Okay, your child is in a classroom. The teacher is doing a lesson on addition explaining to the class. The teacher asks how much is five plus five. A student starts waving his hand wildly. The teacher calls on this student. The student proudly, and with a great deal of confidence, says five plus five is twelve. The teacher points to the student and says, “Johnny claims five plus five is twelve.” Other students raise their hand but teacher Chuck realizes that they are getting behind on their lesson. Okay, we are moving on to science project. That night students in the class are doing their homework. They say that 5 plus 5 is twelve. Parents so no, that’s not right. The students say that is what the teacher told them. They are afraid they will not pass the next test. One parent goes into school and finds teacher Chuck. She asks,
“Did you tell my child that 5 plus five is twelve?”
Teacher Chuck says, “No I did not do that. Johnny said 5 plus 5 is twelve.”
“But you corrected him right?” The parent asks.
“Excuse me,” teacher Chuck says, “but correcting what students say is not my job.”
Professor Chuck is standing in front of the class. He asks what the class thinks the first amendment of the constitution is. A student stands up and shouts out, “The first amendment is the amendment that says America is exceptional and must always be treated as such.” Professor Chuck offers a shrug. “So what is the second amendment of the constitution?” He asks.
A year later Melissa, one of Professor Chuck’s student is at a law school interview and is asked what she thinks about first amendment issues. Melissa pulls herself up and says, “I believe it is difficult to consistently say that Americans are exceptional.” The admissions committee tells her what the first amendment actually is and then tell her she will never get into their law schools.
Melissa goes to professor Chuck and asks him why he said the first amendment was about American exceptionalism.
“I never said that,” Professor Chuck says. “One of the students said that, remember?”
“But why didn’t you correct him?”
“Correcting a student is not my job Melissa.”
Doctor Chuck is examining a patient who is prone to diabetes. Doctor Chuck tells the patient he should watch his diet. The nurse says, “Yes, and that means eating a lot of candy every day.” Doctor Chuck shrugs and goes on with his examination.
Two years later that patient comes back to Doctor Chuck and tells him he developed diabetes.
“Why did you say it was okay for me to eat a lot of candy.”
“I never said that,” Doctor Chuck answers. “My nurse said that.”
“But you didn’t correct her?”
“That’s not my job” Doctor Chuck says.
How long can we survive is everybody thinks like Chuck Todd?