Well, at least when Scholar Ayers throws out commencement advice, he doesn’t quote Dr. Seuss. That would be too banal.
The conclusion:
So in this election year, and in the years to come: VOTE LOVE!
For all kinds of people in all kinds of circumstances.
Embrace a new world in the making, and dare to taste it with a kiss.
Just Vote Love!
Ahh, love. Sweet, true love.
Hopefully these kiddos won’t take “love” to mean bringing a bomb filled with nails on a first date with that special someone. At the risk of nitpicking, I do sense a bit of omission here - Bill neglects to inform these budding scholars, these new adults at the end of one road and the beginning of another, that shrapnel ruins even the most romantic first kiss.
But love, love… who can argue with love?
Indeed, I’m going to tell that special lady in my life that she’s loved as feet love the flag. Wish me luck.
Thanks, Bill! Love ya!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Michelle (The Beartwinsmom) 06.16.08 at 9:38 pm
That picture just ticks me off. If that’s love, then I don’t know what love is.
Sigh.
Matthew K. Tabor 06.16.08 at 9:46 pm
Well, when we figure out what love really is, I guess we can vote for it!
Michelle (The Beartwinsmom) 06.16.08 at 10:31 pm
(snort)
Please don’t tell me this is going to be another throwback to the 60′s “Make Love Not War” to protest the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Oh, how the pendulum swings…
Matthew K. Tabor 06.16.08 at 11:27 pm
I’d say Ayers is a jackass, but that would violate protocol… or something.
Michelle (The Beartwinsmom) 06.17.08 at 10:04 am
ROFL…. good point. :-) Someone needs to say it to his face. He calls himself an educator and he stands on the flag? Gag.
Matthew K. Tabor 06.17.08 at 2:15 pm
His education stances and his politics are two separate issues for me, though he mixes them more than I’d like. The real problem is that he sucks at both of them.
Michelle (The Beartwinsmom) 06.17.08 at 3:13 pm
Sadly, I know of many teachers who do that- mix politics with teaching. One year when I was teaching in Houston, my department chair was wearing a “Clinton/Gore” button on her person EVERY DAY until election day. I was more than peeved, not just because she was blatantly advertising (also pushing) her political beliefs on her students, but she made some of her colleagues feel very defensive.
I wanted to post a “Free Willy” poster in my classroom that election year, but I thought that I’d be written up for it. ;-)
Julia 06.17.08 at 7:04 pm
An educator can certainly stand on a flag if he chooses: it’s a Constitutionally protected right. But it can’t be spun as anything but a very aggressive political statement. A daisy in a barrel it certainly isn’t. For Ayers to then preach peace, love and understanding is..well, let’s put it kindly and call it inconsistent.
Matthew K. Tabor 06.17.08 at 7:10 pm
Julia,
The Ayers mantra is to preach peace, love and understanding - and then to stomp on anyone/anything that doesn’t subscribe to the same peace, love and understanding.
The real question I have for Bill is: When you kiss the world, do you slip a little tongue?
Michelle (The Beartwinsmom) 06.17.08 at 9:44 pm
Julia- I agree with you on the point that it is a Constitutionally protected right. However, I think we need to teach our kids how to respect our country, and that starts with respecting the flag. Period.
Just my humble opinion.
Matthew K. Tabor 06.17.08 at 9:53 pm
Michelle,
You know, though… sometimes guys like Ayers give us all an absolutely wonderful example of what not to do. I wish that these anti-examples didn’t exist, but I’ll make lemons out of lemonade.
So, stomp away, Bill, as you always have - I can re-frame the debate, too.
Michelle (The Beartwinsmom) 06.18.08 at 9:58 am
Matthew- Good point. I forgot about the “making an example out of _____” lesson. ;-)
Michael 06.23.08 at 8:49 am
Julia- I agree with you on the point that it is a Constitutionally protected right. However, I think we need to teach our kids how to respect our country, and that starts with respecting the flag. Period.
Just my humble opinion.
So long as you respect what the flag stands for, which includes the right to burn it in protest. Otherwise you’re guilty of idolatry.
Frank from Long Island 10.08.08 at 12:24 am
I wish Ayer’s own bomb would have exploded in his face rather that his girlfriend’s in the 1960s. When we, in Amercia, still promote the careers of criminals like this (worse even than OJ Simpson), it makes me want to scream. Ayers was a self-proclaimed terrorist and now this picture proves that he is laughing in our faces (what is the point of this stupid picture anyway??? - other than a cheap way to get ratings) And to think that this idiot is “teaching” (corrupting) the youth of our country. For shame!