Tips for Parents/Schools for September 11, 2001 (teach about american intolerance! NEA crap)

10. Discuss historical instances of American intolerance. Internment of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor and the backlash against Arab Americans during the Gulf War are obvious examples. Teachers can do lessons in class, but parents can also discuss the consequences of these events and encourage their children to suggest better choices that Americans can make this time.

1. Violence and hate are never solutions to anger. The terrorists caused tremendous harm because they acted violently against innocent people out of blind hate. We must not act like them by lashing out at innocent people around us, or "hating" them because of their origins.

2. Groups of people should not be judged by the actions of a few. It is wrong to condemn an entire group of people by association of religion, race, homeland, or even proximity. No one likes to be blamed or threatened for the actions of others.

3. America is strong because of our diversity. Known as the great "melting-pot" of the world. American democracy is founded on respect for individual differences. Those differences in culture, religion, ideas, and ethnicity have contributed to the strength and richness of our country.

4. All people deserve to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity. Certainly individuals that are proven to be guilty of a crime should be punished. No matter how angry we are over these terrible crimes, our Constitution ensures fair and equitable treatment under the law for all Americans.

5. Vengeance and justice are not necessarily the same. Everyone wants the terrorists punished. Our government is working to identify who they are and how we will bring them to justice. Justice means punishing the real perpetrators, not innocent people. Hurting our classmates and neighbors will not make us safer, stop the real terrorists, or help punish them. It will only add to the hate and anger, increasing the risk of further violence.

6. We are in this together. People of all ethnicities were hurt by these attacks and all Americans are saddened by the senseless violence. We need to support each other , comfort each other, and work together to help those most in need during this difficult time.

7. History shows us that intolerance only causes harm. Some of our country's darkest moments resulted from prejudice and intolerance for our own people because Americans acted out of fear. We must not repeat terrible mistakes such as our treatment of Japanese Americans and Arab Americans during times of war.

8. We need to work for peace in our communities and around the world. The best way that we can stand up for our country at this point is to unite behind the principles that make us strong. By reaching out to our classmates, friends and neighbors of all ethnicities, we can help heal the wounds from these events, build stronger, more resilient communities at home, and show the world that American values will endure now and forever.

9. Tolerance is a lifelong endeavor. Protecting against harassment of our Arab American classmates and neighbors is most critical right now. But the issues of tolerance and inclusion go beyond this period in out national life together. We must embrace these values towards all Americans for all time. This includes race, religions, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and those with special needs.

1. Model tolerance and compassion. Children take their emotional cues from the significant adults in their lives. Avoid making negative statements about any racial, ethnic, or religious group at these very tense and troubling times in our children's lives. Reach out to your neighbors and colleagues who might feel at risk right now because of their ethnicity.

2. Provide useful information. Accurate information about the people, events, reactions and feelings is empowering. Use language that is developmentally appropriate for children. Make sure that all information is factually true. This is especially important when news reports have negative statements about Arab-Americans or any other ethnic group.

3. Avoid stereotyping people or countries that might be home to the terrorists. Children can easily generalize negative statements to students in their classes and community. Focusing on the nationality of the terrorists can create prejudice, anger and mistrust for their group members. Be clear about your statements and biases, and help children understand their own prejudices.

4. Address the issue of blame factually. Explore who and what may be to blame for this event. Use non-speculative terms. Do not suggest any group is responsible. Do not repeat the speculations of others, including newscasters. Do not encourage or allow random blaming; but understand that self-blame may be a way for students to fell "in control" (something different they "could have done" or "could do" in the future). Be careful to ensure students (e.g., Arab-American students,) do not assume blame in order to make classmates feel better. Blaming is especially difficult in terrorist situations because someone is at fault. However, explain that all Arab-Americans are not guilty by association or racial membership. Help kids resist the tendency to want to "pin the blame" on someone close by. In this country, we still believe that all people are innocent until solid, reliable evidence from our legal authorities proves otherwise. Further, we have no reason to believe that the attacks on our country were part of an organized plan of any other country. The terrorists acted independently without the sanctions of any nation.

