# Is it alright for teachers to be politically biased? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 29, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-alright-for-teachers-to-be-politically-biased/38838 "2000-10-29T19:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2000, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-alright-for-teachers-to-be-politically-biased/38838/21 "2000-11-01T20:37:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > \*\*WAs that the WAVE? > \*\* Nope. This really happened. In 1973. You can hear it at [http://www.thislife.org](http://www.thislife.org) It’s "Mob Mentality- May 5th, 2000 in the archives. I dunno. Maybe it was the inspiration for The Wave. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-alright-for-teachers-to-be-politically-biased/38838/22 "2000-11-02T00:37:02Z")
As did the WAVE. Here: [http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/3145/wave.html](http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/3145/wave.html) ---
**Author:** ![Grither](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grither/32/425_2.png) [@Grither](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grither)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-alright-for-teachers-to-be-politically-biased/38838/23 "2000-11-02T22:10:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jester \* > \*\*My US History teacher is a very left wing democrat, and makes no secret about it…Before the first Presidential Debates, he wrote up a sheet of differences in Democrat and Republican stances…Some excerpts from the “Republican” half of the sheet were as follows: > > -Anti-Government; unless government can help the wealthy. > > -Against taxes but mainly against taxes for the rich. > > -Anti civil-rights for minorities, blacks, women, homosexuals. > > -Agains affirmative action; tend to believe everything is fine. > > -Christian Coalition wants to control gov’t to enforce their ideas and beliefs. > > -Pro big business laissez-faire, unless gov’t helps big buisness against regulation. > > -Against min. wage. > \*\* I think it’d be instructive to see some selections from the “Democrat” half of the list, as well. Were they generally pro-Democrat, or from an exaggerated stance like the ones above? The reason I ask is because I’ve seen e-mail lists similar to that one (and I think gotten one like that in a soc class I was in) that had two VERY biased lists of what people of each party were like. The point being, I suppose, that you can demonize ANYONE on the basis of his or her beliefs. mm ---
**Author:** ![Jester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jester/32/8223_2.png) [@Jester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jester)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-alright-for-teachers-to-be-politically-biased/38838/24 "2000-11-02T22:34:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Grither \* > \*\* > I think it’d be instructive to see some selections from the “Democrat” half of the list, as well. Were they generally pro-Democrat, or from an exaggerated stance like the ones above? > > The reason I ask is because I’ve seen e-mail lists similar to that one (and I think gotten one like that in a soc class I was in) that had two VERY biased lists of what people of each party were like. The point being, I suppose, that you can demonize ANYONE on the basis of his or her beliefs. > \*\* Sure thing. Here are some selections from the “Democrat” column: -Believe in creating equality, seek ways to help people. -pro-government; it can be used to help ordinary people with any problems that arise, for power of the federal gov’t. -for woman’s right to choose, believe that abortions should be legal. -pro-gov’t place in education, pro public schools and equal education for all, for affirmative action. -for seperation of church and state, respects and tolerates all belief systems, should not be taught in schools. That’s a few, there are more, if you want them. But, as I think is pretty clear, he made no attempt to “demonize” the Democrats. Quite the opposite, in fact. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-alright-for-teachers-to-be-politically-biased/38838/25 "2000-11-02T23:29:36Z")
Well, of course, Republicans **do** eat babies and burn down orphanages. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-alright-for-teachers-to-be-politically-biased/38838.md?page=1)