Teacher's Obama Assassination Lesson

Byrnzie

This is actually pretty funny:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard ... tion-obama


Teacher suspended for President Obama assassination lesson


An Alabama teacher has been suspended after a national outcry for using an assassination attempt against President Obama to illustrate a maths problem to his class.

Gregory Harrison, the teacher at Corner High School in Jefferson County, Alabama, was to receive a slap on the wrist in the form of a "long conversation" with the local school authorities, after sparking a Secret Service investigation when he discussed possible angles to use in shooting at the president.

But officials only later decided they needed to take tougher action against Harrison following a flood of calls from people outraged at the lenient treatment. Harrison's deadly lesson was revealed this week by the local newspaper, Birmingham News, which reported:

The teacher was appar­ently teaching his geometry students about parallel lines and angles, officials said. He used the example of where to stand and aim if shooting Obama.

"He was talking about angles and said, 'If you're in this building, you would need to take this angle to shoot the president,'" said Joseph Brown, a senior in the geometry class.

Another student said: "We were going over a test and getting reviewed for our finals and were going over tangency. A student walked in and said, 'Well, if you shoot the president...' and the teacher picked up on it and said, 'OK, if you shoot off his ear, that is a point of tangency.'"

District schools superintendent Phil Hammonds said Harrison had shown a lack of judgment and was now suspended pending further investigation. "As a district, we are embarrassed by his actions and what he said. There is nothing that can be said to rationalise what was said. We take this very seriously. There is no place in our society for a person to make these comments," Hammonds said.

Before the flood of complaints, however, Birmingham News reported that Hammonds's initial response was: "We are going to have a long conversation with him about what's appropriate."

The Secret Service confirmed that it investigated Harrison before the story was made public, saying: "We did not find a credible threat."

Malia Drummond, a student in Harrison's class during the lesson, defended him as an conscientious teacher who didn't deserve to be fired. She told Birmingham News: "Yeah, the comment was probably inappropriate, but who in America hasn't make a joke about Obama? They make it sound like he was plotting an assassination, but it wasn't like that."

ed243421

does freedom of speech allow talking about shooting the president?
was the teacher or the student black?
and what exactly is funny?
this is not a bunch of guys standing around a water cooler at work. these are our children be sent to school to learn about math, and in the supervision of a teacher, are being force-fed hatred.

Byrnzie

ed243421 wrote:

does freedom of speech allow talking about shooting the president?
was the teacher or the student black?
and what exactly is funny?
this is not a bunch of guys standing around a water cooler at work. these are our children be sent to school to learn about math, and in the supervision of a teacher, are being force-fed hatred.

The reaction to his innocuous comment is funny. The typical hysteria and media frenzy is funny.

Point out to me where the hatred is in this:


"We were going over a test and getting reviewed for our finals and were going over tangency. A student walked in and said, 'Well, if you shoot the president...' and the teacher picked up on it and said, 'OK, if you shoot off his ear, that is a point of tangency.'"

ed243421

alabama right?
let's just say the teacher was white and so was the student.
my gut tells me this is a racist joke gone bad.
i guess i just want the least amount possible, of hate and rascism, forced on my kids in school.
am i crazy?

Byrnzie

ed243421 wrote:

alabama right?
let's just say the teacher was white and so was the student.
my gut tells me this is a racist joke gone bad.
i guess i just want the least amount possible, of hate and rascism, forced on my kids in school.
am i crazy?

It was a throwaway comment. He just responded to the kids question. He wasn't teaching the students hatred. He was teaching them physics. If a kid asks a question that involves an example then you respond to his question. This is just typical media bullshit, over-dramatizing something innocuous in order to whip the unthinking masses into another frenzy in order to sell newspapers.

g under p

Byrnzie wrote:

ed243421 wrote:

alabama right?
let's just say the teacher was white and so was the student.
my gut tells me this is a racist joke gone bad.
i guess i just want the least amount possible, of hate and rascism, forced on my kids in school.
am i crazy?

It was a throwaway comment. He just responded to the kids question. He wasn't teaching the students hatred. He was teaching them physics. If a kid asks a question that involves an example then you respond to his question. This is just typical media bullshit, over-dramatizing something innocuous in order to whip the unthinking masses into another frenzy in order to sell newspapers.

Oh so you're saying that he was just responding to what a student asked right? This didn't start out as his lesson plan on geometry and tangency involving President Obama by the teacher. Well if that's the case i see nothing wrong with what he said if the student asks the question in that format then the teacher should respond in reference to the students question which involved the President.

