went to math camp with 11 year olds who did calculus. 

Man, kids really are being dumbed down these days if y'all are expecting 11 year olds to be in fourth grade still choking on writing complete sentences.

63 41:

Agree.  I don't know if Sam's in the same boat, but I read adult books and spoke in perfect geek-english like this when I was in elementary school (Then I discovered beer and weed, of course).  It's not par for the course, but certainly not unheard of.  And he did go to a private school.

I wouldn't go making more than a one-day story out of him in that public school teacher bias isn't exactly the scoop of the century, but I won't rubbish the kid just because some anonymous commenter at AmThinker claims differently (and the "special needs" cherry on top seems a bit much, don't you think ?)

64

"Not to diminish any native intelligence, but to my knowledge, Sam has special needs and disciplinary problems and poor academic performance completely unrelated to his political assertions here."

Doesn't mean he's dumb or that he couldn't have written it. My wife used to teach at a charter school for highly gifted kids (IQ 135 got your kid wait-listed, 140+ was automatic admission) and it was common for them to get new students who bombed out or had disciplinary problems at regular public schools because they were bored out of their skulls. Not surprisingly, their performance and attitude completely changed when they were actually challenged at the charter school. Boy, did the local public school system hate that charter school.

I admit that I am skeptical that this kid wrote this, but I have seen kids who I think could do it.

65 Che Che?

66 This was not written by an 11 year old.

Putting this post up and then seemingly swallowing it, hook, line, and sinker, makes conservatives look like fools.

67 Punching down.

68 Not to diminish any native intelligence, but to my knowledge, Sam has special needs and disciplinary problems and poor academic performance completely unrelated to his political assertions here."

Do we know that for true or is it something the teachers dreamed up to attack back with?

69 Man, kids really are being dumbed down these days if y'all are expecting 11 year olds to be in fourth grade still choking on writing complete sentences.

Yep.

70 Hasn't anyone considered the possibility that the kid wrote it and the parents did some edits

71 "Re the source of this article. The detractors here are correct. Sorry, but my child attended school with Sam (we are moving out of state this year). Not to diminish any native intelligence, but to my knowledge, Sam has special needs and disciplinary problems and poor academic performance completely unrelated to his political assertions here."

I'm not saying that this kid isn't articulate and bright, as he acquitted himself well on Fox and Friends. 

Posted by: Filly at July 08, 2010 01:23 PM (UR3ca)

This may be true, but it may also just be Liberal damage control.  They are by no means above smearing children, and writing somebody off as "special needs" is the easiest way to diminish his intellect in the eyes of others. 

It's rare that an 11 year old would write that way - and who knows how much editing has been done.  But I recall having a limited cognizance of political bias in classes by third grade - about 8 years old.  By 5th/6th grade it was glaring.   

72
Do we know that for true or is it something the teachers dreamed up to attack back with?

If the "special needs" was ADHD, then it was likely a label assigned by a teacher.

73 Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion.

When I was 13.  My 10 year old intends to start it when she finishes LOTR.  And there's no reason to believe an 11 year old didn't write that.

74

Anybody else get shown the movie with the exploding prarie dogs, and baby harp seal clubbing, among other things. 

First time was in fourth grade, in about 1976.  I cried. 

Looking back, I was definately being manipulated/trained.

75 Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion. Several times, even used to translate stuff into sindarian

76 "poor academic performance completely unrelated to his political assertions here." yeah, he totally failed femistry and galgebra.

77 I read the Silmarillion.  I was an inch away from giving up, when I got to the chapter on Beren and Luthien.  That chapter, like everything Tolkein writes, it would make an incredible script if it had a ton of editing and revision.

78 Several times, even used to translate stuff into sindarian

Posted by: Jean at July 08, 2010 01:41 PM (I6dJM)

That's embarrassing. I used to do the same thing with Khuzdul.

79 even used to translate stuff into sindarian

Posted by: Jean at July 08, 2010 01:41 PM (I6dJM)

Geek.

