Teacher Wants To Honor Conscientious Objectors Equal Recognition With Vets

[las47032]

SARASOTA -- Bay Haven elementary school's Veterans Day observance was still 24 hours away when talk show host Rush Limbaugh weighed in on it, starting a full-blown debate about today's short ceremony.

It started with an eight-line e-mail from fourth-grade teacher Rolf Hanson to the school staff. Hanson thought conscientious objectors should be honored by placing their names on a banner, giving them more or less equal recognition with veterans who fought in wars.

On Thursday, an outraged parent whose son is in Hanson's class -- Kimberly from Sarasota -- was on the radio explaining it all to conservative icon Limbaugh.

"You've gotta be kidding!" said Limbaugh, who repeated the school's name 11 times over the course of a few minutes.

Within hours, Bay Haven received hundreds of calls and e-mails, including one from a soldier serving in Afghanistan.

And the school's principal was trying to explain that the plans had already changed. There will be no banner with the names of conscientious objectors, she said, and the school plans to honor veterans "in a very traditional way."

"That was the plan from the beginning, and that is the plan now," said Principal Betsy Asheim-Dean, who is in her first year at the school.

It was too late to stop the flow of indignant letters and e-mails.

"This is outrageous and a slap in the face of all veterans, our men and women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard that are serving in harms way, their families and orphaned children," Richard M. Swier, president of the Sarasota County Veterans Commission, wrote in an e-mail to School Board Chairman Frank Kovach.

At the same time, some Bay Haven parents were protesting the school's decision to shield children from other viewpoints about war, especially after more than four years of conflict in Iraq.

Bay Haven is a public magnet school that is so popular that some parents sign up their children before they are even born. It offers a special academic program focusing on teaching critical thinking and global awareness.

"I don't think they should make a big deal about it," said Felicia Cook, who heard about the controversy when she picked up her son and daughter from school Thursday. "My father was in Vietnam, and he was for peace. Someone who is talking about peace, why should we have a problem with that?"

The Veterans Day issue started in Hanson's fourth-grade class when the teacher brought up Veterans for Peace, a group of former servicemen who oppose war.

The e-mail he sent to colleagues invited them to have students submit the names of conscientious objectors for a banner, and encouraged them to spread the word to parents.

Hanson, who could not be reached Thursday for comment, wanted to display the banner alongside another banner honoring 1,000 veterans who are related to students and school staff, Asheim-Dean said.

On Thursday afternoon, the atmosphere was hectic in the school's small office as staffers scrambled to answer callers who heard about Limbaugh's radio broadcast.

A staff of 4 took 15 phones calls in one 10-minute period. Workers were patient with callers, but their answers were terse.

"It saddens our heart that this is happening," one office worker told a caller.

Then after a pause, she said, "We are honoring our veterans with a ceremony tomorrow."

School and district officials defended Hanson's actions, saying he did not intend to offend anyone.

"This was just something that came up as part of a classroom discussion," said Schools Superintendent Gary Norris. "The teacher didn't intentionally do anything he shouldn't have."

Bay Haven will hold its Veterans Day celebration this morning, sans the Veterans for Peace banner.

Jay Alexander, a member of Veterans For Peace in Tampa and a Gulf War veteran, said he did not hear about the situation until late Thursday. The organization hopes to have members there today.

"That is great that people are supporting the teacher," Alexander said. "We support his First Amendment right. The kids have to know there are people out there in war that are conscientious objectors."


Source: Limbaugh lashes a school in Sarasota

Mr. Rolf Hanson and Jay Alexander who is a member of Veterans For Peace in Tampa as well as a Gulf War veteran they want to honor conscientious objectors then Hanson, Alexander and like minded people ought to establish a time and place to honor the cowards who refused to served.

Appropriate statute honoring chickn run gang.

[leobold1]

Personally, I have no problem with Conscientious Objectors. Some of the most honored Corpsman and Medics have been COs.

I do have a problem with making them a separate category for a Veterans Day Celebration. Not all COs are Veterans.

If a CO is a Veteran, honor them. If not, April 29 or April 30 is a great day to honor those who either ran or decided it's more important to decline to fight because they suddenly decided that they didn't like THIS war.

[Woodmonkey]

I knew one of those medics and he was quite an individual. His principles would not allow him to carry, or use, a weapon, but he sure did take care of the wounded. He was highly decorated.

[sabadgeman]

My own brother was a C/O he too served in the medics and had to serve double time in the SA Defence Force he got no medals except campaign medals and does not deride us who took up arms.

I agree with Leobold1 it is the separate class that rankles

Steve

[las47032]

leobold1, Woodmoney subadgeman

Apparently I didn't make myself clear when I stated

Mr. Rolf Hanson and Jay Alexander who is a member of Veterans For Peace in Tampa as well as a Gulf War veteran they want to honor conscientious objectors then Hanson, Alexander and like minded people ought to establish a time and place to honor the cowards who refused to served.

Be clear in explaining the difference between the true conscientious objectors and the individuals using, exploiting conscientious objectors status to avoid military service. Mean time, teach children honor, duty country.

Veteran’s Day is a citizen’s duty, commitment and duty honoring servicemen and women who have volunteered without reluctance serving our nation throughout American history. Taking time out commemorating with respectful silence and ceremonies paying tribute to the fallen and the living, honoring and proudly salute the troops and veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice defending and preserving the freedoms we enjoy today and some take for granted and some don’t care. Our veterans defended America, we defend their memory.

During Veteran’s Day celebration, it is time to teach and explain to children freedom isn’t free and the true meaning of liberty, colors of Old Glory and what the colors stands for. Also teach children honor, duty, country.

