Encounter with a history teacher

I had a testy but fun little encounter with a blowhard history teacher from North Penn High School while waiting in line to vote Tuesday. The radio said there would be a long wait - and there was. So I brought a book. This one:





Churchhill, Hitler, and the Unnecessary War.









From the chat surrounding me in line, I knew I was surrounded by folks who, though not all teachers, make their living from the public schools (which in the past would make them automatically Democrats). Two of them were really nice but one guy was pompus and not able to say so much a "good morning" without there being an agenda behind it. Naturally he turns out to be a public school history teacher. Dedicating his life to teaching our children who to love and who to hate. Finally, just before it was time to check in and vote, he spoke to me; "That's an interesting book".



"Thanks," I responded, "Been sitting on my desk for 2 months. Don't have much free time anymore and finally catching up on my reading. I'm enjoying it."



He interrupted to get to his point; "Don't know how you could have avoided it (referring to WW2), assassinate him maybe?"

Still friendly I said, "Well some of us think that America fights too many wars and maybe it's time to think outside the box. What makes us the world's policeman? What gives us the right to decide how other nations live and enfore it by a war?"

Here his public-school-think, with its shallow stereotyping comes in. To him people are either Democrats or Republicans. Republicans are war-mongers, and Democrats fight only heroic, "good" struggles. And yet the truth is different - or was once - when Republicans were republicans and believed in a healthy isolationism - before conservativism was taken over by neo-conservativism; when we believed in Christian humility and didn't think we should be the world's policeman. So he jumped in with "Yeah like Iraq?" again he's a stereotype - Iraq is a evil not because war is evil - but because Bush's wars are evil. He could not imagine someone who really thinks wars are destroying us - including his "good war."

Me; "And soon Iran"

Together; "and Afghanistan."

Me holding up the book title facing him; "Good then maybe soon you'll learn that war is the problem."

Him; "Well then maybe next time we'll just let them destroy us."

Me; "Well considering what our wars done to Western Civiliaztion that would be an ideal outcome."

This stunned him. He visibly recoiled with his mouth slightly open. I waited a well-timed moment and turned away. I'm Anglo-Saxon I hate making a scene. Fortunately I was at the head of the line and went off to vote.

Government schools teach what they goverment wants us to think. They've crafted a dialectic in which they win no matter which side you choose. The media gives us this narrow worldview as well.

Well how about this one. I support the permanent things - and nothing less. My children's blood are not for your flag, or ideology, your political movment, religion, social cause, church, "Great Satan" or anything else.

My children belong to their ancestors, their posterity, and our God whose Holy Spirit moves me. They are forever His.