Friday, February 24, 2006

Comic of the Week


It is safe to say that a) US are scared of Arab people or b) Americans are better authorites at the ports than Arab people.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Give me a break...again...

'Faust' Opera Video Stirs Angry Parents
Yahoo

Some parents in this prairie town are angry with an elementary school music teacher for showing pupils a video about the opera "Faust," whose title character sells his soul to the devil in exchange for being young again.

"Any adult with common sense would not think that video was appropriate for a young person to see. I'm not sure it's appropriate for a high school student," Robby Warner said after two of her children saw the video.

Another parent, Casey Goodwin, said, "I think it glorifies Satan in some way."

Tresa Waggoner showed approximately 250 first-, second- and third-graders at Bennett Elementary portions of a 33-year-old series titled "Who's Afraid of Opera" a few weeks ago.
The video features the soprano Dame Joan Sutherland and three puppet friends discussing Gounod's "Faust." Waggoner thought it would be a good introduction to opera.

Her critics questioned the decision to show children a portrayal of the devil, Mephistopheles, along with a scene showing a man being killed by a sword and a reference to suicide.
School Superintendent George Sauter said the teacher should not have shown the video to children below the fourth grade but will not lose her job. She has sent letter of apology to all elementary school parents in Bennett, population 2,400 and about 25 miles east of Denver on Colorado's eastern plains.

"I was definitely not sensitive to the conservative nature of the community, and I've learned that," Waggoner said in Sunday's editions of The Denver Post. "However, from what has been said about me, that I'm a Satan worshipper, my character, I can't believe all of this. My intention was just to expose the kids to opera."

Waggoner, who is in her first year teaching vocal music in Bennett, said she doesn't expect to stay in town.

"I know I'm not accepted here, that I'm not welcome here by the parents," she said. "It's a very uncomfortable position."



aC. Sidebar

You know Faust is a 18th century opera/drama. It is considered to be a classical masterpiece. It's comparable to Aesop's fable teaching the consequences of pride and vanity. Now think, about this, we will show Shakespeare with his romancing Juliet and sword-welding Hamlet in our schools, but when "the devil" comes around we all hide and protect our childen. So some reason, the conservatives worship the idea of banishing the devil, but won't allow moral acts of literature and arts show them from temptations.

No, I won't testify, but I will say that adults are getting stupider. I'm not saying that all adults are morally, parently, and common-sensely challenged, but more like they don't think. Please, give me a break. How many people, let alone students have ever heard or know what Faust is about. We as people will allow the play of Grand Theft Auto to children, but when the arts have a moral lesson we run away. This is truely a shame for mankind. Not to you, but the privilage that these students have lost to neo-conservatism in the great state of Colorado. Hmm...I wonder what Kobe is up to these days?