tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post8160247856675264082..comments2023-10-12T05:00:35.247-04:00Comments on Jacob's Land of Bliss and Blisters: Some People Are RetardedJacobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05768654376657640904noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-13615857314859019652009-03-13T10:37:00.000-04:002009-03-13T10:37:00.000-04:00Jeez. That is a sucky situation. Given that he's s...Jeez. That is a sucky situation. Given that he's still a high school kid, I'm going be optimistic and say this could still be a phase that he'll grow out of.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15796345438886867796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-9612793622839768132009-03-11T19:19:00.000-04:002009-03-11T19:19:00.000-04:00I doubt he will fire bomb your house. If he is not...I doubt he will fire bomb your house. If he is not aggressive towards different races, I doubt he will act out towards you.<BR/><BR/>I also doubt you could do anything to help him overcome his upbringing. People don't change unless they want to. Identifying with this cause is probably all he's got in life to belong to.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16245359960166359487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-929388561895605402009-03-11T10:40:00.000-04:002009-03-11T10:40:00.000-04:00Good story. I hope your house is still standing.An...Good story. I hope your house is still standing.<BR/><BR/>And maybe it's not that the influence of the kids father is necessarily winning, it's just that there's no competition. Maybe he needs a voice like yours in his life.Mickeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16980072484914437668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-86727099279235267722009-03-11T08:03:00.000-04:002009-03-11T08:03:00.000-04:00Not Afraid, I know what you mean. It's a very posi...Not Afraid, I know what you mean. It's a very positive symbol in both Eastern and Navajo (I think) cultures, although I think the Navajo swastika is actually bent in a different direction.<BR/><BR/>This kid was most definitely not Buddhist, though. I wish he had been. It would have been easier to deal with.Jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05768654376657640904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-58477647115327132812009-03-10T22:52:00.000-04:002009-03-10T22:52:00.000-04:00For me, one of the worst moment of my teaching car...For me, one of the worst moment of my teaching career was having to pull one of my Buddhist students from Thailand aside and explain to him why the swastika tattooed near his thumb meant in American society. For him, the original bent cross is a symbol of his faith. He had no idea who Hitler was, how that symbol had been twisted and repurposed. He was horrified that people would think he Not Afraid to Use Ithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11622378209801018927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-89744932834345494162009-03-10T15:44:00.000-04:002009-03-10T15:44:00.000-04:00This was well-written.I do feel bad for you in thi...This was well-written.<BR/><BR/>I do feel bad for you in this situation. It's a fine line between supporting freedom of speech and keeping racist language and symbols at bay in school, and it's a shame that you and other teachers have to put up with it. If he really is a smart kid, hopefully he'll eventually figure out that (a) his MIA dad is wrong and (b) racism gets you nowhere. <BR/><BR/>MaybeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-66592044728892230582009-03-10T14:56:00.000-04:002009-03-10T14:56:00.000-04:00Honestly, explaining to the kid what is wrong abou...Honestly, explaining to the kid what is wrong about it isn't going to make him obey you, but if you tell him that he's going to get his ass kicked, he may listen. It sounds like he's a bit out-numbered.<BR/><BR/>Then again, encouraging that kind of behavior isn't much better than what he's standing for I guess. This one's tough. I'm with you on the freedom of speech. It's weird how so many peopleMeaghanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11359745228163748924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3061577.post-21642228637501894232009-03-10T14:08:00.000-04:002009-03-10T14:08:00.000-04:00I have a fairly vivid memory from around 6th grade...I have a fairly vivid memory from around 6th grade of an older student wearing a denim jacket with a swastika painted on the back and something akin to Hail Hitler written under it. Similar to the kid you teach, he was fairly intelligent and almost obsessed with world history, this one thing seemed to stick with him and I'm pretty sure family views didn't help. I know he was suspended and I'm That guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07891078315318731490noreply@blogger.com