Peace

Byrnzie

g under p wrote:

Oh so you're saying that he was just responding to what a student asked right? This didn't start out as his lesson plan on geometry and tangency involving President Obama by the teacher. Well if that's the case i see nothing wrong with what he said if the student asks the question in that format then the teacher should respond in reference to the students question which involved the President.

Peace

"We were going over a test and getting reviewed for our finals and were going over tangency. A student walked in and said, 'Well, if you shoot the president...' and the teacher picked up on it and said, 'OK, if you shoot off his ear, that is a point of tangency.'"

dasvidana

Alabama is a different world. I personally wish they would cede from the union.

Byrnzie

dasvidana wrote:

Alabama is a different world. I personally wish they would cede from the union.

It has nothing to do with Alabama. The noise was caused by your sensationalist media blowing an irrelevant story out of proportion and relying on the gullible American public to start frothing at the mouth over it. This kind of thing sells newspapers and t.v air-time. That's all.

dasvidana

Byrnzie wrote:

dasvidana wrote:

Alabama is a different world. I personally wish they would cede from the union.

It has nothing to do with Alabama. The noise was caused by your sensationalist media blowing an irrelevant story out of proportion and relying on the gullible American public to start frothing at the mouth over it. This kind of thing sells newspapers and t.v air-time. That's all.

I actually think it has everything to do with the undercurrent of exclusivity that flows in Alabama and other relatively homogenous places.

Byrnzie

dasvidana wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

dasvidana wrote:

Alabama is a different world. I personally wish they would cede from the union.

It has nothing to do with Alabama. The noise was caused by your sensationalist media blowing an irrelevant story out of proportion and relying on the gullible American public to start frothing at the mouth over it. This kind of thing sells newspapers and t.v air-time. That's all.

I actually think it has everything to do with the undercurrent of exclusivity that flows in Alabama and other relatively homogenous places.

I don't. I just think it has to do with this:

"We were going over a test and getting reviewed for our finals and were going over tangency. A student walked in and said, 'Well, if you shoot the president...' and the teacher picked up on it and said, 'OK, if you shoot off his ear, that is a point of tangency.'"

dasvidana

I don't. I just think it has to do with this:

"We were going over a test and getting reviewed for our finals and were going over tangency. A student walked in and said, 'Well, if you shoot the president...' and the teacher picked up on it and said, 'OK, if you shoot off his ear, that is a point of tangency.'"[/quote]

I think both the student and teacher are exhibiting cultural objectivism. If they were talking about the tangent of an Alabama football throw, they'd be speaking in positive tones and words. Instead, they talked about Obama and a bullet.....because Obama throwing the football isn't included in their shared beliefs and norms.

Byrnzie

dasvidana wrote:

I think both the student and teacher are exhibiting cultural objectivism. If they were talking about the tangent of an Alabama football throw, they'd be speaking in positive tones and words. Instead, they talked about Obama and a bullet.....because Obama throwing the football isn't included in their shared beliefs and norms.

I think you think too much.

And I don't see any positive or negative tones in the above. I just see a factual response to a question about physics.

dasvidana

I think you think too much.

And I don't see any positive or negative tones in the above. I just see a factual response to a question about physics.[/quote]

agreed. I do think too much.

But the factual response is reflective of their belief system (which I find scary). If they mentioned the Alabama quarterback and a bullet, the whole class would have lynched them. Instead, Obama and a bullet, while a factual response, didn't raise many eyebrows until the national press stepped in.

ed243421

Byrnzie wrote:

dasvidana wrote:

I don't. I just think it has to do with this:

"We were going over a test and getting reviewed for our finals and were going over tangency. A student walked in and said, 'Well, if you shoot the president...' and the teacher picked up on it and said, 'OK, if you shoot off his ear, that is a point of tangency.'"

I think both the student and teacher are exhibiting cultural objectivism. If they were talking about the tangent of an Alabama football throw, they'd be speaking in positive tones and words. Instead, they talked about Obama and a bullet.....because Obama throwing the football isn't included in their shared beliefs and norms.

I think you think too much.

And I don't see any positive or negative tones in the above. I just see a factual response to a question about physics.[/quote]

byrnzie, are you blind or just stubborn.
enough.
they are haters.
are you?

WaveCameCrashin

ed243421 wrote:

am i crazy?

