Draft: I don't heart radio. Part 1.
This is a letter I was going to send. I chose not to.
To MC, iHeart (copyright),
Welp (to quote your quip), I’ve been listening to your radio show and I have a few comments/ questions, myself. Oh yea, you said “I have some questions for teachers and I’d actually like to hear what teachers have to say about this.” Welp, I’d like to answer, M___. Curiously, now that I think about it, I did not hear from any other teachers on your show.
I volunteer.
Here’s my bio for your consideration:
I have been a history teacher for nearly 30 years in JeffCo. “Retired”, officially, but still in the biz, if ya know what I mean. You can take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl, am I right, M?
Most everybody told me not to reach out to you, but I’m notably a bit kooky, so here I am. (Sort of).
Anyway, I am loyal to NO political party, nor government agency. Some have speculated I am a Liberal. I hope not. Not many would pair me with conservatives, but they may be in for a surprise when it comes to education. A lot of former students would attest to this.
You can be the judge.
I do, however have a few issues I’d like to address with you.
Do not speak for me! You can say, “this is what I heard is in the history curriculum,” but that is way different then you saying “All history teachers are teaching about…,” blah blah blah. See the discrepancy? The failure of deductive reasoning? Never use “all.” Girl, you are just setting yourself up for an informal fallacy.
And this is in defense of students! They are not stupid. If I said half the stuff you say I said in class, I wouldn’t last a day. How dare you talk about my students as if they are sacks full of soup. Obtuse. Give em some credit, eh? Most of them are imaginably more adept than you and I. Combined.
Masks! Good on ya. I hope those liberals are mistaken about miserable mask mandates, M. Kind of a risk, though, with kids…ya know? but what the heck. What’s confusing me once again, is your logic. You don’t trust the government, under Biden, to enforce mask mandates, but you trust them when they tell you not to? Do you see the flaw here, M?
And another thing! Your incendiary and reckless rhetoric has had direct consequences on teachers and students in Douglass and neighboring counties. Do you understand imminent lawless action? Me neither. But yes, if you did not know, there are a few restrictions on freedom of speech. Communicative restrictions that have NO protection under the First Amendment include: speech that incites imminent threats or causes harm particularly with commercial speech integral to education.
Oh, but M____, M____, M____. The grand gaffe! What I will not tolerate are your historical inaccuracies. To further quote you, I am very, very “disappointed.” From the Constitution to the Kremlin (sorry, I just made that one up for alliteration), your comments on social studies are beyond bewildering. ‘Highly conflicted’, as some of your strategists implied. I’m guessing intellectual conservatives wish you were off their side. Just a hunch. Please, please let me teach you about NATO!
-Now, silly me, I don’t know a thing about international strategies for gas and oil laws, or global pipeline regulation investments, but it sounds like you do! Whew. We can teach each other.
Hey. Honestly, I’m just a shy, scared lil mouse.. But I get protective of certain ideals-like the Constitution of the United States of America; History in general, and Philosophy. It bugs me when radio personalities get it wrong.
It’s when you talk about kids, though, that push me out of my comfort zone. You’r a mom, so you get it, right? Liberals as well as conservatives are using kids like bitter parents in a nasty divorce (relatable?). Talk talk talk about me me me, but not listening to kids. And then to add further insult to injury, adults turn around and blame the kids for “their failures.”
You and I might even be friends! Who knows. Like, you are the cool girl from school and I am her nerdy older adversary. It’s just so weird it just might work. Your wine Podcast sounds hilarious, and you do sound kinda fun, M!
I’d love to chat with you. Let’s set up a meeting, K?
My email is hotplate7@yahoo.com Seriously, that is my legit email. I used to be pro- death penalty. It’s a reference. More extra credit? Ya know, like good guy bad guy simplicity? Anyway…
Call me. We can just have coffee and chat, no big whoop.
Here is my lame blog: inewson.org (Yours is Way Cooler!)
Sincerely,
~I.Newson (hey, like, iHeart! Catchy.)
More to come…