UPDATE: Please check the end of the article for an update on this situation.
Back to school sure isn’t the same as it used to be.
When I was a kid, our only concerns were whether or not our clothes would be cool enough to meet the other kids’ approval or if we would have someone to sit with during lunch.
But now students have a whole new batch of problems. Will their jewelry set off the metal detectors as they enter the school? Will they have to crouch behind a desk in fear as a gunman shoots up the place? In the case of Chicago, will they be shot as they cross gangland borders on their walk to school? Will they be terrorized during an unannounced “live shooter drill” as was the case in Rossford, Ohio? Will they be ensconced for the day in a prison-like setting, with grates on the windows and heavy steel doors?
We have recently moved, and my 13 year old daughter attends a very small charter school with a partial homeschool program. The curriculum focuses on independent studies and science, and a large percentage of her work is done at home under my supervision. Critical thinking and personal responsibility make up the cornerstone philosophies of the school. We were very excited about this educational opportunity for her.
A couple of days ago, I read this headline by Heather Callaghan from Activist Post to my daughter:
School Pressured to Stop Making Kids Kneel Before the Principal
Imagine my shock when she told me, “We have to do that. It makes me feel weird.”
I quizzed her further. Apparently, each time the teacher blows the whistle at the end of recess, the students are all supposed to face that teacher and kneel on the ground. She told me that the first time it happened, the other kids were whispering to her, “Get down, Rosie, you have to kneel.”
Being the new kid, she did what the other kids did, but it didn’t feel right to her.
I asked her how it made her feel.
“Like I’m worthless. Like the teachers are better than me. I feel sort of embarrassed inside, but I didn’t say anything because it doesn’t seem to bother the other kids.”
The official response from the schools in San Bernadino, California was that the policy was there to maintain order and keep the children safe – they called it “positive behavior intervention.” Because of parental outrage, they have done away with this policy.
How do you create a victim?
How do you create a victim? By teaching a person that things that make them uncomfortable must be done anyway. By teaching them to silence that inner voice that tells them something is wrong. By teaching them that they must submit to someone else’s control, regardless of how it makes them feel.
I told my daughter that she never has to do this again. I said to stand politely or line up, but never should she do something that makes her feel degraded. I’ve written a letter to the school board, the principal, and her teachers explaining to them that my daughter will not be participating in this policy.
I moved back to the United States with my daughter because I was seeking the liberty and freedom that I grew up with. Imagine my shock when Rosie told me that they are required to kneel when the whistle is blown at the end of recess. Moving to America, the country that is the symbol for freedom worldwide, I was astonished that children are being taught to display such subservience to authority figures. This, however unintentionally, sets them up to be victims and teaches them that they are lesser than other people.
I have discussed this at length with my daughter. While I am sure that the intention is not to be demeaning or belittling, in our opinion, it is. So, Rosie has been instructed to stand quietly and respectfully instead of kneeling. It is not a practice that, in good conscience, I can allow my child to participate in. I opted for a school that would teach her to think critically – with that in mind, I must respect her right to refuse to participate in something that makes her feel degraded.
Historically, in monarchies, subjects kneel to show their subservience to someone of a higher status – a king, nobleman, emperor, or tsar. In feudal times, peasants and serfs bowed to the lords of the estates. Kneeling is a disciplinary measure in prisons and detainment facilities. This method was used in concentration camps during World War II to subdue prisoners.
These examples all have one thing in common – genuflection has always been a display that meant one person was acknowledging the superiority of another. In many religions, a supplicant voluntarily kneels to show reverence to God. Subjects, prisoners, and slaves bow down to authority figures. A free man, woman, or child should never be compelled to display submission in this manner.
When children are exposed to this type of ritual at an early age, it programs them to find subservience acceptable. It shuts off that little mechanism in their developing awareness that says, “This makes me feel bad.” It teaches them that this is normal and appropriate.
Bowing down to another person should never be normal or appropriate in the United States of America.
Will my child continue her education at this school? Yes, at least for now. I want to teach her to do the right thing, and I believe the right thing is to resist when we see tyranny encroaching into our daily lives. By refusing to accept this as normal, we are by our actions deeming it loudly and clearly “unacceptable.” By simply walking away, our silence would allow this to continue happening to other children.
UPDATE:
I’m delighted to follow up on this morning’s article.
I received an email in reply from the principal at my daughter’s school. He stated that after reading my strong feelings about the matter, he can assure me the practice will no longer be continued at the school.
Positive activism works.
Well, bowing down to another person should never be normal or appropriate in any country whatsoever…
what … no ‘Hat Tip’ . ;0P
zog amerikan prisoners in jails prisons and black american slaves on slave plantations are/ were required to do the same thing to their masters and overseers .
tyranny is not new in ZOG AMERIKA .
welcome to the NWO ZOG AMERIKA .
