If the Klan robes are revealing our sordid history, what’s the problem with historical reenactment?

From speaking to students at LCHS, the assignment was to show the negative effects of racism. It just went too far.

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meant to say–I have never found that ignoring that something has happened/exists is a way to enlighten someone

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Well-stated, Majii. As a student at Lumpkin County High School–who has had Mrs. Ariemma–I can tell you that the media has ridiculously distorted the situation. Mrs. Ariemma is an excellent teacher, and the students in AP U.S. history are probably the most committed and open-minded in our school due to the demanding nature of the course (and Mrs.
Ariemma!). The project may have gone too far, but the students were merely depicting historical events and mocking the ignorance of the KKK. This same type of ignorance is now causing militant black to drive all the way up here to “protest” a situation for which they don’t even have the facts.

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Rufus, read what Maureen said. We (general, media-reading public) don’t know that she didn’t inform the principal and parents. And I agree with Majii. Sometimes just having a surface knowledge of a topic isn’t enough for students to truly understand. I remember when I saw the movie, “Saving Private Ryan.” During the final battle scene, I was curled up in my chair, thinking, “I can’t take anymore,” when it hit me, “I can shut the movie off….THEY couldn’t! How could they take it?” It was a moment for me when I feel like I had a real understanding, outside of actually having been there, of what that time in history was.

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I think Majji responded to this quite well and I completely agree.

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…..that racism is alive and well in Georgia.

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Sadly, It’s part of Georgia history.

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Once again, what was a simple situation is being made into a big deal. The problem here is that the teacher did not communicate with administration about what could have been a sensitive issue. I always do that and get administrative approval before doing anything that might be a problem. Also, the students could donned the robes outside, away from so much attention. I’m sure in an AP course, the intent was perfectly educational. But it does remind me, as a teacher, to check and double check before getting into what could become a difficult situation. Been there, done that.

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Again I agree with Majji…..Some people just like tp stir up trouble. History is best learned from or it will be repeated.

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SSUSH10d Explain Black Codes, the Ku Klux Klan, and other forms of resistance to racial equality during Reconstruction.

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The ADL has named various reasons why simulations aren’t always the best practice. I think their statement can be applied in this situation as well

Teaching About the Holocaust:
Why Simulation Activities Should Not Be Used
Recently a Holocaust simulation activity at a Florida Middle School upset students, parents and
community members by selecting children to be exposed to “persecution.” Without announcing or
explaining the specific purpose of the activity in advance, eighth-grade students whose last names
started with the letters L-Z were given yellow five-pointed stars and designated the “persecuted”, while
their peers received “privileged” treatment. Throughout the activity the star-wearing students were
subjected to enforced rules which ranged from forcing them to stand at the back of the class or the
end of long lunch lines, to barring them from using some bathrooms and preventing them from using
school drinking fountains. At the end of the day, many children were distressed, and one child even
went home crying, telling his parents, “The only thing I found out today is that I don’t want to be
Jewish.”
While empathy-building activities in the classroom may be compelling and a popular
technique for engaging young people in the history of the Holocaust, the Anti-Defamation
League and other institutions with expertise in teaching the Holocaust strongly caution
against using simulation activities for the following reasons:
• They are pedagogically unsound because they trivialize the experience of victims and can
leave students with the impression at the conclusion of the activity that they actually know what it
was like during the Holocaust
• They stereotype group behavior and distort historical reality by reducing groups of people and
their experiences and actions to one-dimensional representations
• They can reinforce negative views of the victims
• They impede critical analysis by oversimplifying complex historical events and human
behavior, leaving students with a skewed view of history
• They disconnect the Holocaust from the context of European and global history
There are numerous effective and pedagogically sound methods that can be used to achieve
these goals. Students can develop empathy and understanding with the experiences and
explore the motivation, thoughts, feelings and actions of those who lived through the
Holocaust era by:
• Drawing on primary source materials, such as photographs, artwork, diary entries, letters,
government documents, and visual history testimony
• Assigning reflective writing exercises or leading in-class discussions that explore various
aspects of human behavior such as scapegoating or making difficult moral choices
• Inviting survivors and other eyewitnesses to share their stories

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The ADL list numerous reasons why Holocaust simulations are to be avoided. Their advice seems to apply in this situation as well.

http://www.adl.org/education/Simulationinteachinghol.pdf

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Son of an Educator GET A GRIP! I can assume that none of your ancestors have seen, read about, or heard of your women being raped. I don’t think you can relate to your ancestors being beaten,set a fire and burned for no reason other that the color of your skin. This is what the kkk did to my people. Is this the history you are trying to teach if so then I am all for it. Funny that you mention the nazi uniforms so I take it you are not Jewish because then you know how a Jewish person feel when they see a nazi uniform. Do you know what it must feel like to have mothers, fathers, and children gased. murdered, and burned all for sake of creating a pure race. If that the type of history you are teaching then I am for it, after all isn’t that the real history.

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please over look the mistakes in the first line of my statement

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If the teachers purpose was to “mock the ignorance of the KKK”, I question how does the wearing of robes teach this point? She could not teach this lesson without the robes? Why expose children to something so apprehensible by actually wearing it? No excuses, she was wrong and as a parent, I would have objected to my child actually wearing this attire or being exposed to it in school. Surely, she thought someone would be offended possibly some students in her class. I guess the supporters who support students wearing robes would support a cross burning reenactment too. Would these robe supporters uphold a “lesson” with a lynching reenactment? The robe, crossing burning and lynching are historically associated with the KKK. No excuses, she should be fired. If this would have been reenactment of the Black Panthers, would your support change?

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Uhh…Georgia doesn’t have the exclusive rights to the KKK. Neither do we have the exclusive rights to racism. That is everywhere. Are evil people NEVER portrayed in school plays?

Political correctness along with ignorance will be the downfall of this country.

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Is it really that big of a deal? Grow up people.

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From a tea (insert name that cannot be mentioned:

“SSUSH10d Explain Black Codes, the Ku Klux Klan, and other forms of resistance to racial equality during Reconstruction.”

http://www.adl.org/education/Simulationinteachinghol.pdf

Thank you Ms. M

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Majii said it already, and better than I can, but Lumpkin County ought to let Ms. Ariemma teach.

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GEE….that was exactly what the teacher was trying to convey to the students…..put yourself in their place and see how you feel…..I’ve been teaching high school social studies for 30 years. We use to do this type of instruction all the time. Now, we just teach the test and don’t even think about innovative or creative simulations because the general public is too ignorant to handle it !!!!! I salute this teacher.

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if nothing else, she was teaching the kids real life
doesn’t give a damn about your ultra thin skin

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would Lumpkin prefer them dressed as Santa?
leprechans?

how about tribal muslims?

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I think the question was raised earlier but, why wasn’t administration notified that this was happening. This was not well thought out. She ignored the effect that her behavior may have on the handful of black students at that school. I could imagine the trauma they experienced, because the KKK does strike a nerve ( fear, anger, or hate )because of their history of violence. The teacher should not lose her job, but I think she should apologize to those students. As a parent of a black child I would have left my job and come up there as well to find out what was going on.

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LOL

I guess Proud Black Man (who is actually white) will be hijacking this thread again.

Everyone objects to something. In public high schools, it’s probably better to stick to content and let only the students who go to college use their critical thinking skills. College professors have tenure, and therefore they are at liberty to have students use their evaluative skills to truly understand a shameful period in American history in the South.

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“I’m still puzzled about how wearing some kluckers clothes is going to make me think critically about reconstruction era southern states.’

kluckers?

This is not a discussion about the Marietta “Big Chicken”.

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It was a part of history! Blacks won’t let Americans forget about slavery, even though they need to get over it already. No current White American had one black enslaved. If this had been black kids dressing up in black panther outfits, nothing would have ever been mentioned.

