Posted on 03/07/2006 7:45:58 AM PST by SmithL
COLORADO high-school sophomore Sean Allen couldn't convince his father that his geography teacher was as over-the-top as he contended. So Allen taped one of his teacher's rants on his MP3 player. Too bad for Jay Bennish: His 20 minute lecture ended up on talk radio.
As aired on Mike Rosen's show, Bennish said President Bush talks like Hitler: "I'm not saying that Bush and Hitler are exactly the same," but that the two share "eerie similarities." Peruvians and Iranians arguably have "a right to bomb North Carolina" because the state grows tobacco. On Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda operatives were "attacking legitimate targets, people who have blood on their hands, as far as they're concerned." Oh, and capitalism violates "human rights."
The Cherry Creek School District placed Bennish on paid administrative leave as it investigates whether the teacher failed to provide a balanced look at the issues. They won't find balance. I listened to the rant and what I heard was a semi-educated, self-impressed petty tyrant using the classroom as a soap box, secure in the knowledge that a bunch of teenagers couldn't out-argue him. Still, I hope the district allows Bennish to return to the classroom.
(District spokesperson Tustin Amole expects an announcement on Bennish's fate today or Wednesday.)
The school district policy sounds reasonable. The school board recognizes, "Each teacher has the right and the obligation to teach about controversial issues." The district also notes the teacher's obligation to present various views on issues. And: "Although he has the right to express his own viewpoints, he does not have the right to indoctrinate students to his views."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Oh yeah - he had a beard and a short hair cut
over the weekend it was reported that Yale U officials said about recruiting the Taliban ..."we lost one already to Harvard and we'll not let that happen again...."
I would like to know what was the name of the terrorist recruited by Harvard...
I note that Bennish is now talking about other people's activities (which he can't know) instead of his own. He's gone.
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