Truth Simply Put
Posted: August 23rd, 2009, 11:20 pm
From a teacher in the Nashville, TN area:
The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade this past year.
The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest.
I decided we would have an election for a class president.
We would choose our nominees.
They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.
To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members.
We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have.
We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.
The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids.
The day arrived when they were to make their speeches.
Jamie went first.
He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place.
He ended by promising to do his very best.
Everyone applauded and he sat down.
Now it was Olivia's turn to speak.
Her speech was concise.
She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream."
She sat down.
The class went wild. "Yes! Yes! We want ice cream."
She surely would say more.
She did not have to. A discussion followed.
How did she plan to pay for the ice cream?
She wouldn't say...
Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it.
She said that the details would be worked out later.
The class really didn't care.
All they were thinking about was ice cream.
Jamie was forgotten.
Olivia won by a landslide.
Every time Barack Obama opened his mouth during his campaign he offered ice cream.
52 percent of the people reacted like nine year olds.
They wanted ice cream.
As for the other 48 percent...
They knew the truth.
Ice cream never comes free.
They understood ice cream requires feeding the cow and cleaning up the crap.
The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade this past year.
The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest.
I decided we would have an election for a class president.
We would choose our nominees.
They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.
To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class members.
We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students should have.
We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.
The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids.
The day arrived when they were to make their speeches.
Jamie went first.
He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place.
He ended by promising to do his very best.
Everyone applauded and he sat down.
Now it was Olivia's turn to speak.
Her speech was concise.
She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream."
She sat down.
The class went wild. "Yes! Yes! We want ice cream."
She surely would say more.
She did not have to. A discussion followed.
How did she plan to pay for the ice cream?
She wouldn't say...
Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it.
She said that the details would be worked out later.
The class really didn't care.
All they were thinking about was ice cream.
Jamie was forgotten.
Olivia won by a landslide.
Every time Barack Obama opened his mouth during his campaign he offered ice cream.
52 percent of the people reacted like nine year olds.
They wanted ice cream.
As for the other 48 percent...
They knew the truth.
Ice cream never comes free.
They understood ice cream requires feeding the cow and cleaning up the crap.
