Teacher: Renounce Your Citizenship
That’ll start a discussion and then some!
Reached at home, the teacher said his U.S. History class is studying the Declaration of Independence, and he decided to write a letter putting the document into modern language. His intention, he said, was to send it home for parents to review, and possibly discuss with their children.
He concluded the letter with “After careful consideration of the facts of our current situation, I have decided to announce to everyone that I am no longer a citizen of the United States, but a free and independent member of the global community.”
“The point was, I wanted to ask parents if they would sign such a letter if conditions that existed prior to the Revolution were happening now,” he said. “I just wanted to start a discussion.”
Parsley said Brooks sent the letter out with no explanation or disclaimer, and was relying on students to tell their parents it was part of a lesson plan. She said several parents reacted adversely to the letter, but a few sent them back signed.
Chico resident Michael Hill said he was told by his daughter, Kaytlen Hill, 13, that the assignment was to have parents sign the letter and return it to class Wednesday.
“The lesson being taught in class was that the U.S. kidnaps innocent people and takes them to Cuba, where they are kept indefinitely and tortured,” Hill said he learned through his daughter.
When Hill asked her if Brooks mentioned Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the U.S. imprisons terrorist suspects, he said his daughter replied “yes.”
He said his daughter broke into tears when she talked about Brooks mentioning illegal wiretaps and other surveillance directed against innocent people.
“I think I was more irritated by the classroom discussion than the letter,” he said.
Brooks said he was trying to establish a parallel between attitudes during Revolutionary times, and those of today.
“When it was written, the Declaration was considered an inflammatory document,” Brooks said. “There were a lot of loyalists around then.”
The teacher said the letter led to some “wonderful discussion” on Wednesday.
I can’t even imagine what is meant by this:
Principal Joanne Parsley said teacher Mike Brooks never intended to have parents sign the letters, or forward them on to President Bush, to whom they are addressed.
“It was a well-intended lesson that didn’t shake out too well,” she said, adding that Brooks would not be subject to disciplinary action.
I don’t believe that they wern’t intended to be sent. Why address them if they aren’t going to be sent? Brooks never even got the school’s permission to send the letters home to the parents, yet he went ahead and did that! Why no disciplinary action?
Does the teacher understand the process of renouncing citizenship? It can’t be done on American soil, but don’t let that pesky little fact get in your way!
HotAir: “How is it well-intended to make kids cry that their country is jailing and wiretapping perfectly innocent people, when their country is not doing either?”
Stop The ACLU: “Since the troubling work of the so-called progressives led by John Dewey that has resulted in the near destruction of our institutes of higher learning, American schools have been steadily undermining this country. For a long time, at least, it was isolated mostly in the Universities safely removed from our youngest and most vulnerable students. Now, this pernicious and self-loathing force is commonly seen in even our elementary and high schools all too often. Supposed “teachers” who so hate the United States, its culture, history and ideals that they are willing to cast aside any pretense of teaching and are going straight for political indoctrination of their own hate filled ideology appear everywhere you turn.”
The principal: jparsley@chicousd.org
The teacher: mbrooks@chicousd.org
Interim Superintendent: kstaley@chicousd.org
Bidwell Junior High School
Mission Statement:
Our goal for our students is that they gain a strong set of academic, citizenship and interpersonal skills so they are well prepared for high school and beyond.
Otter Says:
On another site I sometimes post at, a 14-year-old came along
to tell us his teacher claimed Afghanistan attacked us on 9-11
for going to war against them.
Attacked us A YEAR BEFORE WE WENT TO WAR ON THEM, BECAUSE WE WENT TO WAR ON THEM A YEAR LATER.
This is the kind of ABSOLUTE STUPIDITY the Left is generating
in the US. I fear for the future of the entire Earth if such
Idiocy is allowed to end up running the US.
September 17, 2007 - 08:49 AM on September 17th, 2007
I have an idea, let’s deport this teacher to Afghanistan and any of his supporters.
September 17, 2007 - 12:28 PM on September 17th, 2007
Another one of those jerks who probibly belongs to the left-wing NEA and frankly all the parents should call for his ouster why dont him and the notorious WARD CHURCHILL go live in the gobi desert