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My kids are in high school. We'll get a look at the speech on Monday and all talk about it, just as we would with a newspaper article or listening to a report on TV/radio. We try to give them as much input as we can, from all sides of the issue and from a variety of sources. Of course they know our POV, but they don't always agree. It's more important that they have a solid argument than it is that they agree with us.
One thing I'd like them to watch is this video showing how teachers can easily politicize a classroom. Of course this can happen on either side, there just aren't any videos of a conservative doing this.
I know you did not create the video but pls. be mindful of what you post. First of all, it's spelled Asheville and secondly the teacher taught elem. school near Fayetteville, NC. You'll see from any map that these two cities are far apart from each other.
Well, other Presidents (and more often, First Ladies) have done various things with kids - such as the War on Drugs. That was a rousing success, LOL!!!
Some background on that video above. It took a while to find this out as blogs and websites tend to repeat bad information:
This video was from a Swedish documentary called "From Bill to Barack: A Journey from 1992 to 2008". It was about how changes in society led to Obama's election.
The video was filmed in Fayetteville which is about 120 miles East of Charlotte.
As noted above, it was not filmed in Asheville, NC. Asheville is not spelled Ashville, in NC. (clear sign there is more to this story)
The Swedes came looking for this teacher, Diatha Harris, because they already knew her as she had been host to G. H. and Barbara Bush in 1992. This event was part of their 1992 Documentary on the presidential election.
According to Harris, this was a math class and they would not have been discussing politics. However, at the request of the film crew, the question and answer session about the election was asked of the kids. It was done in front of this film crew.
Harris, says that what is being shown on youtube and blog sites has been doctored to make it appear she beats up on McCain kids.
I watched the Swedish video and I don't think Harris vindicated herself. On the other hand, I have to wonder what is going on here. There had to be representatives of the school system present as I would not believe they would let the film crew wander around aimlessly.
At worst it's a bad situation for the children. Does it have anything to do with Obama talking to the kids, I don't think so.
To put it into perspective, when I was this age the schools in the Carolinas were still segregated and there would be NO Black people in the school at all. Any discussion, of the President LBJ would be strictly forbidden. By the late 1960s he was universally hated by most of the White population in the South and the idea that he might come and speak to the kids would be unacceptable. The hero was George Wallace. (go look that one up if you are not familiar) This was followed by Nixon and Watergate so my impression of President in those days as a kid was not good. I would have enjoyed hearing from ANY President. The point that as an adult, and I look back at these events, I was not influenced by them no matter how much my parents, society, the government, etc etc tried to maintain a status quo.
I would hope that 40 years and a generation or two later, we might have progressed a bit beyond this. If Obama wants to broadcast a message I think it is great. Is he going to turn your kids into communists, fascists, or even Democrats by one speech? I don't think so. I can't say that attempting to control them by turning off everything you disagree with is going to do much good or not but in my experience, based on the above, it does not. (and times were a whole lot more divisive then)
I think that parents who are so over protective of their children that they do not allow them to see both sides to a topic...any topic...do their kids a disservice.
I am reminded of a family that I knew many years ago whose religious beliefs forbade them from ever watching television. ANY television. They had 5 kids and these kids were desperate to find a television to watch...just for the sake of watching it. Phooey, you could have had the news on and these kids were enraptured just because it was television. I married into this family, and, yes, I had a television. The kids practically killed themselves to come to my house to watch it. Now, I was very careful to make sure that the only programs that they watched were wholesome and good; the parents knew that the kids were watching it at my house, but, were giving them another side to the argument. (rather stealthily, I might add)
The kids grew up to continue with the theology of their parents (as far as I know, we have lost touch in recent years; no longer married and he has since died). But, they were given a choice. And, we respected each other's belief systems. Many people in that church thought that these people were heretics by allowing their kids to see the other side. Yet, it did not harm them at all!
Kids are pretty perceptive. We don't give enough credit to them to decipher the good/bad in messages that they receive. One 45 minute message, once a year or so will not so radically harm the child to cause this kind of fuss. This is just insane!!
Location: Michigan to South Jersey to west of Charlotte
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I'm puzzled by this. I've heard from a lot of older (than me) people who listened to FDR's fireside chats as kids in Michigan, Ohio, WV, PA & NJ, just to name states off the top of my head. Some may have lived in other states.
FDR regularly told kids to do well in school & asked them to help him with the war effort.
I suppose that depends on where the teacher wants to take the conversation. Certainly the questions regarding how the president is inspiring and how we can help the president can be very leading. Personally, the president probably wouldn't want the kind of help I have to offer. If the teacher is not careful and vigilant it would be easy to imagine a class full of students becoming polarized. It's probably best to leave out such questions altogether and instead concentrate on how students can best achieve their own goals and become an inspiration to others. It is after all, about the children.
Quote:
Originally Posted by muffinman
I know you did not create the video but pls. be mindful of what you post. First of all, it's spelled Asheville and secondly the teacher taught elem. school near Fayetteville, NC. You'll see from any map that these two cities are far apart from each other.
I know where both cities are. You are correct, I did not create, edit, or label this video, nor did I put words in this teachers mouth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewBeginnings12
This is one teacher being a moron... Let's see how many videos I can pull up of moron McCain supporters doing the same thing..
Gimme a break...
No wonder we have so many "uninformed" people out there.. this is where people are getting their information from.....YOUTUBE.... how sad..
I clearly stated, I am sure this happens on both sides. If you can find a video of conservative teachers doing the same thing I'd be happy for my kids to view that as well. As for being informed...I am. I have encountered teachers who tell racist jokes, proselytize on matters from politics to religion to social conformation to social rebellion, engage in sexual harassment, engage in hazing, politicize topics with the result of some students being vilified and condemned by others. I have stood up to them all, regardless of their political affiliation or motives or how innocent the offense seemed to be. It's not the kind of thing that should be going on in ANY classroom. I don't hold teachers up on a pedestal to think they are beyond behaving in such ways, I know better (while recognizing it is not the norm). It would seem rather naive (uninformed??) to suggest that only this one teacher is capable of such behavior, she didn't even seem to know she was doing it.
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