[lbo-talk] a teacher in trouble and the union

[MICHAEL YATES]

A high school geography teacher here in Colorado--Jay Bennish who teaches at 
Overland HS--is in trouble, attacked by the right, for things he said in a 
an honors geography class after Bush's State of the Union address.  A 
student in the class taped the teacher's comments (about 20 minutes of a 50 
minute class) without the teacher's knowledge.  His parents complained to 
the school administration and after nothing came of this, they gave the tape 
to radio station KOA (850 AM), a 50,000 watt outlet for far right shock 
jocks like "Gunny Bob" Newman.  This just happpened a couple fo days ago, 
but the station has created a real hysteria around the state (and nationally 
as the snitch student was just on Hannity and Colmes).  The comments made on 
the station have to be heard to be believed.  Just nasty and vicious with 
the assumption that Bennish should be summarily fired.  Bennish has already 
received about 100 death threats. [You can hear what he said in the 20 
minutes that were taped  at the KOA website).  Several hundred students 
demonstated yesterday in the teacher's support.  But the proto fascists see 
blood and aren't letting up.

I called the Colorado Education Association, which as an affiliate union at 
Overland HS.  I suggested that the union should give all-out support to the 
teacher. I was told that Mr. Bennish is not a union member.  I was then 
directed to the voice mail of someone in the union presumably dealing with 
this.  I left a long message.  But it amazed me that the union would dismiss 
this by saying Bennish is not a member.  So what?  I mean what hope is there 
if a union won't support a teacher under such horrible attack.  Solidarity? 
Principles?  Fightback?  Forget about it.  And on the Air America liberal 
station in Denver, the sappy liberal talk show folks could only muster a 
pathetic, "Well, I don't know about this one.  What do you folks think?"

BTW Colorado is ground zero fo the rightwing Christian movement.  Reaction 
is everywhere.  Anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, you name it.

Michael Yates