The Interruped reading: The kids with George Bush on 9/11

[Stephanie]

nice article from time mag. of all places. but nice to hear from the kids who were there.

SNIP:

There has rarely been a starker juxtaposition of evil and innocence than the moment President George W. Bush received the news about 9/11 while reading The Pet Goat with second-graders in Sarasota, Florida.

Seven-year-olds can't understand what Islamic terrorism is all about. But they know when an adult's face is telling them something is very wrong — and none of the students sitting in Sandra Kay Daniels' class at Emma E. Booker Elementary School that morning can forget the sudden, devastated change in Bush's expression when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispered the terrible news of the Al Qaeda attack. Lazaro Dubrocq's heart started racing because he assumed they were all in big trouble — with no less than the Commander-in-Chief — but he wasn't quite sure why. "In a heartbeat he leaned back and he looked flabbergasted, shocked, horrified," recalls Dubrocq, now 17. "I was baffled. I mean, did we read something wrong? Was he mad or disappointed in us?"


All sorts of similar kid fears started running through Mariah Williams' head. "I don't remember the story we were reading — was it about pigs?" says Williams, 16. "But I'll always remember watching his face turn red. He got really serious all of a sudden. But I was clueless. I was just seven. I'm just glad he didn't get up and leave because then I would have been more scared and confused." Chantal Guerrero, 16, agrees: even today she's grateful that Bush regained his composure and stayed with the students until The Pet Goat was finished. "I think the President was trying to keep us from finding out," says Guerrero, "so we all wouldn't freak out."


the rest.
Read more: The Interrupted Reading: The Kids with George Bush on 9/11 - TIME

 

[auditor0007]

nice article from time mag. of all places. but nice to hear from the kids who were there.

SNIP:

There has rarely been a starker juxtaposition of evil and innocence than the moment President George W. Bush received the news about 9/11 while reading The Pet Goat with second-graders in Sarasota, Florida.

Seven-year-olds can't understand what Islamic terrorism is all about. But they know when an adult's face is telling them something is very wrong — and none of the students sitting in Sandra Kay Daniels' class at Emma E. Booker Elementary School that morning can forget the sudden, devastated change in Bush's expression when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispered the terrible news of the Al Qaeda attack. Lazaro Dubrocq's heart started racing because he assumed they were all in big trouble — with no less than the Commander-in-Chief — but he wasn't quite sure why. "In a heartbeat he leaned back and he looked flabbergasted, shocked, horrified," recalls Dubrocq, now 17. "I was baffled. I mean, did we read something wrong? Was he mad or disappointed in us?"


All sorts of similar kid fears started running through Mariah Williams' head. "I don't remember the story we were reading — was it about pigs?" says Williams, 16. "But I'll always remember watching his face turn red. He got really serious all of a sudden. But I was clueless. I was just seven. I'm just glad he didn't get up and leave because then I would have been more scared and confused." Chantal Guerrero, 16, agrees: even today she's grateful that Bush regained his composure and stayed with the students until The Pet Goat was finished. "I think the President was trying to keep us from finding out," says Guerrero, "so we all wouldn't freak out."


the rest.
Read more: The Interrupted Reading: The Kids with George Bush on 9/11 - TIME

Those who chided Bush for not getting up and leaving that class have always annoyed me. Getting up and leaving would not have changed a single thing. He did the right thing to finish up the story and not scare the bejesus out of those kids.

 

[Caroljo]

nice article from time mag. of all places. but nice to hear from the kids who were there.

SNIP:

There has rarely been a starker juxtaposition of evil and innocence than the moment President George W. Bush received the news about 9/11 while reading The Pet Goat with second-graders in Sarasota, Florida.

Seven-year-olds can't understand what Islamic terrorism is all about. But they know when an adult's face is telling them something is very wrong — and none of the students sitting in Sandra Kay Daniels' class at Emma E. Booker Elementary School that morning can forget the sudden, devastated change in Bush's expression when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispered the terrible news of the Al Qaeda attack. Lazaro Dubrocq's heart started racing because he assumed they were all in big trouble — with no less than the Commander-in-Chief — but he wasn't quite sure why. "In a heartbeat he leaned back and he looked flabbergasted, shocked, horrified," recalls Dubrocq, now 17. "I was baffled. I mean, did we read something wrong? Was he mad or disappointed in us?"