:eh: maybe just a little...

Byrnzie wrote:

It has nothing to do with Alabama. The noise was caused by your sensationalist media blowing an irrelevant story out of proportion and relying on the gullible American public to start frothing at the mouth over it. This kind of thing sells newspapers and t.v air-time. That's all.

Byrnzie wrote:

It was a throwaway comment. He just responded to the kids question. He wasn't teaching the students hatred. He was teaching them physics. If a kid asks a question that involves an example then you respond to his question. This is just typical media bullshit, over-dramatizing something innocuous in order to whip the unthinking masses into another frenzy in order to sell newspapers.

if Bush or any other (R) president were in office right now would dasvidanna or ed243421 still feel the same about this ?

dasvidana

My point was that those in Alabama wouldn't have said that if a republican had said it. They would have lynched someone for saying it. The reason they are ok with it is because Obama's views fall outside what they're tolerant of.

I live in Vt and if someone here had made that comment about Sarah Palin and the tangent of the bullet, the people here would recognize that that kind of dialogue doesn't belong in public school.

WaveCameCrashin

dasvidana wrote:

My point was that those in Alabama wouldn't have said that if a republican had said it. They would have lynched someone for saying it. The reason they are ok with it is because Obama's views fall outside what they're tolerant of.

I live in Vt and if someone here had made that comment about Sarah Palin and the tangent of the bullet, the people here would recognize that that kind of dialogue doesn't belong in public school.

How do you know ? For all we know this teacher voted for Obama. I do see your point, However I think it's being blown out of poportion by the media. It's not like he was giving a class on how to go about doing it.

dasvidana

How do you know ? For all we know this teacher voted for Obama. I do see your point, However I think it's being blown out of poportion by the media. It's not like he was giving a class on how to go about doing it.[/quote]

This is bigger than the teacher and whoever s/he voted for. My point is that they are are marginalizing those who fall outside a very narrow scope of beliefs in Alabama. Alabama has a lot of strengths, but tolerance and pluralism aren't among them.

ed243421

dasvidana wrote:

My point was that those in Alabama wouldn't have said that if a republican had said it. They would have lynched someone for saying it. The reason they are ok with it is because Obama's views fall outside what they're tolerant of.

I live in Vt and if someone here had made that comment about Sarah Palin and the tangent of the bullet, the people here would recognize that that kind of dialogue doesn't belong in public school.

my point exactly.
my guess is that it is rascism.
i know i does not belong in school.

Jason P

Byrnzie wrote:

dasvidana wrote:

Alabama is a different world. I personally wish they would cede from the union.

It has nothing to do with Alabama. The noise was caused by your sensationalist media blowing an irrelevant story out of proportion and relying on the gullible American public to start frothing at the mouth over it. This kind of thing sells newspapers and t.v air-time. That's all.

Correct-o-mondo.

Last week there was a headline story of foxnews.com about the outrage over a 2nd grader who got two weeks detention (during lunch and recess) because she had a Jolly Rancher. The mother was of course outraged and ready to pull her dear child out of the harsh public school system. Do we really need to know this shit???? Or course not. Same thing with the 4 kids that got sent home for wearing american t-shirts during Cinco Mayo. It is not national news. It's a local PTA issue at best.

I'm glad that I didn't have this going on when I was in school. I'm sure I would have done something stupid that would have had Fox and MSNBC helicopters circling overhead.

ed243421

Jason P wrote:

Byrnzie wrote:

dasvidana wrote:

Alabama is a different world. I personally wish they would cede from the union.

It has nothing to do with Alabama. The noise was caused by your sensationalist media blowing an irrelevant story out of proportion and relying on the gullible American public to start frothing at the mouth over it. This kind of thing sells newspapers and t.v air-time. That's all.

Correct-o-mondo.

Last week there was a headline story of foxnews.com about the outrage over a 2nd grader who got two weeks detention (during lunch and recess) because she had a Jolly Rancher. The mother was of course outraged and ready to pull her dear child out of the harsh public school system. Do we really need to know this shit???? Or course not. Same thing with the 4 kids that got sent home for wearing american t-shirts during Cinco Mayo. It is not national news. It's a local PTA issue at best.

I'm glad that I didn't have this going on when I was in school. I'm sure I would have done something stupid that would have had Fox and MSNBC helicopters circling overhead.

jason
i hate fox news more than anyone. i really don't watch any news. for a laugh mostly. do you have kids in school?

