My Team of Writers
From this point forward I will refer to the voices in my head as “my team of writers”. I have two issues my team of writers have been kicking around, but I’m not really sure how to make them mesh into one article. They have been driving me crazy. Maybe I’ll make it two articles. I dunno, we’ll see.
Both issues have to do with education.
We are (what?) seven weeks into the New Year. And I can list three similar stories that bother me. The first was when a six year old kid was suspended from school for making a gun with his hand and saying “Pow”. The second, was when a five year old girl was suspended for 10 days for making a “terroristic threat” for talking to a friend about shooting her with a “Hello Kitty Bubble Gun”. Yes, you read that correctly. A gun, in the shape of Hello Kitty, that shoots BUBBLES (Lawrence Welk would have been thrown in prison for life.) And most recently, last week a seven year old was suspended from school for throwing an imaginary grenade into an imaginary box filled with “something evil” to save the world.
An imaginary grenade into an imaginary box…So he threw nothing into nothing…? (hmm)
I can completely understand these young heroes desire to fight. My favorite part about imaginary fighting is the fact you get to thwart evil. You never get to thwart anything in real life. I like to thwart. My advice to these young patriots is to always have a backup finger gun strapped to your ankle in case your two primaries get confiscated again.
Is it just me, or does it sound like the administrators need to grow up?
Last week Dr. Benjamin Carson was at a prayer breakfast with President Obama and said he thought PC (Political Correctness) was dangerous (click here for the awesome speech). I agree.
The second issue that has been bothering me is about an article I read. Apparently, in Texas there is a web-based system used in 70 percent of the schools state wide to assist teachers with lesson plans. The system is “built by teachers, designed by teachers.” Many are concerned that it is difficult for non-teachers to get a look at the program.
One of the lessons for sixth graders “showed different countries’ flags and instructed students to “notice that socialist and communist countries use symbolism on their flags.” It went on to ask students what symbols they would use if they were to create a flag for a new socialist country.”
Many of the other lessons “promoted pro-Islam ideals, or described participants of the Boston Tea Party as terrorists.”
Pardon me Miss? I believe I ordered my brain-washing on the side.
The whole “designing a flag” thing BUUUUUUUUUUGED me. But because I had recently had a conversation with a young man about the “Boston Tea Party as terrorist” the article kind of set me off.
For the record. The Boston Tea party story has always rubbed me the wrong way. It is part of history. It happened. I get that. But terrorist? Come on.
Quick review: The Boston Tea party was in response to the Tea Act of 1773. The Colonists objected to the Tea Act because it violated their rights as Englishmen. They, rightly, believed they should be taxed only by their own elected representatives and not by a British parliament in which they were not represented. “No taxation without representation.”
I remember being taught the Tea Party was the catalyst that started the Revolutionary War. Hmmm…not really. In fact it probably set the whole thing back. It really dispirited both American and British supporters, like Edmund Burke.
George Washington disapproved of the destruction of the tea, and Benjamin Franklin demanded the India Tea Company be reimbursed (they were). Samuel Adams defended the raid by saying that all other methods of recourse, you know like…voting — were unavailable.
Many of the founding fathers considered the raid an embarrassment. The Boston Tea Party was not celebrated for another 50 years.
Not one person was killed. Paul Revere made sure to replace a lock that was broken during the raid and severely punished a man who stole some of the tea for his personal use (HEY…just like the terrorist of today who paid for the rebuilding of the…er…oh…forget it).
But kids today are taught that this great country was made from the act of terror. Come on. It took three years before our founding fathers engaged in their truly revolutionary act: The signing of the Declaration of Independence (for perspective the iPad was originally introduced three years ago in April).
In that document, they set forth, in clear terms, their complaints with British rule, their earlier attempts at resolution, and an appeal to the Supreme Judge of the world for independence from the crown. I remember a few years ago reading the Declaration of Independence to a group of Boy Scouts. It was almost a spiritual experience.
Are these things being taught in your school? I dunno if they are in mine. But at least we can sleep well knowing we are safe from six year olds with imaginary guns.
LIFEZILLA: This Valentine’s day tell your lover the three little words she (or he) has been dying to hear: “I love Lifezilla”.