Also, Veteran’s Day was and still is a tradition when Americans no matter their political party and ideologies did not get in the way in remembering the veterans and troops who perished during war and peace answering America’s call to duty. Besides, Veteran's Day is more than festivities, gaiety and frolic, barbeques, picnics, traveling to visiting family and friends near and far. Likewise Veteran's Day has turned three-day week end government employees and politicians pandering for votes, as well for business making money from Veteran's Day sles, and oil companies making ap profit by causing gas prices bilking motorists.

And Veteran’s Day has become a political opportunity political propaganda [font=Times New Roman]ungrateful individuals with no vision, the anti war, anti America zealots, and the drumbeaters who don’t have anything good or positive to say about America. They defilie Veteran's Day a sacred remembrance. Put a sock in it as in STFU and contemplate the benefit of living in a nation where they can speak and do as they please, a gift they dishonor with each and all denunciation they exploit and pervert. Disgrace turns into shallowness. What a disgrace the thankless are too superficial, bigoted, self-indulgence, prejudicial to feel shame.

This and next Veteran's Day Day and the following annual observance, if you are attending a parade and sitting down, get off your duff, stand up showing respect as the military and the flag pass by in review.

Getting back to the original story, what were the teacher and the principal thinking? The teacher thought he would pull off or get a way with his leftist anti war BS and the principal was too weak to deal with the situation until they were called on it.

True conscienous objectors answered America’s call and they were in every war our nation fought, serving in every capacity (from medical to chaplain) except for firing a weapon in anger. And after their service, they didn’t get on their soap box or join the current trend attracting growing support opposing the war like prior service men and women who for whatever reason chose to join Iraq Vets Against the War, Vietnam Vets Against the War and Veterans for Peace an anti war organization Veterans for Peace - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/g...asp?grpid=6244. Their web site Veterans For Peace :: Home Just to name a few anti war organizations, and they associate with the likes of Jihad Cindy Sheehan and Code Pink and other anti war factions defiling national monuments, burning Old Glory, hanging a soldier in effigy. They are Lenin's useful idiots, members of the al Qaeda fan club comprising the anti war movement.

Veteran’s Day is a time to honor servicemen and women who served as well as the conscienous objectors military duty, not the lily-livered cowards who never served claiming conscienous objectors to keep form serving in the armed forces including the Vietnam War era draft dodgers, deserters, defectors and anti war protesters from that time period to the present.

Furthermore, fourth graders have no clue or a minimal idea of what war is like not to mention what is a veteran. There is no reason to bring up conscienous objectors’ issue other than to promote the teacher’s anti war agenda.

Herald Tribune modified their original story as in damage limitation after the teacher, principal and school received scores of angry emails. Notice the difference between the original story as posted in the topic started and the modified version.
Limbaugh blasts Bay Haven's plans for Veterans Day

Hanson stated he didn’t mean to insult veterans by wanting to include draft dodgers. Yeah right! He would have made that comment until he was called on it.

More attempts to minimize or curtail damage or loss and Kimberly caved in and the story makes her look like an idiot.

Following Rush Limbaugh’s broadcast about a fourth grade teacher planing to honor conscienous objectors, Bay Have Elementary School got a lot of emails, phone calls and some threats.

According to the story, the lady who called Limbaugh informing him the school was planning to honor conscienous objectors during the Veteran’s Day program, and their objective isn’t what they intended, and now it’s a misinterpretation regarding what went on in the classroom.

Hanson a Quaker thinks a dovish way to resolve in settling disputes is not using violence, and going to war isn’t the answer.

The teacher and Kimberly’s political orientation clashed concerning the teacher’s plan to observe veterans supporting peace throughout the schools’ presentation. Before the uproar students were in the process of making banners honoring vets, who opposed the war. Hanson had sent emails requesting his colleagues to have their students present names of conscientious objectors and Veterans for Peace. Hanson found names on the Veterans for Peace web site, and he had the students write these names on blue and red hearts for the banner.

Hanson stated he always desired to connect activity to a lesson a few times a week championing peaceful conflict resolution and Hanson tied the pacifists’ objective to Armistice Day, the beginning of Veteran’s Day.

However, that wasn’t the message finding its way back to the parents.

Kimberly’s son who is in Hanson’s class, and the son told his mother about the teacher’s banner.

Kimberly viewed the email Hanson had sent, and she immediately responded.

On a regular basis, Kimberly listens to Rush Limbaugh, and she called talk show during his radio show telling Limbaugh about the school’s program. See the transcript. Elementary School Honors Conscientious Objectors
Elementary School Honors Conscientious Objectors

Now she regrets her actions, and Kimberly wished people would have reacted in a different way, but it was out of her control. She feels sad Bay Haven had to deal with the fir storm.

Hanson stated he at no time brought up conscienous objectors in class and Kimberly admits she doesn’t believe her son became aware of the term from his teachers’ class. After advisement from principal Betsy Asheim Hanson scaled down his plans, and conscienous objectors was removed from the banner. Consequently Bay Haven decided to withdraw the banner from the program.

Hanson requested to keep the banner, but he was informed school officials mean to destroy the banner.

News spread fast among the parents and they went to the school on Friday for the program.

Before the program started, Hanson, Kimberly and her husband came to terms, and the husband stood beside Hanson honoring veterans.
Source: 'Common ground': Two sides in Limbaugh dustup make up

[Woodmonkey]

Hanson a Quaker thinks a dovish way to resolve in settling disputes is not using violence, and going to war isn’t the answer.

That's where he's coming from and that's fine, but he isn't the equal of Vets who put their lives and limbs on the line insuring Hanson's freedom to be a dove. Veterans day is to honor Veterans (there are jobs in the military that CO's have served honorably in so they would be Veterans), not those who don't serve for whatever reason, and it is not a time to spout a political agenda.