lest we forget

[7sRWild]

A lesson that should be taught in all schools .. . And colleges

Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School, did  something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

'Ms.. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'

They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

'No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behavior.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behavior.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall... By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned..

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story.

Please consider passing this along so others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by

War Veterans.

                                           

LEST WE FORGET - Wear a Poppy to show your respect on Remembrance (Veterans) Day

[carpetstu]

[stephenh]

Thats a great story, never heard it before.  

[Mark Stanton]

Martha Cothren True Story       maybe should be on syllabus at every school

[Doug Dastardly]

from me too

[adamnreeves]

Great story and very effective something you'd remember for the rest of your life. However today this probably wouldn't be allowed as it probably contravenes multiple laws. ;-(

[pistonbroke]

A nice story if it's true ,  but personally I doubt it , imagine the rumpus the parents of little johnny would make if he was denied a seat at school by a common teacher whose main role in life is to follow instructions from the higher orders above  

All due respect to our war hero's just the same  

[matt_c]

[Mike H]

Often these turn out to be fake but in this case I'm happy to say it looks genuine.  Well done Martha Cothren.

Mike

[Bob Green]

I would like to think it is true.  My Dad told me many stories over the years about the way folk put there life on the line during the Great wars and I believe, through the acts of these folk gave us the lifestyle we have.

Yes, I went in to one when I heard the Utilities are increasing our bills by 7% BUT, we could have been living in a completely different environment if things went the other way.  Something I don’t want to think about.

I remember Dad telling me, as a kid in the early ‘60’s that he used to fly to Germany during the war to have a look at the countryside in the Liberator.  Dad said in jest it was a day out and I couldn’t understand why a pilot could want to go to Germany when there was a space race on.  Surly pilots wanted to go to the Moon!

Then I grew up and understood.

I cannot respect the folk more.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

There's more recognition of Armistice Day these days than there used to be a couple of decades ago I think. There's nothing like a current conflict to sharpen the attention - even the Falklands didn't seem to promote remembrance to the same extent. Long may we respect these people and show our respect too. It's nothing to do with warmongering, it's pure respect for those who lay their lives down for the rest of us.

[slater]

I'll be paying my respects on Sunday as usual, (medal polished Beret brushed) at the local memorial in Luton then off to the Polish Church to do it all again with them, just hope the dead heads who protested last year in Luton stay at home or I may miss the second one.

Lewis

[Norman Verona]

My father was "excused" military service because he was deaf.

As a kid, this caused me embaresmant when the other kids told of their fathers exploits in the desert, the RAF and the navy.

However when my father died and the family assembled for the funeral I learnt that my father was on fire watch throughout the blitz on the east end of London. He stood on the top of buildings in the London docks with a telephone and reported on the fires springing up as the bombs rained down on him and the other firewatchers.

So my dad probably saw more "action" than all those other kids dads put together.

[RedditchJay]

     

[mikef]

Exactly right - "Lest we forget".