Posted on 05/15/2004 9:29:14 AM PDT by I_saw_the_light
VILLA PARK, Calif. - At least three teachers have been placed on paid leave following complaints they showed students the videotaped beheading of American Nicholas Berg in Iraq (news - web sites).
Villa Park High School English teacher Stephen Arcudi allowed students to use his classroom computer to see video footage of Berg being executed, school officials said.
"Because of our concern over his judgment and the way he handled the situation, we have put him on leave while we continue to investigate," said Orange Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Cohen.
Two other teachers were put on leave by the Grossmont Union High School District near San Diego.
Cohen said both a parent and a student complained.
Arcudi, 46, said he discouraged a student from trying to find the Berg video on the Web. But his students said Arcudi gave out the Web address where the video could be found.
"He said: `This is the enemy we're up against and these are the things you don't get to see,'" said Naim Dujak, 17. "He did not force anyone to watch it."
We disagree.
It's up to me, the parent. And for everything else a note always gets sent home for us to sign, that definetely should have been done in this case!!!
That it was poor judgement for the teacher to direct the kids on where to go to see the video, and provide the means to do it, all without the parents permission?
OR, that people with bad judgement should not be teachers?
I also know very intelligent persons who have been terribly traumatized by seeing the results of auto fatalities where a head was severed. The detailed images of a severed neck are far more traumatic than those of a bullet riddled body. This is not something to seek out, or encourage others to seek out.
I do not know how detailed the images from the Berg murder may be. I have no intention of pursuing those images. One does not have to go out of one's way, to torture one's own psyche, to understand that killing the innocent to make political statements is wrong. Indeed, there is a major danger in doing so, that one will make savagery seem more, rather than less, acceptable.
William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site
Sorry, this should have been left up to the parents. It was not the teachers' place to show it, just as it would not be their place to show "adult" type movie or music clips they felt were "relevant." They meant well but did wrong.
It wasn't too gory when I was a kid to have to duck and cover under my desk if the Russkies launched nukes our way. A nuclear war is far more terrifying than an individual act of violence, no matter how bloody.
They just need to teach the kiddies how to suck a bannana, and how to put on a condom.
They have no business showing kids filth, like actual death. Ya know?
Does that include my high school history teacher who showed her students hours of Holocaust documentary films? Those were horrific as well and part of the syllabus.
I don't see a dilemma here. Myself, I didn't have to decide not to see it, but that's just me. I read on this forum people bragging, although they wouldn't call it that, they had seen it 20 times. Well, most of our teachers are like most of us, why shouldn't they be? Expertly trained by Hollywood and the publishers of Stephen King, among others, to crave, although they wouldn't call it that, snuff movies, voyeuristic television, pornography under other names, and so on. Nothing to see here, except naked bodies, blood and gore, all's fine otherwise!
It's pretty low rez and blurry. Horrifying none the less. The time stamps indicate that the released "bragging rights" video is edited, eliminating a full minute of the actual sawing. Thank God.
This video wasn't part of the class curriculum, was it?
Agreed. I would not allow my daughter to be exposed to that video, though her contemporary history class did discuss the event.
I've known what our enemies were like for a long time, and I have never seen this video.
I guess we do disagree that it is the parents responsibility to determine whether their children see this or not. You obviously think the teacher should be making these decisions. I don't.
If the teacher in question had made the remark that, "This is all Bush's fault for getting us into this war", you would be up in arms about it. But since this teacher made a statement that was to your liking, it is OK.
You seem to believe that ignorance of the enemy is a GOOD thing.
Simply a ridiculous statement. Our enemy, radical islamic terrorist, have been demonstating their barbaric ways for some time now. This video is the first you've seen of it?
We've heard too much garbage for the last couple years, of how Islam is a "religion of peace". This shows the nature of our enemy better than 10,000 op-ed pieces. As someone said above, if you are old enough to see slasher movies, you are old enough to to see the truth.
--TRAVIS--
Paid leave for being stupid?
Garsh! After 2-1/2 years of a steady diet of BOTH the President AND the media saying 24/7 "it's a religion of peace".
mebee.
Whatsa matter? You afeared of some high schoolers seeing the truth with their own eyes???
"I do not know how detailed the images from the Berg murder may be. I have no intention of pursuing those images."
Then be careful when you peruse these Berg threads. Seriously. Some FReeper has decided to post screen shots of the bloody action without warning, so I saw what I did not want to see on two different threads.
Kinda ticked me off, but I don't have the energy to complain and get on that merry-go-round. It would be nice if they posted a large cap warning before, though, out of respect.
Did you suddenly go illiterate? Try to rewrite your last post with a little respect and sense and we can continue this debate.
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.