Flag-Burning Teacher: A Lesson In Free Speech

Originally Posted by Pangloss62

I think he did a good thing, but I agree that the whole fire issue probably ruined it for him. They can use safety issues as an excuse to punish him for what they REALLY want to punish him for.

Oh, today I came up with a bad joke; really, I did. I saw one of those "My Child Was Student of The Month at" bumper stickers and I came up with this one:

My Child With ADD Was Student of
The Minute at Lakeview Elementary

I took this in a parking lot a few months ago:


How proud they must be.

[9th Engineer]

I was refering to what the actual burning acomplished. If the kids are being taught the surrounding issues at another point in the class or reading about them in the textbook then that's everything important right there, no greater message is imparted by the burning. It's really just a gimick, just like lighting fireballs of methane in chem class gets oooo's and ahhh's from the class but teaches nothing they didn't already understand (methane burns, big deal), the burning of flags in history gets the kids excited in a 'you'll never guess what the teacher did today!' sort of way.
My 10th grade teacher hung a mannequin from a tree outside the classroom and had us sit by it during our lesson of what sparked the civil rights movement. Same intent, acomplished nothing in particular.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by 9th Engineer

I was refering to what the actual burning acomplished. If the kids are being taught the surrounding issues at another point in the class or reading about them in the textbook then that's everything important right there, no greater message is imparted by the burning.

You really think that there isn't anything special about the flag-burning? No big deal, then? Doesn't represent anything in particular about free speech in our society, doesn't reference any sort of discussion we are having as a culture. It just so happens, coincedentally I suppose, that #1 this guy was suspended, #2 it became a big ruckus, and #3 we are actually sitting here discussing it, right now. You and me are discussing this 'no big deal' thing, this 'doesn't make any difference one way or the other' thing.

If it's good enough for us to talk about, why shouldn't our children be exposed to these ideas? Aren't they there to learn?

[Flint]

Originally Posted by 9th Engineer

My 10th grade teacher hung a mannequin from a tree outside the classroom and had us sit by it during our lesson of what sparked the civil rights movement. Same intent, acomplished nothing in particular.

I find it remarkable that you had that experience... This is why: in the debate over this flag-burning business, over at Soundchain, one guy asked "what if he had had a doll of a black person on a cross and burned it? would this still be acceptable? afterall, just freedom of speech, right?" . . . I guess you answered that question! ha ha ha

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by 9th Engineer

My 10th grade teacher hung a mannequin from a tree outside the classroom and had us sit by it during our lesson of what sparked the civil rights movement. Same intent, acomplished nothing in particular.

How many of your other lessons that day do you remember?

the burning of flags in history gets the kids excited in a 'you'll never guess what the teacher did today!' sort of way.

That is good in and of itself. It's not enough; you can't end it there, but it is important.