Jason P

ed243421 wrote:

Jason P wrote:

Correct-o-mondo.

Last week there was a headline story of foxnews.com about the outrage over a 2nd grader who got two weeks detention (during lunch and recess) because she had a Jolly Rancher. The mother was of course outraged and ready to pull her dear child out of the harsh public school system. Do we really need to know this shit???? Or course not. Same thing with the 4 kids that got sent home for wearing american t-shirts during Cinco Mayo. It is not national news. It's a local PTA issue at best.

I'm glad that I didn't have this going on when I was in school. I'm sure I would have done something stupid that would have had Fox and MSNBC helicopters circling overhead.

jason
i hate fox news more than anyone. i really don't watch any news. for a laugh mostly. do you have kids in school?

I don't watch much TV but I sample news stories from a varity of sites, including foxnews.

No kids in school . . . but I did have $1800 of my tax refund go directly to my local community schools. So I feel like I'm at least renting some kids.

mikepegg44

dasvidana wrote:

My point was that those in Alabama wouldn't have said that if a republican had said it. They would have lynched someone for saying it. The reason they are ok with it is because Obama's views fall outside what they're tolerant of.

I live in Vt and if someone here had made that comment about Sarah Palin and the tangent of the bullet, the people here would recognize that that kind of dialogue doesn't belong in public school.

you have no idea what this teacher is tolerant of

rebornFixer

Byrnzie wrote:

It was a throwaway comment. He just responded to the kids question. He wasn't teaching the students hatred. He was teaching them physics. If a kid asks a question that involves an example then you respond to his question. This is just typical media bullshit, over-dramatizing something innocuous in order to whip the unthinking masses into another frenzy in order to sell newspapers.

A bit late to the discussion, but +1

rebornFixer

ed243421 wrote:

my point exactly.
my guess is that it is rascism.
i know i does not belong in school.

I might agree that this was a poorly chosen example, but beyond Obama's mixed race heritage, what's the evidence that this is "racism"? This is exactly what Byrnzie was talking about. People are chomping at the bit to freak out about every little instance of poor judgment.

mysticweed

Byrnzie wrote:

ed243421 wrote:

alabama right?
let's just say the teacher was white and so was the student.
my gut tells me this is a racist joke gone bad.
i guess i just want the least amount possible, of hate and rascism, forced on my kids in school.
am i crazy?

It was a throwaway comment. He just responded to the kids question. He wasn't teaching the students hatred. He was teaching them physics. If a kid asks a question that involves an example then you respond to his question. This is just typical media bullshit, over-dramatizing something innocuous in order to whip the unthinking masses into another frenzy in order to sell newspapers.

BTW - Technically, tangencies are trigonomic functions.
But using the maiming or murdering of the leader of our country as the example for the day's lesson is wholeheartedly based in racism and hate.
imho

dasvidana

mikepegg44 wrote:

dasvidana wrote:

My point was that those in Alabama wouldn't have said that if a republican had said it. They would have lynched someone for saying it. The reason they are ok with it is because Obama's views fall outside what they're tolerant of.

I live in Vt and if someone here had made that comment about Sarah Palin and the tangent of the bullet, the people here would recognize that that kind of dialogue doesn't belong in public school.

you have no idea what this teacher is tolerant of

having grown up there, I do have an idea of the culture there, and I believe this teacher's comment is reflective of the larger culture of Alabama which is one of intolerance for views that are not consistent with conservative religious dogma. My point is that this is an example of the larger culture that exists there, not that I can read the mind of this one teacher or student.

eyedclaar

That is a conversation that doesn't belong in public schools. It is against the law for anyone to even joke about killing any president. That being said, I broke that law a million times during the Bush reign of terror, but I still wouldn't have been making those jokes in a public school.

the wolf

eyedclaar wrote:

That is a conversation that doesn't belong in public schools. It is against the law for anyone to even joke about killing any president. That being said, I broke that law a million times during the Bush reign of terror, but I still wouldn't have been making those jokes in a public school.

only because of the restraining order keeping you at least 100 yards away from all public schools.

eyedclaar

the wolf wrote:

eyedclaar wrote:

That is a conversation that doesn't belong in public schools. It is against the law for anyone to even joke about killing any president. That being said, I broke that law a million times during the Bush reign of terror, but I still wouldn't have been making those jokes in a public school.

only because of the restraining order keeping you at least 100 yards away from all public schools.

Public schools AND Chuck-E-Cheeses!