Public School Assignment: Compare Bush To Hitler
A teacher at a Washington, D.C. public school thought it would be a good idea to ask students to compare President George W. Bush to Adolf Hitler.
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The assignment was given out this week at McKinley Tech Middle School in Northeast and has angered at least one parent who complained about the homework.
A copy of the assignment, made by the parent, instructs students to draw examples from two texts they were assigned and to fill in a Venn diagram with similarities and differences between the two men.
“Now that we have read about two men of power who abused their power in various ways, we will compare and contrast them and their actions. Please refer to your texts, ‘Fighting Hitler — A Holocaust Story’ and ‘Bush: Iraq War Justified Despite No WMD’ to compare and contrast former President George W. Bush and Hitler. We will use this in class tomorrow for an activity!” reads the text at the top of the assignment.[su_csky_ad]
Anomaly 100 September 11th, 2014 at 1:58 pm
Are we sure this person is an actual teacher and not a cartoon character?
R.J. Carter September 11th, 2014 at 2:01 pm
Five years from now, if a teacher chose to do this assignment with President Obama, heads would roll.
Anomaly 100 September 11th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
I don’t care if it’s about Obama or Bush. it’s totally unacceptable.
Carla Akins September 11th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Agreed. There is respect for the office that should always be maintained regardless of who is holding the office. It’s not an acceptable assignment or comparison.
William September 11th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
Yeah seriously. Comparing everything and everybody to Hitler is a Glen Beck exclusive. He should sue.
R.J. Carter September 11th, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Every time someone compares someone else to Hitler, it serves to lesson the atrocities committed.
Anomaly 100 September 11th, 2014 at 4:12 pm
I agree. We should be better than that.
pinballsdoll September 11th, 2014 at 7:12 pm
your right
Anomaly 100 September 11th, 2014 at 7:14 pm
As timing would have it, I just got called a Nazi (and a commie!) on Twitter. I really think that sort of political discourse is off the rails. There’s no room for it.
edmeyer_able September 11th, 2014 at 2:22 pm
As they should in this case.
craig7120 September 11th, 2014 at 2:23 pm
9 years ago I was called unamerican for not flag waving, and cheering as tanks rolled into iraq as an occupier.
Whats your point?
William September 11th, 2014 at 2:30 pm
That wasn’t an occupation. That was FREEDOM
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 9:54 am
oil? you mean freedom juice!
William September 12th, 2014 at 10:00 am
Darn right. Let freedom ring
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 10:03 am
hail president bardock!
William September 11th, 2014 at 2:02 pm
As wrong as it is to compare Obama to Hitler, it’s just as wrong for a teacher to use the classroom as a platform for political ideology and make the comparison to Bush.
neworleans878 September 11th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
This is wrong, wrong, wrong. This teacher needs to be disciplined.
tiredoftea September 11th, 2014 at 2:20 pm
The first indicator of going off the cliff is when you have the thought that comparing Hitler to anyone is a good idea for a class project.
juicyfruityyy September 11th, 2014 at 2:21 pm
As much as I dislike, Bushy. If I was a teacher. I wouldn’t do this as a class assignment.
chilly1952 September 11th, 2014 at 2:31 pm
To “compare and contrast” is an exercise in critical thinking. It is not the same as comparing Bush to Hitler or as the article implies, saying Bush is in any way like Hitler. This is nothing more than right wing media BS.
MIke September 11th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
“Now that we have read about two men of power who abused their power in various ways, we will compare and contrast them and their actions.
this implies that BUSH abuses his power and is purely subjective – if anyone has abused his power it has been Obama
jasperjava September 11th, 2014 at 3:22 pm
That’s a subjective assessment. I think President Obama has been far more careful in the exercise of power compared to B*$h. He didn’t start a war based on falsified intelligence. He did not abuse detainees or approved the use of torture. He did not abuse civil liberties like Dubya did, forcibly removing protesters from public events
MIke September 11th, 2014 at 3:23 pm
Falsified intelligence – keep drinking that koolaid http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/5727868/Saddam-Hussein-lied-about-WMDs-to-protect-Iraq-from-Iran.html
jasperjava September 11th, 2014 at 6:49 pm
Thanks for proving my point. Your article suggests that the intelligence was based on falsehoods.
edmeyer_able September 11th, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Mike wasn’t looking for a cookie he was looking for YELLOW CAKE
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 9:51 am
less executive orders than Bush at this point, torture, Patriot Act, Gitmo, holding people without due process, undeclared wars, NSA Spying- while Obama hasn’t done anything to scale it back all of this was begun by Bush.
Dwendt44 September 13th, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Obama hasn’t been allowed to scale back much of that. The attempts to close GITMO have been rejected several times, and he’s been smeared for trying. He’s outlawed torture. Asked Congress for authority and funding to fight ISIL.
OldLefty September 11th, 2014 at 2:52 pm
This deserves the same response as;
A Florida state senator plans to introduce a bill that would make Dinesh D’Souza’s docudrama,America, required viewing for most teenagers in the state,
dave-dr-gonzo September 11th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Florida Dems would be smart to attach an amendment that makes the Dinesh D’Souza trial transcript required reading in every public high school.
Chinese Democracy September 11th, 2014 at 2:54 pm
I get to play yeah but you do it too
Liberty Counsel: Religious Liberty Under Obama Is Worse Than In Nazi Germany: bit.ly/WO8kVI
Dwendt44 September 12th, 2014 at 12:46 am
How so?
