Political Discussion in Public School Classrooms

I cannot believe reports that people like David Horowitz and John Andrews would want to write legislation banning political discussions in classrooms. I think that students should be encouraged to learn all points of view on current events and political hot topics. I would personally love to be such a teacher. The answer to the Ward Churchills and Jay Bennishes is not to ban their points of view, but to encourage students to form their own opinions by being challenged to do independent research, share ideas with each other, and then develop and defend their positions with facts. The teacher would also have the important responsibility of creating a safe environment in which students would realize that they could raise their questions and state their views without fear of being ostracized or mocked.