What do you think of this crazy teacher?

[Boxlicker101]

You'd be factually wrong in saying this has nothing to do with free speech. You want the government to take action against this person because she has beliefs that don't align with yours.

Again, you're being a hypocrite. You previously stated that people don't have the right to not be offended.

To the degree this has anything to do with free speech, it would be the teacher violating the free speech rights of her third grade class by requiring they write the letters in question. I am not involved in this incident, except for reporting what I have read. It really has nothing to do with me. Or you, for that matter.

I do think the school district in question should take action against her for imposing her political beliefs on her students.

 

[PoppingTom]

You see nothing wrong with requiring elementary school students to write get well letters to this notorious killer?

This is not "just a killer", it's Abul Jammal. Sending him letters is a crazy as sending the same letters to George W. Bush.

In a time when whole school classes go to view and talk to somebody like Stanley "Tookie" Williams, I really miss the crazy part in this. Maybe wrong, but not crazy.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

To the degree this has anything to do with free speech, it would be the teacher violating the free speech rights of her third grade class by requiring they write the letters in question. I am not involved in this incident, except for reporting what I have read. It really has nothing to do with me. Or you, for that matter.

I do think the school district in question should take action against her for imposing her political beliefs on her students.

You'll have to show me where this was "required".

The fact that you want the government to punish her for her beliefs is the exact reason I'm calling you out for being a hypocrite.

 

[phrodeau]

To the degree this has anything to do with free speech, it would be the teacher violating the free speech rights of her third grade class by requiring they write the letters in question. I am not involved in this incident, except for reporting what I have read. It really has nothing to do with me. Or you, for that matter.

I do think the school district in question should take action against her for imposing her political beliefs on her students.

Teaching 3rd-graders how to write letters is called "education". If that's a violation of free speech, then you'd prefer to see a lot more children left behind.

 

[bogusguy]

Dear Mr. killer,
My teacher asked that we write to you, get well wishes. So, for extra points, I am doing so.
Hope you get well, you murdering piece of shit.

 

[Boxlicker101]

Teaching 3rd-graders how to write letters is called "education". If that's a violation of free speech, then you'd prefer to see a lot more children left behind.

Assigning students to write letters is fine, just not to this particular individual.

If somebody had written something like:

"Dear Mumia, I hope you die painfully and soon, so you will have more time to burn in H___."

I wonder what the teacher would have said about that. After all, if the assignment is to write letters, the main thing would be proper form.

 

[Boxlicker101]

You'll have to show me where this was "required".

The fact that you want the government to punish her for her beliefs is the exact reason I'm calling you out for being a hypocrite.

According to the article in the OP, it was an assignment.

"The Orange Public Schools was surprised to learn through recent news reports that one of its teachers, Ms. Marilyn Zuniga, a third grade teacher at Forest Street Elementary School, involved her students in a 'get well' letter writing assignment to convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal," the statement reads.

Nobody has objected to her beliefs. The objection is that she is trying to impose her beliefs on her third grade class.

 

[Boxlicker101]

This is not "just a killer", it's Abul Jammal. Sending him letters is a crazy as sending the same letters to George W. Bush.

In a time when whole school classes go to view and talk to somebody like Stanley "Tookie" Williams, I really miss the crazy part in this. Maybe wrong, but not crazy.

I see nothing wrong with an assignment to write letters to a former president.

As for Williams, that would be another piece of craziness, probably even worse, if it were an elementary school class involved.

 

[about_average]

It would only (possibly) violate the kids rights of free speech if a kid said, "I don't want to write a get well letter to someone who killed a policeman. May I write to someone else?" and she then said they weren't allowed to write to someone else.

IMO she should have given them 3 or 4 names with information about the people and had them pick one on their own and why they chose the one they did over the others.

 

[Boxlicker101]

It would only (possibly) violate the kids rights of free speech if a kid said, "I don't want to write a get well letter to someone who killed a policeman. May I write to someone else?" and she then said they weren't allowed to write to someone else.

IMO she should have given them 3 or 4 names with information about the people and had them pick one on their own and why they chose the one they did over the others.

Yes. That would have been reasonable.

 

[Sean Renaud]

To the degree this has anything to do with free speech, it would be the teacher violating the free speech rights of her third grade class by requiring they write the letters in question. I am not involved in this incident, except for reporting what I have read. It really has nothing to do with me. Or you, for that matter.

I do think the school district in question should take action against her for imposing her political beliefs on her students.

Since when do students have Freedom of Speech anyhow? Last I checked they can be required to dress how you tell them, can be penalized for using inappropriate language, have to write their assignments on narrow groups of individuals (I wanted to do my Junior English project on Hugh Hefner. Not on the approved list. Huey Newton ended up probably being a better choice but that's hardly the point.) and a wide variety of other things.

It has nothing to do with you except that you clearly care. I see this is a fairly harmless thing in the grand scheme of things. Could the teacher of chosen someone less controversial, sure. Should she HAVE to? Not really.

Assigning students to write letters is fine, just not to this particular individual.

If somebody had written something like:

"Dear Mumia, I hope you die painfully and soon, so you will have more time to burn in H___."

I wonder what the teacher would have said about that. After all, if the assignment is to write letters, the main thing would be proper form.

