Right to a desk

[eclark53520]

The Classroom..... A lesson that should be taught in all schools . . and colleges

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten. On the first day
of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior..'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk.
The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand along side the wall.
By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story. And yes, snopes checks out true.

[slickpitt]

Wow... that's pretty cool!

[Rockford35]

Your taxes paid for those desks, so ultimately, her intentions just were a soap box.

Yay for her.

R35

[eclark53520]

Your taxes paid for those desks, so ultimately, her intentions just were a soap box.

Yay for her.

R35

See, here is the problem. Kids these days(most of them anyway) have very little respect for our soldiers because all they hear growing up is that war is bad and that this war should not even be happening. Their personal belief's about the war i could care less about, but these men and women that fight and die for everyones rights(that live in the USA) deserve our respect and our gratitude.

If this is a way to shock children into realizing that their reality would be much different without those men and women that sacrificed their lives for this country than i think its a great thing.

Main problem with this country today, the people that put the least into it, feel they are entitled to the most.

[Rockford35]

The trouble is that the war we see today is not the same as the war of 70 years ago.

No comparison.

R35

[JEFF4i]

I agree, but I also feel to a point...

We should never forget that the most important individual in our society is the citizen. Not only most important, but most fundamental.

Still, a good story.

[eclark53520]

The trouble is that the war we see today is not the same as the war of 70 years ago.

No comparison.

R35

You fail to see my point. Its not about the war.

Its about these kids expect to have all these freedoms laid at their feet whilst sitting on their lazy asses and telling the men and women of our military that all their hard work is fruitless.

It's like me going to a shelter, taking advantage of free food, and shelter provided out of the goodness of people's hearts and then having the audacity to degrade what they do by complaining that the bed isn't soft enough, the food isn't good enough, and that they are doing a terrible job.

[mddubya]

Great story Clark, and you're right. People, not just kids, expect the rights and freedoms they have always known. Its not just Americans either, there are a few other countries that shall remain nameless, , that seem to have forgotten over the years what thousands of American young men and women have fought and died for.


Whether you agree with this particular war or not is irrelevant, not many agreed with the Vietnam War either, but I doubt many could honestly say that it, and the Cold War, didn't help bring about the downfall of Communism. And I imagine history will shine a different light on this war also.

[Clugnut]

Whether you agree with this particular war or not is irrelevant, not many agreed with the Vietnam War either, but I doubt many could honestly say that it, and the Cold War, didn't help bring about the downfall of Communism. And I imagine history will shine a different light on this war also.

Communism is only in hibernation, Dub. The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance.....

[Rockford35]

Its not just Americans either, there are a few other countries that shall remain nameless, , that seem to have forgotten over the years what thousands of American young men and women have fought and died for.

I fail to see how the hundreds of thousands of Canadians, Brits and others that have died in these same wars are so easily forgotten.

For all your remembrance, it's a little self serving, gents.

R35

[Clugnut]

I fail to see how the hundreds of thousands of Canadians, Brits and others that have died in these same wars are so easily forgotten.

For all your remembrance, it's a little self serving, gents.

R35

I think maybe if the story had taken place in another country, the point would have been to honor the vets from that country. I'm not sure why Americans honoring Americans is self serving, but to each his own. It is certainly not my intentions to denigrate the sacrifices of other in the cause of freedom, yet as an American I will honor my country's vets first. Many realize Canadian, British, and Australian contribution in conflicts in the past. I know that Canada lost some troops in Afghanistan last week, and they are my heroes, too.

[mddubya]

I fail to see how the hundreds of thousands of Canadians, Brits and others that have died in these same wars are so easily forgotten.

For all your remembrance, it's a little self serving, gents.

R35

If it appeared I was downplaying the sacrifices that British, Canadian, or any other countries soldiers have made then I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention at all Rock.

But it does irk me when countries that America has come to the aid of in the past, seemingly enjoy jumping on the USA when ever they aren't at immediate risk.

Personally I wish the war in the middle east was over. If I was in charge I'd just make a sheet of glass out of the area and be done with it. :laugh:

J/K, but now that we are over there, if we just pulled out, all the lives that have been lost would have been wasted.

[SiberianDVM]

Great story. I wish stories like this were more common, but they remain a rarity.

[FATC1TY]

I fail to see how the hundreds of thousands of Canadians, Brits and others that have died in these same wars are so easily forgotten.

For all your remembrance, it's a little self serving, gents.

R35

They are forgotten, because you forget them. You feel that your daily life is paid for only by tax dollars, and forget the foundation that was paid for by others lives.

[Augster]

The trouble is that the war we see today is not the same as the war of 70 years ago.

No comparison.

R35

Bingo.

A few handfuls of Jihadi's hiding in caves and hotel rooms plotting to kill Americans a few thousand at a time is more than a little different than a powerful military marching across Europe overthrowing and assimilating everything in its wake.