5. Discuss how it would feel to be blamed unfairly by association. Ask children if they have ever gotten in trouble for something a sibling or friend did and how they felt. Would they like it if their entire class were punished for the actions of one student and if they think this would be fair? Older children might want to consider what would have happened if all white American males had been condemned for the Oklahoma City bombing.

6. Explore children's fears. Even children who can describe what happened may not be able to express fears, questions or describe assumptions or conclusions they may have made. Use activities, role-playing, and discussions to explore their fears about the events and their feelings about various ethnic groups.

7. Emphasize positive, familiar images of diverse ethnic groups. Identify people of diverse ethnicities that your children know and who have a positive place in their lives. These could be neighbors, friends, school personnel, health care professionals, members of their faith community, or local merchants. Discuss the many characteristics, values, and experiences the children have in common with these people.

8. Identify "heroes" of varying backgrounds involved in response to the attacks. These include fire fighters, police officers, rescue workers, military personnel, public officials, medical workers, construction crews, engineers, and regular citizens who are volunteering their time, perhaps even risking their lives, to help victims of the attacks and restore the country to normalcy.

9. Undertake projects to help those in need with people from diverse backgrounds. Helping others is part of the healing process. Working with classmates or members of the community who come from different backgrounds not only enables children to feel that they are making a positive contribution, it also reinforces their sense of commonality with diverse people.

11. Learn about the diverse communities and faiths represented in your area. Knowledge debunks myths about other people and can humanize other cultures. In school, have children share information about their family or cultural customs to reinforce the notion that all people have special beliefs and rituals.

12. Read books with your children that address prejudice, tolerance, and hate. There are many, many stories appropriate for varying age groups that can help children think about and define their feelings regarding these issues. The school or local librarian can make recommendations.

1. Provide parents with information. Send home materials on class lessons, book titles, resources for further information, and opportunities to help. Enlist support from parents to prevent "teasing, bullying or abuse" of any students.

2. Train all school personnel. Every school professional should be trained to model tolerance and intervene immediately if a child is being bullied. This includes bus drivers, lunchroom and playground monitors, after school program leaders, coaches and extracurricular activities directors.

3. Share information with community groups. Provide talking points, information, and intervention strategies to local community organizations dealing with children. This can include local libraries, youth programs, recreational facilities, and the media.

I haven't seen any requests for adults to attend the day's activities. It seems that having the parents present (those who choose to attend and are able to make to time to do so) would do more to foster a sense of "community". But then some parents would raise a red flag at some of the obvious indoctrination.

Adults should only visit the schools for "open house" (when everything is in order, no surprise inspections) and to discuss what their jobs are like, I guess.

Good Grief, more liberal blather. Let us not forget, genocide is a Biblical concept. It was God himself, who on multiple occassions in the Old Testament, ordered the children of Israel to wipe out entire nations (men, women, children, cattle, etc.)

As for violence never solves anything, we both know better. Germany and Japan were not stopped in WWII by diplomats sitting down and reasoning with them. They were stopped by repeated demonstrations of superior firepower. As Rush Limbaugh is fond of saying, "The purpose of the military is to kill people and break things" and "the ability to wage war is the best deterrent to war". I am so sick of hearing about "tolerance" and "intolerance" that I am going to get physically ill all over the next liberal that brings it up. Go talk to the Palestinians who dress their 18 month old babies up in suicide vests about tolerance. Then go talk to the Saudis about respect for women and religious diversity. Then, if you are still alive, MAYBE I would be more willing to listen.

The first (and only) photo I've seen of a body from 9/11 was in a French copy of Photo Magazine (there is also an American Photo Magazine that is from the same company).

Neither magazine ever duplcates articles. One month both magazines ran articles on 9/11. The American article was largely text accounts of what photojournalists saw. The French magazine had an assortment of photos and among them was a body on a stretcher (or in an open body bag) from the clean up.

If we aren't going to be exposed to carnage within our own nation by foreign attackers, then I don't ever want to see bodies from "domestic terrorists" like OKC and certainly don't want to be exposed to carnage from foreign countries (to spin to me to back some policy or other).