If it's not right to assign them to this individual it's not right to assign them to any individual. And frankly I'd rather this individual than a lot of others all things considered. We talk about not indoctrinating kids and then want them writing the president, the governor, the vets. Go America Go. The worst thing that could come of this is them getting brainwashed into thinking that nobody should ever think that nobody cares.

The student would probably have gotten in trouble for saying Hell and honestly if we don't start indoctrinating kids against wishing harm on others we'll end up with a society filled with miles. Which if that's what you want carry on.

 

[KingOrfeo]

If she wanted them to send mail to wounded veterans in VA hospitals, I would be fine with that. But why this unrepentant killer?

A convict who denies his guilt cannot fairly be called "unrepentant." "I didn't do it" != "I did the right thing."

 

[Paul_Chance]

I've got no problem with it. In general, having kids write get well notes to public figures is fine with me as a classroom assignment. That it cheered a man in poor health is a good thing. That it showed compassion toward someone imprisoned is a good thing. If it violated some district policy, then that is a matter for the disciplinary committee. If it pissed some parents off, they can go to the school board.

(LOL - and on top of that, I think Mumia is guilty and right where he deserves to be.)

 

[phrodeau]

According to the article in the OP, it was an assignment.

"The Orange Public Schools was surprised to learn through recent news reports that one of its teachers, Ms. Marilyn Zuniga, a third grade teacher at Forest Street Elementary School, involved her students in a 'get well' letter writing assignment to convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal," the statement reads.

Nobody has objected to her beliefs. The objection is that she is trying to impose her beliefs on her third grade class.

Compassion for someone with an illness is a belief that shouldn't be taught in schools? Is it too Christian for you?

 

[Boxlicker101]

Compassion for someone with an illness is a belief that shouldn't be taught in schools? Is it too Christian for you?

Compassion is fine. If this had been an assignment to write a get-well letter to some public figure, even including a notorious murderer, and there had been a choice of several recipients, I would have no problem. It's insisting the letters have to be sent to this killer that bothers me.

And he has been convicted and the conviction upheld by several higher courts, and the evidence of his guilt was very solid. Even the killer's own brother, who was right there at the time, refused to commit perjury by testifying on Mumia's behalf.

And all this is in the link I posted earlier.

 

[PoppingTom]

And he has been convicted and the conviction upheld by several higher courts, and the evidence of his guilt was very solid. Even the killer's own brother, who was right there at the time, refused to commit perjury by testifying on Mumia's behalf.

Shall I believe you, or your Wikipedia link ?

You both contradict.

 

[PoppingTom]

I see nothing wrong with an assignment to write letters to a former president.

And I see nothing wrong with writing a "get well" letter to Abu Jamal. Much better then writing a "get well" letter to the policeman who shot Scott Walker.

As for Williams, that would be another piece of craziness, probably even worse, if it were an elementary school class involved.

Because you refuse to see the human.

Williams told the kids why jail is definitely no good place, and that any gang life leads to jail.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Compassion is fine. If this had been an assignment to write a get-well letter to some public figure, even including a notorious murderer, and there had been a choice of several recipients, I would have no problem. It's insisting the letters have to be sent to this killer that bothers me.

And he has been convicted and the conviction upheld by several higher courts, and the evidence of his guilt was very solid. Even the killer's own brother, who was right there at the time, refused to commit perjury by testifying on Mumia's behalf.

And all this is in the link I posted earlier.

That's just absurd. You wouldn't mind a notorious killer, but this one is somehow special amongst all the notorious killers in the world how precisely?

 

[Paul_Chance]

I'm just wondering if there actually is a non-controversial public figure that no one would object too? I can't think of one...

 

[AllyRose]

Every politician is controversial... as soon as they take up a position on any one thing.

 

[Paul_Chance]

Every politician is controversial... as soon as they take up a position on any one thing.

Yeah, the only thing that would change would be who was complaining.

 

[badbabysitter]

so Boxlicker is outraged kids are sending mail to someone in jail

but is perfectly content that an economics teacher can demonize literally every man , woman and child in a religon

what a fucking hypocrite

 

[BotanyBoy]

so Boxlicker is outraged kids are sending mail to someone in jail

but is perfectly content that an economics teacher can demonize literally every man , woman and child in a religon

what a fucking hypocrite

Hey freedom and all that good stuff is for ChristChun conservatives only!

 

[AllyRose]

Modern-day Pharisees.

They love Jesus, but they don't want anything to do with his teachings.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Public Figure=/=Politican for starters. Celebrities are public figures. While I'm sure you could find SOMEONE I imagine the number of parents who would object to you having their child write any of the following is somewhere between nil and none.
Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, or Steven King.

I could probably make a fairly long list of celebrities that hardly anybody has any emotional response to. I mean does anybody hate Elijah Wood or Matt Damon? I'm not asking do you love them but is there anything about them sufficiently controversial that people would freak if you wrote to them? The worst thing about Shaq is he tried to act for a few years, professional B-ball player, volunteer cop, what's not to like? I suppose there are some hyper religious people who might object to Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, director of Avengers) I mean vampires! Other Gods!

So in short yes, there are fairly non-controversial people.