.
I told them....
"You don't want me to teach this... trust me here." Did they listen? Nope... they never do.
I was required to teach a lesson concerning 'Constitution Week' to my Auto Mech class yesterday. I did my bit on the bill of rights, and I pulled no punches. These are high school seniors.... and it's time the truth smacked them in the face.
I went over each item, what it said, what it meant, and the reality of how it works today. A sample, concerning the second amendment: "The second amendment recognizes a citizens right to be armed. What it REALLY means is a citizens right to self defense. Anytime some schmuck tells you that you aren't allowed to be armed for any reason, you really need to ask yourself WHY does said schmuck want you unarmed and defenseless? What exactly is said schmuck planning to do to you that works better when you can't defend yourself?"
Repeat this attitude many times over, and you have the gist of yesterdays lesson.
I also asked who was registered to vote... and one hand out of forty five went up. That young man, I told them, had my respect. I invited the rest to just shut up. I told them I don't care what their opinions are, and their failure to vote means their opinion is instantly worthless. If they couldn't be bothered to deal the one time their opinion could actually make a difference, then they had given up any right to even open their mouths, as far as I'm concerned.
I also told them.... if they don't know and understand their rights, then they have none, and should shut up and get back to work. Shut up and pay their taxes.
A room full of deer in headlights.
Maybe some of them will think about that. Was I passionate? Did I lay it on thick? Yup. Did I penetrate the teenage wall of non-thought? Maybe.
6 comments:
Not once a semister, once a month for comprehension.
And I cannot help but wonder how long it takes before you have an approved script to "teach" from on this subject, which may not be deviated from or expanded upon on pain of dismissal & blacklisting....
Teachers over on this side of the pond have had to put up with this type of central soviet control over what they say for many years now. It may not happen as much now that we have got rid of the socialists (for now), but political correctness still rules the roost far too often.
Can you start assigning homework chapters of Silent America by Bill Whittle? That might do some good.
Sometimes you need to apply the 2X4 to get the mule's attention.
I met a man this week, in his fifties, self-employed and doing well---who had never voted and didn't intend to start. Said he didn't have time and nothing really ever changed.
Blindness can affect even the sighted.
Only once in 27 years have I not voted.
I was dumb enough to sit out the last round...
NEVER AGAIN!
Well done!
However, I feel I should ask how many of your students have actually reached their 18th birthday and thus are eligible to register to vote?
I reached the age of 18 more than two months after my high school graduation and had to wait for the '84 election to get to vote for Reagan.
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