80 Speaking of Paul Ryan: Six days before the filing deadline, the Democratic Party has no candidate to run against incumbent Paul Ryan for the 1st District Congressional seat. Mark Pienkos, chairman of the Democratic Party in the 1st District, said itÂ’s possible the Democrats wonÂ’t run anyone.

"Mark Pienkos."  There ought to be a law that candidates have to have names revealing who they really are.  To steal Romeo13's thunder, we could have Hypocracy Jones. Raven Lunatic Hatboxer.  Korrupshawn Hastings.  

81 "Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion." Dude, I even read the appendix and the timeline.

82 Several times, even used to translate stuff into sindarian

Posted by: Jean at July 08, 2010 01:41 PM (I6dJM)

That's embarrassing. I used to do the same thing with Khuzdul.

Posted by: Sharrukin at July 08, 2010 01:44 PM (eYgrz)

You ought to try sex.  It's better than bacon.

83 The Silmarillion! wait, oh, we're not talking about Besserman, we're talking about some poster. The kid seems fine, his little video shows a proper juvenile attitude. The writing? Who knows, what is this fifth grade? Seems doable.

84 Whether that kid wrote that piece or not, I don't know.  However, if that video is any kind of accurate representation of his teacher, I can't imagine any of her students learning anything at all, because I can't understand a single word he's saying, other than, "dontcha know."

85 Hasn't anyone considered the possibility that the kid wrote it and the parents did some edits

That's what I think happened here-- kid wrote the basis with some heavy adult "editing." 

I'm not at all disagreeing with this essay's point, or saying that kids can't write extremely well or notice political indoctrination at a very early age.  It's not impossible that an 11 year old wrote this.  I hope I'm wrong.  But, I'm sorry, unless the kid sits down and cranks out something of a similar caliber for all the world to see without outside help, I'm not buying.

86

You ought to try sex.  It's better than bacon.

Posted by: WalrusRex at July 08, 2010 01:45 PM (xxgag)

Wow! Really! Better than bacon huh? Maybe I will give that a try.

87 Sex with bacon!

88 66 Blindside - I don't blame people for being skeptical about it, but I hardly think that makes us fools, nor do I think the kid is really a right-wing Alvin Greene who's somehow being well-boy'd into 15 minutes of fame by his wing-nut parents or some clever liberal plot.

Like I said before, educational bias isn't something so news-worthy that this could rebound to our discredit.  This isn't O'Keefe and Giles.  I could be wrong, but I'm not going to feel like I have egg on my face if the kid didn't write that statement word-for-word.

89 I'll buy that he wrote the draft of that, then had it edited - but I could be wrong - his grammar could be that good. By 11, I had read the entire hardback series of American Heritage magazines, the Autobiography of Ben Franklin, Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples, and selected Federalist Papers -- I routinely got in trouble at school for pointing out errors or misrepresentations/omissions in the classroom materials. We were living in Kansas at the time - public school - and I got in serious trouble all of the time (to include rides in cop cars). I will never send my children to public school; if I can't afford private school, they will be home schooled. If the local government won't allow that I will move.

90

"A lot of those fancy words and terms pop up pretty regularly in conservative magazines/blogs. Don't be surprised if "put me some knowledge" is also in his vocabulary."

I heard that the F&F producers had to edit out Sam asking Brian if Patty Ann's elbows were just as sharp in real life as they looked on television...

91

You ought to try sex.  It's better than bacon.

You obviously haven't met my wife

92

"You ought to try sex.  It's better than bacon."

Clearly, you are doing something wrong with your bacon.

93

He could have Asperger's syndrome (his "special needs" diagnosis), with a talent for writing.  Some kids who are extremely intelligent would be a real nightmare for a liberal teacher who is used to having kids who don't question anything that they are being taught, they are just interested in parroting things back.

