Military Mom Vent

[Dixie Luvr 98]

My oldest DS is a LCpl in the US Marines . He is currently at Camp Lejeune, NC, but is set to deploy to Iraq in a few weeks. The impending reality of deployment is, of course, weighing heavily on his three younger siblings.

Today in her Freshman Honors English class DD-14's student teacher got into a lecture on the military as an off-shoot of a poem they are studying. He told the class the lower ranks of the military are unimportant, expendable, lower classes, replacable, owl's prey, and a few other things. Also said they had no other choices in life.

My son. like every other member of the US military, serves because he chose to serve. There are always other choices. (And I will put my son's IQ and SAT's up against his any day of the week!)

I normally don't let things like this bother me. I just found this a very insensitive thing to say to young high schoolers. Besides that, he upset my little girl

 

[JennyMominRI]

My oldest DS is a LCpl in the US Marines . He is currently at Camp Lejeune, NC, but is set to deploy to Iraq in a few weeks. The impending reality of deployment is, of course, weighing heavily on his three younger siblings.

Today in her Freshman Honors English class DD-14's student teacher got into a lecture on the military as an off-shoot of a poem they are studying. He told the class the lower ranks of the military are unimportant, expendable, lower classes, replacable, owl's prey, and a few other things. Also said they had no other choices in life.

My son. like every other member of the US military, serves because he chose to serve. There are always other choices. (And I will put my son's IQ and SAT's up against his any day of the week!)

I normally don't let things like this bother me. I just found this a very insensitive thing to say to young high schoolers. Besides that, he upset my little girl

That's a rotten thing to say,not to mention untrue.

 

[mickeyboat]

My oldest DS is a LCpl in the US Marines . He is currently at Camp Lejeune, NC, but is set to deploy to Iraq in a few weeks. The impending reality of deployment is, of course, weighing heavily on his three younger siblings.

Today in her Freshman Honors English class DD-14's student teacher got into a lecture on the military as an off-shoot of a poem they are studying. He told the class the lower ranks of the military are unimportant, expendable, lower classes, replacable, owl's prey, and a few other things. Also said they had no other choices in life.

My son. like every other member of the US military, serves because he chose to serve. There are always other choices. (And I will put my son's IQ and SAT's up against his any day of the week!)

I normally don't let things like this bother me. I just found this a very insensitive thing to say to young high schoolers. Besides that, he upset my little girl

Was the teacher discussing the attitudes reflected in the poem, or was it his personal opinion? Maybe he was just trying to open debate on the subject. Encourage your DD to come up with a counter-argument, especially in this day and age - GI bill, encouraging recruits to join to pay for their education, etc.

Denae

 

[noahynav]

I would most certainly confront this teacher, and the principal. What an ignorant thing to say. What a lack of respect he displayed for the men and women that die everyday defending this country. UGH. MAkes me sick just reading it. Please confront him on these statements.

 

[Keli]

This is a common train of thought in some intellectual circles and I guess it doesn't surprise me that a hs teacher is spouting it off.
And I might even be willing to concede that as far as some have joined the military because they had fewer avenues to success and this was their only opportunity, well, yes, decades ago maybe this was somewhat true. I know I had family members that joined the military for that reason.
But honestly, today when virtually anyone can go to college, on student loans if nothing else, those that want to succeed aren't chosing the military because it's their only option. They are chosing the military for a lot of reasons but it's not lack of opportunity elsewhere.
And I would never agree they are expendable in any way. It angers me that anyone would consider them so.

 

[Galahad]

Even more unsurprising if it's a student teacher. Don't you know that all 22 year olds know all there is to know about the world? Still pretty damn slimey, but not very surprising.

 

[caitycaity]

i know some people who have chosen to join the military because they felt they did not have other paths to success.

however, to say the things the teacher said is pretty inappropriate.

 

[Jynohn]

I would be outraged, and would be scheduling a meeting with the teacher and principal. This teacher is being paid to TEACH, not spout off his own personal opinions about our military.

I'm sorry your daughter had to be subjected to that. Please let her know that there are many of us here who appreciate her brother's sacrifices. We will be keeping him in our prayers for a safe return.

 

[momrek06]

I would most certainly confront this teacher, and the principal.

Absolutely, OP!!! As the sister of a Col and an aunt of a Private serving in IRAQ (well bro COL just got back after 18 months)( ) something definitely must be addressed here....because the year is "young" this teacher may continue with this SAME thought process all year long, making your DD more upset that ever.

