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| Blame America first and last |
| 2004-11-10 |
| A blog, but one I'm sure few here read. On Topic and astounding Dickinson College, in partnership with the Smithsonian, sponsored a contest for 9-11 lesson plans. Winners for the elementary school, middle school, high school, and college level share a common theme, says Front Page: It's our fault. Call it Blame America 101. Outspoken leftist activist and fifth grade teacher Bob Peterson, whose plan to teach 9-11 at elementary schools was selected as one of the four winning entries, urges students to consider the attacks "in the broader context of global injustice." To wrap their young minds around terrorism, Peterson contends, they must first untangle the "tough questions," such as, "Why do they hate us?" Another winner, Iowa middle school teacher Tracy Paxton, recommends a vocabulary lesson. Among the words she believes shed light on the nature of terrorism are, "Al Qaeda," "Saddam Hussein," "stereotype," "Taliban," and, ominously, "Right wing." But not "left wing." Equally politicized is the lesson plan of Oregon high school teacher Masato Ogawa. A proponent of "multicultural" studies, Ogawa's lesson teaches students about the legislation prompted by September 11, the Patriot Act. Far from a dispassionate discussion of legal issues, Ogawa's lesson exhorts teachers to present the Patriot Act against the backdrop of the Japanese internment during World War II. Finally, there is David Mednicoff. To teach his winning course, "Explaining Terror: The U.S. and the Middle East," the University of Massachusetts professor, a strident critic of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East who has accused Israel of backing the Iraq war in order to ethnically cleanse Palestinian Arabs, relies on a book by Fawaz Gergez. Gerges, it may be remembered, is the prominent Middle East studies professor who, prior to 9-11, downplayed the danger of militant Islam and assailed the U.S. government for "inflating" the importance of Osama bin Laden. |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #24 Anon4724---Just found your email address in my file, email on its way. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-11-10 7:31:34 PM |
| #23 Alaska Paul, Yes and thank you very much for helping. I am keeping a sort of low profile for now, just in case..... |
| Posted by: Anonymous4724 2004-11-10 6:54:15 PM |
| #22 Anon4724---weren't you in Saudi Arabia and had someone looking at RB before you got out? I sent emails to Steve White, Fred and others for you. Please email me. I lost your address. Glad to see you back on RB. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-11-10 6:47:26 PM |
| #21 4724 - I don't think Ingham went to Kerry but am not positive - only Wayne/Washtenaw and some UP counties I know of. CNN and Fox both have county by county maps that give the exact breakdown. I was born in Howell. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-10 6:33:42 PM |
| #20 RJ: I"m still here and it is indeed still occupied. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2004-11-10 5:58:16 PM |
| #19 Lex, I went to San Mateo High, grew up in Foster City. Moved to San Diego two years ago and haven't looked back. I love the bay area but if felt like occupied territory for a while there (probably still does). |
| Posted by: RJ Schwarz 2004-11-10 4:09:41 PM |
| #18 Bomb-a-rama, I would like to nail her first. I am just watching her to see what she is going to do next. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4724 2004-11-10 3:40:23 PM |
| #17 His Social Studies teacher, the most ignorant American I have ever known, has taken upon herself to brainwash the class on blame America first and last. He stood up for his country and since then she just has it in for him. Get your kid outta there. I would if I were in your place. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-11-10 3:07:57 PM |
| #16 Jarhead, Lansing in general might have been conservative but East Lansing has always been the home of the liberal crowd. We just moved to the area (Okemos) and we were under the impression that the neighborhood and the school district were fairly conservative. We were pulling our hair out when Kerry signs started popping out everywhere until we talked to our neighbor. He explained to us that our neighborhood was populated by MSU professors and that this part of the city has always been like that. I am not sure if Ingham county went to Kerry, do you know? By the way, my husband was born in Norway, Upper Peninsula. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4724 2004-11-10 12:57:45 PM |
| #15 #10 lex - You kids can get their social development at church, scouts, non-school league sports, etc. People I know who have home-schooled say that's not a issue. [disclaimer-I don't have kids. I'm basing this on the testimony of experts - those who do.] |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-11-10 12:27:11 PM |
| #14 4724, I'm originally from Michigan to. Though I graduated from H.S. over a decade ago I don't remember the p.c. bs being so prevalent as when I did college (also in MI). I remember Lansing being much more conservative then Ann Arbor but I guess you have your lib teachers anywhere. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-10 12:25:01 PM |
| #13 Since July we don't reside in the Bay Area. Got fed up. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-10 12:11:16 PM |
