Brickbat: Little Children, Keep Yourselves from Idols

A teacher at Tennessee's Lucy Elementary School assigned students in one class to write about their idols. Erin Sheen, 10, decided to write about God. But the teacher refused to allow her, so Erin wrote about Michael Jackson instead. When contacted by a local TV station, Shelby County Schools spokesman Christian Ross said no policy bans students from writing about God or religion, but officials would not say what they will do to prevent this from happening again.

Comments

[Snark Plissken]

but officials would not say what they will do to prevent this from happening again.

Jesus H Tittyfucking Christ. How about explaining to the teacher that separation of Church and State doesn't mean a kid can't write about the Invisible Man in the Sky as their idol. Explain to the parents that is was a misunderstanding and move the fuck on to more important things. This obsession with a 'policy' to deal with every goddamn little flower whose parents pull the victim card is one of the reasons public schools are in the toilet in the first place.

If it happens again, then maybe the teacher is a religious atheist who should be warned to keep their religious views to themselves or else. But that would require common sense, intelligent people in the school system and being able to fire teachers who sucked.

[darius404]

Uh, the assignment was obviously supposed to be about REAL idols, not fictional characters, so it was totally alright to ban her from idolizing God. Duh.

/progtard

[Snark Plissken]

Yeah, considering the teacher supposedly told her she "was also not allowed to leave the assignment about God at school, that it must go home." The I'd lay money on the fact that the teacher is a strident atheist who buys into Dawkin's idiocy that teaching your kids religion is a form a child abuse. She should be told to muzzle that shit. Inventing another policy isn't going to help anything, but that's the way government rolls.

On the other hand, if the parents are so concerned about their little flower having her religious beliefs trampled on, they can put their kid in Catholic school. Are they afraid their kid's going to turn into a godless atheist because this teacher wouldn't let their kid write about imaginary people? It's all a race to the victim card bottom.

[darius404]

Inventing another policy isn't going to help anything, but that's the way government rolls.

Yeah, you don't need a policy for every single thing that could possibly happen. Really, who could have predicted the teacher would do that? Just reprimand them (male? female? the paper doesn't say), discipline them if you need to, and assure the parents it won't happen again.

[Spokesman] Ross said they wouldn't comment out of respect for the student's privacy

I notice nowhere in this peace is the teacher's information mentioned. Everyone reading the article knows the student's name, age, and location, but the teacher? Nothing.

[MattJ]

Reprimand them when they didn't violate policy? Discipline them?

I doubt the teacher's union will allow that to happen.

[Snark Plissken]

To be fair, her 2nd idol, Michael Jackson, would've wanted it that way.

[WTF]

Jesus Juice for the win.

[Zeb]

The teacher may also believe that separation of church and state means that students can't write on religious topics. Which is wrong, but I don't think it is a terribly uncommon idea.

[PM]

Shitty colleges produce ignorant teachers who produce ignorant students who grow up to go to colleges to become ignorant teachers?

[PM]

...if the parents are so concerned about their little flower having her religious beliefs trampled on, they can put their kid in Catholic school.

Yeah! Those stupid pricks! Why shouldn't they pay for private tuition on top of the taxes they're already getting robbed for so that their kid can actually have 1st amendment protections? Parents these days...

[Rufus J. Firefly]

This kind of shit SCARS children in ways we can't imagine.

Idiots are thinking for the children through the power of policy.

[Swiss Servator, Spare a Franc?]

Jesus Micheal Jackson loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus Micheal Jackson loves the little children of the world.

Nope. Can't see that working.

[Snark Plissken]

Or? Does it work too well?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Shelby County Schools spokesman Christian Ross

"Quick, Bruce, change your name to something a little more God-friendly and get out there and put a positive face on this thing!"

[Live Free or Diet]

Dear Mr. Ross,
I regret to inform you that as a school employee your first name is a violation of Separation of Church and State. Termination procedures are commencing immediately. You are to remain at home and await the wetwork squad. Please refrain from any explications to the effect of "oh God, oh God" as you remain on our payroll until this corrective action is complete.
Regards,
Dorsey E. Hopson, II, Esq.
Shelby County School Superintendant

[sloopyinca]

P.S.: Please notify all parents that the Cat Stevens concert scheduled for assembly on Friday has been cancelled.

[SugarFree]

She should have written about The Golden Calf.

[Snark Plissken]

Gold is a dog whistle for 'high yellow'.

[Almanian!]

WHERE IS YOUR MICHAEL JACKSON NOW, LITTLE ERIN??!!

Probably better she's disappointed young. Might as well get over the inevitable crushing of hopes and dreams.

YOUR MICHAEL IS DEAD, AND HE'S NOT COMING BACK! LONG LIVE BEELZEBIEBER!

[Robert]

Whole thing's silly and probably not as characterized in the news. Teacher probably just wanted the paper to be written about a person, not a deity. Being told not to leave the paper in school is probably routine; only accepted assignments are left with the teacher, not returned ones. I doubt the teacher thought the school bldg. was somehow allergic to a paper about God.

[Tom_+]

Original advice from Jehovah:
Proverbs 18:13 "When anyone is replying to a matter before he hears [it], that is foolishness on his part and a humiliation."

[highnumber]

Same thing I was thinking. The news media (present company included) like the drama.