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Soldier in Iraq gets "hate" mail from US school Kids

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posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 05:27 AM
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"February 21, 2005 -- An American soldier overseas is fuming over letters he received from Brooklyn middle-school children accusing GIs of destroying mosques and killing civilians in Iraq.
Pfc. Rob Jacobs of New Jersey said he was initially ecstatic to get a package of letters from sixth-graders at JHS 51 in Park Slope last month at his base 10 miles from the North Korea border.

That changed when he opened the envelope and found missives strewn with politically charged rhetoric, vicious accusations and demoralizing predictions that only a handful of soldiers would leave the Iraq war alive.

"It's hard enough for soldiers to deal with being away from their families, they don't need to be getting letters like this," Jacobs, 20, said in a phone interview from his base at Camp Casey.

"If they don't have anything nice to say, they might as well not say anything at all."

One Muslim boy wrote: "Even thoe [sic] you are risking your life for our country, have you seen how many civilians you or some other soldier killed?"

His letter, which was stamped with a smiley face, went on: "I know your [sic] trying to save our country and kill the terrorists but you are also destroying holy places like Mosques."

Most of the 21 letters Jacobs provided to The Post mentioned some support for the armed forces, if not the Iraq war, and thanked him for his service. But nine of the students made clear their distaste for the president or the war.

The letters were written as a social-studies assignment.

The JHS 51 teacher, Alex Kunhardt, did not return phone calls, but the school principal, Xavier Costello, responded with a statement: "

nypost.com...


If this isn't proof the left needs to be purged from our schools nothing ever will. This "teacher" needs to be put on trial for treason. Then (if found guilty) executed on national TV as an example.




posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 05:45 AM
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Yep, It's not until we kill all dissenting voices that democracy will be safe.

This is wrong tho, Poor soldiers are just doing their job. It's not like they don't know killing civillians and mosques is wrong.

Letters should be sent to the white house not to the guys legitimately "trying" to help people.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 06:03 AM
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I have a problem when these teachers start passing off their opinions as truth, to these students. Then they start recruiting certain ones into Social organizations.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 06:07 AM
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Originally posted by Krahzeef
Yep, It's not until we kill all dissenting voices that democracy will be safe.

This is wrong tho, Poor soldiers are just doing their job. It's not like they don't know killing civillians and mosques is wrong.

Letters should be sent to the white house not to the guys legitimately "trying" to help people.


Typical liberal response. It isn't about dissenting "views" is about aiding the enemy during a time of war through the demoralization of our troops. This "teacher" should be put on trial for a CLEAR violation of the treason clause of the consitution.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 06:55 AM
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www.abovetopsecret.com...

Hey Dr. H. We already discussed the topic on this thread.
It got locked. Read it and laugh.
Gibberish like ...
parents and teachers would be guilty of interfering with the
US mail if they didn't mail the obnoxious letters ... (it's called
common sense and good parenting/teaching!) etc. etc.
Unbelievable.


Also figured I'd add this quote before THIS thread gets locked.
****************************************************
www.newsmax.com...

excerpt from Newsmax.com, 2/22/05

One girl told Jacobs that he is "being forced to kill innocent people" and challenged him to name an Iraqi terrorist.

"I know I can't," she insisted.

Another girl explained, "I strongly feel this war is pointless."

A third letter predicted that because President Bush had been re-elected, "only 50 or 100 [soldiers] will survive."

A fourth accused soldiers of "destroying holy places like mosques."

***************************************************
Yeah kid ... some mosques got destroyed ... because they were
housing terrorists and they were really weapons depots for the
terrorists. Geeeeeeze. Freak'n sad!

[edit on 2/22/2005 by FlyersFan]



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:16 AM
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In fairness to the teacher she may not have even read the letters, it may not have entered her mind that the students might have such views and put them in writing to anyone in the military. Most of the letters were in support so it does not sound like she was having the children give her views since they were both supportive and not supportive letter from her class. As for treason surely we can find a few people in higher government offices better suited for this honor.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:19 AM
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So whats your solution, hang everyone that thinks diffrent, take away free speech and read every letter and censure everything that dosen't have the right oppinion.

Yeah that sounds really good


It must be hard to realize that alot of people don't agree with you and are against this war, but hey just hang everyone that is against it and there will be no problem, right.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:21 AM
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Hi goose. I hear what you are saying, BUT .. it's her job to read
these things and since the point of the project was encouragement
and support of our troops ... the letters should not have gone out.
They definately weren't encouraging or supportive ... and they
contained falsehoods against our troops.

