Some Teachers Shouldn't

Down in Texas, where things are big, and sometimes stupid, a high school teacher has been put on administrative leave after an incident where he allegedly said, to a 9th grade Muslim girl, "I bet that you're grieving" following the death of Osama bin Laden. he also, allegedly, said, before that, "I heard about your uncle's death."

A teacher. Someone who should know better.

The girl's name is not being released--and neither is that of the teacher--but what sickens me most, other than the blatant sickness of the comments--are the fact that the teacher allegedly showed no remorse for his comments. 

After making his remarks, the girl began to cry, and when he asked why she was crying, another student said it was because of what he'd said to her. the teacher allegedly shrugged and smirked and went on with the class.

The Clear Creek Independent School District released this statement:

In the Clear Creek Independent School District, we believe diversity strengthens our community and seek opportunities to celebrate the different cultures within our schools and neighborhoods. The sentiments allegedly shared by this teacher are not reflective of the staff at Clear Brook High School or anyone within the Clear Creek Independent School District.

In accordance with CCISD policy, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a personnel investigation. The student did the right thing and immediately notified an adult regarding the teachers' comments. The principal at Clear Brook High School notified the child's parents and has been in communication with the family.

I think the statement could have been a bit more succinct; something along the lines of: The teacher has been fired.

via TalkingPointsMemo

Just A Thought: SHUT! UP!

Sarah Palin.
What makes you think--and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt that you actually do think--that showing the picture of a dead bin Laden is gonna makes things better in the world? That it is in any way "part of the mission?

What makes you think that those people that choose to fly planes into our buildings because they hate Americans, are now suddenly gonna bow and scrape and say, "Oops, sorry. Never mind." once we show their leader with a gaping hole in his head?

You self-centered narcissistic unintelligent amoral bitch.

Killing Osama bin Laden was a good thing. Good for American morale that the perpetrator of 9/11 was finally punished for his evil. And good for the rest of the world's morale to see that justice can be served. Justice.

But where is there justice in showing the world this man's body? It will only serve to make his minions more vigilant in punishing this country. It will only serve to make their view of America, and Americans, the popular view. That we killed a man, danced in the streets, and then printed up his picture for millions of people to blog about and Facebook "Like" and Tweet about.

You are a complete moron. Every single day that passes, you get further and further from being a potential candidate for president; and let's face it, you half-term-quitter, you were never really getting close anyway.

The difference between you and Obama, besides about a hundred IQ points, an education, a brain, and a heart, is compassion, and understanding. He understands that showing that picture serves no good. He has compassion for the dead man even though the dead man showed us no compassion. He understands that showing that picture will only feed the anti-American frenzy of the terrorists, not make them turn tail and run.

He thinks. You don't

So, seriously, Mrs. Palin, Shut.The.Fuck.Up.

GOP Wingnuts Try To Rewrite History

A little history refresher:

September 11, 2001: Osama bin Laden's minions, on his orders, attacked the United States, and murdered 3,000 or our citizens.

September, 18, 2001: When speaking to the country President George W Bush said, of bin Laden: "I want justice. And there's an old poster out West that says, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive.' " [SOURCE]

September 14, 2006: A few days after the fifth anniversary of the attacks, President George W Bush said capturing bin Laden is “not a top priority use of American resources.” [SOURCE]

I remember thinking, "WTF?" I mean, how did bin Laden go from  being wanted dead or alive to being a non-priority in just five years. I remember being shocked at that. And today, that shock continues. 

While former President Bush has praised President Obama for the capture and killing Of Osama bin Laden--as has Dick "Hounds From Hell: Cheney--the rest of the GOP has been busy rewriting the last few years.

GOP lapdog and chief goosestepper, Majority Whip Eric Cantor:
“I commend President Obama who has followed the vigilance of President Bush in bringing Bin Laden to justice.”

What vigilance, sir? Five years ago Bush said bin Laden was not a priority. Now, I understand that our intelligence community never stopped working to find bin Laden, but when our president says bin Laden doesn't matter I don't call him "vigilant".

Former Bush Chief of Staff Andy Card:
“[Bush] made sure everything was in place so that President Obama could have an opportunity to get Osama bin Laden.”

Again, how do you make sure everything was in place when you say, basically, 'Meh, we don't care about bin Laden.'

Former Bush adviser Karl Rove said on Fox & Friends this morning:
“I think the tools that President Bush put into place –- GITMO, rendition, enhanced interrogation, the vast effort to collect and collate this information — obviously served his successor quite well.”

Heritage Foundation President Edwin Feulner, wrote in a blog post,
“Bin Laden’s elimination vindicates U.S. strategy in the region, started under President George W. Bush.” 

John Yoo, Bush legal adviser who wrote “torture memos”:
“Without the tough decisions taken by President Bush and his national security team, the United States could not have found and killed bin Laden. It is the continuity of policies in the war on terror that has brought success, not the misguided effort of the last two years to disavow them.”

Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin Nit-Twitted:
“U know who Obama forgot 2 thank? Bush-era interrogators&detention staff who dvlped intel re couriers.”

Tea Party Nation head Judson Phillips said:
"It took almost ten years, but Osama is dead. That is the good news. The bad news is Obama is going to do what most politicians do, especially the liberal politicians....Obama is taking credit for this. He did give the order. Did he really have a choice? If word leaked out that he had solid intelligence on where Bin Laden was and did not act, it would have killed any chance he had at reelection. Of course, he made his announcement right in the middle of Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” show. Of course, that was just a coincidence."


As for real estate mogul Donald Trump, he had more important things to Nit-Twit about:
"Don’t forget to watch Donald J. Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf—tonight at 9 pm, Golf Channel.”

Now, I don't doubt that interrogations that took place under W might have helped; and I do believe that the hunt for bin Laden continued while Bush was president. But I cannot ever forget that he also said bin Laden, who was repsonsible for killing 3,000 Americans and terrorizing an entire country, no longer mattered. 

And I will never forget how the GOP tripped all over themselves to heap praise on a man who had seven years to find bin Laden and didn't, and trash a man who did find him in just over two years.

SOURCE

Death and Dancing

So, Osama bin Laden has been killed.

Great news, coming after the Bush years, where he went from being Public Enemy # 1--remember Bush turning all Old West Sheriff?--to not much to worry about--and then remember when Bush said they weren't concerned about him. Unconcerned about a man who instigated, initiated, planned, plotted, carried out, and laughed at an attack on innocent Americans, killing some three thousand people.

Now he's dead, and Americans are dancing in the streets. And, this may not be the popular opinion, but I don't like it.

I don't like celebrating death, no matter how evil the person who died. While I am happy that bin Laden has finally been killed, and there is some closure for the victims of 9/11 and their families, the images of people paying in the streets and tossing beach balls and waving flags just doesn't sit well with me.

I can be happy that bin Laden is dead, but I don't need to dance in the streets. If anyone else wants to, well, I guess that you're prerogative, but I won't dance, don't ask me.