Homework: Algebra. Gatsby. Taliban.

By On December 15, 2009 · 10 Comments

I love where I live.

Arlington County, Virginia is quite a liberal oasis.

I heard this story this morning on our local, Washington, D.C. NPR station about one of our middle schools. Apparently, while teaching critical-thinking skills to our next generation, a teacher assigned a mock United Nations debate topic where one team of students had to represent the Taliban. Imagine having to learn WHY the Taliban does what it does!

Anyway, the principal pulled the plug on the exercise after some parents complained.

Now, why I love living in Arlington: 1) a teacher actually had the balls to try this exercise and 2) other parents publicly supported the exercise saying “students need to understand more than one side of such a crucial conflict.”

Maybe I’ve just lived inside the beltway too long, but I don’t see parents sticking up for learning about the Taliban in other parts of the country (or even in other parts of my state!).

Evangelize!
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  • http://www.plunderbund.com Eric

    You fucking terrorist sympathizer. Evil god damned liberal scum.

    …just thought I'd go ahead and condense the commentary from our friends on the right for when I delete their claptrap. It's all right here above. Carry on. ;-)

  • Amber

    Thanks for the help! :)

  • lgw

    You're right that Arlington is a nice place to live – I lived in DC for several years and had a good impression of Arlington. But I'm not sure how unusual the teacher's actions were. When I was at Miami U. (of Ohio), my political science class formed a team to participate in a regional mock U.N. in Michigan. It was 1992 and our delegation represented Iraq. Everyone hated us – it was loads of fun. And Miami is not by any means a liberal oasis.

  • lgw

    Amber is the terrorist sympathizer, not me, right??

  • Amber

    But can you find that sort of example in a public middle school?

    I would HOPE a college would challenge its students to think (even if it was Miami U. Hee hee. I am an OU alum!)

  • http://www.plunderbund.com Eric

    If you represented that terrorist supporting nation full of ragheads Iraq and their leader Saddam WhoSane? then yes. How could you even fake representing someone who would later bomb the World Trade Center!? You moonbats are ate up!

    (Damn. I make a pretty good fake wingnut. I should pose as one some day LOL)

  • mvirenicus

    re: complaining parents

    this is why i so rarely admit to being human. such a dumb dumb dumb species. you're correct tho. hooray for those more highly evolved parents sticking up for the debate!

  • lgw

    Good point. I think I learned how to think DESPITE going to Miami….

  • ambersfriendjohn

    I think it IS important for children to know that there are people in the world who would keep them from going to school if they were a girl, or would chop their heads off if they expressed a different religion publicly. It's better than growing up with the illusion that everybody out there is warm and cuddly and reasonable like Swedish people.

  • ambersfriendjohn

    I think it IS important for children to know that there are people in the world who would keep them from going to school if they were a girl, or would chop their heads off if they expressed a different religion publicly. It's better than growing up with the illusion that everybody out there is warm and cuddly and reasonable like Swedish people.

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