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The kids learned that their TEACHER is being made an example of. I attended NGC and we Hung a Black Pledge in our “RED DOG SALOON” Play during the “GOLD RUSH DAYS” one year. Nobody said a word because that is what used to happen. We only did it once. He/the pledge want to do it. He understood the point we were making. The problem occured when we actually let him drop in the noose the first time. He passed out. The fear and the feeling of the rope on his neck shut his body down. We changed that part of the play. We didn’t need to do it again because it scared us all. If a stink had happened back in the late-80’s over this stunt there are many Army Officers that would never received a Commission.

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“I attended NGC and we Hung a Black Pledge in our “RED DOG SALOON”

You hung an uncle tom. No self respecting black man would ever let ANYONE place a rope around his neck. Ever!

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Maureen: the worst of humankind lives in AFRICA. The continuing genocide of Africans by other Africans is much worse than what the KLAN did. The Klan is used for WHITE GUILT. How many rappers or ghetto thugs of the same race shot each other today?

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Proud: I guess you have not seen any HOLLYWOOD movie that show this type of event ever happening? HAHAHHA You are too stupid to argue with about this.

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hypocrites,
The reality is the black panther party voiced their opinions through public demonstrations, threats, harassment, and violence — primarily against the local police force. This is clearly documented. The Klan, however, has been responsible for the documented and undocumented beatings and deaths of many african-americans — men, women and children. You cannot compare Black Panthers to the KKK. At any rate, it was inappropriate to wear KKK robes, and it’s easy for many to say ‘awww..that’s the past, it’s OK’, when your family member has never been on the receiving end of the KKK’s behavior.

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@ Laney

The grafted snakes know they are crooked.

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Laney Don’t wear Red or Blue or White or Olkand Raider stuff in the wrong areas or you will know GANG Violence. Don’t standup to the Dealers in your neighborhood or you will be on the receiving end of GANG behavior. I compare the Black Panthers to the armed forces of the new drug dealers. The Panthers Supported DRUGS in your communities when the “Revolution” was over and they had nothing to do.

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Lee you got to be jocking right. That was real funny what you wrote. How many kkk members went to jail or even stood trial for rape or murder? I bet almost none, since most of the police, sheriffs, judges and lawyers also wore white sheets. Lee when did they start keeping thoses statistics you are talking about? I bet there are no kkk members included.. What do you think.

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The New Klan is a Joke. The REAL NEW KLAN are the GANGS that are not about race as much as Territory held by a RACE and the money to be made.

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This blog is getting out of control You guys are funny. Can we all just agree that the teacher should have given notice?

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Or a heads-up?

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Those who think this is fine would have no problem with black panthers, nazis, Nate Turner organization, Sadam sympathizers, AntiWhite Committee also walking around in school

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Looking forward to see if this “exemplary” teacher is going to have her students dress up as suicide bombers as another paradigm concerning Afghanistan.

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TEACHER please have the kids come to school with HUGE Machetes and chop the heads off american soldiers. Show the 7-14 year old boys in Africa killing their own family members. TRUTH HURTS. Please show the RAP STARS killing TuPAC and BIGGIE. Blacks want to cry when it is WHITE on Black CRIME, but IGNORE BLACK on BLACK crime.

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The parent was “offended” at kids wearing sheets? Boy, I bet they spend every Halloween in a frenzy.

Does anyone involved in this actually think that the teacher is trying to establish a Student KKK Club at Lumpkin County High School? This is a HISTORY lesson, for heaven’s sake. If anything, all this misplaced hysteria just goes to illustrate the phenomenon of “mass hysteria”. Racism and bigotry was not the goal here — the teacher was trying to illustrate a sordid and unpleasant part of history. However, the misplaced outrage over this, especially if it leads to her dismissal, will go a long way towards fueling very real bigotry and resentment — THAT should be instructional.

I saw the video of the principal (or was it the superintendent?) who sat stiffly at his desk and intoned on public media that she had “obviously” used “poor judgement.” Sorry, it’s not that obvious. Gee, way to back your teachers — good to know you’ve got their back. Why bother with a “demonstration”? The students are about to get a first-hand viewing of a real, modern lynching. Sheesh.

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Maureen,

I am a high school history teacher and I am all for tackling the controversial topics. I grew up with stories of the KKK terrorizing my family. I have an older family member who was shot in the leg when he was just a baby by the Klan when they attacked the family home. Thank God he survived but he limped for the rest of his life…a permanent visual reminder for the following generations regarding the Klan.

I don’t doubt that Ms. Auriemma was sincere and had no malicious intent. She probably has the best rapport with her students. However, I can also see how this would upset a parent especially if their family history is even remotely similar to mine.

Also understand, many of the perpetrators are still alive and have never been brought to justice. There was no Truth and Reconciliation Commission or Nuremberg Trials for African Americans. There was no closure from the terrorizing events for many victims. The wound is still raw so I understand the concern. I do wish we would talk more openly about race in our schools but it has to be done carefully because the wound has been allowed to fester unchecked for so long.

I do not place blame on those who were not involved with the KKK or slavery. To do so would be illogical. I do however disdain the attitude of “get over it, it happened so long ago” Not true. For many African American families the last slave ancestor can be as near as a great grandparent depending on your age. As I stated before, my grandparents have vivid memories of the Klan. That is living memory not dead history. That is not so long ago.

For me, institutionalized racism is a historical fact that needs to be treated as such. What we need is admittance on both sides. For White America (as a whole, some are further along than others) to be brave enough to stop running from this period in history by trying to ignore or trivialize it and for Black America to be brave enough to let the wounds heal whether people ever apologize for it or not.

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Never mind, then. I guess I should apologize to those students! However, that does place even more blame on the teacher. I see where she wanted to go, but it just seems too far with this type of topic. I still want to know more about the assignment and purpose – I’ll have to keep reading.

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“and @proud black man this is an AP class we are apart of.”

? another case of frontal lobe separation

“How dare you post this comment! Unless you were apart of my class you have no room to comment on my teacher or my friends!”

Its called the 1st amendment little tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned). Try to be “a part” of a civilized society.

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This is better then watching Rand Paul back pedal!

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Great teaching!!! Yes, I’m African American!!! I wish she had notified others of her project, but the end results should be a teaching tool as well. The reactions from students, now teach them how to ignore certain situation without violence and REMEMBER FOR EVERY ACTION THERE IS A REACTION!!! If you dont agree with something TALK IT OUT!!! When you focus on whats in front of you.. u give them power.

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@Proud Ariemma Student!

How interesting that you feel obliged to target the black Cody Rider with innuendos and character besmirching descriptors while defending your teacher from the same.

Methinks you doth protest too much, the simple fact is – southern whites (bet you are white too) generally seem unable to grasp the enormity or the damage they have done and continue to do today to the psyche of African-Americans in that region. I suppose living with such casual daily racial animus does dull the sensibilities and concience – afterall some of your best preachers were KKK too,

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It sounds like this has been blown way out of proportion. But Dahlonega is also known as “Dramalonega”.

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LIBERALs always reWrite history of that period…..SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS CREATED JIM COW & ALSO CREATED THE KKK….there were no republicans in the KLAN…..all southern Democrats…the liberal Media has lied about that history…just lied about it..

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Early for the filter to be clogged….

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It is so amusing watching the closet bigots work themselves in a lather because some “exemplary” teacher is supposedly being throw under the bus due to blacks over reacting. I call BS on all you tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned)!

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@PBM… Actually look through the standards and you will find it. I believe it is SSUSH10 d.

Are there other characters from history that cannot be depicted in a film or reenactment without the teacher getting in trouble? I would be terribly affronted by a student dressed as Malcolm X, Hitler, King Henry VIII, etc……

Just wondering….

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To not FULLY understand history and to the impact has on us today is to be ignorant. If we are ignorant, then we will inevitably suffer through the same events again since we would not have that resource to learn from.

This was a mistake on judgment in not informing parents of the project, that is all.