;0p
Dont play the race card. We are all slaves. dont bring that crap in here, unless you want me, to write the truth. We have not had slavery in our country for many yeays. zog hu? lol ok, but get ur facts right
Kimo,
Just ignore the trolls,,,
Nina is wacked,
Rootz
Get um Kula, mahalos, lol, gotts stay akamai, hard ta do. lol. Much also from across the channel, from where you are, im 8 miles east of kahana, across the channel. So, was up brada? Ty, seems soo many are lolol, me is stay trying to stay sane, lol. Aloha from the friendly island
Sexual predation. This is a forced act of submission AND an acknowledged cultural sexual thing. Bring charges.
Holy Cow Daisy, that is just stinking bizarre!
Reading this article takes me back a couple of years when my daughter was on the local high school dance team. The coach would make the girls stand in either a line or a circle and yell at them until they cried. This happened frequently. My daughter never cried and the coach and her teammates were always angry at her for her refusal and she was basically an outcast. She stuck to her principles, coach and team be damned.
Congratulations, Ms. Daisy! More parents should feel as you do; take back and demand the dignity that is due every human whether they be child, adult, or senior citizen. Good for YOU; you’re daughter is lucky to have such a concerned mother. We need more like you.
WE DO, by the millions, the media, propaganda, keeps that fact from many, we are millions. And the ps ops, have done one hell of a good job, we have an enemy, behind ALL this, the stakes are high, your very lives depend that you follow the constitution, and stand firm.
Daisy, as you know, I’m a teacher. Even without this blatant display of collectivism and control, public schools are nothing more than habit training centers. Kids are trained in the habit of never questioning authority, forced association, and that learning can only happen in schools. Those that are individuals and have independent thought won’t last long before being labeled an drugged.
The public school system is not failing. It’s doing exactly what it was created to do. And the system is very successful at it.
Schooling vs education are on opposite ends of the spectrum.
Thanks for sharing your story. Stay strong. You’re raising your child right!
Yep Tod, we must have disipline and instill civility, but there is a difference, as for most of us, we will not bow, nor will our kids
I take pride in reminding the staff where my boy goes to school that they, when on duty, are public servants and work for me and my family.
I teach my boy to always be respectful but to never be intimidated into doing things he thinks are not right. He has no problem recognizing public servants and reminding them that they work for him.
NEVER BOW…. NEVER. FIGHT..WE ARE AMERICANS..WE DONT BOW
AND TO THAT COCKROACH TEACHER IN CALI, FU..
NEVER GIVE IN, NEVER GIVE UP..
Daisy:
You go girl !!!!
Maybe make a statement and be at Rosie’s school, so after recess you can politely stand with her. I and the missus will drive up and stand with you. Educating the other parents in the neighborhood, and at the next PTA meeting might help shut down this type of BS.
Your Friend….BA.
I wonder if the Principal makes them kneel while he proclaims, “HARKEN TO MY VOICE AND TREMBLE!”
Seriously, making school children kneel before their teachers? Sick. I am sadly surprised that no one spoke up and said, “This is wrong!” before the policy was implemented. What’s next? A sign over the schoolhouse door: “Arbeit macht frei”?
Any person that still believes that America is the freest nation on Earth has never been to another country or is so indoctrinated that rational, critical thinking is simply not possible any longer. Kneeling to your master is dehumanizing in so many ways it’s not funny. If I learned that this is happening to my grandchildren in their schools, I will certainly not be as polite about this tyranny unfolding. Next thing you’ll see is your children bowing or kneeling to Santa Claus in your local mall. Whatever happened to freedom in this country? Will it ever return?
America is getting weirder all the time. We are starting to look more like the days of 1930s-1940s. But we are sheep. We won’t wake-up until its too late.
Whats this we shit?
Speak for yourself if you want to be considered a sheep,
There are a few of us who are disconnecting every way we can.
Kula.
I started the sentence with America and then used the ‘We’ word in reference to Americans as a collective whole, not to the few preppers such as yourself, Ugly, and others.
In your own words you stated, ‘…there are a few of us who are disconnecting every way we can’
Now a few isn’t very many is it. Thus you support my claim about the ‘We’s’ in America. We The People had better get our act together. The day is coming.