Tips for Al Quaeda and its supporters (as a model to discourage fanatics from "acting out" their feelings of aggreession toward America (The Great Satan)

1. Try to be more tolerant toward those with whom you disagree. You will benefit from patience and understanding.
2. America has cruise missles that can hit small and large targets with great effect from long distances. They will use them on you if you ignore tip number one.
3. America has a wide variety of bombs it can drop from 40,000 feet with amazing accuracy.
4. American military personnel are very good shots with m-16 rifles.
5. The treads of American tanks don't really need to be greased with the guts of the enemy, but then again it doesn't hurt the tanks to do so.
6. Many Americans believe that a bayonet in the belly is a good way to releive the pent up hatred in those who caused or supported the 9/11 attacks.
7. A lot of Americans are getting a little tired of being attacked and you never know when their government might actually respond in a way designed to end such attacks for all time, so don't take that chance.
8. If you really must attack America in the future, confine the attacks to places like Ithaca and Berkely, where there are people who apparently will not think bad of you for attacking them.
9. The NEA has not yet spead the Ithaca-Berkely ethic to all regions, but they are working on it.
10. In the meantime remember there are FReepers and other Americans who don't think there has been NEARLY enough response yet to last year's attacks. Don't push them.

Not everyone has the ability to pull their childre out of public schools. Homeschooling is not an option for those who do not have the skills to be an effective home school teacher. (some people know their limits) Private schools are not an option where they are unavailable or unaffordable.

This leave parent only with the option of active involvement. Teachers may give lip service to reform but the fact is the student and the parent are with a particular school for a limited time. The administration needs only put up with an attentive parent for the 4 or 5 years in a particular school. It is only when the same parental concerns are carried like a torch year after year, (voting cycle after voting cycle) that reforms will recieve more than lip service.

I'm a homeschooler, and we teach our children to respect people through example. Our family is very diverse. I wouldn't condone my children picking on another child simply because his name sounds Arabic, for example. I can't stand the NEA, and it seems to me that their final goal is to make all children wards of the state. But, our family practices mutual respect of other people (a conservative on another forum pointed out to me that, in the old days, people didn't talk about "tolerance" - they called it "respect", and you had to earn it by respecting others yourself).

Older children might want to consider what would have happened if all white American males had been condemned for the Oklahoma City bombing.

If? What do they mean "if"? The media does its best to do just that everyday.

Any of you ever seen that Lifetime network? It's one propaganda story after another of those terrible white males victimizing defenseless woman and children.

Homeschooling is not an option for those who do not have the skills to be an effective home school teacher.

Most people who think they do not have the skills to homeschool are underestimating themselves. The most important factor in successfully teaching your own children is the DESIRE to do so. "Where there's a will, there's a way." I have talked people into homeschooling who initially thought they weren't intelligent enough or patient enough and they are doing very well today.

I'm not arguing with you; I just want to make the point that it's not as hard as people think it is. (I've homeschooled for eleven years. My oldest son will be starting his junior year in the fall.)

Most people who think they do not have the skills to homeschool are underestimating themselves. The most important factor in successfully teaching your own children is the DESIRE to do so. "Where there's a will, there's a way." I have talked people into homeschooling who initially thought they weren't intelligent enough or patient enough and they are doing very well today. I'm not arguing with you; I just want to make the point that it's not as hard as people think it is. (I've homeschooled for eleven years. My oldest son will be starting his junior year in the fall.)
Worth repeating.
The biggest bunch of BS being touted by the NEA and their lackies is that a parent is not "qualified". A parent is really the only person who is qualified. With all the information, help in every form, and home education co-ops operating sucessfully all over the U.S., there's no better time than right now to remove your children from the government/NEA controlled propaganda mills.
Forget politics. If you really want to make a difference in your child's life, and ultimately in our culture and society - this is it.

Homeschooling is not an option for those who do not have the skills to be an effective home school teacher.

That could be said about being a parent as well.
But if you are a parent, you can become a successful home educator. What are parents for, after all? A good parent educates (or should) his or her children about the most important things in life - morals, values, religion, love, hygene, etc. The schools are poor purveyors of such instruction. We've put too much emphasis on academics that we have forgotten what really matters. Academics are actually the easy part. With a little very available help, any parent, who truly desires to be a good parent, can handle that.

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