Some of these comments are ridiculous. First of all, every one of our ancestors were persecuted at one time or another. How far back do we go to use this crutch? We are GENERATIONS away from what happened in the US. If you think that today’s racism only happens to Afro-Americans, than you are quite self-absorbed and on and pity wagon. Suck it up and deal with it. Racism is going to be around as long as there are people in the world. I wish it weren’t so, but it is.
To all the Afro-Americans out that think that they are being discriminated against, ask yourself this question and try to be honest with yourself. Are you seeking a racial equality or racial supremacy?

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I am so sick of this. You have a history teacher doing her job…..Teaching history. This is America and she is teaching OUR history and yes it does include the KKK and slavery and all the past good and bad. Yet dont let anyone teach the facts. Just put Obama in the history books beside Bill Clinton.

I am so sick of this fight. She is a good teacher and because of her teaching ways these kids learn the facts. Ok, so she was wrong to let them prade through the schools, but other students also have to learn that its not all about them either. We are a country of mixes and that is a fact. Leave this teacher alone. The way I see it, we dont have a lot of teachers who love the job and do as well as this teacher. We need more like her, and to suspend her? What a joke. TEACH AMERICAN HISTORY THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN IN THE LAND.

Oh by the way, Black history month insults me. You need to stop teaching that as well in schools. Think thats fair? Of course you dont. And Martin Luther King day is the only day that you support his teachings. The rest of the time you do what you want. Its only for your day off that you care.

Its time to shut up and let these teachers teach the history of the America and crying every time you dont like something. Its history people, deal with it. Its what made a lot of people who they are today.

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Nabe….Maybe you should join the school kids and learn something. Might want to start with English…………”Methinks” ? What the heck is that. Oh I know, its what a 2 year old says when he/she starts talking. Grow up! This was a history lesson pure and simple. The KKK is part of history so deal with it!

Good teachers are few and far between. Let her do her job and shut up about what you dont like. Its not about you, its about AMERICAN HISTORY.

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@ Vince

SSUSH10 The student will identify legal, political, and social dimensions of Reconstruction.
d. Explain Black Codes, the Ku Klux Klan, and other forms of resistance to racial equality during Reconstruction.

So you have to dress as a klucker to be able to “explain” this? You tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned) have no shame do you? Lets face facts; the teacher made a piss poor decision. No wonder Georgia is fast on its way to being last in education.

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@ Enough already

“To all the Afro-Americans out that think that they are being discriminated against, ask yourself this question and try to be honest with yourself. Are you seeking a racial equality or racial supremacy?”

Fair question. I’m seeking a racial payback. Satisfied?

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Hypocrites, your ignorance is glaring. Comparing the Black Panthers to the KKK? You really don’t know anything about the BLack Panthers. You are just repeating what you heard from others who don’t have a clue. When did the Black Panthers go into white neighborhoods and pulled family members out in the middle of the night and lynced them? The Black Panther Party started in Alabama as the Freedom Party during the Civil Rights Movement as an orginization pushing for voting rights. Sure the organization later became identified with more radical elements who left SNCC(Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) because they thought SNCC was not aggressive enough in its fight against Jim Crow and racial inequality. The term “Black Panther” was coined by an elderly gentleman who joined the struggle against racial injustice. When the Freedom Party was looking for a symbol the elderly gentleman suggested a panther. “Until the lions have their historians the hunt will always glorify the hunter” – African proverb.

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Methinks is Shakespeare-era English. Also, watch out for “Much ado about nothing.”

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I’m African American and a retired school administrator. The problem with the activity was that there should have been discussion and full disclosure up front about what was happening. If handled appropriately and with care, it could be a great class activity.

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@ Son of an Educator
Not “paid back” but “payback.” This might help you to understand:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsOmvSlPuys

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I have been wondering . . . if everyone gets riled up over history . . . why doesn’t the Frontier Indians go on the warpath??? Heck, they had their homeland taken from them, rounded up like cattle and herded to reservations. Why would they be any different than African-Americans who are so upset over a piece of history. And also, why must you be called African Americans instead of just Americans?? Does that added part of the name give you more rights than the average American? If you are born in the United States you are an American period! Stop the foolishness if you really love America and just be part of society. History is history, like it or not.

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Keith, regarding the 5/24 8:07 comment – This is the reason that racism is alive and well in Georgia and across America. How dare you say that all Black people are criminals and thugs. Do you realize that the President of the United States is Black? How do you live with yourself with your racist comments. The KKK murdered and lynched Black people for years and are still marching. How do you condone murder of any race of people for the colors of their skin. There are millions of professional Black folks at all levels of society. Racists like you should crawl back under the rock you came from.

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Wondering,

Good point. Why don’t we just make a list of all people who have been oppressed throughout history, and those races, religions, and/or sexual preferences will be “hands off.” Of course, that would include everyone . . .

My ancestors were Irish. They came to America and were welcomed by signs that said “Irish need not apply” and what not (which led to an enormous subculture of Irish gang violence and crime in south Boston). No biggie. Tolerance always spreads. More education = more tolerance.

But that’s not what many of you are after. Some, such as Lee, are for resegregation and racial inequality. Some, such as PBM, are for the same, but for different reasons. Either way, they’re both ignorant. (Supporting your asinine viewpoints with a neverending stream of internet factoids does not make you relevant, by the way.)

There are more than enough things to dislike about people; we don’t need to use something as arbitrary as skin color to add to it. This teacher was showing her students the horrors and injustices that an organization such as the Klan embodies, despite what bigots such as Lee claims. She was doing her job–spreading tolerance by spreading education–and she should NOT be raked over the coals for it. If you don’t value, support, and honor teachers such as her, then it is YOU who is spreading intolerance by not allowing students to rise above the intolerance that surrounds them.

I’m sure the trolls will have something cute or pithy to say in response, but it will just be empty rhetoric.

Education = tolerance. We would do well to remember that.

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@Wondering. Very well put. I wasn’t going to go there in my post. I didn’t want to be perceived as racist in order for my point to come across unobstructed. I am all for equality. I feel deeply about treating everyone with DUE respect. I cannot respect those that are supremacists, for they look down on others. That is unacceptable.
I guess I need to start referring to my self as Franco-American, as my Grandparents are from Quebec. I wonder how weird looks I’ll get.

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Pi$$onaDAWG

May 25th, 2010
12:06 am
Why don’t all the RICH BLACK SLAVE Bit..h and wine? The Pro Athlete is an Owned SLAVE.

This is about the most ignorant statement I’ve read in a while. Pro Athletes are performing a job just like the rest of us that actually work……what you’re really saying is…..”If I’m Black and I work, I’m a slave.

This teacher who supposedly is a star teacher (if this is an example of what star teachers do, I’m losing all respect I ever head for star teachers) should have known better than to stage something like that……it’s only aggravating the already tense racial problem in this country. It’s teaching blacks to hate whites more than they already do even tho blacks would be in a sorry state without us See Zimbabwe and Haiti as examples

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As stated in the AJC’s story, the biggest failure here was one of communication … everyone should have been told what was going on and why, so that it could not be misinterpreted. Also, it’d have been best for the students not to don their costumes until they got to where they were going and take them off right afterward. I hope everyone learns from this and the teacher is not fired.

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How could an intelligent teacher not anticipate the problem she could cause by escorting students dressed in full KKK outfits, without explanation, through a predominately white school? This is not a hate group that no longer exists. On 9/11, I wonder how many of these same students would be willing to try an exercise where they donned burkas and the markings of the Taliban and marched into the cafeteria at a school on a military base? How about having those same students don their KKK outfits and send them to the cafeteria at a school in South Atlanta. You want to give your class a lesson in racism, why not try that on for size??? I’m white and from the south and your actions were offensive.

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A teacher that does not water down history lessons with political correctness. I can only wish that my daughter gets a teacher half as realistic,passionate, and creative in her future. What lucky students. History is filled full of unpleasant events and parents and teachers need to educated their children on this reality. The “offended” parent should have used the opportunity to educate their child.

