Liberal Education
OCM, Skipper ... Surely you remember Way Back When—When WE were in high school???
The Annual Spring Mock Trial of Harry Truman for dropping THE Bomb? The Autumn was reserved for a discussion on FDR’s foolishness in trying to hide its development from Uncle Joe, and a memorial to the Rosenbergs.
Posted by Oink
03/03/2006 at 09:26 AM
This Jay Bennish character was well-covered, with lots of sound-bites, on several local talk shows Thursday afternoon. Of course, it’s only a matter of time until the ACLU comes rushing to his side…
What’s with Colorado’s “education” system, anyway
1: Ward Curchill
2: Jay Bennish
3: Columbine.
Nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t definitely want to have kids in school there…
Teacher: I THINK you’re an ignorant, pathetic axxhole!
Posted by Oink
03/03/2006 at 09:42 AM
One of the people involved in the Parsippany High School mock trial was on Sean Hannity’s radio show (I think it was Sean and not Rush) to talk about this. He was a member of the defense. He was certain that Bush would be acquitted of all charges. The way he presented it indicated that it was not a biased function at all. While I have never been happy about these mock trials of prominant figures, it sounds like this is simply an exercise (one of many) and it was being done in a professional and unbiased manner.
Yes, JohnC et al. he would now that publicity is on him, would he not?
Brain Time! Consider the topic, “War Crimes Trial of George Bush”
NOW CONSIDER THIS PHOTO OF A KURDISH MOTHER & BABY VICTIMS OF SADDAM’S NON-EXISTENT POISON GAS!!
NOW, CONSIDER GETTING YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES
Posted by Oink
03/03/2006 at 10:19 AM
OCM, I am not in favor of regulating what it taught in the classroom. I am, however, in favor of teachers presenting their subjects in a professional manner. Within a geography class, it is entirely appropriate to discuss items relating to the location, population, economic and even political aspects of the countries of our world. It is entirely inappropriate to present a long, biased, and opinionated tirade against Bush, Kennedy, Hillary, or whatever. The kids are in that class to learn geography, not opinion.
IMO, debate classes will have opinion presented, but should not be confrontational. Rather persuasiveness will have a much better effect. Of course, we all know better.
On the Parsippany High School, I heard that this particular teacher is going to balance it with another trial (forgot which) and also did a mock impeachment of Clinton when he was in office. Not sure I really like our kids develing into that when they can’t even tell in what year or war the attack on Pearl Harbor took place or what the Civil War was fought about. But at least this teacher is being more ‘scholarly’ and teaching with a balanced perspective.
It is the teachers/professors who are so rabid anti-administration that they are skewing (or as in that English professor in NJ, not even their subject) their class/subject presentation. Education is to present information and expand your students’ minds, not a forum to make them believe as you do. That is indoctrination.
Oink, I agree wholeheartedly - I think a lot of this is about an anti-Bush/Iraq War/administration/conservative values - than about real education. And it is a shame.
It is the unions who are protecting these people who now feel free to push their own agendas instead of teaching our kids the basics to be able to function in the world.
And did you hear that Yale has a former Taliban spokesmen with a (formal) 4th grade education as a student? I hope that the Student Government and every applying freshman (current and for next year) files a lawsuit against them. They also banned ROTC from campus. I know lots of people, for whom that was/is the only avenue into college. And so much for freedom in America - it’s becoming MY freedom over yours.
What garbage.
If it were a NON-BIASED, FAIR approach,and a DISCUSSION, I would have no problem with it, afterall, America is all about freedom of speech....However, in my opinion, most teachers are Democrats- with the majority being heavily involved in their respective union, and historically are very liberal. Do I desire THOSE teachers teaching a child of mine such a topic? NO....because I honestly do not think they would ever be able to NOT let their own political view point play into the process, whether it be overseeing the project, or grading my child,a child who would hail from a conservative family.
As far as Bennish, the teacher from Overland High School....the story reads as that is his own personal opinion. Teachers should not be allowed in any school curriculum to teach their own personal political opinion/agenda. Again, if the topic is presented in a FAIR, NON-BIASED way, that is another story, unfortunatley, I don’t think that is the case in the majority of scenarios.
In as far as an actual war crimes trial going on at school....it is one thing to have a DISCUSSION about such a topic,and present thought provoking DISCUSSION and quite another where the President is compared to (Hitler), and a mock war crimes trial takes place. I don’t feel it should ever have gotten to the point of a war crimes mock trial- afterall- isn’t that impressing upon young minds that the President of this country is as bad as (Hitler) or worse? There is NO comparison there. Bennish wasn’t simply “trying to get his students to think”....he was blatantly trying to INFLUENCE his students as to his own personal opinion/agenda.The fact that his lawyer also represents (ward churchill) speaks volumes.
Posted by SouthernDoll
03/03/2006 at 10:45 AM
Personally, I’m glad these Barking Moonbat teachers are out in the open where they belong. Let them speak!! The last thing anyone should do is censor them. Broadcast their words from the highest mountains so that everyone can see just how desperately insane they are.
For example, Ward Churchill tried to be a big left-wing hero and ended up making such an ass of himself that even the South Park guys lampooned him; and quite well, I might add. Now no one takes him seriously, and he’s been all but forgotten by the same media who once championed him.
Let the smart kids in school (the silent majority) reinforce their own beliefs by seeing how NOT to be and watch them go on to lead successful, prosperous, happy lives.
So there.