All sorts of similar kid fears started running through Mariah Williams' head. "I don't remember the story we were reading — was it about pigs?" says Williams, 16. "But I'll always remember watching his face turn red. He got really serious all of a sudden. But I was clueless. I was just seven. I'm just glad he didn't get up and leave because then I would have been more scared and confused." Chantal Guerrero, 16, agrees: even today she's grateful that Bush regained his composure and stayed with the students until The Pet Goat was finished. "I think the President was trying to keep us from finding out," says Guerrero, "so we all wouldn't freak out."


the rest.
Read more: The Interrupted Reading: The Kids with George Bush on 9/11 - TIME

Those who chided Bush for not getting up and leaving that class have always annoyed me. Getting up and leaving would not have changed a single thing. He did the right thing to finish up the story and not scare the bejesus out of those kids.

Exactly!!! I always get so pissed when people say he just sat there and did nothing! What was he supposed to do? There's nothing he could have done in the few minutes it would take to finish reading to the kids and keep them from freaking out...he did the right thing no matter what others say...

 

[California Girl]

One of the smart things Bush did during his presidency... and I'd be hard pressed to find many... but that was one.

 

[rdean]

Republicans don't leave out a single detail with they work to rewrite history.

For one, Bush was holding a book, but he wasn't reading it to the children. The teacher was.

Second, rather than saying "Excuse me", getting up and leaving, he sat there with a terrified expression on his face that these Republicans are insisting kept the children "Calm".

Are Republicans this desperate to find something they can point to as a success by that man that he "scared children less" is his one achievement?

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Republicans don't leave out a single detail with they work to rewrite history.

For one, Bush was holding a book, but he wasn't reading it to the children. The teacher was.

Second, rather than saying "Excuse me", getting up and leaving, he sat there with a terrified expression on his face that these Republicans are insisting kept the children "Calm".

Are Republicans this desperate to find something they can point to as a success by that man that he "scared children less" is his one achievement?

Funny.

The kids who were there actually disagree with you. Not that I am surprised about that, a chimpanzee would disagree with you if you told him a banana was food. The really sad part is that you prefer to stick to you POV that Bush was wrong rather than admit he had made a tough choice that was the best thing he could do under the circumstances. You claim to be a military vet, you should know that the commander in the field is given the benefit of the doubt because he is the one that has to make the choices then, not later with the full comfort of hindsight and months to think about, and weigh, the various ramifications of his decision. The fact that you refuse to give anyone the benefit of the doubt if there is an (R) behind their name just proves how completely ignorant and stupid you are.

 

[midcan5]

Aside from adding a new dialect to American English, he sat still after hearing bad news, the man's a real hero. Give the republicans a break, after Ronnie - another complete myth - all they have today is a peanut gallery of oddball candidates who look like the circus is in town.

 

[martybegan]

Aside from adding a new dialect to American English, he sat still after hearing bad news, the man's a real hero. Give the republicans a break, after Ronnie - another complete myth - all they have today is a peanut gallery of oddball candidates who look like the circus is in town.

Bush sat there for a few minutes, and what happened, happened

He could have ran out right away, and nothing would have changed

he could have sat for 2 min, then left, and nothing would have changed

he could have slammed the book on his finger and ran out, and nothing would have changed.

He could have changed into a pink tutu, sang a few bars from HMS pinafore, led the kids in a game of duck duck goose, and accuesed the classes pet hamster of being a communist, then left, and nothing would have changed.

 

[rightwinger]

The correct response was......

"Sorry kids, something important has come up" and a quick exit

 

[martybegan]

The correct response was......

"Sorry kids, something important has come up" and a quick exit

There was no "correct response." Again, what would that have changed? It wouldn't have made a difference. If somehow he could have reached a button that would have disabled every hijacker currently on board the airplanes, THEN you could question his actions in that time period.

People who try to analyze and question what happened in that moment are basically just bush haters. No matter what he would have done, there would have been some critique.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The correct response was......

"Sorry kids, something important has come up" and a quick exit

Why was that the "correct" response?