[Barf Alert] Minuteman Sans Musket at Jefferson Middle School

[OF]

Jefferson Middle School in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Monday, October 01, 2001

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,35435,00.html

The minuteman mascot at Jefferson Middle School in Fort Wayne, Ind., has had a makeover, writes columnist Kevin Leininger of the News-Sentinel. Gone is his musket, because the principal says guns have no place in schools.

The image still stands on a wall just inside the main door of the school, but was repainted recently to exclude the firearm.

Principal Michael Morris, who took over at the school in July, said: "The mural needed to be repainted anyway, and this sends a stronger, better message about patriotism. Everyone loves it."

Not everyone. "Those who would purge violence from American history do more than dishonor the sacrifices made to write that history: It gives children the inaccurate and dangerous notion that our freedoms were won and can be maintained without a struggle," writes Leininger.

 

[Phil Ca]

If I were a parent of a student at this school I would send the school board an ultimatum, "Paint the mural right, with musket, or my child will be withdrawn from your silly PC school". If I had to home school the kid, so be it. This PC nonsense is getting to be a bit much. What in hell do they think the Revolutionery War was started for in the first place?

 

[KSFreeman]

Hmmm, when did the Indiana General Assembly cede Allen County to some other state???

Hoosiers, you know what to do. Letters forward!

 

[MissileCop]

Well, it seems the D(*& A@# obviously hasn't done his homework.

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, a Minutman is a member of a group of armed men pledged to take the field at a minutes notice during and immediately before the American Revolution.

Now, if I can just find an address for Mr. DA, a polite, yet flaming nastygram will be headed in his direction.

 

[Don Gwinn]

Exactly what I just told the wife, Missile. There is no such thing as an unarmed Minute Man. By definition, they were soldiers. It's like having a Marine as your mascot and keeping him unarmed.

For the love of.....define "stronger," you idiot.

I wouldn't work for this guy.

 

[C.R.Sam]

With the stroke of a brush the Minute Man was transformed into the begging subject. Just like they want it in real life.

Sam

 

[Coronach]

Yeah, when the British showed up they used harsh language.

Morons.

Mike

 

[PreserveFreedom]

If you pull a wolf's claws and teeth, all you have left is a sheep with dark fur and a long tail.

 

[OF]

I mean, how do these people teach history? Not just American history, God forbid, but any history? I'm dumbfounded. I can't even comprehend the idiocy...this has to be some kind of joke. What is this the Twilight Zone!? They painted out the musket!!

- Gabe

 

[OF]

Here's all I can find, have at 'em:

Principal's name is Michael Morris.

(219)425-7374

Jefferson Middle School , # 0119
5303 Wheelock Rd
Fort Wayne, IN 46835-9706

Here's the Superintendant of Ft. Wayne Community Schools...I assume this is Mr. Morris's higher up.

superintendent@fwcs.k12.in.us

Dr. Thomas Fowler-Finn began his tenure in January, 1995 as superintendent of the Fort Wayne Community Schools. He previously was superintendent of Haverhill Public Schools in Massachusetts for approximately seven years. Other past positions include superintendent in East Aurora, N.Y., and assistant superintendent in the Forest Hills School District in Cincinnati, Ohio. He began teaching in his hometown of Pittsfield, Mass., became a teaching principal in Orange, VT at the age of 25, and subsequently was principal in other Massachusetts school districts. In addition, he has served as a consultant for the Soros Foundation to the government of Albania, coordinated the first national education summit for Mayors and Superintendents, served as president of the national organization of the Large City School Superintendents, presented at national conferences, authored numerous articles, appeared on national PBS-TV regarding technology in the schools and received local and state recognition for leadership in education. He is the founder and current president of the Network for Equity in Student Achievement, a national organization of urban school districts actively working to close the achievement gap between minority and majority students.

Dr. Fowler-Finn initiated a community-based strategic planning process in Fort Wayne Community Schools which established the mission and renewable five-year plan for the district. The plan emphasizes student achievement, safety and security, district accountability and staff development. The district has implemented innovative reading and math programs, a model conflict mediation program, a comprehensive student assistance program, various models of nontraditional education, business and community partnerships, financial accountability, and a decentralized, reduced administration with involvement of parents, staff, students, and citizens. These efforts have yielded results such as financial stability, a dropout rate the lowest in the history of FWCS (2%), a significant increase in academic honors diplomas, a decrease in teacher absenteeism, an increase in student attendance, and the highest graduation rate (92%) and postsecondary participation (80+%) in the history of the district. FWCS students, staff and programs continue to garner local, state and national honors.

