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To grade school children coached by their pissant teachers to condemn their actions..

Actually, at least around here, most teachers don't "coach" their kids against the military. In fact, I don't know of one that does. Yes, there was that one idiotic teacher in New York, but I'm sure there were MANY times more that sent nice letters to those in the military. Those won't get mentioned by a media driven to deliver negative news or those with a political agenda against education. We had a high school here that had a very moving assembly with a teacher who wss stationed in Iraq and some of his buddies. There wasn't a dry eye left in the place as they told their stories. Another high school had a drive to make a state holiday to compliment a soldier. They actually got a bill passed by the legislature designating such. Do you think those got reported??? Not hardly a bit. (that sentence doesn't sound very well)

Some people forget that there are many teachers too with relatives and sons and daughters serving overseas too. My own brother is in the Air Force. I'm probably the most pro-military teacher around. My thinking is that they do the job that I'm too wimpy to do. There's no way you'll ever catch me complaining about them. I never have and never will.

I can't piss like an ant anyways. It's too hard to get down that low.

Moog, your story, and many I'm sure are not reported by the media.. and whose job it is to plow through obstacle...?? Yours. I can tell you what I see and hear that isn't in the media, and teachers are as intimidated by their administrations, just as regular business folks are intimidated. Fear of losing a job. Pretty much the whole deal in a nutshell. Do teachers cow their students.. damn straight they do, and that's where the power of the press comes in, and it does affect children. Whether good teachers like yourself want to engage their administration to take on the perception of the public about a highjackedup education system or not, is probably not a fair question.. but nothing is fair about this is it? Whose future is screwed up if the adults don't take charge?

I don't forget there are teachers, bankers at Wells Fargo, salespeople at Home Depot, cashiers at Target, that have friend and family in Iraq. I have family there too. So what is an American to do when their company endorses anti-American politicians, policies? What if that company wants to be a big global player, but they have to turn their back on the country that afforded them success in the first place? Business is business.. we are just people that get in the way.

A related Issue (and Story):

9/11 triggered an intense interest on my part to re-study Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" --along with ancillary readings of Pipes, Lewis, Fukuyama, Giddes, Armstrong, etc.

I then originated, structured and (finally, with considerable political difficulty) implemented, and taught a seminar course on the impact of the "Islamic Resurgence on Western Civilization" at the local college.

The course was very well received by the students; but I ran into a sustained atmosphere of political correctness and ANTI-MILITARY bias from the Dean and Chair of the Department. The discomfort was palpable. And the success of the course provided the administration obvious heartburn.

Even though the students were totally supportive of the course -- and even wanted to continue the studies ad hoc, at the end of the semester -- the credit seminar was prefuctorily DROPPED from the formally credentialed Political Science curriculum.

I am in a "going to the mat" with the President of the College -- and may bring in Senator Kyl before it is over. The college gets federal money through support and grants; yet, I am cut off at the knees by the faculty lefties in the administration, simply because I am a retired Naval Officer with graduate degrees, who might challenge the students to do some serious, unbiased academic work for a change.

Political Correctness and anti-military bias is rife at the college -- and we now reside in rural Arizona! God only can imagine what I would have run into in the Bay area.

The country is in serious trouble. These academics are tearing the country apart at the seams! I kid you not, folks! /s/ Captain Daniel K. Pope IV, USN (Ret)

Actually, at least around here, most teachers don't "coach" their kids against the military.

I've been a high school social studies teacher for the last sixteen years here in Miami Dade County, the last eight in the inner city and you'd better believe that a lot of teachers wear their liberal agendas on their sleeves! So that's the first thing I always discuss with my seniors each year, the difference between subjects, issues and agendas. See my "about page" for further details, lol. I fight the liberal agenda everyday and I have had many successes, even if only tangentially.

I teach American Government, Economics, Psychology and Sociology. Next year, my administration wants me to teach Advanced Placement classes for which it is possible to receive college credit if certain conditions are met. For the first time, I'm going to get a chance to teach the movers and shakers of our future. Awesome responsibility and I can't wait for the next school year to start!