OCM, you have a point, sort of, but if our kids keep hearing drivel over and over again - they will begin to believe it’s true. Especially in a society that sees The Daily Show as a source for news. Now that is sad.
Michelle Malkin
http://michellemalkin.com/index.htm
has a complete transcript of Bennish’s ‘class.’ If you read it carefully, this is more than just about a teacher ranting on his own beliefs. He can not speak cohertently, he contradicts himself, and he obviously hasn’t met a fact he can’t skew his own way - ever. And he does something, which apparently is becoming very common now, that I really dislike - he uses exclusive words (always, never and so on) when they do not apply. He did not even get his definition of capitalism correct. All of this shows it is his personal bias.This is not what TEACHING is about. If you can not get your facts correct or present a statement without contradicting it immediately - you are speaking on emotion and not teaching. And finally this - in my world geography the only thing I remember was that it was boring as heck and he talked a lot about the Byzantine Empire - can you tell me why this guy was ranting about President Bush and how evil and corrupt the US is????
I don’t understand why everyone is so upset about this. My fellow students and I knew going in that the teacher was just talking
most of the time anyway and we forgot everything they said as soon as we walked out of the door.
IMHO, this “trial” has its place ... in a government class or a debating club, right before a similar trial of Saddam Hussein - if, that is, you want to give HS students a chance to research topics and convince others with rational arguments.
Geography class should teach how high mountains are and how long rivers flow. Maybe this is why our kids are hitting college without the basic knowledge they need to graduate there? The basics are being swept aside in HS in favor of creating activists.
The best teacher I EVER had was a Korean War combat Vet named Richard Vazales.
He taught my required semester of US/State govt the fall of ‘87.
I enjoyed the subject anyway-still the “Vaz” made it come alive.
Despite his reputation as a tough teacher I aced both quarters-2 of the few “A’s” I recieved my sr. year.
Vaz also became a bit of a cheerleader for me when my world started falling apart later in the year.When I was doing my distance runs in track that spring I intentionally timed my run so that he would pass me on the street on his way home after picking up his wife
He would always yell something encouraging to me and wave as his car passed!Years later I found out that Vaz was a liberal democrat. I was already a smart-ass little conservative in hs, not that it made any diffference with Vaz.
He was just like that.Posted by Annoying Little Twerp
03/03/2006 at 01:02 PM
Teacher, leave those kids alone!!!
!!!enola sdik esoht evael, rehcaeT.
esnes nommoc
Thank you, NEA, teachers’ unions, tenure, expanding property taxes, etc, etc, etc
Hey everyone, my little conservative in the making did her part today. Apparently one of her teachers had to hand over her class to a ‘teacher’ in training and he has let them wander far a field (sociology class, discussion on War) anyway yesterday the little indoctrinated libs claimed that only Republicans start wars. So we sat down last night and matching dates of start and end - showed the only 1 Republican started a war (didn’t want to strain their little brains, so we only went back to WWI). The guy who supported her, said it was neat to see the facts written down (he might want to try opening a history book) rather than just hearing stuff. I guess it also helped her ego that a guy was the one who complimented her on her research.
She was always after me, baiting me on issues, most of the time I just thought it was a teenage girl thing, until we sat down and watched Fahrenheit 911. Man that opened her eyes wide - and she saw the light and came toward it.
Of course spending the summer with her sister and my ex - who are rabid history buffs did a world of good too.
Yes, mama, I was proud of my kids too. One denounced homophobia in an 8th grade project. One argued in college that AIDS ( in the USA) was in fact mainly a gay disease. One responded in Econ class, that J.M. Keynes’ problem wasn’t that he was gay, but “that so many of his lovers were traitors to the Crown”.
Posted by Oink
03/03/2006 at 06:41 PM
I was surprised as she has not liked how I talk about the Land Whale (I call him a Weapon of Mass Distortion), she said it wasn’t fair since I had not seen Fakenheit 911. I told her I tried to watch Bowling for Columbine - 3 times, but I just couldn’t get past about 10 minutes. I knew Fakenheit was going to be more of the same. So I finally figured out a way to see it, where the Land Whale did not make any money off our viewing. And as I said, she was shocked at how twisted it was.
They have all made me proud at times and then there have been moments with each when I would have prefered being on Mars than admit that they were my child [especially those priceless moments when the local constabularly was involved]. I am sure that we have all done that to our parents at one time or another.
Just happy she came around before she left HS, the others it took a tad longer (like having a real job and earning their own before they really understood the crap we parents have to take each and every day). Real life sucks - I wish I were back in school only worrying about homework or if I could manage to pass the cute guy in the hall.
No kidding plot summary for tonite’s Law and Order --
“The shooting deaths of two teachers and the rape of a student take place on a high school campus”.
(A normal day)Posted by Oink
03/03/2006 at 07:27 PM
I didn’t say I wanted to be in today’s high school. Even though I really didn’t enjoy it - I want to be in HS when I was there. Reminds me of a Calvin and Hobbes I read -
After a terrible day with Calvin at his worst - his mom and dad are getting into bed and his dad says -
‘if I had known my parents were making it up as they went along I wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to grow up’
or there’s Mark Lowry’s take on life -
‘You know I would have enjoyed it more, if I knew I was going to live through it.’
Then there’s Garfield’s take -
‘Some days I don’t know whether life is passing me by or trying to run me over’
All fit me this week. Hopefully it will get better. Kids think adults have all the power and fun and adults wish they were kids again. And so it goes.