We did a lot of re-enactments of different events in school. As long as the students are not burning crosses, making racist comments, using gas chambers, whipping students (several races in this category), I am fine. Also, the KKK does not discriminate soley against blacks. Anyone that is not WASP is their target. That includes my catholics, like myself and hispanics like my husband.

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Great Jeez Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat! Please! The teacher was working on a school history project, get over it! That’s like making a school documentary about, say, the WW II holocaust & not allowing any SS uniforms! What the hell would you have them wear for the film? A Brooks Brothers suit!
Maybe to placate some people the teacher should’ve had them wear pants hanging below the glutes showing underwear, and they could’ve driven up in purple caprices with renta-wheels, then hosted a deadly dog fight!!! Would that be OK??

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@Wondering

Actually we are aren’t African American. That name was given to us in a sense. I have never been to African. And that isn’t my true Identity. Most Blacks are made up of multiple nationalities but to classify race in America we were given the name African American or Black American (Black: Having some indigenous African decent). I think blacks and whites in America just live two different lives and have to work together on bridging that Gap!

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@V for Vendetta

Eric,

I agree, but remember, it is an AP class. These students are expected to perform and be treated like college students. Would you send home a letter to college students’ parents? I think not. If they can’t handle being treated as adults, then perhaps they shouldn’t take the class.

That maybe true but what about the other students who were “NOT” in the AP Class and was effected by this. I understand what goes on in AP classes (meaning in the class rooms). But when you go outside the walls and may effect other you need to properly notify others that aren’t associate with the class or project! Point blank. There is no sugar coating the situation. If a police officer would of came on campus and saw this, it could of became a very ugly situation.

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@V for Vendetta

Perfect example to answer your question. Say the class was doing a project on the Columbine School Shooting. And 4 students came dressed in the trench coats with play guns. Would that not need consent and notification? Who is that any thing different? Basically its common sense.

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This teacher showed EXTREMELY poor judgment. Given the sensitive nature of her assignment, she should have availed administrators AND parents, in writing, of her plans. No one’s making a big deal about the Klan outfits, it’s the teacher’s lack of forethought that is troubling. The mere fact that she couldn’t have anticipated there maybe be people who would be alarmed makes me question her methods. I’m speaking as a social studies teacher in my opinion.

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Hoookay…some of the people posting (most, it seems) are ignoring several important facts. My understanding of the situation is the students were NOT “marching through the school” or “re-enacting Klan activities” — they were walking FROM the classroom to ANOTHER part of the school (presumably an unoccupied part) to film additional footage for their group project. The costumes were difficult to remove, so the teacher allowed them to stay in costume (mistake, undoubtedly) while they went to their destination.

The STUDENTS were responsible for the project idea, costuming, etc. They were creating a video project about racism (not just the Klan, from what I understand). The teacher did not suggest or provide the outfits. She did not parade them through the school as some type of ‘re-enactment’.

Did she make an error in judgement? Definitely. Should there be consequences? Yes — but to fire so obviously talented a teacher would be a greater mistake and tragedy. She could have had the student’s remove the costumes, told them to film after school or at another location, or notified administration about what they were going to do. Hindsight is 20/20 — you can bet she will never make that mistake again.

Although I cannot truly understand the impact of seeing 4 ‘Klansmen’ walking through the halls in my school, it is easy to imagine it must have been unexpected, shocking, and distressing on many levels. As a caucasian, I have to accept that I cannot tell anyone of another race how to feel about what happened. In this case, the teacher seems sincerely apologetic, the intent of the project was clearly to identify the problems and tragedy of racism, and a consequence resulting from poor judgement is being considered. What else needs to be done?

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“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
- George Santayana

So what we are saying here is…we cannot reenact historical events as a teaching tool because it may offend individuals? In my humble opinion, I cannot think of a better teaching tool than reenactment as it puts history in the face of the students and draws out the real emotions which can lead to great discussion and thinking. We need to open the minds of our youth as opposed to trying to suppress critical thinking.

If we as a whole could open our minds and learn about the past – we can get past offenses our ancestors may have committed (slavery). I cannot help what my ancestors did a hundred years ago, just as you (collectively) cannot control what your ancestors did.

As my quote above eludes to…if we cannot learn, discuss, free ourselves from history, we are going to repeat it. OPEN YOUR MINDS!

In these times, we need to come together and act as one and get over the past. I get extremely upset when individuals like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson start spewing racism and the past and how “the black man is being held down”. While I admit, there are still racist among us, I feel that is the minority and in many cases, blacks are trying to live in the past. Let’s fast forward to present day, open ALL of our minds and come together to support each other.

While I am sure this post may offend some close minded individuals, the intent is to plead for people to think for themselves, open their minds and come together.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

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Learn the facts first

You simply don’t get it. I don’t care if nobody was in the lunch room. There still is a chance someone passing class seeing this. It maybe history but it still goes on to this day! You still have people dressing up in white robes to this day. Notify someone! When you assume you make an ass out of you! Im sure you’ve heard that before. Like i said before please use common sense.

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I am African American and I have nothing against the reenactment. HOWEVER, I do believe that it should have been announced to the student body that this reenactment was going to take place and it would have alleviated the “shock factor” and reactions.

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This is history…and no matter how hard you try to, you cannot CHANGE history. It’s not like they were looking to lynch someone…it was to show the history behind the KKK. Quit taking everything so personally. It wasn’t meant to hurt anyone. It was meant as a teaching aid.

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Its’ HISTORY! Grow up and accept it. Stop trying to change it! Like it or not! Would the wearing of BURKAS be okay?

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This should be more SHOCKING than a KKK reenactment!

Global markets tumbled Tuesday, with Korean stocks falling after a group said Kim Jong-il ordered the North Korean military to be ready for combat. Political tensions between North and South Korea have risen since a team of international investigators concluded that Pyongyang was to blame for the deadly sinking of a South Korean naval warship in March. The Nikkei Stock Average dropped 3.1% in Tokyo and the Kospi lost 2.75% in Seoul.

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The planning and communication was not so good, but the teacher did evoke a response and that is proof then and there of what a white sheet and a cone head will do.These kids never experienced the presence of a Klansmen. Enough of the rightous indidnation, intolerance is responding to everything we do not like. Let it go, let the teacher do her job and stop all the mellow drama as it does not appear to be a situation to intentionally hurt anyone. Let’s deal with the real issues. This is not one of them.

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MOST HUMANS ARE VERMIN

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The “fact” is… the KKK is still alive and well in both Lumpkin and Dawson Counties (as well as many other No. GA Counties)… I’ve even seen literature from them taped up to soda machines outside of the Kroger in Dawsonville…condemning the “Jew” owners of MTV (errr…REALLY?) that have programming showing African Americans (they used the “N” word) “mixing with our pure white daughters”… so YES this type of behavior in North Georgia needs to be addressed and stomped out once and for all. Trust me…there are children of Klan members who attend that school… they need to be taught how WRONG it is to tolerate racial, religious, and sexual divisions.

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This was plain ole southern TERRORISM in its simplest form. This was a staged event planned by the teacher and with full support and authorization by the parents of these students to carefully and with malice to frighten and threaten all Minorities in the surrounding area and across this country. The students were used as a cover to provide plausible denial if challenged. Most will say there is no harm with a wink and a smile. However, we must remind this group of the population that this type of despicable behavior will never be tolerated ever again not in our communities and certainly not in
our schools. Time has come for us to see the gathering storm and prepare for a long hot summer of our discontent. This Principal should be fired as well for not managing this offensive decision by this rogue teacher. Demand this action for your children.

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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by MONISE SEWARD, Maureen Downey. Maureen Downey said: If the Klan robes are revealing our sordid history, what’s the problem? http://bit.ly/cvsB6d [...]

