| ...in support of the "teacher" (aka the Pastor) David Paszkiewicz.
Sadly, there was no organized show of strong support for this brave young man and his family.
As I entered the auditorium I witnessed a swarm of TV crews and reporters surrounding the attorney for Paszkiewicz and asking questions (I assume they did the same of Matthew LaClair earlier, but I didn't see it)
The photo-op was well staged as there were numerous signs held by parents and kids in the background of the shot saying stuff like "save our teacher".
When the regular business was done and the public was allowed to speak on "new business" there were only three speakers who defended the Constitution of the United States the Constitution; Matthew LaClair, his father...and another gentleman who attempted to ask the Board
some sensible questions which they declined to answer on procedural and legal grounds.
All the rest of the speakers were, evidently, taking the side of David Paszkiewicz to thunderous applause.
For me the experience almost felt like I was in some kind of revival tent, not a public school board meeting.
Thanks to Kevin Canessa you can listen to the audio of the public comments here and judge for your self.
When it became clear that the meeting was winding down and that there was no one else to speak, I felt compelled to ask for permission to identify myself and say a few words.
Of course, I hadn't signed up and was refused; but thanks to whomever was the keeper of the list; I was presented with a chance to "sign in" on the spot......and proceeded to do a wee bit of ranting for about three and a half minutes.
I proclaimed myself a Christian American (Catholics are Christians, right? :-) who believed in the Bible AND the Constitution! (You'll have to listen to the audio if you care to hear the rest of my incoherent raving.;-)
Needless to say, the crowd didn't like my message.
I gotta tell ya, until you've been loudly booed and jeered by a couple of hundred angry "Christians" you haven't lived.
As I exited the school and turned the corner towards my car a small group of students (who had attended the meeting) courteously addressed me with some questions, and we engaged in a lively productive conversation for about 10 minutes; then David Paszkiewicz himself passed by and had the guts to join in (though his laywer behind him didn't seem too thrilled) for a few more minutes of impromptu debate.
Clearly Paskiewicz is an intelligent, attractive, charismatic, articulate and sincere believer. The guy is actually a PASTOR, and was referred to as such by some of the people present. (I suspect that whatever happens in this case; he's got a prosperous future ahead of him as a "preacher".)
It is also clear to me that Paskiewicz believes that the literal Word of (his) God, trumps the U.S. Constitution. He also seems to believe in corporal punishment and that a parent has the right to virtually brainwash their kids. (Click on the link below of the classroom session to hear that and so very much more.)
I'm ashamed to say that it's only in the last few hours that I listened to some the audio that Matthew LaClair recorded.
Ya really do gotta hear this stuff for yourself!
Thanks to Jim Lippard you can listen to a whole 45 minute classroom session of religious indoctrination in a public school that will knock yer socks off.
Jim's blog also has transcripts and more recordings you can check out.
It seems that the Kearny school board has been taken over by people who are tolerant of a kind of Talibanistic (albeit far more subtle and insidious) religious indoctrination in their own public school system!!!
The kicker here is that all this was blogged way back on November 20th of last year!
So, what can/should we (Is there a "we"? Who is "we"? ;-) do about this ongoing situation?......Anything?
What say you? |