Ugly, many do not understamd, the fierce pride we have in Hawaii. respectfully, we are thpose who broke away, from it all. We are the rebels, the ones who dont fit, the thinkers, the artists, the ones who cannot tolerate unjust laws. We are like you, and all you who wish freedom, and we are sadly misinderstood. Here, we are a nation of wolfs, in that i dont mean bad people, i mean people who do not truth ANYTHING they say, Hawaii, keeps those who it likes, spits out those who it deems unworthy. All true. Its called instant karma here. We are of the freeest, as we run our own lives, and we disiplinge each other. Here, where i am, we NEVER call the police, on our neibor, that is a sin here. We work it out. Yes, there are stupid people all over the world. We came to find paradise, and found freedom. But its going here too. All I know, is you young, need to make SURE you keep your rights as “human beings” , like the Indians, we strive to be spiritual people, its hard, living in a world where all is takemn by force. actually, I came back to post a warning to all. looks like we are definatally gonna hit syria, be VERY aware the next feww weeks. If ya see the shy light up, ya know what happenned. It will all be gone. YES its that serious, they are playing woith fire,. but NO NATION can stand against the formed coalition of many nations, and this could be the big one, i hope not. be safe all, much aloha and love
Kimo.
Thanks for the words. Aloha as well. From a fellow American in Idaho, I send cheers and a cyber-hug to you in Hawaii. Keep prepping and always follow the truth. thanks.
Ugly
And people wonder why I HOMESCHOOL!!! Hello?
Well, at least they are not making kids do the Nazi salute to Old Glory anymore.
http://rexcurry.net/pledge2.html
No, no Nazi salute anymore…We just bow to the Emperor.
The main problem in schools is that teachers are only able to teach what the administrators (all the way up to the US Department of Education) permit them to teach. On top of that, many kids today have absolutely no discipline. They know that the staff can not actually DO anything to them for fear of child welfare becoming involved, or their parents suing the school, etc.
WE need to teach our kids self-discipline, respect, courage, honesty, patriotism (that means toward the country, NOT necessarily the government), courtesy, kindness, etc. Kids aren’t going to learn that sort of thing in school.
WE have to show our kids what is right and what is wrong. Good grief, when I was a kid, if I misbehaved in school, and the teacher called to let my mother know, or sent a note home, I’d never hear the end of it! Not only would I not hear the end of it, I probably wouldn’t be able to sit comfortably for awhile either.
We learned the proper way to treat others. We learned that there were consequences for our actions, both good and bad. As parents, we need to teach our kids! You CAN discipline your kids and still show them that they are loved and worthwhile, but it’s not always easy, and it IS hard work. But the benefits of knowing you’ve raised a respectful, decent, hard working, citizen is the best pay in the world. To know that your child will be able to take care of business, put food on their table and a roof over their heads is worth all the hard work, heart ache, long nights, and everything that’s involved with raising a child.
Just because you get a girl pregnant or you give birth, doesn’t mean you’re a parent. Parents take the time, and do the hard work to raise their child the right way. It all begins with US.
Julie, please tell me the difference between right and wrong when you are bombing innocent women and children throughout the world, causing birth defects in a whole generation of children with DU and enriched uranium and allowing bankers to be bailed and walk free out while millions lose their homes and their pensions.
I appreciate you have done your best but please try and look at the devastation America is causing everywhere. Perhaps start with turning off the tv and find out what is really happening in the world with your tax dollars.
Love
Angel,
The government no longer represents the overwhelming majority of US citizens, most of us in no way support the things that are happening, it is infortunate, TPTB will get us all killed or worse!
God save us!
Our daughter consistently scores highest in the US on all subjects and aptitude tests, yet she comes from a home where there is little emphasis on grades or competition. How is this possible? First, we have no TV, period. This surplus of free time means she reads 60 books a year and discusses what she reads, learns, and thinks with us. She has become a “natural born” leader in her school, and is well-liked and compassionate. She is equally comfortable interacting with kids or adults. None of this is due to luck or even good breeding (well, maybe a little of the latter), but because our family’s educational approach is the opposite of that of the public school system. She has excelled in spite of school, not because of it. And as far as bowing, she only does that to the audience at the end of whichever play she’s in.
Daisy!
Your principal also knows you are a blogger and people are waking up, so when your article has millions of hits on the combined venues you are making waves, these petty tyrants in no way shape or form want publicity,
Be aware though that this may not be over, remain vigilant D and network.
TR
Holy Cow! This article actually made me physically sick! WHAT is going on in the Government Schools??!!?? I went to school in LAUSD territory-no teacher would have even considered telling students to kneel in front of them. Have these idiot “administrators” been watching too much PBS? I truly have fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice. And I am not liking the whole experience.
“By simply walking away, our silence would allow this to continue happening to other children.”
“So, Rosie has been instructed to stand quietly and respectfully instead of kneeling.”
So, you instructed Rosie to stand silently as others are degraded in front of her?
I realize that the kneeling and genuflection was stopped, but shouldn’t someone go to an administrator and complain, file some type of federal complaint, and attend school board meetings? I would say they’re treating kids like inmates and pow’s instead of slaves.
http://www.mountaingks.org/vol1wklysermon/kneebow.html
(Not an endorsement. Offered for consideration, only.)
“If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”
— from Rev 14