Can Someone Put the Col. Teacher's Thoughts in Context...

[D_Master]

I was with a Right wing friend of mine tonight and he was listening to Laura Ingram and she was playing the clips of this teacher's statements and I have to say, for a Geography class they seemed a bit out of place. As a teacher myself they tell you to watch any obvious religious or political statements and that you can answer students' questions with your opinions, but that you shouldn't provide your own opinions during class time. Some of the things he said were true in that we have the WMD's and are still producing them, but that many believe we are the most dangerous country in the world and that the flag is seen similar to the Nazi flag is a lightening rod right there asking for trouble. I just wondered if anyone knows what the preface for this lesson was that he would even be on a topic like this in a geography class?

[LisaL]

1. We are not the most dangerous country in the world?

Which country is the only country in the world to actually use nukes on another country? You figure it out.

[Stephanie]

2. gosh golly gee i wonder

really you people should learn a better technique. you're one-trick ponies.

[DearAbby]

3. the tape recording of the teacher here

can hear the tape recording of the teacher here

http://www.9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJEC...

[D_Master]

4. I wasn't debating what he said...

I was merely pointing to the fact that saying something like that in a classroom is asking for trouble. Students tend to talk a lot. Sometimes I'll say something jokingly and have akid come up several classes later and ask me if I really said it. When a teacher says something like that it's bound to get around and back to a parent who may have a problem with it, which is why I was asking what the context was in a GEOGRAPHY class. Had it been a class studying societies or history maybe.
Personally I hate to say someone is dangerous based on what happened 60 yrs. ago, by that arguement we might as well have left Germany split and left our nukes pointing at Moscow since they were both dangerous towards us at one time in history.

[LisaL]

5. We ain't exactly sitting at home minding our business these days

either, are we?

[D_Master]

6. No one here seems to understand

My question is, what were they studying, what lesson were they covering that would warrent a teacher to go off and talk about us being dangerous and people around the world hate us. I agree with much of what he said, but as a teacher I don't see the objective for his lesson other then to simply get something off his chest. If a Rwinger had a class and went off telling students in a Geography class how great Bush was doing we'd have people all over these boards up in arms, like they probably are over a FreeRepublic calling for their job. What I want to know and no one seems to know or want to answer is, what context were these comments made? What were they covering that made these comments useful to the discussion of a geography class?

[LisaL]

7. The person who would go off on how great Bush is

would have to be delusional, wouldn't he?

[D_Master]

8. No he'd be a Freeper

which in essence is one in the same i guess. But there are plenty of people around here saying this guy is dulsional and anti-american.

[Stephanie]

12. you tell me what venue IS appropriate to exercise your right to speak

you want to censor teachers, who else would you like to censor? what difference does it make what the context was? if it is illegal to talk about the government of the united states in a classroom, i'd like to know.

[Hissyspit]

11. Geography IS a class where you study society and history.

It is a social studies class. Those topics may show up more indirectly than in a pure sociology or anthropology class, but they are part of the study. Geography is not purely earth science, it is political borders and cultural identity. The teacher is giving information and perspective to these students that they may find nowhere else. Many of these students will not go to college and will never have any other exposure to more enlightened or less mainstream perspectives and facts.

I haven't listened to the tape and am not commenting specifically on what the teacher said, just some comments based on your request for context.

You can easily make that case that we are the most dangerous country in the world based on the fact that we are the last true superpower and that we are abusing that power, and that therefore we can be described accurately as the most dangerous country in the world. WE HAVE LOTS of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Keep in mind as well, you are hearing ONLY WHAT THE STUDENT CHOSE TO TAPE OR RELEASED. Some of the original context may, in fact, be missing. I get quoted out of context all the time outside of class and it can be VERY distorting and very offensive in its ignorance.

[seabeyond]

9. i agree with you. my kids are amongst the very few, or only ones

that do not see bush as placed in office by god. i would have huge problems if my kids teachers where to take too strong of stance in supporting bush. i would be down at that school having chats with those teachers and if not resovled would be talking to the principle. where as my 5th grader is studying our govt. and they were studying supreme court during alito hearing. so i educated him about alito and the courts before class so he would be informed. he told me his teacher is balanced and teaching subject, not advocating president and i can pretty well bet she is a bush fan. so pat her on the back. my youngest got a lesson from class on mlk and in this area i was truly impressed how they handled such a possibly controversial lesson for the kids

i agree, all adults have a responsiblity in presenting in non bias, factural and relevent manner, especially in todays political climate

[Rex]

10. Yeah that Nazi stuff is in bad taste.

Bush and his brood act like nazi wannabes. He should have pointed out the difference. The guy has to teach current events and maybe he made it to the Middle East region.