One person on the other thread suggested that the soldiers
write back to the students. I thought that was an EXCELLENT
idea. Set the kids straight. Give them the facts about why
some mosques came down .... (because they were full of
terrorists and were really weapons depots .... all used to kill
Americans and innocent Iraqi civilians.)

EDITED TO ADD - This isn't a 'free speech' issue. It's about
common sense and since this project was supposed to be
ENCOURAGING and SUPPORTIVE ... then to send letters with
the junk in them (like I posted examples of) is definatey NOT
encouraging or supportive. This is common sense people -
NOT an issue of 'free speech' - just COMMON SENSE.
'Supportive and encouraging projects' do not mean that you
send letters with junk in them half way around the world to
complete strangers and basically smack them upside the head.


[edit on 2/22/2005 by FlyersFan]



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:28 AM
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Originally posted by The Todd
So whats your solution, hang everyone that thinks diffrent, take away free speech and read every letter and censure everything that dosen't have the right oppinion.

Yeah that sounds really good


It must be hard to realize that alot of people don't agree with you and are against this war, but hey just hang everyone that is against it and there will be no problem, right.


Again you miss the point. This isn't about free speech, its about manipulation of the education system for poltical goals.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:32 AM
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Originally posted by DrHoracid
Again you miss the point. This isn't about free speech, its about manipulation of the education system for poltical goals.


But it could also be what these kids think and feel.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:35 AM
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As with reporting the news, its the same with the classroom: keep your political bias and motivations out of the classroom! Period.

Not tooooooo terribly difficult to understand here, k?



seekerof



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:46 AM
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Actually, the article in FF's post yeaterday said that 25 students sent letters. 9 of them voiced disagreement with how the war was being held. You guys are hillarious. You make a huge deal out of these 9 letters and completly (conveniently) forget about the 16 other letters that were sent as a thumbs up to the troops. Why isnt there a thread that says Soldier recives mail from students. 16 letters were very insperational for them. 9 were not.

Out of the nine letters, none of them were trashing the soldiers. The kids said, and Im paraphrasing this, please try not to target civillians and mosque. Even 8 of the 9 letters that said this were still supportive of the troops. Why is this being overlooked?

Also the teacher gave the students this task as a social assignment. The teacher did not tell them what to say, otherwise ALL THE LETTERS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And no one has yet to make mention of the fact that the principle apologised for anyone that may have been offended.

Please people, Deny Ignorance.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:47 AM
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and as i posted in the other thread, the 'falsehoods' you speak of are not in the origional article...



One Muslim boy wrote: "Even thoe [sic] you are risking your life for our country, have you seen how many civilians you or some other soldier killed?"

Fact.



"I know your [sic] trying to save our country and kill the terrorists but you are also destroying holy places like Mosques."

also fact.




But nine of the students made clear their distaste for the president or the war.

add one 31 year old man who thinks for himself and questions autority on a regular basis to the list.
i also believe in free speech. thank god the patriot act has reniged some of my constitutional rights so free speech wont be as hard to rape away from me now.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:55 AM
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Originally posted by goose
In fairness to the teacher she may not have even read the letters, it may not have entered her mind that the students might have such views and put them in writing to anyone in the military. Most of the letters were in support so it does not sound like she was having the children give her views since they were both supportive and not supportive letter from her class. As for treason surely we can find a few people in higher government offices better suited for this honor.




I think I did mention that most of the letters were in support. I'm always having this problem no one reads what I post a lot of time, is it my fonts or something?



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:57 AM
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Originally posted by goose

I think I did mention that most of the letters were in support. I'm always having this problem no one reads what I post a lot of time, is it my fonts or something?


It is not that no one reads your post goose. It is just that some people will ignore intelligent post when it doesnt fit thier agenda.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 07:57 AM
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I find it surprising that a bunch of kids who don't like to see innocent people killed or mosque's destroyed and have voiced their concerns to a grunt is immediately labelled as a liberal plot


Some of you guys sound no better than what you would expect from the Nazi and Soviet propagandists.