Kids with Asperger's can't always adjust socially, but they are BRILLIANT in other areas of their lives.  The fact that the teacher couldn't tell that the father's paper wasn't the kids tells me one of two things - either the dad was writing all of his papers, or the kid really does write like this.  Either one is plausible - the average person is more likely to believe that the dad wrote it because it just doesn't SOUND like what most 11-year-olds write.

Don't know what the truth is, but I'm willing to reserve judgment for now.....

 

94

geek-check thread

95 Please, sign this young man up as a guest blogger!!

96

The great thing about this is that the teacher gets a lot of payback here and there's not a thing, I think, she can do about it.

Yeah?  Just wait until I "look the other way" when Troy Benderman, the school bully gives him some "extra" attention.

97 I guess none of you have ever used Word? It highlights spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.  I could easily have written this at 7 using Word. I wish I could understand the words he's speaking in the video though.

98 Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 08, 2010 01:19 PM (0GFWk)

Agreed.  Those commenters who claim they have are lying.

99 Kid probably gets valu-rite packed in his lunch bag.

100 Says he's being puppeted by his parents.  Of course "Sam" comes in later to defend himself.  I'm not saying that this kid isn't articulate and bright, as he acquitted himself well on Fox and Friends.  And I've no doubt he thinks this way.  But this is the Balloon Boy of conservative media, people.

I used to moderate for AT. AT is rife with trolls, extremely smart and deceptive ones in fact; thanks mostly to exposure on talk radio, and the MFM. The moderators try and filter those not participating in intellectually honest arguement. But some sneak through.

The first thing that would make me say wait a sec; is the fact this persons kid went to school with Sam, which means they are from Berkeley. Which is an immediate not to be trusted. But it gets even more subtle.

First of the person posts with a subject pseudonym instead of a handle. Red flag one.

Next.

Sorry, but my child attended school with Sam (we are moving out of state this year).

The important takeaway is the declaration of moving out of state. The person posting knows that they are claiming to live in Berkeley, and knows that immediately hurts their credibility in a conservative forum, so to build their con cred they state "we're moving out"

A real conservative, who was telling the truth, would not assume his/her credibility would be questioned and feel the need to defend it from the get go, they would typically wait for it to be questioned before providing their con-cred.

This boy is being done a grave injustice by his father for puppeting his own views thru his child (not unique to any group)

Note the attempt to maintain a "neutral" tone. A conservative of that belief would have noted that Libbies exploit their children much much more than conservatives, and would have said something like "we should not stoop to that level" rather than pretend to be a sideline observer of the whole debacle.

My ex-professional opinion is that, the content of the comment is "true" (true being very loosely used, rather, believed to be mostly true by the commenter) but the commenter is a liberal who is posting from their own bias.

One last item I just noticed.

"He will succeed if he stops looking for excuses for bad behaviour and performance."

Ever hear some "parent" say that about some other random parents kid, on a public forum, where they are the only one impeaching the kids performance? Or does that sound more like.......a teacher?

101 Nobody and I mean NOBODY actually read the Silmarillion.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at July 08, 2010 01:19 PM (0GFWk)

I have; a couple of times.  One of my favorites.

102 "He will succeed if he stops looking for excuses for bad behaviour and performance."

Also note the British spelling. 

Didn't the kid's video parody of his pro-Communism "Don'tcha know" teacher include a British accent? 

103 Posted by: MikeTheMoose at July 08, 2010 02:07 PM (0q2P7)

--Also interesting how "behaviour" was spelled.

104

geek-check thread

Posted by: eleven at July 08, 2010 02:02 PM (7DB+a)

Yep.

105 To all of you who said you talked and wrote like that at eleven, what happened?  Did you peak at eleven?

More like 10 1/2.

106 I wrote an essay suggesting Jonathon Swift's Modest Proposal as an alternative to abortion when I was 10. (I went to a little private school, run by our small church) Proper punctuation and use of adverbs should not be beyond the reach of an 11 year old. You can thank the dumbing-down of public schools for the fact that people doubt an 11 year old could write this article. Many 11 year-olds could, whether this one did or not.