| #12 Where in Bay Area do you live, Mrs D? We left San Mateo a year ago. Miss the weather and our friends but otherwise pleased with the big step up in our economic situation. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-10 12:08:58 PM |
| #11 Lex, scroll around that web site. It has connections to all the big homeschool web sites. You'll get the pros and cons there. There's no right answer, but a lot of it has to do with the chemistry of the parent and child working together and the child's attitude about being taken out of the social culture of the school. It's a big comitment but what's more important than you child's education? Frankly, I'm more concerned about the debilitating effects of the peer culture than the transparent and ineffective efforts of teachers to brainwash my kids. They have made for many humorous discussions at the dinner table and finally led one of my daughter's start a blog to record the insanity. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-10 11:46:29 AM |
| #10 thanks, 4724. Has anyone here considered/actually done homeschooling? I've resisted from fears that it would hold back our children's social development, but I also don't want to have to undo all the damage wrought by idiotarian social studies nonsense |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-10 11:38:56 AM |
| #9 Anybody remember the Smithsonian's efforts to label the atomic bombing of Japan as "American aggression" [scroll down]? |
| Posted by: Old Grouch 2004-11-10 11:29:08 AM |
| #8 A4724, it sounds like you've done a good job at home, where most education, or lack thereof, takes place. My kids grew up in the bluest of the Bay Area and voted their first time for Bush last week. School teachers can teach skills, but they just aren't smart enough to brainwash kids who are smarter than they are, which is most kids. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2004-11-10 11:10:21 AM |
| #7 lex 2004, Unfortunately, in the home of Michigan State University. We are very concerned about what type of education our son is going to receive from people who are so detached from reality. On an interesting note...during the mock election at my son's school, of course Kerry won; he took the time to survey the students voting for Bush. He, at 11 years old, realized that most of the students voting for Bush were first generation very successful immigrants, mainly Koreans and Vietnamese. He asked us why Americans who have been here for such a short time appreciated and loved this country more than Americans who have been here for generations? We thought that was a very good observation for somebody that young. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4724 2004-11-10 11:03:47 AM |
| #6 I'd bring it up at the local PTA meeting and put some heat on the school to do something about it. Simply ask if brainwashing is condoned by the school and point out some of the things this teacher has done, and is doing, to the kids. I'm sure there are a lot of parents that have no idea what's going on. Either that or buy your sixth grader a few shirts with the American flag on it and see if the teacher over reacts. If she does it will likely escallate and be to your advantage. You could always call Bill O'Reilly, I think he'd love to do a story like that. |
| Posted by: RJ Schwarz 2004-11-10 10:42:02 AM |
| #5 Anonymous4724 - where do you live? Am wondering whether this is a problem confined mainly to college towns and other enclaves of anti-US idiotarianism like the Bay Area, Seattle/Portland etc or something much more widespread. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-11-10 10:32:17 AM |
| #4 My husband and I signed up the volunteer sheet at the beginning of the year. We are yet to hear from her. We are waiting for the next School Board meeting to approach the subject. We would have not cared if she would had just stated her opinion but to try pass it as facts, that is another story. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4724 2004-11-10 10:28:47 AM |
| #3 especially after finding out that we just moved back from the Middle East Meanwhile she probably hasn't been out of the country..... If you offer to talk to the class offer to the Principal and have him/her approach the teacher in question. I know when I first visted a '3rd world' country it really opened my eyes. And that was the Philippines. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-11-10 10:17:07 AM |
| #2 4724 - stay strong. If you feel she's being biased and not teaching the facts feel free to write the board or superintendent. Hold these folks accountable every step of the way. Better yet, offer to come in and lead a discussion on your experiences in the M.E. - that will get her. I assume that your son goes to a public school? |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2004-11-10 9:47:19 AM |
| #1 My Sixth Grader is an outcast in his class. His Social Studies teacher, the most ignorant American I have ever known, has taken upon herself to brainwash the class on blame America first and last. He stood up for his country and since then she just has it in for him. Two nights ago we had our first Teacher/Parent conference and she could not hide her dislike of us, especially after finding out that we just moved back from the Middle East and my husband is an economist. She knows it will be impossible for her to bullshit/brainwash us or our son. |
| Posted by: Anonymous4724 2004-11-10 9:36:00 AM |