Teacher faces firing for stomping on flag in lesson on symbols

[Mrs Mungo]

And of course his lawyer is now going to come up with some articulate reason for why he did this. That's what lawyers and defendants do.

 

Did you read the articles? It is the same thing his former students said.

 

And to Lisbeth-how is it biting the hand that feeds you? He made no criticism of the US or state government. It was a lesson on what we hold dear. I hold our actual freedoms above a piece of cloth, no matter how precious that piece of cloth may be in my eyes.

[Joker]

I get what he was trying to do. I can even understand it, but it honestly wouldn't be easy for me to watch him stomp on something that was draped over my dad's casket. That's my personal feeling (not saying everyone feels that way) so it's not far fetched that others might feel the same. It is a symbol, but that doesn't mean it can't hurt or offend to see those symbols disrespected. I do not think he should lose his job, or that it should even be a big deal right now, but I do think he should think more about his audience and be told to find a different way of expressing his ideas.

[Joker]

oops

[Mrs Mungo]

I get what he was trying to do. I can even understand it, but it honestly wouldn't be easy for me to watch him stomp on something that was draped over my dad's casket. That's my personal feeling (not saying everyone feels that way) so it's not far fetched others would feel the same. It is a symbol, but that doesn't mean it can't hurt or offend to see those symbols disrespected. I do not think he should lose his job, or that it should even be a big deal right now, but I do think he should think more about his audience and be told to find a different way of expressing his ideas.

 

I have attended more than five military funerals in the last year, including one *this week.* Believe me, I understand being offended. I just find it MORE offensive to suggest that those young soldiers died in vain because people would rather preserve a piece of cloth than our hard-won freedoms.

[Joker]

I have attended more than five military funerals in the last year, including one *this week.* Believe me, I understand being offended. I just find it MORE offensive to suggest that those young soldiers died in vain because people would rather preserve a piece of cloth than our hard-won freedoms.

 

I said it was just my own personal feeling to seeing it across my own dad's casket and then seeing it stomped on. My dad died several years ago but I wouldn't do well to see the flag stomped on today or then. I'm not saying everyone has the same feelings, but I do think a teacher should think about the feelings of all his students.

 

ETA: I see what you're saying. I totally understand it as well. I guess I just think a teacher should think about the feelings of all his students. Again, I don't think he should lose his job or that it should even be news. I think he should just be told to think things through a bit more.

[SKL]

I have attended more than five military funerals in the last year, including one *this week.* Believe me, I understand being offended. I just find it MORE offensive to suggest that those young soldiers died in vain because people would rather preserve a piece of cloth than our hard-won freedoms.

 

First of all, just because people respect the flag doesn't mean they don't give a dang about what it represents. I see no logic in your argument here.

 

Secondly, we're talking about adolescents here. Adolescents are not generally known for their mellow, logical reasoning. The fact that a teen *might* be confused about separating a symbol from what it represents doesn't "suggest that those young soldiers died in vain."

[Audrey]

Which means you have absolutely no military perspective whatsoever and brought it up... why?

 

 

 

As my Navy dad once said on the subject of whether or not flag burning offended him, "I didn't give 20 years of my life and my sanity to a f-ing flag. I gave it to my f-ing country."

[fraidycat]

How many of you have ever worn a t-shirt, ball cap or any other piece of clothing with an American Flag symbol on it? 4th of July patriotism at it's finest coming soon to every. single. store. near you...

 

Every single one who ever has, has "desecrated" the flag just the same as this teacher did by stomping on it, as wearing "the flag" is considered improper.

[Garga]

In my English class at school we learned both grammar and literature. Literature is chock full of symbolism. So, that's how this lesson was related to teaching English. Some posters have mused how this lesson on symbolism helps an English class--it helps the literature portion.

 

Symbols stand in for ideals, emotions, causes. But the physical object is not the ideal, emotion, or cause. Think of an apple. If you see it next to a pencil, it symbolises education. If you see it during the opening credits of Desperate Women, it symbolises sin or forbidden fruits.

 

But it's still an apple. The apple will not educate you and eating it isn't a sin.

 

That was his lesson. Each nations' flag is generally held dear to that nation,yet at the same time, it's just a piece of cloth.

 

I think his lesson was a good one, and is likely one of the few things that can get self-consious high schoolers to be willing to talk in front of the other students. Kids in school are often afraid to talk in class because they don't want to be teased. A teacher has to jolt them out of that.

 

There wasn't enough information to tell whether he acted like he was putting down America. It sounds like he was demonstrating that you can separate the symbol from the idea is represents--like eating an apple even though it can represent sin.

 

Once you understand how symbolism works in literature, you can understand deeper meanings to a lot of classics or can add meaning to your own writing and touch your audience.