Tuesday, March 29, 2005
My Fifth Rant
To put this simply, I have a deep-rooted abhorring for those who don't respect the moment of silence. I have been a substitute since September and have yet to see a class that has every student quiet during the calmness.In my day I would do a quick prayer for the duration of the silence. I would sometimes throw in something about a girl in third period or a Spanish test coming up. You know, the important things God should have to deal with involving teenagers.I'm not asking every kid to pray to God. All I want is for the students to show some consideration of the ones who would like to pray or contemplate on their day. Is that so hard?Some students will chat about their day or what just happened in the previous class. I have heard a few conversations go something like, "Oh my God, and then Billy told me that Kathryn was cheating on him with Chris. So, do you think that means Billy trusts me and confides in me? If they break up do you think Billy will date me?" Not if he finds out you were spilling his life out during the quietest moment of the school day.I want every student to sit in silence for 20 seconds. Am I asking too much? They don't respect me enough to shut up for the other 90 minutes of class. Why would they think about listening to authority for 20 seconds?This leads me into my next rant. The pledge of allegiance. If you aren't doing it, then you don't deserve to be in an American school. I have seen some who just sit in their chairs and not lift a finger during the pledges.If you don't want to pledge allegiance to the Texas flag, okay. I'm not happy with it but I will get over that. However, you are an American citizen partaking in many liberties that are not offered anywhere else. The least you can do is lift your right hand, place it over your heart and utter a few lines of monologue.Teenagers make me sick these days. They don't respect anything and they are worthless until about the age of 17. Then they at least can take my order at McDonald's. Of course, some can't even handle that menial task.If you are a student reading this, please start recognizing the moment of silence as a time to reflect on your day and treat it with the honor and respect it deserves.
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12 comments:
Wow. That was a rant, what about the freedom of religion. If I am a different religion that does not put allegiance to anything but God how can you make me say the pledge of allegiance?
The pledge states "one nation under God." It doesn't say the God of Jacob and Moses. If you wish to put Allah or Zeus in place of God then that is your choice. I don't agree with it, but that is where freedom of religion comes into play. If you are an atheist you can omit the under God part altogether.
As for pledging to only God. Would you defend your parents? What about your spouse? Pledging allegiance doesn't exclude you to only one thing. You can pledge your allegiance to God and to your country. It is only a problem if you pledge allegiance to both the U.S. and North Korea.
Matt,
You go boy. I overheard a beautiful child say "I hate the pledge", as I was making my way to my room during announcements today. Kids have no respect for anyone but themselves. Well, not even themselves. I fight with them everyday during the moment of silence. I know I don't have to say that we take our freedom for granted.
Jaclyn
p.s. Yes, I am better. Thanks for asking. :)
Kill 'em all I say!! We can just skip a generation. It will serve as a warning to the younger generations to be respectful. Not to mention the burden that it will ease on our social security system in about 40 years.
Hey anonymous, we might throw you in with the teenagers....
Just kidding!
I'm so glad to see so many of ya'll agreeing with me. Sometimes I wonder if I am just getting cranky in my older than young, younger than old age.
I hate to break it to you, but you can't expect a 15 year-old to up and move to another country. And isn't not saying the pledge the definition of free speech?
Ahhh, yes. However, if you are going to partake in the liberty of a country then you must give something back. This means pledging your allegiance. So either stand and recite your lines or hit the road.
Unfortunately for you, the Supreme Court disagrees. And you need to buff up on your American history - the reference to God is a direct reference to the Christian God. And you claim that someone can omit the God line? Odd. So you think that someone can omit part of the pledge, just not all of it? Hmm.
And by the sound of your posts, I hope that you never become anything more than a substitute, because you obviously have no business teaching. I've never seen a more negative person. Talk about caring for the kids. Geez. I'm sure that if your principal read this you'd be fired. And maybe the reason why you send nine kids a day to the office is because you don't have the skills to maintain order in the class. You sound like you're on a power trip to me. But hey, I only have 27 years experience teaching so what would I know?
Don't think that I'll be surfing to your blog any longer.
Cheers.
Okay Anonymous, you probably will never read this but I just want to say that your judgements of Matt are not very accurate. He is a great teacher/substitute that actually takes teaching seriously. Sometimes, okay everytime he has to discpline a kid but he is not afraid to do that like most substitutes are. I apologize for starting this whole comment section with my comment of freedom of religion but I was playing devil's advocate.
Matt is very knowlegeable about American history and he understands that the principle of "One Nation Under God" is in reference to the Christian God, (the true God that is, but that is another debate for another day) but I believe his comment was to insure that kids say the pledge regardless to what God they pray to.
Saying the pledge is acknowledging the rights and freedoms we have thanks to the men and women that have fought for it. Saying the pledge is not putting another entity above your God it is about acknowledging your country and the freedom we have.
Sorry I have to post anonymously, I do not have a blog.
Joanna
The pledge is to America, not to God. So yes, if you wish to omit the God from the pledge then that is your wish. There is a separation of church and state that allows us to not pray to God in public schools. Again, I don't agree with it, but that is the way things are in this country.
However, you cannot omit other sections like "the United States of America" or "one nation" because that is who you are pledging your allegiance to, not God.
If George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and the others wish to add God, speaking of the Christian God, to the pledge good for them. However, this country was settled by people looking for religious freedom, so I do not feel you must add God in the pledge.
I support kids using their minds, not reciting facts given to them by teachers of 27 years. Anyone can memorize a speech, but it takes a gifted youth to ask why.
I send kids to the office a lot because they use vulgar language in class and are disruptive and think there will be no consequence because I am a young substitute. I remember what it was like when I had a sub in school. We were little hellions. I hope to teach them not about how to add 2+2 but how to treat adults and their peers while adding 2+2.
Hey teacher, If it weren't for dumbass, liberal, soft, teachers like you for the past 27 years, maybe the USA wouldn't have such a struggling education system.
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