Thursday, October 29, 2009

Let Us Never Forget...!


I don't know if this is a true story as I cannot find anything, good or bad, on Snopes!

However, if it's NOT true...it should be. Either way, it's a very good lesson and should be taught in a similar fashion in every classroom everywhere! That's my opinion, anyway!

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms. Cothren, where's our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk-less classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the
first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'


None of us should ever forget...and we should take the responsibility to make sure that our children and grand children never be allowed to forget either!

Don't count on the schools, don't count on the history books, don't count on the media...don't count on ANYTHING or ANYONE but yourself to pass on the truth!

Look...we all know that "Freedom is NOT free!' We all understand that! We believe that! We support that with our hearts, our actions, and our minds! We, as Preppers, as PATRIOTS...must be sure that we pass this single, most important lesson on to each and every one of those that we are responsible for! Remember, if we don't learn from history then we are bound to repeat it!

Now, my friends, let's get some coffee and sit outside for a bit, OK?

15 comments:

Off Grid Survival said...

Great story, I heard this a couple years ago, I'm pretty sure it actually happen. It's to bad there are not more teachers like this in our public schools

HermitJim said...

Hey OGT...
I couldn't agree with you more, my friend!

We never ca be reminded enough of the cost of freedom!

Thanks for coming by today...!

Anonymous said...

I agree with OGS too the cost is high but the payoff is worth it.

Sage said...

Brilliant... I wish the UK instilled more patrioism in schools for the UK... we don't have the oath of allegience, we don't even have morning prayers any more to appease the non-christians and non-believers, and morning assembly is more of a showcase than a call to spend the day in learning and doing... somewhere we have gone dreadfully wrong

Anonymous said...

As a teacher HJ, a teacher teaches, a good teacher makes the students want to learn...

AV

Anonymous said...

I know I have a lot of teachers to thank. As a youngster I was ready to quit school at 16. My shop teacher told me I did not have the guts to finish school. Another told me the Army would not take me without finishing high school. Yet another said I would be throwing my life away.

So Yes I listened to all of them.I thank them every day.

I can thank the teachers, and my Army training for what I turned out to be! God Bless both.

See Ya

Anonymous said...

Sadly, the teacher would get in trouble for doing that in today's classrooms. Traumatizing the kiddies.
YeOldFurt

Bullseye said...

Thanks for this story. I will be passing it on to my father, a Vietnam Vet, who I know will share in our joy. Great stuff my friend.

Anonymous said...

We experienced one year in HISD and I can NEVER see this scenario happening - BTW we live in Shelia Jackson Lee land. Instead my K-5 student came home bashing the war, Bush and was a John Kerry lover. Not that I love Bush, I just don't want a K5 teacher molding my little one into a liberal. Now we homeschool. I'm glad we still have this freedom.

HermitJim said...

Hey Sage...
It's the same everywhere, I'm afraid! Slowly but surly, the freedoms and the true lessons in our schools are being taken away. Prayers and such are not allowed here either!

That's why I stress the importance of taking it on ourselves to teach true history and patriotism!

thanks so much for the visit today, Sage!


Hey AV...
I couldn't agree with you more! It takes a great teacher to instill in a student the urge to learn!

I had some very good teachers in high school, that's for sure! Plus, I had my parents that stressed to me the importance of an education.

BTW, just in case no one has told you lately...you have my personal respect and my heartfelt "Thanks" for taking on the daunting, often unappreciated job of teaching! In my mind, it takes a special person to do that!

I do appreciate the visit today!


Hey Tony...
How true that is, my friend! I credit several of my teachers with talking me into staying in school as well! Plus my dad, who didn't finish high school!

Sometimes just one person can have a lasting influence on the rest of our lives...!

Thanks for coming by, brother!


Hey YOF...
You're probably right! When the PTB took prayer and discipline out of the classroom, they took away some of the best tools the teachers had!

God Bless The Teachers that have to try and dodge all the obstacles in today's world, merely to teach little Johnny to read and write properly!

One more reason to keep a close watch on everything in today's world!

Thanks for coming by, my friend!


Hey Bullseye...
Next time you talk to your Dad, would you tell him for me "Thank You and God Bless" for fighting to provide us with the freedoms we have today!

Even though I am of the same era as your Dad, I don't think we can ever say that enough to ANY vet! Plus, we need to say thanks to anyone in uniform that we see today!

It seems the very least that we can do!

Thanks for coming by today, brother!


Hey Kris...
I think that was a wise decision on your part! Better to have some control over what your children are subjected to and what they learn!

If anyone is going to mold tomorrow's leaders, it would be better if it were dome mainly from the Home, I'm thinking!

Thanks for coming by today, Kris!

Kyddryn said...

Beautiful, Mister Hermit, sir...I don't care if it's true or not.

Last night, while picking Someone up at the airport (he says "Hi", by the way), the Evil Genius and I saw a soldier debarking from the plane. We said "thank you", and the soldier smiled so sweetly. I don't think they hear it enough, and there's something about a little kid telling them "thanks" that makes it special.

Shade and Sweetwater,
K

HermitJim said...

Hey K...
That's such a beautiful thing that you and the E.G. did for that soldier! You can tell the little one for me that HermitJim is very proud of him and, of course, you too!

If only more people would do that, what a difference it would make in that soldier's life!

Tell ol' Whats-his-name "hi" for me, OK?

Thanks for coming by!

TEAM HALL said...

Wow!!! Can we get that teacher cloned??? While we wait...I'll continue to homeschool...
Thanks for the wonderful story, Jim.

HermitJim said...

Hey Cath...
I don't thik that would be allowed, just because she teaches "common sense" and truth! Now days, that's not allowed in the classroom!

Home schooling is the way to go, I'm thinking...!

Hey, thanks for coming by today, my Canadian friend!

Jess (Ozark Momma) said...

Thanks HJ for that...would NEVER ever happen here in the public system...will happen here in the home system (how can it not when Daddy is a soldier).