It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson
We could teach this in history class.
We could teach this in health.
We could especially teach it in biology class.
But whichever class we choose, we must teach this.
Right after the Senior Award ceremony, I asked one of our talented musicians, a young man who aspires to play professionally in an major orchestra, what he planned to do next year.
He had an appointment early the next morning at the local USMC recruiter's office.
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I heard a report awhile ago about how the CIA had been recruiting gamers to fly unmanned drones that attack civilian land in search for the boogey man.
Sorry if that came across as too angry or cynical, but today the bread and circus just isn't cutting it and I'm waiting for our empire to have its Death Star moment.
Dr Doyle,
Do you condemn or support this student's decision? I can't tell by your post.
As an aside, military bands are among some of the best in the nation. Last summer I heard the Marine Corps band perform in Washington DC and they were awesome.
Perhaps Dr. Doyle would like us to draw our own conclusions, and reflect on our own values. For that, I am appreciative.
Dear John,
I remember when we were regularly bombing Iraq, before the last invasion. Once or twice a week Saddam tested our No Fly Zones over Iraq, and once or twice a week we responded with aerial bombing.
The point is not the reasons or the tactics--the point is that so few Americans realized this was going on. It was no secret--the State Dep't has a website, and the sorties were public. Even my pastor did not believe me until he looked it up.
If we as a culture cannot see what we are doing, we are in trouble.
The current wars are being fought by many brave young people, many who are coming back in pieces, and we continue to live our lives as though what happens there is independent of us.
Dear Barry,
I neither condemned nor supported the student when I spoke. It is, after all, his life, and his intentions are honorable.
Unless the USMC Band features viola players, though, his chances of success will be, um, muted.
Dr. Doyle? No one called me that even when I still practiced medicine.... =)
Dear KCL,
It's all anyone can ask--in class, I am very careful to keep my POV fluid. Some teachers may disagree with this, but in the long run our worth to the child is teaching her how to sift carefully (and critically) through the noise.
I will say this much--I am confident that a thoughtful citizenry can restore our Great Experiment. But then, that's not a partisan position.
My apologies - KCL is my Google identity.
I had a conversation with some students the other day who thought their World History class was "stupid, boring, and a waste of time."
I had posted this before the conversation: http://blog0rama.edublogs.org/2010/05/31/month-of-may-mothers-memorial/
And they were shocked when I told them this is why it matters: you need to know where people have come from, what decisions they are making, and make it your business to know.
Then they can make their own decisions.
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