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February 21, 2005

Another public school indecency ...

I'm a proponent of vouchers not because I "hate" public schools or p.s. teachers but because they have become a shining example of how a government monopoly, insulated and rarely held to meaningful account, devolves. Parents are ordered by law to deliver up their children to schools over which they have little choice in choosing, let alone vetting the teachers.

Whatever your personal politics, if you are a reasonable person, this person should appall you.

An American soldier overseas is fuming over letters he received from Brooklyn middle-school children accusing GIs of destroying mosques and killing civilians in Iraq.
Pfc. Rob Jacobs of New Jersey said he was initially ecstatic to get a package of letters from sixth-graders at JHS 51 in Park Slope last month at his base 10 miles from the North Korea border.

That changed when he opened the envelope and found missives strewn with politically charged rhetoric, vicious accusations and demoralizing predictions that only a handful of soldiers would leave the Iraq war alive.

"It's hard enough for soldiers to deal with being away from their families, they don't need to be getting letters like this," Jacobs, 20, said in a phone interview from his base at Camp Casey.

Of course, don't hold your breath that this teacher will be even minimally disciplined for a total breach of his profession's mission and responsibilities. The teacher's principal, Xavier Costello, issued this mealy-mouthed dodge:
"While we would never censor anything that our children write, we sincerely apologize for forwarding letters that were in any way inappropriate to Pfc. Jacobs. This assignment was not intended to be insensitive, but to be supportive of the men and women in service to our nation."
The man is as morally clueless (or politically corrupt) as the teacher. We would never censor ... our children? Oh for crissakes. Not only are these children who the school is charged with teaching things like appropriate behavior, does Xavier Costello really think we'd buy that "never censor" remark if what the kids were writing were things vicious or critical about him, the teacher, or fellow students?

Yeah, right, sure, uh huh.

Thanks to Kevin at Wizbang

Posted by Darleen at February 21, 2005 09:35 AM

Comments

Look, I don't entirely blame the GI in South Korea for being upset. For starters, the letters aren't even directed at him, they're directed at his comrades who are getting their limbs blown off in Iraq while our nation continues on its downward spiral of violence. Innocent Iraqis are dying in greater numbers than ever. And yes, as one of Kunhardt's students pointed out, mosques ARE being destroyed. But I don't blame Pfc. Rob Jacobs for this, and I also don't fault him --or his father and sister--for getting upset. So they're getting more than a little publicity out of this. 15 minutes and perhaps a whole lotta love mail is what they're getting. Good for them.

But here's the problem: First Rupert Murdoch's Post, then CNN, then Hannity and Colmes pick up this very minor story and make it into a cause celebre. THAT's what I have a problem with. This matter deserves no such level of attention. It's absolutely ridiculous.

And the ONLY REASON it is getting this level of attention is that the MAINSTREAM CORPORATE NEWS MEDIA IS NOT LIBERAL-- on the contrary, they have a decidely right wing bias, in addition to gravitating to personal stories that appeal to mainstream American's love of all things military. Sean Hannity will go on and on tonight about how this is a TYPICAL, not atypical, example of what is happening in our public schools. Kunhardt will lose his job. The Wizbang crowd and the Post readers will cheer. And for what? For a couple letters that made it to the wrong GI and hurt his feelings?

Something is wrong with this country when, even in the heart of a so-called Blue State, dissent of any form is treated with attention all out of proportion to its relevance.

As Charlie Brown used to say, Good grief.

p.s. If you want me to acknowledge that Kunhardt made a mistake, I will...but only if you acknowledge that this issue has been overblown and that those kids have every right to write what is in their hearts.


Posted by: Brad at February 22, 2005 02:09 PM

Brad, you just don't get it, do you? With your mindset, I wouldn't ask you to acknowledge anything, just get some knowledge!!

Posted by: Clel Harr at February 22, 2005 02:23 PM

What don't I get? Spell it out, since you think I'm so dumb.

Posted by: Brad at February 22, 2005 02:34 PM

Brad

The MSM is decidedly leftist-liberal. Period.

But they will follow a juicey story (OJ, Scott Peterson, etc) for a reason even bigger than their bias

RATINGS

I'll look it up later, but polling of the members of the MSM show they are decidedly LEFT of the average citizen on key political/social issues.

I don't mind a POV, I just don't like to have someone blow smoke up my ass saying they are "objective."

Posted by: Darleen at February 22, 2005 05:21 PM

Brad,

Pull your head out of wherever you have it stuck for a moment. The children did not "write what is in their hearts". They parroted the opinions a dipshit teacher inculcated in them. I have four children in school and I see it all the time. Under the guise of education, biases and agendas are passed on.

One example, admittedly less repulsive than the one related above, I saw recently on the website of one of our local middle schools: A class was given the assignment of creating bumper stickers about Christopher Columbus, in honor, I suppose, of Columbus Day. Two of the bumper stickers posted on the website recognized Columbus as an explorer and the European discover of America. The other 15-20 characterized him as a Nazi, a slave dealer, and genocidal racist. I have no intention of canonizing CC, but it was evident to me that the lessons learned by this class glossed over the important historical contributions he made and focused on his (not inconsiderable) flaws. Rather one sided, in my opinion. After mentioning it in a discussion (on another topic entirely) with an assistant superintendent, the bumper stickers disappeared from the website. No idea if the disappearance is related to the discussion. But I would hope that the school administration did act, because young minds are too susceptible to ideas forcefully communicated by teachers, whose role is to teach children what is true and right - not what they hold as opinion.

Posted by: Dave at February 22, 2005 08:10 PM

Have US forces in Iraq destroyed mosques? The DOD says yes.

Have US forces in Iraq killed innocent civilians? The DOD says yes.

Shame on these blue state children for bringing these facts to the attention of the Crusader.

Posted by: Top at February 24, 2005 11:10 AM

Any destruction of mosques or killing of civilians by US forces was accidental and in the process of neutralizing a violent entity determined to prevent the Iraqi citizens from having a say in their future. If the DOD admits to such you should be willing to give them credit for honesty. There have been sufficient reports of fighters hiding explosives in schools where children were in attendance for you to realize they had little concern for the safety of the children. Many civilians have been killed by mortar, RPG, and small arms fire from the Islamic fighters while they were targetting US soldiers or Iraqi policemen.

What kind of person kills his country's police and civilans?

Criminals and terrorists.

Many of them are Sunnis who were the favored henchmem that Saddam Hussein used in his reign of terror and they don't want to give up their elitist position.

Posted by: Heralder at February 25, 2005 01:03 PM