We're bombing again.

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

Now that the school year has begun, do you ever wonder, whatever happened to the "peace" curriculum? I mean, what are teachers supposed to do? Throw out story starters that begin with metaphors of "Peace is...?" Is it now folly to encourage students to write on Martin Luther King's "I have a dream?" since, face it, we're always at war? How can schools teach peace and reconciliation if our country is about invading, bombing and killing?

[On the Road]

1. Well, If The Government is Bombing Someone

then it's anti-authoritarian to oppose it. May help with a lot of students.

[LizW]

2. Good questions

My kids' schools teach really good character-building and citizenship lessons. They cover issues like resisting peer pressure, teasing, bullying (and how to stick up for others who are being bullied), stopping hateful speech, racist speech, intolerance, etc. I've always thought it was a terrific and beneficial program. However, last year and this year I've wondered if the children see the contradictions between what we teach and what we do.

For instance, every child has to learn steps to non-violent conflict resolution. At every grade level they role-play and practice solving conflict without hitting or yelling. The teachers reinforce it all the time when problems come up. It's amazing to watch. But doesn't it seem that kids would start to question why we as a nation don't use the "steps"? Why is it that when we don't like someone, or they have something we want, we just call them names and bomb them?:(