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This whole assignment was to show the evils of racism. The teacher and the students did nothing wrong. The principal who disciplined this teacher needs to be out of a job for showing his ignorance. Those who opposed this assignment are the ones who need to grow up, realize that this was designed to teach the very thing that they want taught, i.e., the evils and wrongs of racism, and need to realize that the teacher was putting into practice the very things students must learn so we won’t go back to those times. Anybody who thinks this is wrong is shopwing their ignorance.

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Let’s not jump on this teacher until we know ALL the details. I can see that the teacher dropped the ball by not informing parents ahead of time, but I can’t say that she should lose her job for trying to to reach her students in a way that they understand, plus she did it in school. I’d have a problem if she HAD filmed it away from school because that would look like she was truly hiding something. Heavens, kids today aren’t as innocent and delicate as many parents seem to think they are.

The problem with some of the comments here is that we all know some things can’t be fully understood by just repeating words, but by experience it. Talk to someone who went to Dialogue in the Dark. I believe that anyone who grows up in a white society can pretty much understand what it feels like to be white, but you cannot understand what it feels like to be black, latino, asian, because your appearance identifies you, so you have to look the part to feel the part.

I had a teacher who lived through WWII, and although we read about it, it all came to life when he described to us what it was like to actually hide from and fight the Nazi’s, what he saw when they liberated Auchwitz, etc., you have no idea how real it all became to us and made us want to know more. There are many black kids out there who have no idea what horror their grandparents went through, many white people who don’t want to remember what their grandparents did, but it all happened not so long ago, and there are those out there who want to celebrate that time, so why not show what it really was like. You forget that these people are still out there, younger, but they’re still there, Nazi’s and KKK. Kids today are innoculated from the truth of history, and we are going steadily down the road of repitition, because we don’t want to take the time to confront our past.

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No comment here. Except that if you consider my name racist, is my black counterpart’s name also?

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When you talk about the kkk,its more than just history of hatred you have blacks that died(murdered)because of there skin color.Also you have familys who love ones was apart of that death tole.When you loose a love one that was murdered from hatred ect…everytime history(murder)presents itself,sad,anger ect..resurface.its easy to go along with something you have not esperienced as a person or a race and think its nothing.The question ???? is why do you not let the school as a whole(school officials,students)know about the filming and do it anyway? could it be it would have been shut down or you(Catherine ariemma)just didn’t care? if it was just history a black student could have been under one of those white sheets being a part of the project.Why not? people would not have known who was under the sheet anyway if they were just posing as the klan.

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@Eric:

Why would any reasonable person assume that a lynch mob was after them if they saw four giggling kids wearing sheets and escorted by a teacher?

It’s hysterical, dramatic overreactions like this that trivialize the real issues in race relations. Cry “wolf!” too many times, and after a while, people just stop listening.

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@Vernie: You forgot your meds this morning — your persecution complex is rearing its ugly head. Come back when your meds have kicked in.

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Political correctness itself has become as racist and divisive as any other american social phenomemom. This should be a non-issue, the moronic complaints about it simply perpetuate the problems. Next thing you know Al and Jesse (talk about racists) will be here mugging for the cameras

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tman…. I live in Lumpkin County…and NO…the Klan is ALIVE AND WELL up here. Same goes for Dawson County, Raburn County (home of the Klan leader of GA), Habersham County, White County (i wonder who came up with THAT name?), Pickens County, Union County, and many of the other counties up here.

Need proof?

http://www.adl.org/racist_skinheads/skinhead_map.asp

Click on GA for the names of “some” of the active groups in GA…

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This teacher with a great reputation was leading a group through the school. Surely, no one really thought that she would be associated with actual klansmen. If there are kids who can’t handle this, how will they ever handle such horrors in the real world. There are plenty of people who as children were actually the recipients of violence by the KKK, Nazis, Khmer Rouge, etc. While I hope no one ever has to experience such horrors again, I suspect we might, and I wonder how our dainty little children who have never been offended or had their feelings hurt will fare.

Maureen, I am truly sorry that you have to read comments more offensive than some of those you allow to be published.

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You extrapolated all that without any evidence. Prejudice works both ways. Who says where I was born? There are many whites native to Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe). Who says I am Christian? There are many white Jews and Muslims (Balkans).

My only point is that “Proud Black Man” has every right to be proud of his heritage. As should I (which was never described) without being labeled as racist off the bat.

It is the double-standard I object to. However I admit this blog is not necessarily the one that this argument should be attached to (as it may infer an acceptance of the KKK which I do not).

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Oh, well. I give up! I am trapped in the filter.

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Proud “WHITE” Man…. let me ask you this…if you had a daughter (maybe you do)…
and she brought home an African American gentleman…or a Muslim Gentlemen… and said she was in love with him and wants to marry him…would YOU give her your blessings?

Would you walk her down the isle and hand her over to an African American or a Muslim born in Iran to be her husband?

Truth be told in your answer.

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I am in the history class in which this happened, and I can state confidently none of our class is racist. We were just attempting to create a film about racism, and some people overreacted before it could be stated what was going on. None of the reporters are obtaining our side of the story; we never wanted the event to escalate this way. I am frightened for our class and our teacher, who is the best teacher I have ever had. She does not deserve any of this bad publicity. And those of you who think she should be fired are horribly mistaken and do not have an accurate picture of this occurance. The fact that we wanted to portray the horror of racism should not have been taken this way. “Diversity training”? The people who are persecuting my teacher need diversity training. We will be heartbroken if she is fired.

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Fire the teacher and the principal today!!!

A good teacher should re-enact positive things in history to influence positive thinking in students.

A bad teacher will re-enact negative things in history to influence negative thinking in students.

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This appears to be a case of a good teacher creating relevant learning assignments, and getting in trouble because some brat has a racist chip on his shoulder. The school should stand behind the teacher.

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I am saddened by the way the Superintendent is throwing the teacher under the bus on this. Shameful

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Let’s be serious about this! Reenactment has its places, depending on the what is being reenacted. If the teacher allowed students to dress up in black trench coats, black masks, and toting paper made guns, while walking through the cafeteria, would we say this alright?

Wait, isn’t this part of our history (Columbine/Virginia Tech)? Yes, but most if not all would find this offensive and not proper.

Also, what purpose was this really serving? This is the last week of school in some places, and final grades are basically complete, so what real purpose is this serving? Why was it done the towards the end of school?

Despite the answers that the teacher gives us, she only knows the true purpose behind her actions. Lastly, even if we accept her statement as the true purpose, is her judgment and common sense no greater than this?

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OMG, the racitst have really come out of the “WOODS” on this one. 2010, do YALL know we got us a black man livin in the white house. Hell, he aint even American and he got in there somehow. Lets throw some sheets on and walk up and down a school hallway. We won’t mean anything by it just trying to learn about history. While we are at it why not hang a black mannequin out in front of the school at the flag pole or nearest tree.

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PBM, please be finished for good….

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Any of you folks ever watch (Dave) Chappel’s show when it ran on Comedy Central? One of, if not his most brilliant bits involved an blind African-American KKK member and all-around racist, named Nathan Bigsby. Nathan HATED colored people, and was venerated by the white supremicist community. Because Bigsby was blind (IGNORANT) he didn’t even realize he was black, and because he never appeared in public sans his KKK hood and robe, the racists and bigots who worshipped him demonstrated the ignorance of racism. I would not speak for Chappel, but my guess is, he was “teaching” us that all racists (even black ones) are blind (IGNORANT). To confirm this, there is a scene in which the pick-up truck (stereotype) driving Bigsby to a KKK meeting pulls up to a red light adjacent to a carload of white kids with sideways caps, baggy pants, and listening to rap music. Bigsby screams; “…I hate N******S!” and one of the kids in the car high fives his friend, saying; “…did you hear that? He called us N******S! Awesome!” Now I know Comedy Central’s standards are different than those of the Lumpkin County B of Ed or the AP History program, but The KKK is no more “alive and well” than the African American male who shot and killed an adult African American – intended target, and an African-American teenager (caught in crossfire) last night in SW Atlanta.

