Tea Parties and "infiltrators"

As you've most likely heard about by now, there is an alleged campaign to "infiltrate" the Tea Party rallies that will be happening all across this great nation over the next several days.

The offending Web site is http://www.crashtheteaparty.org and its contents are just as described in the news.

Well, the creator of this Web site has been identified as Jason Levin, a teacher with the Beaverton School District in Oregon. Well, although the temptation to direct vitriol toward him and the school district may run high among those of us who attend or support the Tea Parties, please bear in mind our efforts are best served by not stooping to the level displayed by Mr. Levin.

Well, thanks to the good folks of the Tea Party Patriots organization (I'm on their mailing list), there is a link to send an online message to the school district administration and express your concerns, dismay, and displeasure over Mr. Levin's activities and how it may potentially reflect upon Beaverton schools.

The Web address for sending feedback to the school district superintendent's administration is: http://www.beaverton.k12.or.us/home/district/contact-us/

Below is my note which I sent via the link in the previous paragraph. If you intend to pass along your input as well, I again urge you to adopt the tone I used in mine. While some may view even my note as excessive, please keep in mind that Levin is a teacher and is in a position to influence the impressionable minds of our youth. His actions serve to impart upon his students the notion that using messages of intolerance to make others appear intolerant -- and thus discredit them as well as their beliefs and principles -- is perfectly acceptable behavior no matter how disingenuous or cowardly the behavior may be.

Trusting in One Nation Under God,

Don Kissick

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Good morning,

I have deep concerns and reservations about the private activities of one of your faculty -- Jason Levin.

His ardent left-wing activism efforts have me very concerned that he also is using his place as a teacher to impart his political agenda.

I understand that teachers have a tough enough vocation in today's society without having to worry about everything they do outside the workplace coming under unexpected intense scrutiny. But Mr. Levin thrust himself into the spotlight by his own choosing.

As a result, this particular activity is troubling because it sends to his students the message of, "Do whatever it takes, no matter how unscrupulous, to get what you want."

While perspectives on values will vary from one person (especially a parent) to the next and thus trying to incorporate one's own personal values (regardless of where they lean) into the classroom may be inappropriate at times, one thing most people can agree upon is that our teachers should be expending some amount of energy toward encouraging pupils to be good citizens.

I would hope the administration within the Beaverton School District shares [sic] is in a consensus agreement that being a good citizen does not include bearing false witness against our neighbors. In Mr. Levin's case, bearing false witness against his neighbors means encouraging people to carry or adorn themselves with paraphernalia intended to portray those who disagree with them as advocating violence or prejudice due to the absence of evidence of such attitudes.

More simply put, the effort to allegedly "infiltrate" rallies and other events being put together across the country in the coming days and create the appearance of racism and other forms of intolerance among those participants of political movements with which he (obviously) strongly disagrees.

I do realize my note is quite long-winded. So I want to thank you for taking the time to read it as well as for your consideration in this matter.

Have a good and stress-free day,

Don Kissick