Still Crazier in Alabama

[Jefferson23]

* Top prize goes here for reaching a new low.

By Scott Horton
May 19, 1:57 PM, 2010


Political ads from Alabama have been getting national attention in recent days. Some of their features: violent language, brandishing of firearms, criminalization of adversaries. A good example is this ad by a candidate seeking election as state agriculture commissioner, which has the feel of a trailer for a violent Western:

Watch video at link.


But for sheer craziness, this report is hard to top:

An Alabama math teacher used the assassination of President Barack Obama as a way to teach angles to his geometry students. Secret Service officials questioned the Corner High School teacher after someone alerted them about the class session. The teacher was not taken into custody or charged with a crime. Corner is a community in extreme northwest Jefferson County, about 20 miles from Birmingham.

The high school’s principal insists that the teacher will not be fired. However, the Birmingham News reported today that after being visited for questioning by Secret Service agents, he was placed on leave.


http://www.harpers.org/archive/2010/05/hbc-90007076

[texastoast]

1. There are evil people everywhere

Their evilness must be called out, confronted, and stood down. Every fucking time.

[Octafish]

2. + 6.7 billion

For every body, what texastoast said.

[Jefferson23]

4. Absolutely, and the notion that this was done by a teacher, and the

initial response from the school is the teacher will NOT be fired..unbelievable.

So what else goes on in this school, not just this classroom, I think it is more than appropriate for an investigation.

How long has he been teaching hate like this to his students?

[rocktivity]

3. CORRECTION:

"The high school’s principal insists that the teacher will not be fired. However, the Birmingham News reported today that after being visited for questioning by Secret Service agents, he was placed on leave"...AFTER BEING EMBARRASSED BY THE PUBLIC OUTRAGE.

The administration of the school, not teacher himself, made Olbermann's Worst Persons list last night. As he put it, how to you support a teacher who teaches by advocating the assassination of ANYONE?

x(
rocktivity

[Jefferson23]

6. I honestly don't know if the teacher was placed on leave due to embarrassment.

I wonder what the conversation yielded when the Secret Service agents were done with the sicko teacher.

I wish we could learn more about the details of that visit.

[trof]

5. Alabama GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Attacked For Lack Of Jesusness

Teh loopy, insane, batshit crazy is getting worse here.

Video:
http://wonkette.com/415360/alabama-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-attacked-for-lack-of-jesusness

[d_r]

7. I like how he whips out the rifle

for no apparent reason, other than to whip out a rifle.

[Jefferson23]

8. Provocative, to say the least. But it's the teacher, his actions are reprehensible.

When did a teacher ever use such a lesson when a Republican white guy was in office?

[Jefferson23]

9. self delete duplicate n/t

[BolivarianHero]

10. rofl...best ad ever.

My favourite part is when he answers his own question:

"Who on Earth would support such a dummy? We're Republicans!"

[Jefferson23]

11. Take a look at the latest response by people regarding the teacher:

* I want to see the lesson plan printed up that he used, all his words.




JOEY KENNEDY: That Corner High math teacher wasn't a threat to the president, but that's not why he's in trouble
By Joey Kennedy -- The Birmingham News
May 20, 2010, 8:29AM
Some people just don't get it.




On this blog yesterday (here) and in comments elsewhere (including in an anonymous telephone message to me this morning that suggested there is, uh, a warm place I should go that isn't the beach), people argue because Corner High math teacher Gregory Harrison was no threat to President Barack Obama, he shouldn't be disciplined by Jefferson County school officials for using Obama's theoretical assassination in a geometry lesson.

"Sunshine 83" posted a typical comment:

"This is all a big mess that has been blown way out of proportion because of the media. Who hasn't made a joke about Obama? The secret service talked to him and they obviously didn't see him as a threat."

Let's hope Sunshine83 isn't a teacher, too. The problem isn't that Harrison might be a threat to the president, though the Secret Service did have a talk with him. The problem is that Harrison thought incorporating the shooting of our president into his lesson was OK. Oh, he's apologizing now, but what if this story hadn't been told? This didn't just drop out of the sky; somebody complained, enough so that the Secret Service was called.

Harrison is (or should be) a respected authority to the young people in his classroom; they should look up to him; he should serve as a positive role model.

Harrison is a teacher. Let that sink in, if you can. Regardless of what people think about Obama, we must never condone this type of behavior from a teacher, a person who should be setting the right examples, positively guiding young minds and encouraging constructive thought.

Maybe Harrison has a great record in the classroom and shouldn't lose his career over this terrible mistake, but the school system has to make it clear that this behavior by one of its teachers isn't going to be tolerated.

This isn't about "political correctness." It's about human decency.

Teachers are in positions of great responsibility. While it may only have been a temporary lapse in judgment, Harrison profoundly failed his profession.

What do you think?


http://blog.al.com/jkennedy/2010/05/joey_kennedy_that_corner_high.html

[jillan]

12. Oh MY - that video! Pray that man doesn't get elected.

[Jefferson23]

13. Crazy stuff, but the teacher out does that ad, ten fold imo. n/t

[jillan]

14. Between both of these, the Pauls, the Governor of Az - wtf is going on??

During the 90's I really felt that America was embracing its role as a Melting Pot - an inclusive society with a place for everyone.
If you would've told me then that we would be where we are today, I never would've believed it.

[Jefferson23]

15. I know, yet, it is our citizens that elected Barack Obama POTUS..

the guy with the "funny" name. All considered, we have moved on, but there are more than a few who can't handle it. I'm not sure any longer
if they ever will.

What this teacher did is shocking to me, when has any teacher in any public school in this country tried such a stunt when a white guy
was POTUS?

[Toucano]

16. Everything changed on September 11th.

All the progress of the 20th century disappeared.