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@ Vader

“Let’s be serious about this! Reenactment has its places, depending on the what is being reenacted. If the teacher allowed students to dress up in black trench coats, black masks, and toting paper made guns, while walking through the cafeteria, would we say this alright?

Wait, isn’t this part of our history (Columbine/Virginia Tech)? Yes, but most if not all would find this offensive and not proper.”

AND

the question no one is asking:

“Also, what purpose was this really serving? This is the last week of school in some places, and final grades are basically complete, so what real purpose is this serving? Why was it done the towards the end of school?”

WHICH answers the question:

“…even if we accept her statement as the true purpose, is her judgment and common sense no greater than this?”

From a STAR teacher no less. Sheesh!

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Proud White Man…

That’s TRULY sad… that YOU do not believe that races can MIX. WHY?! I can only sum this up that you believe that YOUR race is “better” compared to any other race…

…and with regards to religion…no, I do not know yours…and it obviously does not matter…but you basically stated that you would NOT want your daughter to marry one of ANOTHER religion (whatever they may be).

Let me ask of you this simple question. Do you believe that “mixing” of different races and religions will make this world we spin upon WORSE in any way? Because it seems to me that by NOT mixing…by continually “dividing” other “humans” into categories… that THAT in itself is why we have wars.

Borders were “created” by MAN (humans) to “limit” them…. Religions were too “created” by MAN (humans) to “limit” them… to basically “divide” other humans into classes: Rich, Poor, Black, White, Hindu, Jewish, Catholic, Christian, Hispanic…. and what GOOD has any of this “division” done for humanity? All it has done is create wars, death, division, and NOTHING good for all of us spinning upon this globe. Not ONE good thing has happened throughout history because of the divisions that race and religion bring…

Race…we ARE born into that and can never change it…RELIGION? It was created by “humans”…ALL of them were…and it causes even educated and rational humans to be “irrational”… to “divide” people into little boxes… to think that THEIR religion is the ONLY true one…even though throughout history many religions have been created by humans…just like the one YOU may believe in. Christian or not…YOUR religion was “created” by other humans and it frowns upon ALL other human created religions.

What GOOD has any of that done for humanity? WHO has it ever “saved” in the end?

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Timely analysis of this disturbing incident:

http://drboycespeaks.blogspot.com/2010/05/teacher-makes-students-dress-up-as-kkk.html

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gefilter fish me out, please

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Learn history so it won’t happen again?!!!!!!!

Are you guys crazy?!!! This is is no way similar to doing a project on the Nazis because for the most part they don’t exist in our universe. The KKK probably has a office right NOW in Lumpkin County. Members of the KKK send death threats to OUR President every day. How is this history. Why should the students be allowed to walk around the school dress liked that? No sense at all.

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From what I’ve read, this is considered an “AP Class” and apparently an “AP Class” doesn’t have to follow the same standards of decency that other classes in my taxpayer funded schools have to. So the real solution is to just eliminate these “AP Classes” from our public institutions. This would have never happened in a regular history class.

I feel sorry for the students that were forever affected by this “AP Class” that shouldn’t even be in our schools. Some of them posted here and their responses were horrifying. I weep for our future.

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Jules… yeah we should… but should we send kids into school dressed as Nazis to teach them about it?

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Uhm an AP class is an advanced class and the kids in there are smarter than the average Joe, this has nothing about no morals

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I’m basing my comments based on the actions of these “Advanced” and “Superior” students. If that is how an “Advanced” and “Superior” student thinks, I am all for eliminating the problem (”AP Classes”) from the curriculum I pay for. I do not pay to have certain students treated more superior than others. I’m all about equal treatment.

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The problem is that a student already in trouble for bad behavior wanted to use the Klan to start more trouble. What is the difference? I know you like the bad student but hate the Klan. I really do not see you hating muslims like you do the Klan but hey muslims have killed alot more citizens. The Klan has the right to exist and the freedom of speech. Remember the black panthers standing in front of a voting booth with clubs in their hands. You know Eric Holder said he was not going to prosecute. Justice huh!

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Jules I am for equality in publicly funded institutions. “AP Classes” definitely are not about equality by the definition that everyone gives in this blog. If you want to be “superior” then pony up the tuition for a segregated private school, but don’t be superior on my tax dollars.

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NABE when youre right youre right. The teacher responsible should have been more sensitive to the facts you bring up in your blog. However, as horrific and ignorant the kkk are they were and are a part of American history, the worst part. That part of our nations history serves America as how far we have come and how far we still need to go to be worthy of the title of “Land of Liberty”. I think that is what the teacher s intentions were. There is no reason anyone should be terrorized or harrassed because they are a color. Please know sir that there are many white people ( I am one ) that hold the KKK in as much contempt as you do. Right is right and wrong is wrong. Peace brother.

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I will probably be shot for this but I put the Masons in the same boat as the KKK and I do know the enter workings….. I have read the papers.. I have read the 3rd degree….

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Saul do you remember Jim Jones?

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Uhm, let’s do some simple math. Say you have 150 students of varying levels of intelligence/skill/book learning/whatever. Let’s assume about 20 are dumb as a box of rocks, 100 are just about average, and 30 are above average. You need about 30 students per class so how do you break them up? Just scatter them amoung all 5 classes? How about 4 classes of “average” students and 1 class of AP students? No extra cost to you since you are paying so much school tax. Make sense now?

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Ezra… should the teacher have put on a “play” showing the Crusades? How about the Inquisition? I guess THOSE “christians” didn’t kill any muslims or jews…right?

How about we put on a play that shows “witches” being burned by “christians”… because to be honest… I’m curious here… how many people have been “murdered” because of the christian cult? Does one cult WIN over another based upon “how many they murdered”??? Seems to me that christianity is right up there with murdering other “citizens”…all in the name of YOUR religion.

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PBM the only way we are going to get this utopia that you want is to have ignorant victims that did not have this happen to lose the poor me card…

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Sorry Jules, I’m afraid that ain’t gonna happen. I hear you get 20 poor me cards in every deck of race cards. :->

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NS yea you do and I am just so sick of it I wanna puke… it does no good. its so much better to be a survivor to be a victim… and here is the kicker “THOSE” are the ones that feel entitled…. (them saying) My great granny was a slave so I am going to hate the rest of the white community for the rest of my life.. it does not matter if someone of that color helped me or not.. I am still going to be a damn child and hate them

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I’m sorry I’m Black, and yes kkk is history and also today. Slavery is history too, we all have taken history in school or read about it. We as black people take things to far sometimes and then it get out of hand. Give this teacher a chance why don’t some of you BLACK PARENTS SIT IN ON HER CLASS WHILE SHE’S TEACHING AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN AND WILL LEARN.

Those students need that teacher, I belive shes a good teacher. We as blacks need to be more EDUCATED.

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UHM not ever one is the same.. get the heck over it.. some are meant to be presidents, some are suppose to be CEO, some are suppose to be the ones that pick up the trash…..

Where YOU in that CLASS, Are you that teacher, do you know exactly what was in her heart when she was trying to teach this class?

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(((A)))

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Jesus Uhm, lets see why that wont work.. the smarter kids get bored and the slower kids get frustrated…..

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Uhm, you’re losing me. Being racist is now determined by the costume you might put on for a school class function? Wow, I thought it might be more of how you act, talk, think and treat people.

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Uhm, you were never in an AP class, were you?

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NS I doubt she was an sounds very bitter over it….

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If she gets fired… she needs to sue the crap out of the system just like the one that was wrongly accused of molesting those girls

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Yes, one of the ways of being racist is by wearing insensitive clothing. If I wear a t-shirt that says F the N’s, then I’m being racist. You’re saying that if I wear that t-shirt at the request of my teacher in a “superior” class, then it’s okay? Do you not really see the all kinds of wrong in that statement?

