[lit-ideas] Re: English Pubic Schools
- From: "Andy Amago" <aamago@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 16 Feb 2006 12:52:09 -0500
I was around 30 or 40 years ago, and it was well established in the Northeast
that a teacher never hits a kid. In Minnesota, well you know that warring
Viking tradition, especially on a farm. So you're saying the Scandinavians
aren't any more inherently civilized than anybody else. I'll buy it. The
thing with the Danish cartoons supports that as well. Religious people tend
to be more authoritarian than secular people anyway (the Catholic school thing).
---- Original Message -----
From:
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 2/16/2006 12:30:45 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: English Pubic Schools
My husband grew up on a large farm in Minnesota. His parents were second
generation immigrants from Norway, and Norwegian was their first language --
they spoke English decently but with a very thick accent. Think Garrison
Keillor. He lived in a tiny town called Kandyhi (not sure of the spelling and
too tired/sick to look it up). When he was in 7th grade his parents moved to
Springfield MO. The hilarious irony of this is that they chose to move largely
because relatives were profoundly religious Lutherans and put enormous
proselytizing pressure on them. Jim says his Grandmother prayed them out of
Minnesota. What they didn't know was that Springfield was the Assemblies of
God National Headquarters. The rolling in the aisles stuff was fairly
frightening to a teen. In any event, one of his first days in school, a
teacher called on him.
"Jim Krueger?"
Jim, in heavy Scandinavian accent..... "Yaaah?"
Teacher, interpreting response as lackidasical Springfield rude "yeah"
walks to Jim's desk and slaps him in the face. He had no idea what he'd done.
Then she informed him he was to respond "Yes, Ma'am".
I'd have pulled my child out of school so fast it would make your head spin.
But 30 or 40 years ago it was no big deal. Today, I think the teacher would
face suspension or firing.
My Mother, who is a kind, gracious, loving, gentle, devoutly religious woman,
still insists that my kids should have been spanked when they were little.
Julie Krueger
couldn't bring myself to do it...
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