Teacher Fired for Talking About Peace?

[Wind Dancer]

On a winter day two months before the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, two-dozen children, 10 to 12 years of age, sat in Deb Mayer's classroom at Clear Creek Elementary in Monroe County, Indiana, near Bloomington, thinking about war as they discussed a then-recent issue of Time for Kids (TFK). The magazine is a version of Time magazine written for school-age children and was a regular part of the lesson plan.

The December 13, 2002, issue of TFK focused on the conflict between the United States and Iraq, with reports on attempts by the United Nations to find--or not--evidence of weapons of mass destruction in the country ruled by Saddam Hussein.

One student's attention was drawn to an article on opponents of the war, a "peace march" in Washington, D.C.

"The student asked me if I would ever be in a peace march," says Mayer.

By Mayer's account, she informed the class that demonstrations for peace were being held all over the country, including Bloomington. She said she often drove past picketers gathered on the Courthouse Square with signs inviting drivers to "honk for peace." Mayer told the children she honked when she saw the signs.

"I explained to the children that I thought we should seek peaceful solutions before going to war," says Mayer.

more

http://www.counterpunch.org/white12172005.html

[WhiteTara]

1. In Afghanistan this week, a teacher was beheaded

for teaching girls. This lowly underpaid profession should have hazardous pay.

edited for error.

[RagingInMiami]

2. We are a warmongering nation

And we need to continue that tradition by instilling those values in our youth.

[tx_dem41]

3. From the facts in the story, the teacher did nothing wrong.

She did not cross the line into advocacy.

[NoQuarter]

4. The parents

should be arrested for child abuse.

[BanzaiBonnie]

5. Tell me please

who is being persecuted? Those damned peace-makers are declaring war on WAR.

It sounds like many issues I've seen where one person can turn something into an issue. It appears the child's father set out to get the teacher fired. And it takes only a few dedicated people to accomplish such.

[Lindacooks]

6. Where's the teacher's union in this?

They should be fighting this with teeth.