Philosophical Questions For Everyone (Would Really Like to Hear From Teachers)

[Catlady (Rita Prince Winston)]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Kristin" <Alyeskakc at a...> wrote:

> 1)How do you feel about his comments?

They were tacky. If I were in that class, I would (probably without 
having bothered to raise my hand) have told him: "Those were human 
beings who were killed! With families!" We might have quarrelled or 
he might have explained himself, such as saying that he hadn't meant 
any harm, only that it's funny that the "Defense" Department can't 
defend itself, or saying "Those who live by the sword shall die by 
the sword. Those Pentagon workers were part of" the US Military 
killing thus and so many human beings with families in thus and such
a place at thus and such a time.
>  
> 2)Do you think expressing his political views during class is an 
> appropriate forum? 

As I indicated in my previous reply, I don't KNOW whether it WAS his 
political views or just a dumb joke. To me, a small amount of mention 
of one's political beliefs, favorite sports team, grandchild's 
birthday, car problems, even dumb jokes, makes one seem more human, 
as if one has a life outside the office. I mean, I once had a 
professor who would give an extra point (out of 100) on any exam to 
any student who wore a Dallas Cowboys t-shirt to class when taking 
that exam. Of course, I am far out of the modern mainstream on this, 
having, I swear, been in groups told by Diversity Trainers that 
co-workers should NEVER talk about anything but work, even 'Have a 
nice weekend?" or "Hey, nice tie" could be considered religious or 
racial or sexual harassment. 

> 3)If it was a current events class as opposed to acient history
> would you view the remark differently?

If it was a current events class, the professor who expressed his own 
opinion would have an intellectual responsibility to urge the 
students to express their opinions as well. If all the students sat 
mute when he asked them: "Anyone think different? You all agree with 
me?", he should start pointing out flaws in his own stated opinion 
and call on students by name to say what they thought of that flaw he 
had just mentioned. 
> 
> 4)Do you think any comments a instructor makes in class be 
> considered protected speech? Especially if it has nothing to do
> with the subject matter?

Oh, bloody hell. There are these cases that have come up from time to 
time and gotten into newspapers, such as one where a middle school 
teacher told his class that everyone who didn't follow Jesus Christ 
(and made it clear that Catholics didn't count as following Jesus 
Christ) was going to hell, and urged the 'Christian" students to pray 
for the conversion of the others, and another where an elementary 
school teacher told a student who had asked a question in class that 
he was too stupid to learn the subject because all 'Mexicans' are 
stupid. And it wouldn't make any difference if they had bashed 
Christians and Anglos instead of non-Christians and Latinos, it's 
still wrong for a teacher in a public school, or in any school unless 
the parent/adult students have been warned that that is the official 
ideology of the school, to say ANYTHING like that.

And having expressed that particular very strong feeling, that there 
are SOME things that teachers should not be allowed to say to 
students, I cannot very well use freedom of speech as my reason for 
why people should stop getting their knickers in a twist over some of 
the other things that teachers say. Bloody hell.  

> 5)Do you think he should be disciplined? If so, to what extent?

No. Not if there isn't more to his offense than you mentioned.