Reply #35: Not realistic, in my view. [View All]

A child is (naturally) influenced by the people who raise him or her. That is somewhat different from being force-fed a teacher's political views to the point that the child feels intimidated about expressing an opinion that differs from the teacher's.

Ideally, a teacher would make a value-neutral assignment (and by that I mean that the assignment would appear not to favor a particular viewpoint, regardless of the teacher's own views). And a good teacher would be able to give a good grade to a good argument made for the side she doesn't support.

This teacher is obvious in her adoration of Bush, and even a child can pick up on that (and one has). It is not measured.

If a child writes a letter that is strongly critical of Bush, that is different from a letter "filled with hate." Even children have the capacity to deplore venality, corruption, selfishness, greed, and abuse of power, though they may not have the sophistication of an adult when they do so.

The bottom line is that a child who does not admire Bush perceives that the teacher would not welcome her (his?) opinions. That should not be the case in any good teacher's classroom.