107 I guess none of you have ever used Word? It highlights spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.

It's not a matter of just avoiding surface errors.  It's the word choice, the syntax, the tone, and the sentence construction that make me highly suspicious. 

Kid may or may not be a genius or savant.  All I'm saying is... proceed with extreme caution before anointing him the next Buckley. 

108 For those saying that an 11-year-old couldn't have written this, consider that in 1760 Jonathan Edwards whent to Yale before he even turned 13, and this was at a time when going to Yale actually meant something.

109 I think this was written by Monty at age 11, or by son-of-Monty

110

How have we come to the point where this thread is about dissecting the kid's prose and not about the ideas expressed?

I'm hoping it's because we all agree and nobody's particularly surprised that this is happening.

Because regardless of the prose, it's a "shocking" and "unprecedented" indictment of Marxist America.

111 consider that in 1760 Jonathan Edwards whent to Yale before he even turned 13, and this was at a time when going to Yale actually meant something.

Early education was also very different at that time. 

I'm hoping it's because we all agree and nobody's particularly surprised that this is happening.

This-- I don't think the topic of the essay is news to anybody.

112 proceed with extreme caution before anointing him the next Buckley.

What am I supposed to do with all this myrhh then?

113 Ok horrible admission here. I went to a special private school where you had to have 140+ IQ. I could have written this at 11 just as its shown. I read National Review, had my own subscription, and idolized william f buckley and douglas adams. i was also learnig latin and greek. Was accepted @ st johns university (where firing line was filmed) at 15 then i got encephalitis... if I want, my writing style is the queens english--with a hint of douglas adams. Never bother any more. If you talk to me in person you can tell right off I was raised by a marine, but it takes a while to catch on he was a university professor too. So this kid could be for real since I am that "mary sue" and a few of my friends are too. (Posting from my phone, which is a bother to type on.) BTW I also went to school with Austin Goolsbee and will see him@ our reunion in august. He was always a fatuous asswipe, even when he was 12. We can see by his work as Obama's economic strategest that he hasn't changed.

114

@Filly (# 113).  True, education was very different at the time.  And Edwards was educated by his family (including siblings), who were all also highly educated.  Plus, he was a genius.  My point is only that it's not at all implausible for an 11-year-old to have been able to write this.  Hell, I still remember when I was seven and asked my dad, "If God is eternal, then wouldn't that mean He'd have to wait forever before He created us?" and that's when I got introduced into the concepts of the relativity of time, and how time is not itself eternal and all that stuff.  So yeah, 11-year-olds can do this, so long as they get taught outside of the public school system.

115
Posted by: Sam Besserman   Jun 29, 08:13 AM<p>
<p/>
First of all, I'd like to let everyone know I'm not a fabrication. I was just on Fox & Friends and everything I wrote is true. Some people questioned whether I could actually remember preschool. All I can say is that some people are different and can remember longer than others.
<p>
<p/>
It seems that NotSoFastFolks is my principal. He is someone who is obviously upset or, at the very least, embarrassed about what I wrote. As for “special needs,” last year my father asked the school to help make sure I was getting my homework done. It had nothing to do with my native intelligence. I just found that I was learning so much more from historical video games than from social studies, especially with a teacher who clearly had a bias against me. (Ironically, I thank video games for my vocabulary.)
<p>
<p/>
The principal has just been fired from the school and his unresponsiveness may have played a part in that. Why did he need to make inferences about my home life? Not only is my home life dramatic, crazy and fun, the points he is making are all irrelevant.
<p>
<p/>
My column reflects what happened at his so-called “school” and he tried to put the responsibility on me to stop my teacher from politicizing the class. My father asked him to speak to the class himself to tell everyone it was safe place to present their varying points of views, but he refused. My father did not co-write the piece and, for spelling errors, I used spell-check. (Of course it didn't have the word “misandrist” which I learned last year when I was looking for the equivalent word for misogynist to describe my 5th grade teacher.)
<p>
<p/>
I was encouraged to write the piece by a PR man who saw the video I did for Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney. I have also spoken at the Westside Los Angeles Dennis Prager Group and have just been invited to speak to another group. My worst grades were given to me by the most biased teacher. Coincidence? I think not.
<p>
<p/>
One last point --
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I had zero disciplinary problems in all of my schools. This is what liberals do when they can't argue! They make ad hominem attacks.
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It seems like my column struck a nerve with a lot of people and I hope that the discussion continues.
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Thank you for reading it.

