basquebromance
Diamond Member
- Nov 26, 2015
- 109,396
- 27,067
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- Banned
- #1
On the first day of school in 2015, Tabitha Cothren, my son's teacher, was determined that her students would not take their education or their privilege as Americans for granted. With the principal's permission, she removed all the desks from her classroom. The students entered the empty room and asked, "Mrs. Cothren, where are our desks?" "You get a desk when you tell me how you earn it," she replied.
"Making good grades?" asked one student.
"You ought to make good grades, but that won't get you a desk," Tabitha responded.
"I guess we have to behave," offered another.
"You will behave in my class," Mrs. Cothren retorted, "but that won't get you a desk either."
No one in first period guessed right. Same for second period.
By lunch, the buzz was all over campus... Mrs. Cothren had flipped out ....wouldn't let her students have a desk. Kids had used their cell phones and called their parents.
By early afternoon, all four of the local network TV affiliates had camera crews at the school to report on the teacher who wouldn't let her students have a desk unless they could tell her how they earned it. By the final period, no one had guessed correctly.
As the students filed in, Tabitha Cothren said, "Well, I didn't think you would figure it out, so I'll have to tell you."
Tabitha opened the door of her classroom. In walked 300 veterans, some wearing uniforms from years gone by, but each one carrying a school desk.
As they carefully and quietly arranged the desks in neat rows, Tabitha said, "You don't have to earn your desks. These guys already did.
"They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have.
"No one charged you for your desk. But it wasn't really free. These guys bought it for you. And I hope you never forget it. "
I wish we all would remember that being American is not just about the freedom we have. It's about those who gave it to us.
Ladies and gentlemen, John Kerry is one of those people who helped buy the freedom that we enjoy and the school desks we had.
It's my honor to do what I can to help him have a desk that he has earned in the Oval Office.
"Making good grades?" asked one student.
"You ought to make good grades, but that won't get you a desk," Tabitha responded.
"I guess we have to behave," offered another.
"You will behave in my class," Mrs. Cothren retorted, "but that won't get you a desk either."
No one in first period guessed right. Same for second period.
By lunch, the buzz was all over campus... Mrs. Cothren had flipped out ....wouldn't let her students have a desk. Kids had used their cell phones and called their parents.
By early afternoon, all four of the local network TV affiliates had camera crews at the school to report on the teacher who wouldn't let her students have a desk unless they could tell her how they earned it. By the final period, no one had guessed correctly.
As the students filed in, Tabitha Cothren said, "Well, I didn't think you would figure it out, so I'll have to tell you."
Tabitha opened the door of her classroom. In walked 300 veterans, some wearing uniforms from years gone by, but each one carrying a school desk.
As they carefully and quietly arranged the desks in neat rows, Tabitha said, "You don't have to earn your desks. These guys already did.
"They went halfway around the world, giving up their education and interrupting their careers and families so you could have the freedom you have.
"No one charged you for your desk. But it wasn't really free. These guys bought it for you. And I hope you never forget it. "
I wish we all would remember that being American is not just about the freedom we have. It's about those who gave it to us.
Ladies and gentlemen, John Kerry is one of those people who helped buy the freedom that we enjoy and the school desks we had.
It's my honor to do what I can to help him have a desk that he has earned in the Oval Office.