And no, I am proud to say I went to a school that did not segregate students based on their superiority. I’m sure that if they did, I would not have gotten as good of an education as I did, because they would have kept the good stuff for the “superior” kids. I just wish kids today had the same opportunities to learn that I had.

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But that’s your term, jules!

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Uhm, you are too funny!

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Well I am glad to see that the debate is over considering that the only things that can be said are the use of the (correct) terms I used and about what kind of underwear I have on. I wish no ill will upon either of you, jules or New School. We just all have different opinions, and I just happen to have the right one. Take care!

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Uhm you are delusional

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Keep this mess up and the next thing you know there will be no more Civil War reinactments because those Rebel uniforms are offensive. Everyone knows every Rebel soldier was all for slavery and every northern soldier had a pure heart.
Wait, weren’t there slaves in the north too? I should keep quite about that – don’t want to clutter up my generalizations with facts.

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Yes, Uhm, you have dazzled and thoroughly defeated us with your brilliance.

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New School there were also WHITE slaves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Who will lose the Ga peaches and watermelon or fried chicken!

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Again, that would be left up to the governing committee to decide before each event.

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New School, you will be able to vote on your representative so I suggest finding someone who shares your peoples’ best interest at heart. Foxworthy would be a good Rep!

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Son of educatur,your simple minded and insecure to argue behind a key board to someone you will never know or never see.

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Elvis if this is the case then the black history month should be stopped, the black colleges need to be closed and the list goes on…… this is just so everyone can be together and if one cant be taught the other one cant either..

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@ ELVISINTHEHOUSE.

May 25th, 2010
1:48 pm
EZRA AND ANGELA SOUND LIKE THE CLAN WIFES.I THOUGHT THIS BLOG WAS FOR ALL COMMENTS,BLACK AND WHITE.

Please note that CLAN is spelled (KLAN) and more than one WIFE is (WIVES). You are a sick as PBM. All comments are welcomed. I am not speaking of comments being made I am speaking of HATE and BLOOD PRESSURE! It kills the one with so much of it. Life is meant to have happiness not HATE! When you consume so much of it it kills you not the other person(s). XOXO

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This is another example of pure racism and now the idiots on this blog can’t seem to want to admit it. I don’t understand why this kind of crap was allowed in the school. If the teacher had good intentions, why did she not send a note home to all parents, why did she not notify the administrators of what her plans were. With the racist climate in this country in full force, why would anyone think this is alright and not offensive. This is an outrage and the teacher should be sent packing. There is no excuse for this and I am ashamed that any black person would think this is fine. What would have happend if a group of black students had marched down the hallways of this school wearing all black with their fists clenched in the black power sign, representing the Black Panthers. You people on this blog, who are supporting this racist teacher would be outraged, f the shoe was on the other foot. Stop making excuses for racism; one day, if things start to turn and peole of color start to show hate and racism against white people, these blogs won’t be so forgiving. There will be no support for racism.

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Maureen Downey, sometimes people have to experience an act before they will understand. You just keep on living, maybe someone will squeeze something that you love and care about; maybe deep pain will open your understanding to how senseless an act can be.

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Proud Black Man: You are the reason there will never be true equality in this country.

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Ms Concern the black panther party being safe… you must be on crack

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Oh my gosh. @Proud Ariemma Student. I could not be more proud of you! Thank you for sticking up for her and your project. We who know Cody Rider know that he is greatly enjoying his 15 minutes of fame, and he should enjoy it now because I doubt anybody will every pay attention to him after this.

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spikepine, “What would have happend if a group of black students had marched down the hallways of this school wearing all black with their fists clenched in the black power sign, representing the Black Panthers”? Ideally, nothing. Unless of course, the mixed race 18 year-old decided the white half of his body was “offended” by the demonstration. You really need to grab a dictionary in look up the word RACISM. Racism and discrimination, injustice and bigotry are not the same. There first usually leads to the other three. For example, the KKK is based on racism (white Anglo-Saxon Americans are better than any other race, well, except the Germans), but Proud Black Man is a bigot. See the difference?

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Poor judgement? probably. To the point where it justifies all this uproar? not even close.

This is just sad is what it is. This “save face” meeting is going to be packed with black folks, most probably from outside the district, who are going to get up and denounce this and call this exemplary teacher a racist, which will be a wholly unfounded allegation, then they’ll walk out that door and call each other ni$$er and Ho and such. You know all the words we white folk aren’t allowed to use.

Walk the walk, talk the talk, but don’t expect everybody around you toe the line when you don’t yourself.

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Exactly Son of an Educator…… This country will never get over our past with people like proud black man and Spikeman….. This is all so rediculous, it really goes to show you how much we have NOT evolved. We are divided yet again based on color of skin…. PATHETIC at best!

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From Georgia, so Lumpkin County teachers are supposed to present curriculum based on the assumption of what offends “most African Americans”? And, I suppose, given the facts of the case, Lumpkin County educators must also poll “most mixed-race” students and parents. You say you are a “white man who lived through the Civil Rights movement…” Gee, I didn’t think the civil rights movement presented any danger to WHITE MEN. Or, where you on the “other side” (KKK), so you’re speaking from personal experience. I think the real question here is, did this AP History lesson on “racism” include references to the genocide of Native Americans? The treatment of Chinese laborers, and as mentioned the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII (would “mostAsian-American students be offended” by a student dressed as FDR signing the Executive Order that stripped the Nisai of their Constitutional rights? You people who think the “offensive” aspects of the human experience or “offensive” periods of American History can be edited (as they are doing in Texas) need to rethink your position. And finally, if this poor teacher should have know what “most African Americans find offensive” what was she to do about the African Americans who would be “offended” by omitting references to the KKK from any discussion of racism in US History.

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1105 students, one complaint and this is what happens. Man this world is out of wack.

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EECT-It is knowlege of history and an awareness of past pain and injustice that moves us forward

Or hold us back…

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and i know someone out there is thinking well what if Adam was made of sand; well that is just silly because then we would be see through

gotcha lol

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I am not going to defend this teacher… her assignment showed poor judgement. That said, I commend the intent.

My mother was run out of the University of Mississippi by the Klan for having a black student in her room to study. She was a very liberal and naive freshman in the 60s. My students have no idea how far the South has come and how people used to be treated just down the road in Forsyth County.

Sorry folks, but history is history. You take the good with the bad. Don’t dare sweep that part of our history under the rug… too many people sacrificed too much to end it.

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GA Teacher, then why bring these harmful issues back into the spotlight when sacrifices were already made to eradicate them from current events? (not history, I thouth that was the focus of the history assignment anyways) All because of simple miscommunications. 50 years has brought a lot of change to how society views diversity. Let’s hope it continues for the better not the worse.

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Wow, while it is entertaining to watch the politically correct feed upon themselves, it is disturbing on a certain level.

This poor, misguided, politically history teacher had every intent of showing how “racist” and “bigoted” the “evil Klan” was. A single prick and drop of blood from a troublemaking student, and she was devoured like a sacrificial lamb by piranhas. Every racist organization from the NAACP to the ADL is in line for a piece of this poor woman.

I don’t see much hope for this country. The parasites don’t want to learn politically correct history, much less TRUE HISTORY.

A few hundred years from now, when historians discuss the demise of the late, great United States, I think political correctness will be one of the main culprits.

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Has everyone lost their mind? Sounds like this teacher went beyond the call of duty to make history interesting. How do you teach history with revealing America’s ugly past? Slavery, Jim Crow, Europeans “discovering” a land that already belonged to Native American’s. It’s all ugly but true. Nouveau racists don’t wear sheets, they’re in the closet. We need to stop with all this politically correct foolishness. As for Markel Hutchins, if he’s looking for work, he needs to protest the out of control black on black crime in Atlanta. A young man just got shot and killed for trying to break up a fight. Protest that. Maybe the reason there were no blacks in the AP history class was because we spend too much time worrying about the wrong thing.

