As I mentioned yesterday, I go to great lengths to be non-partisan in my discussion of elections. Indeed, my students didn’t know who I voted for until Wednesday, so concerned was I with there being even an inference of politicizing my classroom – and fully 1/3 of them believed I was voting for Obama while another 1/3 weren’t sure where my loyalties lay. So when I see something like this video of the class of Fayetteville, NC teacher Diantha Harris, I become absolutely livid.

Partial transcript: Harris:We want to talk about the presidential election. I want to ask you, who are you pulling for? Raise your hand.

Student: Obama.

Harris: You pullin for Obama. Who you pullin for?

Student: Obama.

Harris:Any of you pullin for John McCain? That’s fine, say him as well.

Student: Obama.

Student: Obama.

[Cathy, the daughter of an American soldier answers McCain.]

Harris:John, oh lord, John McCain.
Oh Jesus, John McCain.
Ok, now I wanna axe you somethin.
Why are you pullin for John McCain? It’s ok, but why are you pullin for John McCain?

Cathy: I thinks it’s because my parents are going for him too.

Harris: Ok, your parents are going for him. Why are you pullin for Ba-RACK. Barack.

Student: I just want a black president sometimes.

Harris: Ok, you want a black president.

Student: The reason why I want Barack Obama is because he’s making good changes in the good country and stuff like that.

Harris: So, he’s making good changes for our country. Now can you tell me just a little bit more, like what type of changes?
Like not having big fights between Iraq and having soldiers killed.
So in other words, Barack is going to end that war in Iraq. What do you all know about that war in Iraq?

[Harris addresses Cathy] Talk, cause yo daddy in the military. Talk. It’s a senseless war! And by the way, Cathy, the person that you’re picking for president said that our troops could stay in Iraq for another hundred years if they need to!

[Camera pans to Cathy, in near tears.]

Harris: So that means that your daddy could stay in the military for another hundred years!

My heart absolutely ached watching that video. First, it is positively immoral to do such a thing to a child. Secondly, I was a victim of such abuse more than once as the child of a naval officer during and after the Vietnam War (in particular, I’ll never forget my psychology teacher telling me during class that my father was a war criminal for having fought in Vietnam) and I know just how deep such wounds go. That this unprofessional scoundrel was willing do this to a child on camera is evidence of just how evil she is in the classroom when the cameras are not there.

Now there are those who want to see this despicable bitch fired from her job and her certification revoked. I suppose I would have to agree, though I do not think the punishment fits the crime. Diantha Harris really deserves something much more severe, given that she is morally no different than teachers who sexually abuse their students.

Express your opinion to the members of the school board where Diantha Harris teaches.

KimberlyPFisher@aol.com,

GregWest@nc.rr.com,

MacWilliams@nc.rr.com,

hfarrior@nc.rr.com,

DLaHuffman@nc.rr.com,

fkbarragan@nc.rr.com,

Royalme@nc.rr.com,

MackyH@nc.rr.com,

LolaW@ccs.k12.nc.us,

MicheleCain@ccs.k12.nc.us

Here’s what the superintendent has to say. It will be interesting to see what is deemed “appropriate action”. We want more than “just words, just speeches.”