Monday, September 13, 2010

Public School…

No, this is not a rant on the standardized tests, and that I think they are utter bullshit. 

Nor, is it a rant on the poor overworked, underpaid teachers who have to jump through the state’s hoops, while simultaneously keeping parents happy, and children engaged. 

No.

It’s about what our kids are exposed to at public school. 

While the uber-conservative Christians may worry about what nonsense my faithless offspring may spew…I tend to worry about the vice versa. 

My oldest son came home from school singing a little rap song his friend had taught him.  It went something like this…

“I am an Afghan rapper.
A suicide bomber. 
Just like Osama,
But, you can call me Obama.”

I tried to explain to my son that the rap was ignorant, rude, and most importantly, disrespectful to our President.  I let him know that I understood that he meant no harm by repeating what his fried be spittin’, but, that before he blindly followed along in an ignorant rhyme, maybe next time he should inquire about it first.

I know this was tough for my kid.  Because he doesn’t see his friend as mean spirited, disrespectful, or ignorant…but, it was a lesson hopefully learned. 

This isn’t the only time my kids have repeated things they’ve learned at school.  A few times they’ve told me that they have been questioned about their religion, or lack thereof, and that “friends” of theirs have assured my children that they would have a seat in hell, since they don’t have a seat in a pew on Sundays. 

Awesome!!

I’m a faithless heathen, teaching my children to appreciate and respect their friends faith and differences, but, because of the nature of Christianity, and it’s “Jesus’ way or the Hades-way” mentality…and our geographical location smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt…my children are not afforded a reciprocal understanding. 

If there is one thing that I cannot stand more than someone damning another person to an eternity in hell, it’s A CHILD spouting off his parent’s political and/or religious agenda to his peers (For the record…I’m not talking about lovingly witnessing to his friends, I’m talking about the, “na-na-na-na-na-na…you’re going to hell,” bullshit!). 

I don’t know…I heard recently from a zealot in a forum that Obama was really Osama…and he had surgery to disguise himself and take over America!

In that case, sing it with me, now…

“I am an Afghan rapper.
A suicide bomber. 
Just like Osama,
But, you can call me Obama.”

5 comments:

S.I.F. said...

Ha! I'm pretty sure that "zealot" was full of it and knew they were full of it... whoever that was, they were TRYING to get a rise out of people.

As for the kids your little ones go to school with? Someone needs to smack their parents over their heads!!

Scott S. said...

Just another reason we homeschool. Here is Good Ol' GawGa, there is no teling what the redneck kids would be teaching my kids. They might have come home one day with white sheets in the backpacks. It is so hard. But at least your oldest has the memory gene to remember those funky rhymes

Kimmy said...

Yeah, I'm not buying the whole Obama, antichrist crap people keep saying.

As for the Christian's confirming to your kiddos they have a seat in hell, yeah well, that isn't so Christian like of those saying that. Real Christians would be loving and open hearted to the non-believers. I for one would pray, not bash cause bashing isn't gonna get anyone of us in Heaven! Just saying....

And good for you for always speaking up! I like that about you!

theagnosticswife said...

Ish! I don't look forward to that kind of schools stuff. I'm just in the state above you. Bible belt big time around here!

heidi said...

Guess the street goes both ways. The stuff my kids hear at school makes my skin crawl and I have to "unteach" them and try and explain why we don't believe what they've just said or why what they've heard is wrong. It's a fine line to walk for all of us.