# Science Teacher forces students to watch profane political video **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 13, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468 "2006-04-13T01:28:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/1 "2006-04-13T01:28:38Z")
I know that many of you will not see the harm [in this](http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060407/teacher.shtml) because science teacher Steve White was just preaching the holy word. However… Is White so concerned about the continuation of his ideology that he must go off topic in a science class to show 13 year olds a purile political film? And as you can see by the link, he’s not being fired or even suspended for his indoctrination-fest. I can’t wait to watch the intellectual gymnastics as some of the usual suspects here defend this guy and his actions. Or maybe I’m setting my sights too high. Perhaps the crickets will entertain me instead. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/2 "2006-04-13T01:31:08Z")
I’m as leftist and anti-Bush as they come and I’m certainly not defending this guy. But hey, you know what they say about people who ASSUME. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/3 "2006-04-13T01:31:28Z")
> [@Evil One](#): > > I know that many of you will not see the harm [in this](http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060407/teacher.shtml) because science teacher Steve White was just preaching the holy word. Ahhh yes, what an excellent way to side track a well-deserved pitting. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/4 "2006-04-13T01:31:58Z")
Boo hoo. The poor widdle students were exposed to the same naughty, naughty words they all use 5,596,848 times a day anyway. And they got to see someone poking fun at GWB. Big whoop. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/5 "2006-04-13T01:34:05Z")
> [@Evil One](#): > > Is White so concerned about the continuation of his ideology that he must go off topic in a science class to show 13 year olds a purile political film? And as you can see by the link, he’s not being fired or even suspended for his indoctrination-fest. I agree, he was out of line. The issue was handled at the school level, and I venture to say that the principal is certain the teacher will not do that again. Are we done here? ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/6 "2006-04-13T01:42:47Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I agree, he was out of line. The issue was handled at the school level, and I venture to say that the principal is certain the teacher will not do that again. I agree he was way out of line also. But the religious right, and, apparently conservatives, attempt to maintain the martyred syndrome of their constituency. Whether it be a War on Easter, or an idiot teacher showing an anti-Bush video, if there is a minor problem that can be blown out of proportion and put into the media, it’ll be there. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/7 "2006-04-13T02:05:41Z")
I don’t see this as so minor a problem. While I am no fan of Bush, showing a film like this, regardlerss of the direction it is slanted, is completely out of bounds. The classroom is not the place for him to further his political agenda. He needs more than a talklng to here IMO. Some kind of letter of reprimand (which might have been given) or a couple week suspension without pay. I’d vote for the latter, which the union will cry about, and then, onward. But if he does it again, show him the door. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/8 "2006-04-13T02:09:17Z")
Despite his politics, the teacher sounds like a creep. Such a move will hurt his chances, not help. What’s worse, what he did was totally professionally unethical and inappropriate. Even the background music was unfit for the classroom: The use of “their behind” and “their mind” makes me wince. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/9 "2006-04-13T02:26:33Z")
Hmm. You might have gotten some enthusiastic participants in a fair pitting if the purpose wasn’t transparently to bait people with preemptive insults that have nothing to do with the offending teacher. Anyway, I also find this teacher’s execrable behavior deeply troubling, and think some sort of repamand would have been entirely appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/10 "2006-04-13T02:32:32Z")
An asinine move by what sounds like a loose-cannon pinhead. Is that enough of a disavowal from yet another of the “usual suspects”, **Evil One**? Will we see a retraction of your pre-emptive contumely? I do wonder just what motivated one local Republican poobah to make this statement: > [@](#): > > Jim Burden, chairman of the local Republican Party, said, “It bothers me that he took his political opinion into the classroom. That’s not what we’re paying him to teach. He should be **teaching students how to make gold out of lead** and stick to science.” ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/11 "2006-04-13T02:35:09Z")
Steve White is an idiot… > [@Evil One](#): > > I know that many of you will not see the harm [in this](http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/060407/teacher.shtml) because science teacher Steve White was just preaching the holy word. …and so are you. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/12 "2006-04-13T03:21:33Z")
The following is a sincere remark completely free of sarcasm. You know…you guys are right. I have allowed a handful of posters with whom I am idealogically opposed to bait me into tarring everyone with the same brush. If their behavior irritates me, the last thing I should do is emulate it. Please accept my apology. That said…the teacher is a fuckwad. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/13 "2006-04-13T03:32:59Z")
Well, appology accepted. Now remember, that, you goddamned Republican bastard!\* 😃 \*Tongue firmly planted in cheek. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/14 "2006-04-13T03:37:57Z")
I hate it when they apologize before I get a chance to get my kicks in. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/15 "2006-04-13T03:47:33Z")
> [@Evil One](#): > > … I have allowed a handful of posters with whom I am idealogically opposed to bait me into tarring everyone with the same brush. … There. That’s how to personally take on the responsibility of placing blame for your actions. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/16 "2006-04-13T03:51:45Z")
I see nothing to defend in this instance and I definitely hope that the private personnel issue included disciplinary action. Unlike the the similar sounding case from the State of the Union, this was not a teacher in a Social Studies-related course asking provocative (a.k.a., leading) questions, but a science teacher playing a propaganda piece. Twit. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/17 "2006-04-13T04:08:26Z")
> [@The King of Soup](#): > > There. That’s how to personally take on the responsibility of placing blame for your actions. Damn, if only **Evil One** were president. He’d have resigned by now. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/18 "2006-04-13T04:48:11Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I hate it when they apologize before I get a chance to get my kicks in. ☹ Yeh, sucks, doesn’t it? I suppose you could always redirect your thwarted aggression to that dimwit I quoted from the article who appeared to be confusing alchemy with Science[sup]TM[/sup]. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/19 "2006-04-13T05:32:31Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Boo hoo. The poor widdle students were exposed to the same naughty, naughty words they all use 5,596,848 times a day anyway. And they got to see someone poking fun at GWB. **Big whoop.** Emphasis added. Well, the OP did get it right for the 4th person to post in this thread, no? I’m not a big fan of those kind of predictive OPs, but I have to wonder why everyone is so quick to criticize him, but not one poster has commented on the above. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468/20 "2006-04-13T06:04:26Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Emphasis added. Well, the OP did get it right for the 4th person to post in this thread, no? > > I’m not a big fan of those kind of predictive OPs, but I have to wonder why everyone is so quick to criticize him, but not one poster has commented on the above. It’s hard to type up a post when you’re rolling your eyes so far that you’re reading your innermost thoughts and can’t see the keyboard. Especially if you’re not a touch typist. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-teacher-forces-students-to-watch-profane-political-video/352468.md?page=2)