BCTF and Remembrance Day

[Urbane]

Tom Fletcher, on Twitter, posts the BCTF Remembrance Day program. Here's an overview:

With Remembrance Day a major focus, November is an excellent month to highlight peace and global education in your classroom. Canada’s image as a world leader in peace keeping has deteriorated over the past several decades. We have become the second biggest arms dealer in the Middle East and the sixth biggest arms-exporting nation in the world. Canada’s role in resource extraction has also been associated with infringements on global peace and security. For example, many people protesting the environmental effects of mining by Canadian companies overseas have been threatened, attacked, killed, or disappeared. These developments mean that teachers have a bigger role than ever to play in supporting the coming generations in developing knowledge, critical thinking skills,and values that allow them to question Canada’s role on the world stage and contribute to a more peaceful world. If you are interested in taking on the role of educator for peace, we invite you to look at the resources featured in this issue of Seeds of Social Justice.

http://www.vinta-bctf.ca/wordpress/wp-c ... r-2016.pdf

Fletcher goes on to ask if Canada really is the second biggest arms dealer in the Middle East. It may well be because of the current sales to Saudi Arabia. And he asks, "Should you wear a white poppy?" He also asks if this is what you want your kids taught for Remembrance Day. Click on the link to read more.

What do you think?

[Gone_Fishin]

The BCTF has reached a new low.

[Lady tehMa]

I think our military and their sacrifices should be treated with respect by the teachers. I also think they have no business telling kids what they can and can't do for a career.

Reminds me of my kindergarten teacher who wouldn't let me play "house". She told me I had to choose a career and that wanting to be a mom was foolish.

[Urbane]

Tom Fletcher adds this today on Twitter:

Tom Fletcher ‏@tomfletcherbc 3h3 hours ago

One sale of armoured vehicles (not weapons) spurs latest #bced propaganda targeting kids @acrosscanada #statistics

Remembrance Day is for honouring our veterans and not for promoting a political agenda with students.

[maryjane48]

i don't see the problem , since when is selling weapons to anywhere a good thing? it was for veterans week not day , there wasn't a mention of any political party so i say mr fletcher is a idiot

[occasional thoughts]

Remembrance Day is a political agenda, albeit one that most people of all political stripes concur with and mark, in their minds if not by attending a service. The simple fact is that it honours people who were part of the world's war system. However, most of those involved did so involuntarily due to the nature of our culture and draft laws. And many of those are of working and lower classes, not inclined or adept at war avoidance like offspring of our rich and famous successfully accomplish.

The trouble with anti-war sentiments and movements is you need two sides to avoid war. No point or logic in being anti-war if both sides aren't playing the same game. Put a warlike country at war with an anti-war nation and guess who loses.

[Urbane]

‏@ShelbyThom980

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to serve your country" says Royal Canadian Legion spokesperson on BCTF anti-military recruitment poster

Two comments re her tweet:

Polly Ticks ‏@PTicks 2h2 hours ago

@ShelbyThom980 incredibly ignorant from the bctf and their so called social justice wing, bctf most militant union when it comes to own
0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
Polly Ticks ‏@PTicks 2h2 hours ago

@ShelbyThom980 the arrogance in their poster was shocking.

From my own personal experience I know that most teachers believe that Remembrance Day is a time to honour our veterans and not a time to put forth a political agenda. Here's one of the quotes from the BCTF program: "Raise awareness among teachers that military recruiting is a social justice issue." Most of us realize that sometimes military intervention is a necessity and I think that most of us agree that it should be a last resort. But military recruiting a social justice issue? Really?

[George+]

Millitary recruiting should not happen in high schools...way too young.

Billions spent on armaments...could have fed all of Syria and kept them there.

Remembrance school assemblies should be Peace assemblies and not a glorification of war.

Two elementary assemblies I went to showed videos of full out killing, guns, shooting to...
kindergarten students. Sad.

[rustled]

...
Remembrance school assemblies should be Peace assemblies and not a glorification of war.

Two elementary assemblies I went to showed videos of full out killing, guns, shooting to...
kindergarten students. Sad.

While I can accept that being respectful of veterans can be completely misconstrued by those who choose to do so, I find it truly difficult to imagine how videos of people being killed could, in anyone's mind, in any way, equate to "a glorification of war".

[Urbane]

Because of the outcry, even from many teachers, the BCTF has pulled the poster from its website and is reviewing its contents. Excerpts:

Veterans, military members, and even some teachers are expressing outrage at a B.C. Teachers’ Federation poster discouraging military recruitment.

Former B.C. teacher Zoe Baker, who has launched an online petition opposing the posters, says she was particularly disturbed by the direction to encourage politicians to “resist military contracts.”

“Is it our job as teachers to disrupt the military? I don’t think so, I think that we are both working in different capacities to support a better world. I know many people in the military and they are not looking for anything but a better world,” she said.

Full article: http://www.cknw.com/2016/11/14/teachers ... raws-fire/

[George+]

Anything by Ezra Levant is guaranteed ignored by 90% of Canafa.

Nobody is disrupting the Canadia military. High school recruiting should not happen.

And Remembrance Day school ceremonies should have a strong Peace emphasis.

Showing the brutalities of war to young children is totally inappropriate.

[George+]

I guess, Rustled, you should have been there to see two little
grade one boys, shooting each other, as in the video, and
thinking it was funny.

[Leifer]

Because of the outcry, even from many teachers, the BCTF has pulled the poster from its website and is reviewing its contents. Excerpts:

At least the BCTF recognizes that the poster is inappropriate and somewhat offensive.
Many people who choose to serve, do it hoping they can help the country and the world become a better place.

[rustled]

I guess, Rustled, you should have been there to see two little
grade one boys, shooting each other, as in the video, and
thinking it was funny.

And that's how you came to the conclusion the adults present were engaged in the "glorification" of war?

Our expectations around what respectful behaviour looks like during these services were once even more strict than during regular assemblies. At one time it was part of my job to escort children not sitting quietly and respectfully out of the gym, and then use it as a teachable moment about what respect looks like. We knew which children were most likely to forget how to be respectful, and seated them accordingly. We didn't see their possible misbehaviour as a reason to exclude them from the service.

I wouldn't take your word on whether or not the staff responded appropriately when these two little boys were misbehaving, and since that sort of thing is what's behind your complaint, it's best I leave you to it.

[Rwede]

I guess, Rustled, you should have been there to see two little
grade one boys, shooting each other, as in the video, and
thinking it was funny.

Sounds like a massive failure by the teacher to control his/her classroom.