Dr. Fowler-Finn has a liberal arts degree in sociology from Boston University, a masters in educational administration from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and a doctorate in instructional leadership and staff development from
the University of Massachusetts. His wife, Sue, is an elementary special education teacher with an area school district. They have three children: Wesley, an education major at Manchester College, Kasey, a Cornell freshman in the fall of 2000 and Meghan Marie, an FWCS Snider High School student. Dr. Fowler-Finn enjoys vegetable gardening, soccer, tennis, coaching, and woodworking. He is a strong reading advocate and recommends to all parents that they read daily to their children.

Fort Wayne Community Schools
1200 S. Clinton St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
219-425-7200

 

[HankB]

Hmmm...I wonder how the principal would react if students started referring to the mascot as "Fowler-Finn's Unarmed Tory Loyalist?"

Or if someone were to label the painting as such?

...this sends a stronger, better message about patriotism...

Classic Orwellian doublespeak - stronger = weaker; patriotism = submission.

Next, he'll realize that even an unarmed Minuteman , being a Dead White Male, doesn't meet the multicultural diversity goals that inclusiveness requires, so . . . :barf:

 

[Mr. James]

Look at that coward's CV - Massachusetts, New York, all the gun-hating utopias. Soros Foundation??? As in George Soros?? Flame on, boys and girls.

 

[John/az2]

My note to the Super...

Thanks, GRD!

Dear Superintendent Dr. Fowler-Finn,

I have read recently that the principle, Michael Morris, of Jefferson Middle School in Fort Wayne Indiana has had the Minuteman mascot's musket painted out of the mural by the main door in the name of a "stronger, better message about patriotism". Changing this mural by removing the musket is historical revisionism, and is a gross error of judgment.

This is a serious disappointment to those of us who recognize the truth represented by such an unrevised painting.

Our freedom was not gained by flinging nasty words at our enemies, nor did we achieve independence from oppression by ignoring the injustices and rolling over and wetting ourselves, as your principle has done.

The minutemen were instrumental in our fight for independence and freedom and they executed the actions that delivered us from the oppression our country was under by using the most effective tools available to them, the musket.

Now, as we go to war today against those who would oppress and terrorize us, our military men use the most effective tools that they have available to them. They are not being sent to war with a paint brush to hastily paint anti-Bin Ladan slogans on the mud walls of the Afghanistan residents, they have not been handed a piece of paper to unroll and read in the town square in Bin Ladan's home town. They have been handed the best weaponry that we can provide for them because when dealing with such an enemy force is what they understand.

Thank God, the minutemen of the Revolutionary war were not so emasculated as your principle Mr. Morris has depicted them, or we'd be still having High Tea, and bowing to our king!

Removing the musket is neither "stronger" nor "patriotic". It's 1984.

Cheers!

John
Webmaster cphv.com

 

[Left Coast Aenema]

Here is the letter I sent. Nothing great, but if everyone send him something at least we will be heard.



Hello,

I am sending this letter in regard to stories I read that you have erased the musket from your minuteman logo.

Here is what Webster has to say about Minutemen by definition:
"Minuteman - noun (1774): a member of a group of ARMED men pledged to take the field at a minute's notice during and immediately before the American Revolution."


What is a Minuteman without his musket? A subject of the queen of England.

What do you think we fought for freedom with, harsh language and mean looks? Our forefathers killed and died for our freedom.

To misrepresent a Minuteman as an unarmed statue is an insult to what it took to fight for the freedom that we enjoy today. Furthermore it sends a message that freedom in the future will never have to be fought for as it has in the past.

Lastly, you villify the gun as an evil tool in the hands of a good Minuteman, and somehow without his gun he is a good person. The gun was an extension of him and without it he was nothing but a target on the battlefield. Why teach these young people that guns are evil things and that freedom was earned by no more than wishing for it? The message you are sending by erasing the Minuteman's musket paints a false picture of American history and what sacrifices it took to earn our freedom.