I don't have a problem with the sharing of political or religious ideas in college. I discuss both topics often and with great vigor. Furthermore, it is quite normal and expected for teachers to share their personal feelings and ideas with their classes.
This was not the simple sharing of personal feelings, but rather a leftist rant that was way over the top. It had no relevance to the subject matter (economics), was at least 20 minutes long if not longer, and was completely one-sided.
The teacher lambasted Republicans in general, and Rush Limbaugh and Ronald Reagan in specific. She let the class know that she had a special place of loathing for fundamentalist Christians in her heart. She accused all the above groups of spreading hate and strife.
She talked of her days in the sixties when she thought that any differences due to race, gender and sexual orientation would fade away, and everyone would love and help one another. She repeatedly implied that to disagree with her interpretation of reality was either disingenuous, stupid, or mis-informed.
She talked about crying when McCain gave his concession speech, and crying again when Opera cried. She told us that we now have an opportunity to change the world (I'm assuming that the opportunity to change the world only exists when a Democrat is in the White House) by being the change. The final point, I guess, was that Democrats should be gracious in their victory, not evil like the Republicans.
During most of this, I kept quiet. Really. I knew that by speaking up, I'd only turn the monologue into a discussion, and I had to get home to help Laura (my nine-year-old daughter) with a school project.
I wasn't really angry. Obama won, I expected gloating. Aggravated, that the gloat kept going and the topics covered kept widening. Frustrated that she'd use her position and abuse the trust between student and teacher in such a partisan manner. But, I'm a big boy, no sweat.
She went on to say that Jesus wasn't a Christian, and that she was afraid of fundamentalists, and brought up the killing of abortion doctors by Fundamentalists as if doctors were falling victim every day to the hands of the deranged. At this point, I had to speak up.
After all, there have five, maybe six abortion doctors murdered. At least one or two of which were not done by fundamentalists.
Branding every Christian who believes in the literal interpretation of the Bible (which is a defining characteristic of "Fundamentalists"), is as fair as saying every member of PETA is a murder because some animal rights nuts kill scientists who use animals in their experiments. It's about as fair as saying all gays want to kill Christians because Christians voted for the Constitutional Amendment in Calif.
I made several points. I don't know if any got through.
- I explained that I was a fundamentalist Christian, who taught each Sunday. Since it is obvious that my knuckles don't drag the ground, nor is there a puddle of drool around my seat, I hoped that I could be an example what Christan's really are, instead of the fear-mongering image portrayed in the media.
- I said that I can believe that a behavior is a sin without hating the person doing it.
- I said that two people can look at the same data and draw two different opinions from it, without one being brainwashed or ignorant.
- I am not ignorant, stupid or misinformed just because I don't happen to agree with her
Sometime during the discussion, Lisa Ramey came in. Lisa and I go to church together, about the teacher was talking about about me being a fundamentalist, and Lisa says "We go to church together".
A little later, the teacher started to chide Baptists because of the complete morons at Westboro baptist church (aka. the "God Hates Fags" groups who picket funerals. )
Lisa says "We go to a baptist church". It was almost funny.
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