"He's the first politically active and aware student I've ever had."

[liberalhistorian]

I've written before about my 12-year-old sixth grade son's progressive views and his getting in trouble at school for criticizing Shrub to a couple of friends on the 9/11 anniversary last week.

Well, I talked with the principal and the teachers involved and got a few things straight and made a few things clear, so that seems to be taken care of for now. I attended his open house last night, and I thought you'd get a kick out of what his art teacher told me. He has art class every day, and yesterday they began a new project, mosaics. He wanted to do a mosaic of Shrub picking his nose, lol (imagine what that would look like!), and was very vocal and specific about why he cannot stand our Great Leader. Apparently, the art class is more laid-back than the regular classes, and the teacher's been permitting him to "proselytize" the students about Shrub and the damage he's doing. I was a little apprehensive at first, but as it turned out the teacher wasn't upset at all. Rather, he was glad to see that a kid my son's age was taking an interest in current and political affairs, and was taking the time to become informed about the issues. He gets a real kick out of my son, and told me that "he's the first politically active and aware student I've ever had in ten years of teaching."

Am I raising an "afflict the comfortable" progressive hell-raiser or what!!!!

[RamboLiberal]

1. liberalhistorian - congrats to your son and you

You have a great son - but I'm sure you already know that! Glad he is a hellraiser in a progressive sense. Wish more kids were like him. Heck, wish more adults were like him!

[liberalhistorian]

6. I know, I

wish that, too!

[blm]

2. heheh..."afflict the comfortable"

you must be so proud.

[GainesT1958]

3. Now if, say, one out of every five classmates of his...

Would just follow his lead, we'd KNOW this nation was in good hands! :D

B-)

[liberalhistorian]

5. That's for sure!

I'm hoping that'll happen, but he does tend to come on way too strong sometimes. I've told him to tone it down and not get angry at people who support Shrub, because a lot of times they may not be aware of the whole story, especially if they only get their news from the mainstream "liberal" (ha!) media. Just calmly give them facts and discuss it in a civilized, reasonable manner. He has some work to do in that department, though, lol!

[RandomKoolzip]

4. Congratulations! Kids raised liberal usually don't rebel against their

parents. I'm evidence of that; my dad was an Anarchist (suggested I read Bakunin at 11 years old!) and I never wound up resenting him OR winding up in jail, etc.

Conservative parents, on the other hand....Well, the fifties begat the sixties, and that's all I gotta say about that.

Congrats on raising a smart kid.

[finecraft]

12. I agree

My son (now 21) never gave us a bit of trouble. We always had family political discussions around the kitchen table, and there was never an age he was "not old enough to understand".

[Sophree]

7. That's great, lh.

What a great job you're doing! You must be so proud. He got in trouble at school for criticizing * to friends? Did he actually get in trouble with the school admin. for that? That's BS. They definitely aren't encouraging kids to think for themselves, are they?

LOL, a mosaic of the nose picker. Is he using the picture that we have here at DU?

[liberalhistorian]

10. No, actually he came up with that idea on his own, since

he hasn't seen the DU picture yet. He registered last weekend, believe it or not, but he hasn't logged on yet (hasn't had time)! He probably will log on this weekend, though.

Edited to remove son's screen name.

[Divernan]

11. I think you should edit your post to remove his screen name.

He sounds like a terrific young man, and you sound like a very good and proud Dad, but I think every poster should have the right to reveal only what he wants to about him or herself, and you've pre empted that option.

[liberalhistorian]

15. You're absolutely right,

and I just took care of it.

[madmax]

8. I love it!!

Good job liberhistorian. :hi:

[slackmaster]

9. It's great to hear that!

Kudos to both you and your son. Too many kids fail to learn critical thinking skills.

:toast:

[jeter]

13. liberalhistorian, maybe you son is just sensitive to criticism

12 is an awkward age. Maybe someone told him that the assembly (if I remember correctly) to commemorate Sept 11, wasn't the best place to criticize Bush. It didn't mean that they were all attacking him, as you implied in your first post. You should encourage your son to speak out. But also to recognize that there are people who disagree. When a person speaks out, they have to expect others to disagree. It doesn't mean you are bad. Just be respectful.

The teacher doesn't sound as bad in this post.

[liberalhistorian]

14. It's not the same teacher involved in the

other incident.

[liberalhistorian]

16. What I found out happened was pretty much as he told it.

What shut the teacher and principal up, though, was when I asked them, after they said that the "the President should be respected no matter who he is, and he shouldn't be critical of him", if that applied to Clinton as well. You should have seen the looks on their faces when they realized how'd I'd thrown in right back at them, and caught them in their blatant hypocrisy, it was priceless!

[wryter2000]

17. That's great

Good for you and your son! You're teaching him all the right values.

[Gman]

18. Great story! On President's day in 2002

my daughter, (then 10) asked her staunch Republican teacher why we celebrate President's Day when the country doesn't have a "real president". The lady went through the roof and started stuttering to the glee of my daughter's classmates who thought it was hilarious. The teacher responded with something about respecting the president and my daughter replied that would be fine if we had a president!

Then the teacher was stupid enough to call me! I met with the teacher after school one day. She told me I needed to have a talk with my daughter and told me what she said. I responded with why I didn't understand why that was a problem as the country did not have a legitimately elected president. I then asked this staunch Republican what she didn't understand about that? I then offered to explain Florida. The lady turned beet red and weakly said something about respecting the president. I told the teacher that I had taught my daughter that no Republican, especially Bush is worthy of any respect from anyone and that I didn't appreciate her teaching in a Catholic school and taking up for a president that does not represent Catholic values such as opposition to the death penalty and social justice programs. The lady was absolutely scarlet red by then. I told her I was concerned she was teaching the wrong values to my child and that I would be talking to the principal and our pastor about her. I turned around, walked off and started laughing!

Don't fuck with me!