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Outstanding, Sue.<br><br><font style="" color="#8064a2"><font style="font-size: 12pt;" size="3"><font style="" face="Verdana">Keely<br>www.keely-prevailingwinds.com<br></font></font></font><br><br><br><br>> From: suehovey@moscow.com<br>> To: debismith@moscow.com; thansen@moscow.com; vision2020@moscow.com<br>> Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2010 12:50:58 -0700<br>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Say What? (local/recent)<br>> <br>> I have checked and despite his claim, we can find nothing to indicate Mr. <br>> Velarde ever graduated from or even attended Moscow High School.<br>> <br>> 1. We are fortunate to have had teachers on foreign exchange because our <br>> students benefit from what they bring back home. I feel confident in my <br>> claim no teachers from this district went as foreign exchange teachers <br>> because they, "had to get out of the country." One would not be selected as <br>> a foreign exchange teacher if that were the stated reason. Foreign exchange <br>> teachers sign pretty significant commitments that require them to take our <br>> culture to the place they go, and bring home information to our students <br>> when they return. It simply isn't a run-away type of commitment. So I feel <br>> pretty confident he's not telling the truth there either.<br>> <br>> 2. Graduation speakers are chosen by the graduating seniors as teachers who <br>> were significant to their lives as high school students. Those of us who <br>> were and are chosen consider it a signal honor to be selected. By the time <br>> we make those speeches students know our politics very well, and have had <br>> many opportunities to butt heads with us regarding our ideology and their <br>> response to it. I would never have made my ideology the hallmark of my <br>> speech though, but in his rant Mr. Velarde isn't specific. What was the <br>> political ideology directed to him as a pseudo-graduate: perhaps as <br>> citizens we have an obligation to care for each other; or we as citizens <br>> have a responsibility to obey the law, protect the defenseless, feed the <br>> hungry; or maybe even the point that Sweden takes better care of their needy <br>> than we do. All of those could be ideologically perceived. Which would be <br>> inappropriate for a graduation speaker? And really, to whom, <br>> specifically, does he refer? I can't imagine why in the world he would be <br>> reluctant to name names. He has absolutely nothing to lose except his claim <br>> to validity.<br>> <br>> 3. Yes, MHS does have a Gay-Straight Alliance Club. It saves lives, <br>> promotes justice, teaches tolerance, and helps students concentrate on <br>> academics instead of other concerns. School clubs use few tax dollars--the <br>> cost of lights and heat in what ever classroom they meet after school; but <br>> students are free to form clubs that meet their needs, both religious and <br>> other. The US Supreme Court says public schools generally must allow all if <br>> they allow any.<br>> <br>> 4. I do not know what to make of the final comment as I have no idea who <br>> constitutes the, "idiotic, pseudo-liberal NAZI contingent."<br>> <br>> I do not assume that just because the message is on Mr. Young's Facebook, he <br>> supports the content. I will ask him if he wishes to respond on V 2020 <br>> inasmuch as it has now appeared here.<br>> <br>> Sue Hovey<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> --------------------------------------------------<br>> From: "deb" <debismith@moscow.com><br>> Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 8:16 PM<br>> To: "Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com>; "Moscow Vision 2020" <br>> <vision2020@moscow.com><br>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Say What? (local/recent)<br>> <br>> > Oh, my. In his attack on MHS Mr. Velarde doesn't say which schools he<br>> > attended. Sadly, those schools failed to educate him in writing, grammar,<br>> > spelling, critical thinking, and tolerance. While I am not the grammar<br>> > police (having some failings myself in that area), this set me off! Having<br>> > four MHS graduates in my family, none of whom suffer from the <br>> > aforementioned<br>> > difficulties, I would be surprised if he attended MHS. Of course, with <br>> > this<br>> > sort of "You cain't teach me nuthin' 'cause I aint lissinen" attitude, he<br>> > could have a legitimate grudge against a school system that insists one<br>> > learn things. After all the papers, math homework, exams, and sports we<br>> > helped (well, nagged) our children to complete, I know full well about <br>> > that<br>> > insistence on learning.<br>> ><br>> > I do see Mr. Velarde's behavior fairly often in those who have a "hobby<br>> > horse" or a soap box they feel they must occupy. They are so needing to <br>> > rant<br>> > that, missing the opportunity to actually make a point, they instead <br>> > become<br>> > parodies of themselves.<br>> ><br>> > Tom, you showed great fortitude in not commenting on Mr. Velarde's <br>> > foolish,<br>> > simple minded, ill defined, poorly written piece. You are a better person<br>> > than I, as I just had to comment. Not only do I support MHS, I support<br>> > proper spelling and grammar. "My wife and I's" indeed? And this would <br>> > scare<br>> > liberals exactly how? And referencing Nazis is just the iceing on the mud<br>> > pie.....EEEWWWW! The good news is, with supporters like this, the right<br>> > wing-nuts are doomed....there cannot possibly that many complete dolts in<br>> > the US who buy into this sort of ridiculous "stupidity by choice".<br>> > Debi R-S<br>> ><br>> ><br>> > ----- Original Message ----- <br>> > From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen@moscow.com><br>> > To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020@moscow.com><br>> > Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 5:42 AM<br>> > Subject: [Vision2020] Say What? (local/recent)<br>> ><br>> ><br>> >> "Why would people want their income tax, which supports education, to <br>> >> fund<br>> >> certain past and present teachers at Moscow High School? I personally had<br>> >> a current teacher who stated to me when we were undergraduates that they<br>> >> were going on forien exchange. Why? Because they were fed up with the<br>> >> United States and had to get out of the country for a while. One former<br>> >> teacher used their distinguished speaker position at the high school's<br>> >> graduation as a pulpit to cast their political ideologies. They also<br>> >> bragged that MHS was the only school in the state to have a Gay-Straight<br>> >> Alliance club. Glad to know that my wife and I's tax dollars are going<br>> >> toward this skewed form of teaching!<br>> >><br>> >> On a positive note you seem to have begun to scare the idiotic, pseudo-<br>> >> liberal, NAZI contingent up here!"<br>> >><br>> >> - David Anthony Velarde<br>> >><br>> >> http://www.facebook.com/pages/ILikeIke/112506065442567?ref=ts<br>> >><br>> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------<br>> >><br>> >> I would add some colorful, humor-based comment here, but I feel that Mr.<br>> >> Velarde's comments pretty much speak for themselves.<br>> >><br>> >> Seeya round town, Moscow.<br>> >><br>> >> Tom Hansen<br>> >> Moscow, Idaho<br>> >><br>> >> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to <br>> >> change<br>> >> and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>> >><br>> >> - Unknown<br>> >><br>> >><br>> >> =======================================================<br>> >> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> >> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>> >> http://www.fsr.net<br>> >> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>> >> =======================================================<br>> ><br>> ><br>> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>> ><br>> ><br>> ><br>> > Internal Virus Database is out of date.<br>> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com<br>> > Version: 8.5.437 / Virus Database: 270.14.133/2612 - Release Date: <br>> > 01/10/10<br>> > 19:35:00<br>> ><br>> > =======================================================<br>> > List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<br>> > http://www.fsr.net<br>> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>> > ======================================================= <br>> <br>> =======================================================<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br>> http://www.fsr.net <br>> mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<br>> =======================================================<br> <br /><hr />The New Busy is not the too busy. Combine all your e-mail accounts with Hotmail. <a href='http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?tile=multiaccount&ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_4' target='_new'>Get busy.</a></body>
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