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It was reported that the teacher did not inform administration and other students about the re-enactment.

An assignment on racism is fine. My son did one this year as well. I helped him look up information on the subject (of which there is a lot of really nasty stuff still going on) with my help and close eye I was able to explain that none of it was acceptable in our house and what things I felt were totally out of bounds… wrong, etc.

The problem I have with this teacher is her allowing students to come OUTSIDE of the classroom in KKK robes and walk around the school where unknowing students and teachers would see them and not know why they were dressed this way.

That was total disregard for other students and teachers. It is a school in the SOUTH…c’mon… this type of carelessness on the teacher’s and STUDENTS’ part should not go unpunished.

Nor would it have been acceptable to have students run around with a noose or a gun or an axe or anything else that could be misconstrued by the other students or teachers at this (or any other) school.

It was total reckless behavior by all involved.

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From Georgia. The only straw in this discussion is located between somebody’s ears. The subject of video or project was racism in American history. One cannot discuss the subject of racism in American history without discussing the KKK (unless of course the discussing takes place in Texas, but that’s another kettle of fish). Your position has “thought police” written all over it. I admit I was not present, but from the posts of students who were, it seems the response of the students in the cafeteria (hooting and cheering) is what “offended” others. And if it was the inappropriate response of a lone student, with othere documented behavioral issues, we’ve really gone off the rails here. Is the Lumpkin County Board of Ed suppose to direct teachers from presenting material which might lead a large group of H.S. students to hoot, holler and otherwise create an five minutes of mayhem? There are some who find flatulence “offensive” and “inappropriate” at certain gatherings, but I bet there is not a graduation ceremony or other celebration, where some wisenhymer didn’t cut the cheese; producing hoots and hollers. I guess we have do away with football games, pep rallies, school assemblies, etc. As I said, life is at times offensive. We can raise children to become critical thinkers, and form their own opinions as to what is “offensive” and what is “appropriate”. If anything, the school should discipline the students who hooted and hollered. Seems to me their behavior was sophomoric and innapropriate. And Daydreamer, good luck when your son enters the real world, but doesn’t have you to filter the information he receives. Then again, be sure to tell him what is “acceptable” in your home, and maybe he’ll be living in your basements well into his 40’s. Get a grip, people. Do you think ANY of the students in the cafeteria believed they were witnessing an actual Klan rally, or white supremacist demonstration? The “crowd” was a bunch of bored H.S. kids who saw the robes as an opportunity to cause a commotion.

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If there is one thing I have learned from teaching, it’s that most stories involving schools are not correctly portrayed by the meida – no offense, Maureen. Stories like this one are designed to create sensationalism. We don’t know the whole story, nor will we. The devil really is in the details, and we never get all of the details.

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Son of an Educator.

My post did not make it in its entirety let me try again.

When I say I lived through the civil rights era that’s what I mean. I was in high school in the ’60s and our high school went from 100% white to 51% black during those four years I was there. During that time we had riots, demonstrations, bomb threats, lock-outs, fights, raving parents, and many other un-school-like events. But guess what? We kids adjusted and embraced the changes.

My parents and my parents’ friends were racists who made great efforts to try to make us like them, even to the point of saying it was God’s will that black people were inferior. They would take great pleasure in reciting or repeating the most recent sordid racial jokes and expected us to find them as funny as they did. When I went away to college, my father would call me just to tell me a new stupid racial joke that he had heard. I told him to stop. He didn’t like it and said I had become a ….. (fill in the blanks).

This was the normal behavior of the many white people of my childhood. I determined to not be a part of it. My father and his Klan friends would meet at our house and the only thing they would talk about would be how much they hated black people. I used to ask him what was his problem. He used to tell me that integration was going to ruin me. When I became an adult, I told him he was right. Integration ruined me from being a racist like him.

There is no place for Klan garments in a public school. The Klan was vicious and racist and were murderers, and they got away with most of their deeds. There are many dead black men out there and no one ever knows what happened to them. If the few Klan members present today could do it and get away with it, they would do it again. Your comparison of the effect of flatulence and the wearing of these murderers’ garb is disgusting. (And if I offend Klan members….good!)

History lesson indeed. How are they going to reenact this mob’s heinous crimes? Pretend to hang and burn young black men from trees? Act as if they are lynching young boys from county jails with the local sheriff’s complicity? Get a rubber bat and mercilessly beat non-violent demonstrators? What principal would ever sanction any of that? But that is the history of this group!

Any sophomoric reenactment only trivializes the suffering of those of whom we can never empathize with. What possible lesson can wearing a hood teach a young person about that era. Nothing. And those that watch this inept attempt to teach a history they cannot understand. Why don’t they watch or read interviews with those who experienced these atrocities? Or if they are really lucky, find someone who actually went through it. Or why not read a book at the very least! Or is that not part of our curriculum now?

But how can we start there when even the simple understandable reaction of parents (not just cafeteria students) to this school idiocy cannot be understood by those who need to understand it the most?

And that’s a white man’s opinion. How do you think African Americans feel?

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“@Harold, Proud Black Man can speak for himself on your comments, but I can tell you that he always posts under the same name. He is not pretending to be other people.”

It’s really not that difficult to create different emails and names so I’m not sure how you would know that unless you are pinging his ip address.

I just find his comments sound like a white conservative in his 30s – stilted, snide, rigid and repetitive. Like what’s up with this tea (insert the name that cannot be mentioned) over and over again? How weird can you get – maybe he’s a programmer. He’s certainly educated – spelling, grammar, punctuation and good use of dependent and independent clauses, but he has absolutely no background in the educational field or interest in students since none of his posts deal with kids so you have to figure he’s not a teacher. He never speaks of his own kids so I figure he’s not a parent.

I’m sorry. He just gets on my last nerve.

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@ Son of an Educator: What do you mean what was “the parent of an African American student” doing at the school? We have parents who volunteer at the school. There are Parents who attend Parent, Teacher workshops. We have Parents who come to the school simply to see how their kids are doing in class. Didn’t your parents ever do this for you? Its lack of parent participation as well as presents in school which causes a lot of the negative attitudes and remarks I’m reading today. As a white mother and teacher living in Georgia it’s sad and embarrassing. Surely, we can do better than this.

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I will state that I have a student there, she is PROUD of her teachers & students. So far it has only been a “civil rights” seen wrong issue. Mrs. Ariemma found a VERY Creative way to get students interested in learning. My opinion is that it is pathetic that politics have to try to halt our children from learning within our classrooms things that truly happened. Why hide our past?? By hiding from it–the cycle is NEVER broken and will most likely be repeated. Look at more ancient history involving the Greeks & Romans. History is doomed to repeat itself if it is hidden away and never learned from. I AM PROUD to have Mrs. Ariemma as a teacher where my children will learn. I teach tolerance at home why cant society be the same?? Everyone is different, if they weren’t society would die out and fade away. If stupidity is going to rule–like what our children can and cannot learn in school–what our children can and cannot be exposed to as a truth–and what they can and cannot see as a history that happened to our ancestors then i say Let Mother Nature have her planet back.

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[...] Schooled: What did students learn? [...]

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test

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I objected to my 13 yr old watching Roots w/o my permission. The kids that did see it acted inappropriately in other classes. Some even asked each other, during a rape scence, if they should be watching. Parents need to know what’s occurring at school, especially if the teacher doesn’t blog.
My child also had a 5th grade teacher who sought MY permission to allow my child to take books home on the civil war. This is what an administrator SHOULD do with unapproved material.
I would not allow my child to participate in a reenactment(AP class or otherwise) invoving KKK dressed students, nor a march to Selma by Dr. King, exposure to violence can be mishandled as this teacher did. Fire her no, we all can learn. She doesn’t seem to get it though, the classroom discussion may need to be monitored as well.

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