tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post7212417452339963053..comments2023-11-10T04:17:00.492-05:00Comments on View From The Porch: Welcome to the jungle, it gets worse here every day.Tamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-60665632266341438112008-10-20T12:59:00.000-04:002008-10-20T12:59:00.000-04:00My daughter's 6th grade class has discussions abou...My daughter's 6th grade class has discussions about who they think will win the election and why. She says that only three of her classmates think that Obama will win.<BR/><BR/>At that point of the conversation my son (her twin) blurted out that those three kids were stupid. And my daughter immediately reminded him of the trouble his friend got into during school for voicing that same opinion in class. and that he apparently hadn't learned anything from that lesson yet.<BR/><BR/>So at least in their class the students can express their opinion without being the target of abuse by their fellow students.<BR/><BR/>But then my children attend a small parochial school in a predominately conservative town. And the children there are not allowed to prey on each other regardless of the topic of discussion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-33321424067873848682008-10-19T23:36:00.000-04:002008-10-19T23:36:00.000-04:00guh. The last straw with the "racist" thing for me...guh. <BR/><BR/>The last straw with the "racist" thing for me was when Trent Lott was pressured to retire over the "birthday" comment. I'm not defending segregation one bit, but the way EVERYONE folded in the face of that "get of town you Evil Racist Lott" without a chance to defend his name was disgusting to see. <BR/><BR/>That was when I decided the only reasonable action in the face of bogus racism charges was an all out 'who the heck do you think ARE??!' response EVERY time, and to NEVER let it slide. <BR/><BR/>To do otherwise not only lets unacceptable intimidation carry the day, it also spits on Dr. King's "content of their character" dream.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, <I>real</I> racism is a terrible evil. And the best way to get more of it is to rely on screaming "racist" to win arguments - or elections.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16682072668997410668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-4711090732504072362008-10-19T21:28:00.000-04:002008-10-19T21:28:00.000-04:00If they're going to do it that way, why don't they...If they're going to do it that way, why don't they own up and call it a <EM>mockery</EM> election? Truth in advertising, and whatnot... teachable moment.phlegmfatalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08636803080525003892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-77886133662044797682008-10-19T18:46:00.000-04:002008-10-19T18:46:00.000-04:00The Left's Party Platform demands "Scientific Elec...The Left's Party Platform demands "Scientific Election Consensus," besides Global Warming Consensus - and a host of other <I>consensui!</I>NotClauswitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14358707844087117280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-63237277038711123612008-10-19T13:23:00.000-04:002008-10-19T13:23:00.000-04:00I remember being the lone kid out when it was Clin...I remember being the lone kid out when it was Clinton / Bush in my elementary here in Indiana. I was still right.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-75679613603880862872008-10-19T12:49:00.000-04:002008-10-19T12:49:00.000-04:00Most professions and professional organizations ar...Most professions and professional organizations are concerned about the way they are perceived by the public and take at least some degree of care to make sure they are not perceived as rabidly partisan or overtly disrespectful to the beliefs of large segments of society. <BR/><BR/>Not so the teachers, apparently. Admitting a fair number of individual exceptions like the esteemed Mr Gwinn, the profession as a whole seems quite pleased to alienate anyone who is a gun owner, Republican, conservative, capitalist, Christian, or any other non-Lefty persuasion. Nor does the "imparters of knowledge" communtiy seem to harbor much respect for anyone whose accomplishments occur outside the academic arena: an accomplished welder or a successful machine shop owner are regarded as low life, compared to a dropout from the local community college's Master of Angry Womyn's Poetry program currently employed making coffee at Starbuck's.<BR/><BR/>And from the Missing the Whole Freaking Point department - a public ballot? Where voters are hazed and peer-pressured into supporting the groupthink-approved candidate? What lesson in representative government is this supposed to teach?<BR/><BR/>I have a three year old son and a daughter due in December. I keep flipping back and forth between private school or home schooling. I certainly haven't seen much to make me want to entrust my kids to the local government-run brain grinder.alathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07774862634576632497noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-31752925255169189922008-10-19T12:27:00.000-04:002008-10-19T12:27:00.000-04:00On the upside, we may console ourselves with the f...On the upside, we may console ourselves with the fact that George McGovern carried the K-12 vote...Tamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-78307366425964152942008-10-19T11:07:00.000-04:002008-10-19T11:07:00.000-04:00I think some of you might have your rose-colored n...I think some of you might have your rose-colored nostalgia glasses on. There was a time when a teacher was found to have the constitutional right to free political speech while on the clock, which was held to mean that you could talk to the students about who should win the election and why you thought so.<BR/><BR/>It's not like that anymore, legally speaking. Don't kid yourself about the "good old days."Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15824445546892392815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-53073718237069646112008-10-19T09:55:00.000-04:002008-10-19T09:55:00.000-04:00Argh. At least when my elementary school held moc...Argh. At least when my elementary school held mock elections (I think that was probably Reagan / Mondale) they brought in actual voting machines.<BR/><BR/>I seem to recall Mondale won. Come to think of it, there's really no guarantee the outcome wasn't fixed. Ah, the joys of adult cynicism tainting every childhood memory.<BR/><BR/>I voted for Reagan, of course. ;)perlhaqrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01920117742664645165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-73714541479084540682008-10-19T07:39:00.000-04:002008-10-19T07:39:00.000-04:00I don't recall doing a mock election with real can...I don't recall doing a mock election with real candidates. No teacher <I>would ever</I> attempt to promote a candidate when I was in school. Jesus, that is awful. Between this and Jay G's Crosman hat controversy... well, it makes me wonder.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-15322692367121417452008-10-19T07:02:00.000-04:002008-10-19T07:02:00.000-04:00I agree it was no accident.I was speaking to my so...I agree it was no accident.<BR/><BR/>I was speaking to my son yesterday... at 14 he is seeing the same type of thing in school, politics wise.<BR/>He asked questions about who was running for what.<BR/><BR/>Amongst the things I told him, some basic rules for looking at elections.<BR/>Chief among them.... when you see one side working to silence the other, it's because they have something to hide. Never, ever, ever vote for them. Never trust them again.Carteachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08468700184940877315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-35168183109850658322008-10-19T06:11:00.000-04:002008-10-19T06:11:00.000-04:00We had pretty much the same drill in fifth grade 1...We had pretty much the same drill in fifth grade 1968 except it was campaign posters. I don't even remember my own but clearly remember another kid's "Pat Paulsen for President" poster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15907727.post-39678822856561609602008-10-19T00:57:00.000-04:002008-10-19T00:57:00.000-04:00This was not done by accident. It is a lesson to t...This was not done by accident. It is a lesson to tow the line and conform or face the consequences. Public humiliation and no support from the government teachers. Sends a powerfull message.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com