Comments from a Denver high school teacher, plus reactions to those comments, have once again put Colorado in the spotlight.
Sound bites from a recording of his world geography class agitated conservatives. “Case of the Commie Teacher,” wrote the New York Post. “… teacher caught on tape making anti-U.S. statements,” wrote The Conservative Voice. Forces on the left have formed ranks in support of teacher Jay Bennish, currently on unpaid leave from the Cherry Creek School District.
Regardless of your political persuasion, dig deeper than excerpts to form your opinion about this controversy. Read transcripts of what was said and the associated classroom debate (available at www.cherry creekschools.org). Here’s what you will find. Undoubtedly, Bennish takes a very left-of-center stance during this 20-minute classroom discussion. He questions capitalism, support of Israel and the contention that the war in Iraq will lead to a safer America. Most inflammatory to his critics, Bennish compares statements made by President Bush to language used by Hitler.
Did Bennish overstep his bounds as a public school teacher? How far can a teacher go in expressing personal opinion? Should he be dismissed, and, as was suggested in a New York Post editorial, “Students should tape their teachers on a regular basis” to prevent “knee-jerk leftism” from creeping into schools?
References to Nazi Germany got me thinking. Like many of us, I have wondered how Nazi atrocities could have gone on for so long unchallenged by the people of Germany. I was able to explore my questions by living several years in Germany and traveling throughout Europe. From my German friends, I learned that the unchecked rise of the Nazis couldn’t be blamed upon some demonic character trait running through the citizenry.
I visited an unforgettable museum in Berlin called “The Topography of Terror,” which illuminates the sophisticated Nazi methods for squelching dissent. Around this time, I read an engrossing novel, “Stones from the River,” by German Ursula Hegi, which focuses on the fate of a small German town during the rise of the Nazis. The book explained how German children could be convinced to spy on their parents and how neighbors could remain silent for fear of their lives while Jews living two houses down were shipped off to an unknown fate. German citizens failed to act because information flow was cut off, open debate was nonexistent and dissenters were ostracized. Which brings us back to our embattled teacher and the class transcript.
This was a debate, not “indoctrination,” as the Washington Times described. Bennish’s political leanings are obvious, but he challenged his students. They responded with thoughtful questions and cross-examination.
We need teachers who not only convey important information but also teach kids to think critically, to peel back layers of hyperbole and seek deeper understanding. Read all of Bennish’s comments and how the students responded and you’ll see evidence of young minds opening, including those who clearly disagreed with him.
Superficial reactions to Bennish’s comments prove the importance of his advice to the students: “Think about these issues more in-depth … (don’t) just take things from the surface.”
When any authority preaches dogma, from the left or right, our future citizens must ask tough questions. When any segment of our society suggests something as un-American as muzzling dissent, sound the alarm.
History contains far more examples than Nazi Germany of the catastrophic consequences of limiting free expression. Don’t punish Bennish for exemplifying free speech, open debate and the rejection of simplistic explanations of complex problems.