116 It seems that NotSoFastFolks is my principal.

Well that is consistent with my comment analysis.

117

Look, I was a national merit scholar, 700+ on the pre'95 SAT verbal, loved english, writing, etc.  I read some serious books in junior high including Ayn Rand, Bork's Tempting of America, etc.  I'm not the smartest person who ever lived, but I was pretty smart.  No eleven year old writes that well.  I didn't write quite that well even in high school and got 5 and 5 on AP English Comp and Lit respectively. 

The biggest give aways are the perfect punctuation and use of commas, the use of double hyphens to set off parenthetical expressions, and certain word choices like "European colonists" or "moral inversion" or "embattled gender."  Come one guys, maybe he made the broad sketch of the ideas, but his parents significantly edited and added to whatever he said or wrote. 

When believeing something requries believing in a sig sigma event, assume there's another explanation. 

118 The writing style depends on the capability of the kid and the teaching received.  Edward VI and Elizabeth I wrote even scarier, more complicated, English than this at their respective ages.

119

@Roach "When believeing something requries believing in a sig sigma event, assume there's another explanation."

Since your description of your intelligence would put you well into the 99th percentile, then that requires us to believe in a very *rare* event.  Therefore, I assume there's another explanation than that you were really that smart.  After all, it's much more likely you're lying about all of that (since even idiots can lie) than it is that you were actually in the 99th percentile.  Therefore, we must draw hasty conclusions like you do and insist that you're a liar..... :-P

It would be one thing if the claim was that there were a LOT of these kids.  But one or two is not out of the question.  In fact, we should *expect* there to be *someone* capable of doing this.

120

Sorry if some of you supersmart types are not as super smart as you thought.

The kid may in fact be a smarter, better person than you are.

Plus, I heard he has a huge penis.

121 The elementary school librarian knew I wanted to read everything, so she started me at one corner of the library, and by the time I finished 6th grade, I'd read every book in the library.  Fourth through 6th grades. 

122 Wow.  Somebody give this kid a job.  Or something.

123

An apellate court in Connetticut ruled Pratt and Whitney can't move its factory out of state.

If I was P&W I'd burn the factory to the ground.

124

Hey, I was reading before I started kindergarten and was starting to read WAR & PEACE when I was in 6th grade; didn't finish it, but i tried! MOstly like to read my dads (USAF) accounts of WWII and strategy / technology books (did you know that the engines on a single XB-70 could generate enough power to provide all of Ireland with its electrical needs? Well, it could! In the 1960's.).

Not all kids today have the IQ of a wrung-out Spongebob Squarepants. Most of them, yes, but not all.

125

"I bet people would pay money for video of the reunion, of people arguing with him, and proving he has no real grasp of economics."

Maybe we could get Pete Stark to drop him some knowledge.  He's, like, scary-smart about economics.

126 When believeing something requries believing in a sig sigma event, assume there's another explanation.


Yes we could just apply Occum's Razor. That though in any instance is extremely lazy analysis. Their is a reason it remains a razor and not a theorem. It is because, when conducting analysis, no logical merit can be assigned to conclusions reached with the razor. It is a shortcut to better analysis-of-the-unkown tools like Bayesian Belief and should only be used when one hasn't the time to do the more throughough analysis. Apparently we here do, so we should, before reaching an opinion that impugns someone's, especially a possible future ally's, character.

