Thursday, November 6, 2008
Right or Wrong?
http://cupcakeexpress.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/a-very-interesting-video/I found this video someone put up on their blog. I was very disappointed after I watched it. I totally feel that the teacher in this video is So wrong! Some schools are letting the kids practice voting at a grade school level. think this is a wonderful way to get our youth to feel like they are involved and to let them know that their vote is and always will be very important.. The only problem is teachers like this one. I believe everyone has a right to their opinion but this teacher is way out of line on this one. She is supposed to be setting a good example for children. She tells the children it's OK to speak up and say if they were voting for McCain, but when these children do, she says " Oh Jesus John McCain" letting them know she was not happy. In my opinion she should have kept it to herself.. I would be furious if a teacher singled out my child just because he/she is speaking up for what they believe. My children participated in their school practice vote. They were very excited and felt like they were involved. Not once did anyone in that school make them feel ashamed for how they voted. They are just kids! I feel sorry for the little girl she speaks to who's father is in the military. To tell this little girl that her father will be in Iraq for another 100 years is just plain uncalled for!Let me know what you think....
Sherry I think that you are right. I dont think that teacher should have been hounding those school kids about the elections. Half of them are only choosing the person that their parents are talking about and the other half doesnt have any idea what is going on. I do not think that they should even be talking about the elections until they are atleast in their teens or not even until they are 16or 17.
ReplyDeleteThe woman in the video reminds me of some people I know, who just blatantly throw their opinions out there. I think the idea of dialogue differs from community to community, so I'm not sure it was as incendiary as all that. She simply had an opinion, and foisted it onto her students. This happened to me often in school. We all have a bias, and this can affect anything we do. I know I have a strong political bias, and I fully believe in the things I believe in. It can be difficult to separate the truth that one sees in one's heart and the reality that exists out there somewhere in the universe, as if an objective truth really did appear identical to the person who is "correct" enough to see it. In her defense, though, McCain did say he would want the troops to stay in Iraq for 100 years if it was necessary. Perhaps, also, she was pulling for Obama more as a response to what she saw as salvation for the USA, to bring a more just system back to our activity in the world. Regardless of her personal opinions, though, she did not try very hard to be objective! When she exclaimed "oh jesus," & the like when students expressed their opinions, that certainly doesn't foster an atmosphere of safe exchange of ideas. She was very unprofessional.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Sherry. From my perspective, it is good that our schools are letting children know that they should vote, because thousands upon thousands of people have faught and died for the rights that we live under today.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that this teacher did not assess the situation properly. She obviously firmly stands behind Obama. Good, she should keep exercising her rigts! It is not in her rights though, to make school children feel uncomfortable with stating their beliefs. This is a problem in a lot of places, even at our own school. One of my teachers gets up on their "soap box", and makes beligerant remarks about certain people with certain historys. Which should also not be done, because teachers are supposed to be leaders. If they are going to lead, they should do it properly and not mislead people!
Steve-O
I agree with you two Sherry as someone who wants to become a teacher i could not imagine treating a child like his opnion is wrong no matter what. The teacher could have been polite and just say he or she was voting Obama which would have just let the child know that everyone has their own opnion and its neither right nor wrong.
ReplyDeleteYou know, it's kind of funny, but may relate to this. When my daughter came home from school after they talked about the election, I think it was Monday, nov. 3, she said she wanted McCain to win. I talked to her for a minute about what I thought about McCain, & Obama, & in about a minute or two, she was all for Obama, all the way. Most kids don't have a very informed base for their opinions. An influential adult can sway them with a few sentences. Their opinions are like practice ones, because she, for instance, won't vote for another 11 years! However, I kind of think many adults are about as easy to manipulate, but may have fancier wordings for why they have the opinions they do. They certainly can exercise a significant amount of power based on their beliefs, whether they are well-thought-out or not!
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