Debbie, this is the tip of the iceberg of what goes on in public schools. Kids who aren’t down the line left wing are mocked and browbeaten by low IQ teachers with the full knowledge and support of administrators, who are skilled at playing dumb. A significant number of kids actually end up believing the leftist/ socialist gruel they are fed. If you and I have kids we’ll have to send them to an Orthodox day school.

Anonymous1 on November 4, 2008 at 9:17 am

This shouldn’t be surprising at all. It’s a “trickle down” thing – but in all the wrong ways. The curent evnironment in academia fosters, this very same sort of attitude and behavior. Elitist ideologues, now for the most part, holdovers from the radical 60’s with tenure, will blatantly push their ideology and disdain for conservatism onto their students using bullying tactics, social intimidation, and outright pandering. I’ve seen this first hand teaching. When my husband was in Iraq, I had a blue star banner displayed in my office. I was “told” to remove it by the dept chair since it would offend the FES (student visa holders) from moslem nations. I didn’t. I bucked the system, and said that every other faculty member damn well better take down their Che Guevara posters and any other political views at the same time or I would make a legal stink over it- especially since my banner wasn’t political in nature- it simply showed my pride and concern in having a husband going in harm’s way for the defense of freedom.
This sort of behavior from teachers- particularly in the elementary grades shows not only a blatantly innapropriate bias, but a downright disregard for the rights and sensibilities of their students. I shudder thinking how that child felt being told her support of McCain would mean her father would spend a hundred years in Iraq.
Totalitarian dictatorship is what we’re facing in the future, if this kind of malevolent indoctrination is allowed to continue. It’s amazing how the liberal elements cling to the 1st amendment, but are so willing to deny that right to anyone who doesn’t hold with their views.

Mistress_Dee on November 4, 2008 at 9:45 am

I do not get obama’s appeal-he is just another self serving politician, like any other-he is not the world savior

mindy1 on November 4, 2008 at 12:12 pm

I agree completely with the comments by Anonymous1 and Mistress_Dee, especially the prediction that we are facing totalitarian dictatorship in the future. Free speech is already severely limited, there are employment reprisals against conservatives in many areas of society, and there are many other infringements.
Halfwits’ lining up the kids reminds me of what happened a couple of years ago during the Immigration fight. The same thing; teachers lining up kids to support immigration, influence their parents, etc.
We need to remember that the full totalitarianism of Stalin and Hitler did not begin on Day 1 or their assumption to power. There was a process with each tyrant of cautious probing, seeing what they could get away with, and building on each victory (ie suppression of the rest of us). That is going on now — with each victory, the liberals build on that to take away our freedoms. They depend on nitwits like this teacher, who are, in efffect, programmed to mindlessly carry out the liberal/totalitarian agenda.

c f on November 4, 2008 at 12:34 pm

The leftists took over our educational system 35 years ago, and we let it happen. This is the entire reason we’ll be electing a Marxist in to the most powerful position in the world. They created their own voter base. And we let it happen.

spiffo on November 4, 2008 at 12:42 pm

New name for the NEA, the “Child Abusers for Obama”! Love it!
We’re getting a lot of lip today for homeschooling our kids from the public education soviets. I kinda started it when I loudly called the public school where we must vote “the prettiest gulag I’ve ever seen!” I said this in the gym before voting.
Today’s homeschool lessons were about addition and subtraction, beginners and 2nd grade reading and writing, Ag science on greenhouse physics, 1 hour of Rush Limbaugh, and firerms safety (with BB guns).
Our kids are 5, 3, and 1 years old. The time it took to teach these lessons: 3.25 hours. Total cost: $12.48 for the 3.25 hours.

bhparkman on November 4, 2008 at 2:13 pm

For the record, this is why our daughter now, and eventually our son in a couple of years, are/will attend parochial school. We’d rather have our kids learn the moral lessons of the Saints and Patriarchs, than the corrupt elitist views of liberal atheism and idol/ideologue worship.

Mistress_Dee on November 4, 2008 at 2:38 pm

This happened to me just last week- here is a copy of the e-mail I got from a member of the school board in support of the teacher- his statements are shocking enough- when you consider that a school board member is supposed to be non-partisan. But what scared the crap out of me is the man spelled the word SCHOOL wrong.
Mrs. Joyce
before I begin please know that I am a registered democrat;
unfortunately, your daughter has experienced what I like to call the education system’s left leaning attitudes, i.e. Democrat=good, Republican=bad
it is common knowledge that the democratic party tends to support the education system in it’s present form, even though time and again the present system has failed to keep America globally competitive
I do not believe that this attitude is pervasive in our district, I do KNOW however, that Mr.Carlson is an excellant teacher, so please try and present this event to Emma as a positive learning experience
thank you for your understanding
Dr. William Balestrino
Walled Lake Consolidated Schooilkl
School Board, Treasurer
________________________________________

