Don’t believe the hype.
Otherwise, you may very well end up like these teachers and administrators
South Sound school district spokesmen said sending students to an event featuring the Dalai Lama on Monday provided a rare opportunity for them to see a Nobel Peace Prize winner and did not violate the concept of separation of church and state.
North Thurston spokeswoman Courtney Schrieve said teachers were using the Buddhist leader’s Seeds of Compassion curriculum to discourage harassing behavior.
“It’s teaching kids about compassion and anti-bullying,” she said. “It’s a chance of a lifetime for these kids to learn about the role that compassion and empathy have not only on the playground but off the playground.”
Olympia district spokesman Peter Rex said the message was nonsectarian, and lessons about empathy are something taught at school.
You see, they bought the hype that the Dalai Lama was a peaceful “World Leader” and Nobel Laureate only, forgetting that he is first and forermost the Numero Uno Buddhist on the planet.
Replace any and all mention of the Lama in the news story and replace it with “Billy Graham”.
Notice the difference in the teacher’s attitudes? Graham is no less accomplished than the Lama, other than that worthless political necklace prize known as The Nobel. In fact, Graham has written more on the subject of “Peace” and “Compassion” and “Empathy” in the English language than the Lama has.
But mention Graham’s name in front of a teacher or administrator on school grounds and you’ll be looking at letters home, Billy and Suzie.
Now, personally, I could care less than a piss if the kids are being taken to see the Lama, or Graham, or the resurrected corpse of Anton LeVey. But the hypocrisy here could be spread with a butter knife and probably has more grams of fat than butter as well.
You no doubt, have read the LTE’s on this subject in our local paper and the accompanying website comments? There were some doozies! And you are right on the money.
I wrote a computer message directly to the school district to ask certain questions because I wanted to hear the justification from the source and while I did, in fact, receive an almost immediate response, it was a very practiced and rehearsed response, with alot of the blame for not presenting the “facts” regarding this trip to this sermon/show on the story in The Olympian. Of course.
While my concern was mainly with the expense (which I was informed there was none, which told me they think I’m ignorant)! I wondered how this could be approved when the district is going to be asking the taxpayers again next month to approve a failed levy that we are being told if it doesn’t pass will bring untold horror upon every human being in the district. Let’s not stay in class and arrange this “historical learning opportunity” to be taught in concert with all those classes on bullying by tape or live feed – oh no – that wouldn’t be as much fun! I informed them for various reasons; expense, conflict re: separation of church and state, and in your face attitude toward taxpayers money being among them, they may have shot themselves in the foot on this one (I was informed The Olympian shot them in the foot).
As you can tell, this is a hot button for me. And since I’ve gotten that off my chest for the morning, I’ll quit rambling on and on, go take a deep breath and find something more constructive to do.
“If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.” –The Dalai Lama
My wife had a similar thought. Take kids to see the Dali Lama on the school dime, and you invite motions to take kids to see other religious figures on the school dime.
She may be a bleeding heart liberal, but she believes in fair play, you open the door to one, you open it to all and you got no room to bitch about it.