Miami Herald: `Sicko' film at Doral school irks some parents

`Sicko' film at Doral school irks some parents
A teacher's choice to show the controversial Michael Moore film `Sicko' to students is now being questioned by some community activists.

BY LAURA FIGUEROA AND YUDY PINEIRO
lfigueroa@MiamiHerald.com


As the debate over healthcare reform intensifies, one Doral Middle School teacher sought to engage his students by showing them a documentary depicting countries offering universal healthcare coverage -- France, Canada and Cuba.

It's the inclusion of the latter country that has irked some parents and Cuban-American activists who are upset by the teacher's choice: Sicko -- a film by controversial filmmaker Michael Moore.

When the film hit the big screen in 2007, it was largely protested by leaders of South Florida's Cuban exile community who said it glorified the communist island's medical system.

In the film, Moore takes a a group of 9/11 rescue workers suffering from respiratory problems to receive free medical services in Cuba that they could otherwise not afford in the United States.

Before showing the film to his social studies students, teacher Eudelio Ferrer-Gari, 41, sent permission slips home with students and had parents sign off on whether their child could view the film.

Out of 102 students, only two opted out. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/1262410.html

recognize that just maybe on this one issue, cuba has it right. Hell, I bet even one thing was good in Hitler's Germany.

Those people are always dragged kicking and screaming into the future.. When all is still well and the sky didn't fall; their children just become used to that which their parents were idiots about.

It's just shows us the way it is.

nt

MM did his job if it's promoting debate.

Knowing something about how people do things elsewhere in the world can be useful, and curiosity on that point is OK. Admitting that is not endorsing the "Cuban" system of anything.

The contrary view--that it's not OK to learn about how people approach social issues elsewhere in the world--would seem to imply that the only way for kids to grow up as good patriots who love America in the "right way" and to the "correct degree" is for students to be kept in total ignorance about the outside world through a general silence punctuated only US government/corporate approved propaganda.

"some parents and Cuban-American activists"?

would decide we should make ours better. A new taunt? Whaddya mean, we can't provide health care as well as Cuba?

The kids are supportive of the teacher.

As an educator, this film would make a better choice.

Care to expand on your thought? And welcome to DU!

it is those parents or people who get the most attention.

ones, do things better than we do.

they probably freak at the realization that cuba has an actual system of evacuations for disasters like hurricanes, etc., that works.

and how about the fact that bushco refused the offer of the cubans to send medical assistance after katrina?

Seriously, what else do you have to say?