Last Spring I was treated to the
story of Jay Bennish - a teacher in Colorado who was teaching that the
United States was the source of all evil in the world (especially with
George Bush at the helm.)
Sophmore Sean Allen disagreed, taped some of Bennish's tirades and released them to the press.
The left went crazy. There was story after story after story about
"a teacher still has freedom of speech" and "there is a right to
privacy" in the classroom. Liberal commentators went so far as to
suggest Allen had broken one of the rules of the student code of
conduct.
Stacy Caruso one of the open minded, accepting and tolerant Overland
High school students told CBS news"...Bennish hasn't done anything
wrong. "In the classroom," says Caruso, "everyone has their right to
speak their opinion and he's not forcing any opinions on anyone."
Flash forward to this fall: "A Kearny High School student has
accused a history teacher of crossing the line between teaching and
preaching -- and he says he's got the tapes to prove it." The story
reads. It seems that teacher and Baptist minister David Paszkiewicz has
been talking about the Godly founding of the United States. To be
completely fair, he's also been talking about how not believing in
Christ will send you to hell and other religious dogmas. This is of
course, a big no no in a Leftist blue state like New Jersey.
But here is my question: What's the difference between what Bennish
did and what this Paszkiewicz guy is doing? ("Because there needs to be
a separation of church and state. Hyuk, hyuk.") Really? At the cost of
this teacher's free speech? At the cost of this teacher's freedom of
religion? As the left reminded us just a few months ago this guy is a
private citizen. He doesn't "shed his rights at the school house door"
any more than his students do.
So my question is which way should it be? Should teachers be allowed
to force their agendas on their students? Or should teachers be forced
to put their preferences aside? Lefties need to make up their minds and
stop complaining. The belief that the rules should only apply to people
who disagree with them is becoming old.