Speaking of MLK....

by flower 16 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  somebodylovesme

  My opinion:

  I think it depends on where you live. That might be too simple an answer, but that's what would determine my decision as to what age to teach the youngens about guns. I live in a town where there have been ZERO murders in the past three years and none by firearms in as long as I can remember. I hate to be cliche, but it's a town where people still leave their doors unlocked, and it's safe to do that. Granted I don't have kids yet, but if I did, I wouldn't feel the need to tell them that "guns kill people" at the age of four. It just wouldn't be necessary.

  If I lived in an area (I will say urban, although I know there are dangerous rural and suburban areas too - so, any area) that was dangerous -- that had more frequent crime, where guns actually were used, then I might want to consider explaining to my children what guns are and why they are dangerous. It would make more sense, if it were something they might actually come across.

  As for death - I don't think children that age understand death whether it's their parent or teacher who explains it to them. That's been my experience, at least, as a former daycare teacher! They can't understand a dog's death, much less a person's. I think in general it's the parents' job to explain it, although they certainly will hear about it at school and on TV.

  I don't think the preschool teacher needed to say how King died - I agree with you there.

  Just my thoughts, take 'em or leave 'em.

  SLM
• 

  Celtic

  Morning me old cocker!!

  Apologies for not writing back yet.

  Anyway, you want me to fly over, give this 'teacher' a lesson in positive fo'cuss'ing?

  I think, if I were in your shoes, I'd feel fairly, mildly, grrrrrr'ed off too. So stop ruddy fretting lass, sit down, and here, have a cup of tea with me, (yam balmpot Celt mutters, putting nuther log on fire), toes, ahhhh, fires, warmth, pleasantness, feet up, newspaper to hand, and Flower for company.

  Aye, I do empathise. When you're an absent dad in the UK, you've got absolutely no rights at all in Any of your own childs upbringing, decisions. Completely taken away from you. So, in my own way, I can see why you would be upset with this, cos it's part of your history, same with Ashton I guess, when I do get to see him, I'm internally thrilled, quite literally, that he's able to develop an open mind, in ralationship to what is around him.

  Ruddy dickens. It's a right toodoo. Can I just smile wanfully with you and tell you, we'll work through it, will that do, be enough? But it will work.

  Kindest regards

  Mark
• 

  Double Edge

  Then don't send him to preschool.

  Right, don't send them to a preschool where they don't teach age appropriate lessons. I agree with you flower..... three and four is too young for such details. They don't process the information the same.... tell the teacher to knock it off, or change schools.
• 

  joannadandy

  Umm...how do we know the lesson was ABOUT his being shot?

  I mean, it did happen.

  I would offer that just because the death was the part your son fixated on, doesn't mean it was the focus of the lesson. It is shocking, and it is perhaps what stuck in his mind the most.

  What happens when the students ask, "What happened to MLK?" which they are going to ask...was the teacher supposed to say, "Go home and ask your mommy and daddy?"

  Often things happen in the classroom in a split second, Teachers have to react, they don't usually have time to think about how every parent is going to react to the quick decision they have to make.

  I would offer that if it upset you so much you go in and talk to your teacher to find out what really happened and what the intent of the lesson was. I bet you even money it wasn't supposed to be a discussion about how he died.

  If somehow it was, at least the teacher has a chance to realize your concerns and think about it the next time the issue is brought up.
• 

  flower

  Somebodylovesme, I agree with you. You make a good point that if we lived in a inner city or somewhere then my way of bringing up my child would be foolish because he would need to know about violence and what it is from a very young age. But like you, we live in a small town where there is no real threat of violence and it is not unheard of to leave the door unlocked or a key under the mat. My son has almost no chance of ever coming across a gun here.

  Celtic, Thanks! Will have to take you up on the tea some other time.

  Doubleedge, Thank you for your feedback. Oh GOD dont even mention changing schools again! This one is great compared to the last one, I'll have to take the bad with the good I think.

  Joannadandy, Thank you too, Actually the lesson was not about King being shot and killed. From the information the teacher sent home and from what my son said, the children learned valuable information about Dr King and why he and his work was special and important. I think it is a great idea to start these kind of lessons at a young age instead of just having the kids making holiday stuff all the time. I just thought the lesson should have ended there and not included the fact the he was murdered for what he was doing. Just think they are too young thats all. I was a little pissed off but it really wasnt 'that' big a deal. Like you said, it DID happen that way and he would know it eventually anyway.

  just my opinion and not much more..
• 

  Draconian

  Martin Luther King was not as hot as everyone says he would be.

  The following is certainly not suitable for preschools but when we are adults we can learn that Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't his real name, it was "Michael King Jr.", he just changed it without any legal name-change process when his preacher father MLK Sr. started to call himself "Martin Luther" and Jr. started doing the same thing. King Jr. had ties to Communism, plagiarized the work of another to get his Ph.D. but his college said that was okay because he was Black and "just recontextualizing information", and had sex with two White hookers the night before he got shot. The FBI were stunned when they were engaged in bugging King's hotel-rooms at just what went on, but they were in a bind. They could tarnish King's reputation easily, but it might be seen as "racism" and the conversations recorded were way too graphic for mass-media, if they were just politely summarized by newscasters they wouldn't have been believed, so the tapes were sealed up by a court until the year 2037.

  http://www.martinlutherking.org

  This had two effects: US leaders who resists a Martin Luther King holiday have good reasons to, but often can not be totally clear on their reasons. It also led to a strange difference in acceptance of Bill Clinton's adultery, where most Whites were opposed but most Blacks claim it's no big deal. Apparently adultery of even religious ministers like King or Jesse Jackson becomes more acceptable in the Black community, just going by the examples available.
• 

  flower

  classic example of not believing everything you read.