Posted on 02/23/2005 7:12:14 AM PST by srm913
Bloomberg Defends Troop-Trashing Letters
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is defending letters sent to an Iraq-bound GI by a sixth grade class in Brooklyn that trashed America's military heros as war criminals.
Asked about the letters on Tuesday, the liberal Republican explained, "Well, look, we have freedom of speech and you certainly cannot go around censoring what people want to write." Bloomberg's defense came just hours before the teacher who supervised the project, Alex Kunhardt, offered a full public apology to Pfc. Rob Jacobs, who received the toxic diatribes last month while awaiting deployment in South Korea.
"I deeply regret that any letters from my class offended anyone in our military," Kunhardt said late yesterday. "The responsibility for this action is mine alone, and I apologize."
In a story first reported by the New York Post on Monday, Kunhardt's students sent Pfc. Jacobs 21 missives, 15 of which contained criticism of the Iraq war, the troops or President Bush.
"I'm concerned that George W. Bush is president for another four years, because he doesn't want to get the troops out, so you might end up staying longer," wrote one pint-sized war protester, according to the Post.
Others accused Jacob's colleagues of "killing innocent people" and "destroying holy places like mosques."
Bloomberg argued that the GIs would actually appreciate the derogatory screeds, explaining: "Most of them believe that the freedoms that we have, like the freedoms to write critical letters, are protected by them putting their lives at risk."
For his part, Jacobs father, Robert, said he was satisfied with Kunhardt's apology, but that the mayor's comments left a lot to be desired.
Appearing on "Fox and Friends" Wednesday morning, Jacobs, Sr. said, "Unfortunately, it looks like, for the mayor, political expediency."
He said Bloomberg appeared to be siding with the parents of Kunhardt's students, who will vote in his reelection bid later this year, instead of his son, "a kid from New Jersey [stationed] on the other side of the world."
Or the kids that wrote the letters...Not Guantanamo, though; Let's send them to Iraq.
Sounds like a capital idea to me!
bet if they had quoted the bible, or advocated smoking them kids would be in detention, letters would have gone home, and there'd be hell to pay.
or, God forbid! one of the little blighters would have had the audacity to suggest that abortion might not be som wonderful after all!
What if they had written letters in opposition to homosexual behavior and the homofascist agenda?
Would Bloomberg be crying "freedom of speech" then? Ha!
NY Freepers, man your battlestations.
Bloomberg is nothing more than a Rat in Elephant hide.
I wish Mr. Bloomberg had a son or daughter that could be packed off to battle to receive a letters like those he defends. I doubt he would think kindly of anyone saying any of those things to a loved one of his.
Bloomberg is an ignorant idiot!
Can anyone name 10 FReepers who were glad to see him replace Giuliani?
Sixth graders don't write crap like that of their own accord. They have been taught and encouraged into that mindset. The teacher should be fired - there is NO way those letters went out without her reading them and she knew they were saying exactly what she wanted them to.
Real Freepers or Rats in Freeper attire? lol
I can't name one, much less 10.
HA
that teacher is getting promoted.
The Mayor, like the rest of his cohorts in the dimocrat party, loathe the military.
The teacher apologized huh? Just where do you suppose they got this idea? Had to have been a class project wouldn't you think? Who in the world is filling these kids heads with such B.S. You would think the teacher would have proof-read the letters wouldn't you. Apologized my backside. I think he got exactly what he wanted."The Mayor, like the rest of his cohorts in the dimocrat party, loathe the military."
...and take their marching orders from the teachers' mafia
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