If someone needs to be reprimanded it's this GI, reminds me of those two troublemakers Patton got in trouble for in Sicily, though of course its two totally different things. He's acting like a coward for not wanting to hear a side that he doesn't agree with. These kids never insinuated that they meant anything by it IMO, they just don't want to see bad things happen to innocents.

FACT : Innocent civilians have died at the hands of the US military
FACT : Mosque's have been destroyed by the US military

thanks,
drfunk



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 08:11 AM
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Originally posted by drfunk

FACT : Innocent civilians have died at the hands of the US military
FACT : Mosque's have been destroyed by the US military

thanks,
drfunk


Fact, we do not know if the people in civilian clothes were "innocent".
Fact, terrorist were shooting at the troops from within the "holy shrines" so they shot back. BFD, its a pagan religion anyway............

[edit on 22-2-2005 by DrHoracid]



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 08:11 AM
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Here's the issue, and this is coming from one who asst. teaches in a variety of school settings and levels, including college freshman:
These were kids, k? Kids! Not teenagers, not semi-adults, but Middle-school children!


February 21, 2005 -- An American soldier overseas is fuming over letters he received from Brooklyn middle-school children.....


I'm not going to argue semantics here over supposeded "freedom of speech" issues, etc. The point is that any and every teacher needs to keep from teaching, spreading, and/or indoctrinating their classroom, who are filled with impressionable children, their political leanings, opinions, and/or motivations. Thats a simple fact. You wouldn't want your kids being taught about God, Creationism, etc., that is not in line with what the teacher was supposed to teach based on the curriculum in the first place, right?

The only saving grace of this article cited is the simple fact that there is little to no explanation as to what the classroom project was about or why the letters were written. There are currently a number of classic examples of this happening in numerous states. N.C. just had a similar incident happen this past week over almost the same type situation of a teacher getting the children, not teenagers or semi-adults, to write letters to the troops in Iraq stating that war was wrong, etc., etc.

Again, when it comes to teaching, freedom of speech is all well and fine, but the line is drawn when the teacher's teach per his or her own political bias, motivations, and/or leanings. Its wrong and will always be wrong, not only on this issue, on many, many issues. Just teach! Straight and simple.




seekerof

[edit on 22-2-2005 by Seekerof]



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 08:32 AM
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Leave it to the ultra-right wing gossip-rag New York Post to offer unbiased reporting. This piece of garbage newspaper is the ultimate in yellow journalism and is known to distort facts and publish blatant lies.

If the letters were "missives strewn with politically charged rhetoric, vicious accusations and demoralizing predictions that only a handful of soldiers would leave the Iraq war alive", where are these examples? Why use moderate quotes in the article like "I know your [sic] trying to save our country and kill the terrorists but you are also destroying holy places like Mosques"? Perhaps because letters "strewn with politically charged rhetoric, vicious accusations and demoralizing predictions" DIDN'T EXIST. Notice how they singled out a Muslim kid... shameless.

Read between the lines here, which is what you have to do with every NYPost article. These kids were given an assignment---probably means that everyone in the class had to participate. Some kids disagreed with the war and expressed it in their notes. The teacher had to send all of the letters because either way, she would get in trouble. I don't see any problem with expressing mild dissention to the war--and I highly doubt that there were any "demoralizing predictions." Remember, this is the Post we are talking about--they are not above disparaging schoolchildren to fabricate news.



posted on Feb, 22 2005 @ 08:37 AM
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Originally posted by Seekerof

Again, when it comes to teaching, freedom of speech is all well and fine, but the line is drawn when the teacher's teach per his or her own political bias, motivations, and/or leanings. Its wrong and will always be wrong, not only on this issue, on many, many issues. Just teach! Straight and simple.


Apparently, the teacher did NOT try to push his/her agenda on the kids. As I stated before, if the teacher had told the kids what to say, all the letters would have been the same.

Why is it so hard for people to think that kids dont , and ar not able to form thier own opinions? Those of you who think this must not have children or you would know better. Kids are bright little people and are quite capable of figuring out right from wrong. From where I stand, it seems some of you dont have faith in the fact that children are not stupid sheep willing to be led to the slaughter.

This has NOTHING to do with the teachers and parents. It was a school project that two thirds of the children sent very positive letters to the troops. Why is this constanly being ignored? Is it that it doesnt fit the Neocon agenda? Is it that some of you just want something to whine about? What is it for God sakes? These are kids with thier own opinions and we shold not interfere with a child forming thier opinions.



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