Classroom Censorship In Colorado

The suspension of Colorado high school teacher, Jay Bennish over his classroom choice of words that unfortunately compared both Bush and Hilter for their global use of military power to extend their influences was unfortunate.

However there is every indication that Bennish is a fair grader who does not hold any personal feelings against 16 year old Sean Allen, who brought a tape of the classroom lecture to a right wing radio program, but whom Bennish feels was an effective classroom voice for the opposite point of view.

Bennish may definately hold leftist viewpoints. But as long as their is an open discussion in class, and all students are respected by a teacher who does grade unfairly,then there should be no concerns about the political viewpoint of teachers or instructors.

The political right always looks for reasons to create a climate of fear and distrust of education, usually with the goal of cutting funds to education. And taking a few moments of ill-chosen words out of context from a classroom lecture and discussion is little more than a right wing lynching of free discussion in education.

A right wing former UCLA group even offers a $100 bounty for "turning in" a taped evidence of leftist professors lectures.

Teachers, professors and instructors should be judged by their ability and whether what they teach is relevant to the classroom material that is being taught. And all grading of students as well well as discussion should be fair.

But it seems an awful lot like Castro's Cuba when the political right wants tapes of examples of leftist lectures and other attempts to silence a classroom's open discussion and learning environment.