I can remember almost to the day when I became aware that I had an overwhelming interest in politics and world events. It was the first day of school in the eighth grade. My teacher that year was the first of two unforgettable buzz cut former marines that I would have for civics and history class teachers.
From the very beginning of that first civics class it was impressed upon me the uniqueness of our political system and the important role that radicals had in our nations history. In this class every aspect of our creation was detailed from a variety of perspectives. Those perspectives included the good AND the bad. As important as the over all historical information was I now feel even more strongly that the way my teacher conducted the class had an even greater impact on me as an adult.
It was clear to me that he was a former marine who had served proudly and was a patriot and had great faith in his nation. It was just as clear to me that he felt that in his teaching it was necessary for any and all points of view to be aired, and considered in a thoughtful and analytical way.
Beyond the necessary class room decorum for 14 years olds there were few other boundaries for all of our opinions on historic or contemporary current events and politics. The subject of the day was covered in detail, thrown open for discussion and a free wheeling debate took place.
The real appreciation I have for him now was that he could easily adapt his point of view to be in complete contrast to what we as a class were thinking. When he sensed that we were like a little group of intellectual honey bees swarming around one line of thinking he would adapt and throw into the mix something completely contradictory to what we had smugly adopted as correct.
Frequently these interjections were not what one would expect from a ram rod straight super patriotic "hoorah" marine. They were often radical and outrageous affronts to us suburban middle class white kids. The more we would protest and attack his preposterous positions the more he would aggravate us with minority opinion or hard left or right doctrine. The hallmark of his teachings was that nothing was a sacred cow, no dogma was above inspection and no country or institution was exempt from criticism.
I am thinking of him this week and appreciating him even more because of the controversy involving a geography and history teacher by the name of Jay Bennish. One of his students had taped a lecture given by Mr. Bennish and it is now circulating through out the net. Some people are taking umbrage at the content and style of Mr. Bennish. The transcript of this tape can be read here http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004689.htm
Taken as one example of a class, perhaps it might be considered indoctrination by a left wing radical. However, when I both heard and read the text of these comments I was instantly transported back 40 years ago to a young marine standing in front of a group of 30 eighth graders saying almost the exact same types of things.
I look back at the time not as a period of indoctrination but more so as the exact time in my life when I began to acquire and to hone my critical and strategic thinking skills. It sounds to me as though Mr. Bennish was trying to do the same things with his students.