In this case, would it be more logical to assume that this kid who apparently spent a bunch of time in private school would have the same dilapidated understanding of English that we had in public school at the same age? I think not. Logic would tell us all of his academic skills should be better than average, the only question is how much better.

127 Out, damn'd sock! out, I say!

128 An appellate court in Connecticut ruled Pratt and Whitney can't move its factory out of state.

Directive 10-289.

129 123 Peter

Exactly.

Personally, I was exiled to the library starting at fourth grade. I was "unteachable" and was becoming a "discipline problem" because I was bored. I consumed books. My writing skills, however, lagged somewhat, probably due to my social isolation.

I've known kids like this. Unfortunatly, they usually burn-out early due to the social pressures.

Early OUTLAW! syndrome.

130 His comment on AT about making the teacher parody video before writing the essay, does explain his last comment about "comedy gold" which had me scratching my head when I first read his essay.

131 His comment on AT about making the teacher parody video before writing the essay, does explain his last comment about "comedy gold" which had me scratching my head when I first read his essay.

Oh and about that comment. An experienced writer would have known the reader would have no idea what the hell he was talking about and been more careful to explain the potential for parody and comedy of said teachers manner in the body. He knows it, thinks it's obvious (which it isn't), and proceeds to assume the reader has knowledge they more than likely don't. For those familiar with composition, a closing statement or conclusion, not readily derivable from the body text, is a pretty substantial error.

132 124

BTW I also went to school with Austin Goolsbee and will see him@ our reunion in august. He was always a fatuous asswipe, even when he was 12. We can see by his work as Obama's economic strategest that he hasn't changed.

Posted by: gushka at July 08, 2010 02:35 PM (K7SqX)

I bet people would pay money for video of the reunion, of people arguing with him, and proving he has no real grasp of economics.

Posted by: buzzion at July 08, 2010 02:51 PM (oVQFe)

the hostess for this reunion is married to a Marine and she intends to seat Austin between MY marine and hers, just for fun. Yes we have discussed that we should sell tickets.

133

It's hardly "six sigma" to have your normal gifted kid IQ, as I did and claim above, admittedly without proof.  I didn't think it was really that impressive.  I would assume a great many bloggers were that smart, as these are people that write and debate for fun--a pretty self-selecting population.  Setting that aside, to write better than many journalists and college professors and bloggers and smart adults . . . at 11.  Well, compared to the alternative--his parents helped--the latter is many times more believeable. 

134 An apellate court in Connetticut ruled Pratt and Whitney can't move its factory out of state.

Good Lord, I would sure love to see the arguments and justification in that ruling!

135

Your message has been rejected because long strings of unbroken text are very annoying. Use the space bar or tinyurl.com as appropriate.

I used HTML as appropriate. I'm glad it threw away my post when it gave me this message. Poor error handling on the part of the web developer. I guess you get what you pay for.

136 BTW, when I was in the 6th grade I was explaining
E = mC² to to the other students plus showing them how to work the energy readout on a slide rule.

The teacher then was not amused.

137

My 11 yo daughter and many of her friends write at this level, No shit.  She reads a lot, sometimes several books a week, Twilight series, Harry Potter, etc. She Just read "Left for Dead" the other night which is the story of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.  Her mother always pushed the mechanics, I pushed the content by which I mean; I encouraged her to read above her level and to look up words if she didn't know them.  In this way and by working together with my wife, she is turning out great.  Her Twin brother, on the other hand, well lets just say, he competes with our 6 yo when it comes to reading and writing.  But he shows sparks of genius so we still have hope that as long as we keep working with him, something will eventually click.

I can see his parents editing the writing a bit to help out but I would not be surprised if he wrote that himself. 

138 Posted by: teh dave at July 08, 2010 03:46 PM (+2Gjy)

That is Pixy trying to fight the auto-spammers. That is why you see the spambots gloming on to people's posts now.

139

Excellent, doncha know.