 

[noodleknitter]

How discouraging for your daughter.

That is the way to honor those serving...

Heck, I know plenty that head for college without a clue in their head of what they want to do...except party. I'd say that teacher is unimportant, expendable, lower class, replacable, owl's prey, and a few other things. And he had no other choices in life.

 

[Dixie Luvr 98]

Was the teacher discussing the attitudes reflected in the poem, or was it his personal opinion? Maybe he was just trying to open debate on the subject. Encourage your DD to come up with a counter-argument, especially in this day and age - GI bill, encouraging recruits to join to pay for their education, etc.

Denae

That was my first thought too, but he was expressing his opinion as fact, not discussing the poem. I told DD that she should mention that her brother's specialty is Data Systems and to ask the student teacher how easy he thought it would be to replace someone who can configure a server with an M16 slung across his back. She is afraid of getting too emotional, though.

 

[disneyfan67]

Was the teacher discussing the attitudes reflected in the poem, or was it his personal opinion? Maybe he was just trying to open debate on the subject. Encourage your DD to come up with a counter-argument, especially in this day and age - GI bill, encouraging recruits to join to pay for their education, etc.

Denae

I disagree, those words were designed to hurt and demean. There is no way you can have a debate with someone of authority like this teacher, when a discussion starts off like that. If you were to dig deeper and find out this teacher's opinions on other subjects, you probably wouldn't like what you find. It sounds like he thinks he's above someone who serves at the entry level in the military, like it's a fast food job or something. I find it ironic that he feels this way about people serving in the military. Due to their service and sacrifice over the years, they have given him the freedom to criticise those who have guaranteed him that right.

 

[mickeyboat]

I disagree, those words were designed to hurt and demean. There is no way you can have a debate with someone of authority like this teacher, when a discussion starts off like that.

Since I wasn't there, I can't say how those words were meant. I was trying to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt. Children will hear from lots of people over the course of their lifetimes, who have differing, if not vile opinions. Being able to intelligently oppose someone who you disagree with, and even being able to debate on the side you personally disagree with, is a valuable life-skill, one that I am certain would be promoted in a high school honors class.

Tell your DD to print this article out for her teacher.

http://www.dod.mil/prhome/poprep98/html/chapter_7.html


Denae

 

[sharbear]

I don't know if this is the case but many of my DD's teachers are of an age that they grew up in the 1960's. They are liberal to a fault and have many "opinions" that they love to lecture their students. They were war protesters in the 1960's and sometimes feel the need to comment on this war as if it was Vietnam.

As our house, this has led to many lively discussions.

But, I do think that I would have your DD tell him her situation. He should be able to know that not everyone feels the same way he does and that the military is why he has the freedom of speech that he does. It won't change how he feels, but maybe it will change what he says to his class.

 

[golfgal]

From an historical prospective his words are VERY true, even as recent as say WWI, the military, especially the army, was a option for a lot of people in society that did not have an option to find gainful employment elsewhere. What poem are they discussing? That would have a huge bearing on HOW these things were meant. Also, kids have a tendency to hear what they hear and it isn't always accurate. He could have said something like in 1820 the military was... and your DD missed the "In the 1820's" part.

 

[noodleknitter]

Even were that the case, this is english, not history being studied. Teachers are forever spouting off about their own opinions. Kids egg it on because they don't want to do the actual work. We sure did. In this case, though, someone got hurt.

 

[stinkerbell_&_Co]

That is completely inappropriate. I would also confront not only the teacher, but the principal.

No matter what the circumstances, people who enter the military do so by choice! Money may be a factor for some, but the choice they made to join is no less honorable or brave than other people's motives. They are still defending our country, and deserve every bit of respect we can give them.

 

[ozarkmom]

That would really hack me off! I was a military brat and one of my jr. high teachers spoke horribly about the military in class. The majority of the students were military children. I told my mom and she let them have it she included that in this case if it wasn't for us (military) she probably wouldn't have a job and the city we were living in would dry up and blow away.

 

[mickeyboat]

Even were that the case, this is english, not history being studied. Teachers are forever spouting off about their own opinions. Kids egg it on because they don't want to do the actual work. We sure did. In this case, though, someone got hurt.

But a comprehensive study of literature always includes a study of the environment in which it was published.

Denae

 

[All American]

First and foremost, thank you for raising a son who is willing to give his life for the rest of us. And as for your daughter, good for her that she was irked by her teacher's comments. It sounds like she is proud of her brother, and she should be.