Posted on 02/18/2003 5:08:43 PM PST by TLBSHOW
Soviet Satellite School Brainwashes Teens
Every once in awhile, even the most jaded political combatant will have a moment that stops him in his tracks, a moment that makes him say “wow.” These moments are rare. Political animals make a life out of delivering the same arguments over and over again. The monotony is usually only broken by (i) the different contexts in which these arguments can be made or (ii) original, pointed humor. It takes something special to break through the usual political noise. For me, that something special was a shy teenage girl’s note. My “wow” moment came after my recent participation in a debate on the War in Iraq at Ithaca’s Alternative Community School (ACS). There were over 100 students attending the debate, ranging in age from 13-17. 99% of the students were opposed to military action in Iraq, likely due to indoctrination from anti-American teachers and parents. Certainly this was no surprise. (Many have argued that Ithaca is the safest location in the United States—anti-American terrorists would never bomb their allies.)
Following the debate, nearly 25 students crowded around me, just thirsting for knowledge. Among the most common comments made to me were, “You are so brave to have come down here to support the war,” and “I disagree with everything you said, but thanks for being here,” and “We never hear anything like that!”
In the midst of the handshaking and discussions, a shy-looking teenage girl approached me and handed me a white piece of paper, folded in fourths.
“It’s a note,” she said, “you can read it later.”
And with that, she walked away, disappearing into a crowd of students. I didn’t even have a chance to say thanks before another student started asking me about France. So I placed the folded paper in the inside right pocket of my blazer, forgot about it, and went on with my discussion with the crowd of students.
Later that afternoon, I returned home, took off my coat, and sat down to watch Fox News’s coverage of the latest Osama bin Laden tape. Part way through the program, one of the news anchors was scribbling something on a pad and it hit me—the note! I had forgotten. I sprang to my feet and walked over to the doorknob upon which my blazer was hanging. I reached into the pocket and pulled out the note.
As I unfolded it, I remember thinking that the note would probably be very hostile. I specifically remember hoping that the author would, at least, refrain from making fun of my hair (that’s so passe at this point).
And then I saw the first seven words: “It makes me sick how closed minded...” and I thought, well here we go again.
But as I read, a feeling of awe came over me. Here’s the note:
The simple note floored me. My first reaction was helplessness. Why didn’t she sign the note or leave an email address? I wanted to write her, to tell her that she’s not alone, that she should keep up the fight and be proud of her views.
And then it hit me. She was obviously scared to death. She was scared to tell me her views face-to-face because students and teachers were standing around when she approached me. That’s why she came up to me out of the blue and disappeared into a crowd before I could say a word. She didn’t sign the note because she feared that she would be connected to pro-American views and be punished by her school.
Is the Alternative Community School like an old Soviet satellite country, where folks holding pro-American views are punished? Was this girl a scared freedom fighter, having tasted a bit of the truth? My entire appearance at the school now took on new meaning for me.
Why don’t these teenagers hear points of view like mine in their classrooms? Why are these students being denied a full education? Why aren’t they learning about the doctrines of détente, containment, appeasement, mutually assured destruction, and peace through strength? Why aren’t they given full information by their teachers, taught critical thinking skills, and permitted to come to their own conclusions?
These liberal totalitarian thugs running the classrooms are more interested in brainwashing teenagers and creating disciples than teaching them how to think. I looked into the eyes of an adorable 13-year-old boy and watched him tell me that America brought 9/11 on herself. Tell me -- where does he get that garbage? It was a truly horrific sight.
The anonymous note has had two profound impacts on me. First, it has heightened my deep anger at liberals for exploiting and brainwashing America’s youth. Second, it has heightened my deep anger at conservatives for allowing liberals to exploit and brainwash America’s youth. Liberals have targeted America’s children, espousing the evil philosophy of moral relativism and—for the most part—conservatives are content to sit back and hope that the kids will “grow out of it.”
It’s time for conservatives to get back in the education game. We need to take back our turf classroom by classroom, student by student. And we need to do it for all of the young girls out there who are too scared to speak their minds or sign their notes.
Congressman Billybob
No surprise that they would discourage any thing but ultra-liberal thought.
Ithaca is run like a giant liberal cult.
Ithaca is host to two colleges, Cornell U (aptly nick-named "the Big Red") and Ithaca College (which flies the gay flag over its campus), the two major employers in the area. They insure that a disproportionate amount of "ivory tower liberals" dominate the city.
Here are few typical Ithacans:
Locating copies of National Review or the American Spectator requires a trip out of the City, while Ithaca magazine racks remain well-stocked with copies of The Progressive, and The Nation. Readers interested in exposing themselves to a full range of national opinion are simply out of luck.
As a result of this dominiance, politics in Ithaca runs the gamet from "liberal" to "communist."
For years, the town had an openly socialist mayor. They later elected him to the school board.
Even today, the City and County governments are dominated by democrats and Green party members. Ithaca is so "Green" that Ralph Nader got more votes in Ithaca than George W. Bush, and the NYS Green Party held its 2002 nominating convention there. The current Chair of the County Legislature is a radical former anti-war protester, self-described hippie, who says "My values haven't changed, just my tactics."
As a result, we get lunacy like spending $500,000 to install solar panels on the new library (in cold, dark, upstate NY).
Even law enforcement is subject to political correctness. The outgoing police chief's major concern was "pushing for departmental diversity." The acting chief was chosen simply because they wanted a woman, and now spends her time attending topless protests .
To make matters worse, the liberals who dominate Ithaca work overtime to impose their ultra liberal agenda on the area children. As the local newspaper recently put it, “In most places, youngsters spend their summers camping, or at the mountains or the beach. In Ithaca, they learn how to become social activists.”
The School District has mandated that elementary school students in the first and second grades be graded on how well they "respect others of varying cultures, genders, experiences, and abilities." It's even listed on the schools' report card. Despite this alleged tolerance, a student who was found reading the bible on her lunch hour was chatised for doing so. Another was directed not to bring a book about Christmas to school.
These schools churn out "educated idiots," who are so liberal, they write editorials that argue "Bin Laden is Human too."
Need more proof? Do a search for "Ithaca" here at FR. You'll see a near daily dose of institutionalized, unfettered, liberal idiocy.
Or maybe with Ann Coulter on Hannity & Colmes.
(Ithaca, NY) Pro-Democracy demonstrators burn a PRI flag on
the Ithaca Commons. The demonstrators gathered to
protest Ithaca's resolution opposing the use of force
to free the Iraqi people. (Satire-The Comedian)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