140 My guess is that Sam was referring to leftie ideology when he mentioned "comedy gold".  The video appears to be brand new.  The older video that he mentioned was to help promote Not Evil, Just Wrong.

141 Errrg, I always cringe when little kids do political stuff. It's almost never out of there own free will. And plus, they're little kids.. what do they know?

142

My recommendation would be to output the content of the post (minus the html) with the error message. You could copy and paste your post and try again. From the content of the error message it looks more like it gagged on an anchor. I would also guess that from the widespread use of tinyurl on this site. But I'm not sure.

Anyway I think it's certainly possible that a high IQ kid could write that way. But stats tells us that high IQ kids are not the norm. So I agree that it is possible and that skepticism is warranted. But that's not how I said it before.

143 Also Vic, thanks for your reply.

144 Argument so far:

Pro: I was that smart as a kid, so why couldn't he be, too?

Con: I was an idiot as a kid, so clearly he must be, too.

So far we're at evens.

145 @148

Dude, I've tutored and taught kids that age.  The only difference between Besserman and most other kids when it comes to "mature" sarcasm and wit is that Besserman actually enjoys a large enough vocabulary to express his more fully. He's not a genius - he's just a bit more precocious than most.

146 So 150 comments and we're still hung up on the kid's IQ level? No discussion of his point?

Jeeze, people, even for us that's sad.

147 Jeeze, people, even for us that's sad.

Posted by: Garbonzo the Garrulous at July 08, 2010 04:40 PM (oL8lS)

His point is not exactly news to anyone here.

Here's another hot tip... them Democrats seem kinda hostile to patriotism.

148 Guess we need to see how this kid reacts in a live situation.

Full disclosure: I sure as hell wasn't precocious as a kid. At 11 all I cared about was trying to successfully load "Adventureland" onto Dad's Model I TRS-80.

Memorieeeees . . . through the swiss cheese of my miiiiiiiind . . !

149 I believe it.  I could write that well when I was 11, and I was already a larval-stage conservative curmudgeon.  We had to write an essay on a Dorothy Parker story about a racist Southern cop hassling a black woman on her driving test.  I griped about how the cop was such a blatant stereotype.  The teacher gave me a B -- well-written but she said I missed the point.  I didn't miss the point:  Parker was writing propaganda and would have admitted it if you asked.

150 I read read translated wrote the whole entire Old Testament when I was NINE!

151 By the time I was 11 my conservative political bias was firmly established.  Jimmy Carter was President then and I knew he was an absolute loser.
I could read and write like this kid when I was 11 as well.  Math, not so much.
This kids "behavioral" issues are no doubt due to the fact that he doesn't mimic his teacher's worldview.
In short, I'm saying this kid could absolutely be genuine.

152

Its not the writing or the vocabulary or the general content. It's the mature sarcasm and wit that is far beyond what even the most intelligent eleven year old would have that raises my doubts. 

My 11 year old wields sarcasm and wit like a rapier.  A lot of that depends on the homelife they have, if they are exposed to this sort of intelligence from their parents it's no surprise they develop it early.  Maybe you can't believe they are capable of it, but facts exist independently of your ability or willingness to believe in them.

Yes, there are kids who can do this.  Don't judge them all by the Xbox zombies you see on the cartoons.

153 It's a great story, but no way an 11 year old wrote that.

154 By the way, this story was written by a 14-year-old Rick Brookhiser: http://bit.ly/9UKZAu To be sure, he was edited by Buckley.

155 So yes, young people can write much better [esp. if they've been edited, or even have the tools built in to Word] than many give them credit for. I wrote a pretty kickass paper on computers when I was 11. Didn't hurt my dad was an engineer at IBM. We weren't a political family.

156 I called shenanigans when this first appeared over at American Thinker. The moderators over there censored my opinion that the kid was being used by his parents, that he is a literary Balloon Boy. Not sure what's going on at AT, where I comment frequently, but it seems that paranoia reigns, and editorial spines are turning into linguini.