MarySJ on November 4, 2008 at 11:16 pm

Better late than never. I’ve sent the following to every relevant email address, website, and/or blog I can think of:
RE: Diantha Harris intimidating 5th grade students who donÔø?t support Obama
My heart goes out to this little girl, who showed much more restraint, grace, tolerance and respect than did her so called Ôø?teacherÔø?. This student has every reason to be proud of her father. We should all be commending him for his service to our country and appreciative of the sacrifices his family is making because of that service. ItÔø?s not easy for the spouses or children of military personnel to be without their loved ones for months at a time and itÔø?s disgraceful for this teacher to coldly and intentionally play upon the emotions and fears which undoubtedly exist because of the very real costs these families pay.
That this teacher has the audacity to afterward haughtily proclaim she has not Ôø?brow beatenÔø? anyone and insinuates that she instead has shown respect by allowing each child to freely express their own preference for president, shows the depth of her dishonesty and self deception. She did NOT allow them to freely state who they supported. She says they are entitled to their own personal opinion, but her behavior exposes her real prejudicial and biased motivations. She pressured some (under the feigned assurance that it was ok) to admit they supported McCain and then she ripped into them for it. She obviously does not believe that it is Ôø?alright if they are pulling for John McCainÔø?, as she claims. Come on! These kids arenÔø?t stupid, they can see through her. IÔø?m not in the least surprised to hear her smugly proclaim that Obama won the mock election held in her class. Her contempt is very transparent. To say that she behaved in an extremely inappropriate manner is an enormous understatement. But her lack of self awareness about her cruelty is whatÔø?s astonishing. If she honestly believes she wasnÔø?t Ôø?brow beatingÔø? that little girl, one wonders what she would consider Ôø?brow beatingÔø?? Corporal punishment? Or worse?
Such unfair manipulations and intimidations are beneath her calling as a teacher and come criminally close to emotional abuse. While this childÔø?s father and other brave military professionals like him make sacrifices in one respect or another everyday to defend the freedom our nation takes for granted, his daughterÔø?s Ôø?teacherÔø? presumes upon those very freedoms to coerce her own agenda and in the process of doing so is exploiting the very children her profession entrusts her to nurture and educate.
She is doing a disservice to every student in her class, not just those who donÔø?t think the way she wants them to. Her intolerance, ridicule, criticism and denial of the truth only serve to foster a feeling of strife and division. DoesnÔø?t she know it is an honor to teach kids? That each impressionable mind is a precious gift and should be humbly handled with utmost care and kind consideration? That her actions can have lasting influences positively or negatively for their futures and ultimately all our destinies? I pray that she would recognize the privilege and opportunity she has been given to guide her students towards worthy virtues like respect, honesty, and goodwill toward others. Her Ôø?teachingÔø? method or whatever she calls it is NOT what our children need and should NOT be encouraged or tolerated in our public school system.
A teacher should be required to teach the truth at all times, but even more so during an election year. While she falsely misleads her students to believe that McCain wants to fight a war with Iraq for a hundred years and tells this little girl McCain wants her daddy to remain there for that long – the truth is ignored.
The truth is, itÔø?s because of the courageous men in our nations history and those presently who are also willing to lay down their very lives to protect the liberties our constitution guarantees that our citizens have the privilege and right to vote for any candidate they choose. The truth is, our armed forces protect our freedoms not only from foreign threats, but also from domestic threats as well. Their success is confirmed by the fact that there has been no terrorist attack within the USA since 911. Not only that, a black man was just elected president by a predominantly white constituency. The truth is, that would not have been possible without the kinds of freedoms our military has fought to preserve.
What class is she trying to teach anyway? Obviously not math, or reading, or language. If this was a government or civics class, why is she not teaching about these freedoms? Why does she not insist that they be safeguarded and exemplified in her classroom, both through her instruction and EXAMPLE?
As a Christian, I am offended that she would in her disgusted and shocked tone, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in her rebuke of this childÔø?s preference for McCain. Why is the ACLU not threatening lawsuits against this school if the principal doesnÔø?t immediately fire her for stepping beyond their hallowed boundary of separation of church and state? ItÔø?s obvious her disdain would be more accurately reflected if directed against the parents who dare to think differently than she does. Like most bullies, is she afraid to pick on someone her own size?
At the very least, this woman shows a tremendous lack of judgment, insensitivity and compassion which are necessary qualities and characteristics of any good teacher. At worse, her behavior is emotionally abusive. Either way, she needs to resign and take some time to seriously re-evaluate why she became a teacher in the first place. If she canÔø?t honestly put her students well being above what ever is lacking in her own emotional makeup that would cause her to behave so shamefully, then she needs to seek employment in another profession. If she refuses to do so, the principal, superintendent, or school board itself, has an obligation to the parents of every child who attends this school, to the state itself, and to every taxpayer who pays their salary, to hold her fully accountable. These children deserve and have the right to be taught by someone who has the ability and talents to properly and respectfully teach them.

AJ on November 8, 2008 at 6:02 pm