What is Acceptable?

   What is acceptable? What should be tolerated in a high school class in regards to behavior of the students and content of the lessons? What video clips are permissible for teaching a lesson on the “Theatre of the Absurd”?  These are questions I’m asking myself in regards to what was taught in my first period class… what made me walk out of my class before it ended because my morals and beliefs wouldn’t allow me to sit and watch graphic videos… what I want to talk about a bit… I just want it out of my system…

   I am a semi-sensitive person when it comes to violence, especially when it’s actually happening to real people, so seeing videos about bike accidents and the like really doesn’t sit well with me. With a mind geared towards justice, I can’t see pictures or videos about mistreatment of anyone vulnerable (children, homeless people, young women, the elderly, etc) leaves me very upset and hurt on the inside.

   My teacher is leading up to the study of “Waiting for Godot” and in doing so had to teach us about the Theatre of the Absurd which was a movement of plays written in France through the 40’s and 50’s about existentialist philosophy and the traumas and horrors of the Second World War. I am aware that books and plays written by war stricken people lacking hope will frequently be horrible in content and I understand that we do need to learn about our world history so that we might avoid the catastrophes being repeated in the current times. However, I do see a need to censor content of lessons so that everyone present may be able to learn without feeling their conscience churning and cringing at the thought of what is being taught to them.

   How videos of homeless people being paid to pretend that they are less than human on video relates to postwar literature is beyond me, though that is what my teacher was using to show how human being mistreat each other. I walked put of my class early because I was so mortified by what was being played on the Smart Board that people were laughing at unreservedly…

   I’m incredibly sad and shocked that such things are acceptable in a classroom, though it makes me question what else is permitted that I haven’t stood up against or I don’t know about… have I been blinded and convinced in myself to stay in a class when I should have left? The answer is “yes”, but I won’t let that happen again.

If you don’t stand up for what’s right, who will?

   That’s my rant for today and I feel better for having said it. I hope for the best on Monday when I return to class and that the stand taken today will make a difference.

Missionary in Training and Lover of Life

Movie Night

   One thing that I did miss about being single was going with my sister or anyone else to see a movie or get dinner and not have a significant other waiting for a text saying that I made it home because there is a small element of guilt in leaving them by themselves for several extra hours. Not that it doesn’t feel nice to have someone as well as your family expecting your safe return, but you do feel kinda bad because a lot can happen while you’re out and they might need a friend.

   I am seeing Insurgent tonight with my sister, which will be nice as it has been ages since I went to the movies just with her. However, I’d rather not be wearing my school-uniform  kilt 😉 It could be worse, though, because my school-uniform pants are the most uncomfortable things (with the exception of my beige ones).

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    The movie was great and I enjoyed being with my sister.

Missionary in Training and Lover of Life