Oh my stars!!! With all due respect I think this woman has lost her marbles. Comparing little Johnny's behavior in school to Hitler? Saying that any religion is just as bad, or can be, as the cults like Jones? PLEASE! In a day when some children look for ways to be smart mouths, break rules and be rebellious towards teachers and parents, McCarthy is saying, "Go for it"!!! I definitely feel that this article falls under the category of the "the baby and the bath water". She goes so far as to suggest that our very obedient children should receive the same counseling that emotionally disturbed people receive! Whatever! So, my little first graders that do their work on time and who follow the classroom rules should be sent to the shrink????? Let's think about this.
In her defense she does offer one sentence that says, "a rational mind is the best armor" How very true! Obviously she was not in her rational mind when she wrote this article. I believe that as parents and teachers we want and are teaching what is best for our children. The teaching I observe and participate in on a daily basis encourages children to ask questions and to use their minds, but to also respect those who are there to teach them. With all of the other pressing issues in education today, whether little Johnny can disobey is the least of our worries!!!!

I think the idea that Johnny can think for himself scares the hell out of us. And why shouldn't it? We were raised in a regimined classroom with straight rows of desks and raised hands waiting to be called on. Just the concept, then, that a child would be displeased with this arrangement could be quite disturbing.

In this way, McCarthey's allusion to Hitler and Manson was quite on target. Imagine your first grade teacher suggesting that everyone in class hit the person to your right as hard as they could. Sadly, I picture a large majority of the class pounding away. Her point is that civil disobience is a neccesity. Children, more often then we like to believe, are subjected to things that are against what they believe or things over which they are too young to have control.

Disobedience is our primary means of progression. To better ourselves, we often have to fight the current; if Johnny doesn't disobey, he could have easily been coaxed in to the Third Reich. And this is not an exaggeration.

But if Johnny doesn't follow, we may have to listen to him after all.

Who knows? We may learn something.

I agree that this arcticle seems a little over the top and if you don't agree with this woman you'd think she was nuts. I don't think that she is really comparing Jonny to Hitler, but is adressing the point that far too many people put their heads down in the sand and to what ever is the social norm or what is not going to get them in trouble. I could got off on how this affects our world, but I will try to keep this relating to education. As teacherin we should be encouraging our students to think and act for our selves. We should give them the freedom to speek up if they don't agree with whats going on in thier lives and yes this means in the class room. They of course must learn what is actually worth rebelling against and for most that will and should be up to them. We must teach students that they have a voice and that they can make change. I also feel that children far to often fall in to a routine of doing what will make them popular and what will please others. This is not a good thing for young adults. If they always do what they think will please others, then they will never be able to please them selves.