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 9:48 am
who have we shipped to death camps for their religion the past 5 years in America again? not letting companies cherry pick their employees’ healthcare benefits doesn’t count as persecution.
Chinese Democracy September 12th, 2014 at 2:22 pm
ask Liberty Counsel
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 2:44 pm
ah, the bastion of science and reason in partnership with Liberty University. They have liberty in the name so they must like freedom! Just ask the students there. Especially those who like Harry Potter
Chinese Democracy September 12th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
lol damn muggles
jasperjava September 11th, 2014 at 3:32 pm
Becoming their countries’ leader despite not receiving a majority of the vote? Check.
Running roughshod over civil liberties? Check.
Scapegoating members of a religious minority? Check.
Persecuting gays and racial minorities? Check.
Starting wars with smaller, weaker nations on trumped-up pretences? Check.
Enthusiastic promoter of the death penalty? Check.
Torturer? Check.
Ultra-nationalist? Check.
Conservative right-winger obsessed with family values? Check.
Likes to parade around wearing pseudo-military uniforms? Check.
Contempt for liberalism? Check.
Believing that military solutions are better than diplomacy? Check.
Etc.
roccolore September 11th, 2014 at 9:51 pm
Democrats are the fascists: Anti-Jewish, anti-Christian, pro-abortion, pro-jihadist, hatred of our troops
jasperjava September 11th, 2014 at 11:23 pm
Since when do fascists hate the troops? Fascism is all about militarisation and war. Fascism is uniform fetishism and bloodlust.
If Democrats are Anti-jewish, why do most Jews vote for Democrats?
You’re a sad, pathetic excuse for a little man.
roccolore September 12th, 2014 at 7:01 am
Liberals smear military veterans and call them “domestic terrorists.” I’ve seen the “peace rallies” where liberals blame Jews and rally for Hamas. Liberals call anyone who criticizes ISIS “Islamophobic.”
Carla Akins September 12th, 2014 at 8:05 am
You need help. I recall the it being Republican representatives that voted to cut benefits for Vets, not Democrats. You clearly don’t understand the first amendment nor the definition of fascism. I understand local community classes are very affordable, try one.
William September 12th, 2014 at 9:49 am
Liberals smear military veterans and call them “domestic terrorists.”
You got a link to that event Sparky?
Myself and a lot of other liberal veterans would love to read that.
Thanx in advance.
roccolore September 12th, 2014 at 10:18 am
Not only were the Democrats busted for being anti-military, they were forced to apologize for their troop-bashing:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/16/napolitano-apologizes-offending-veterans-dhs-eyes-rightwing-extremism/
Shortly after the SPLC smeared veterans, Carlos Bledsoe killed a military recruiter in Arkansas and the SPLC said nothing.
William September 12th, 2014 at 10:47 am
“Not only were the Democrats busted for being anti-military, they were forced to apologize for their troop-bashing”. Nobody can force anyone to apologize for anything, that’s just more faux news BS
Your statement is the pinicale of idiocy.
It is not illegal nor even un patriotic to criticize the military. In 1971 while I attended boot camp my sister was being tear gassed during anti war protests. I think her efforts were more productive than mine.
Anti military is more about actions than words, and lets face it. The most ardent flag wavers on the side of “conservatism” are by their deeds the most anti military.
Hang around and we’ll have a chat about the drug soaked draft dodger and his “phony soldier” statement.
roccolore September 12th, 2014 at 10:54 am
You mean the phony soldier Jesse MacBeth, an icon of the anti-war movement who became a pariah after it turns out he lied about his military service?
William September 12th, 2014 at 10:58 am
Thanks for reinforcing my position.
When the left finds a phony they dismiss them. When the right finds a phony they embrace him.
roccolore September 12th, 2014 at 11:31 am
THe left defended MacBeth for a while then got embarrassed once is turned out MacBeth dropped out of basic training after 44 days, he was never in Iraq or Kuwait, and just about every video of him showed his uniform out of regulation.
William September 12th, 2014 at 10:54 am
Please explain to me the connection between Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, previously known as Carlos Leon Bledsoe, a Muslim extremist and your *snicker* Fox “news” story.
roccolore September 12th, 2014 at 11:32 am
Liberals were calling military veterans extremists while ignoring the real threat. The media tried to cover it up because the victim was white and the killer a black Muslim.
William September 12th, 2014 at 11:39 am
The media tried to cover it up because the victim was white and the killer a black Muslim.
You can prove that of course.
William September 12th, 2014 at 11:48 am
The media tried to cover it up because the victim was white and the killer a black Muslim.
Question.
Do you recall the day you stopped thinking for yourself, or was it a slow drawn out process?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/05/rick-sanchez-rips-bill-or_n_211971.html
Dwendt44 September 12th, 2014 at 12:56 am
It wasn’t/isn’t just Bush, the Republican Party, now under the control of the Tealaban is closer to the Nationalist Party than we think.
GUESS THE PARTY.
This political party is well known and has some
interesting positions. Can you guess which political
party this is:
Anti-abortion
Anti union
Wishes to criminalize homosexuality
Uses religion for it’s political purposes.
Belittles those of other cultures for ‘not fitting in’.
Demonizes those of other religions.
Considers those of other
races inferior.
Suspicious of intellectuals.
Have plan to use the public schools to teach only party approved subjects and information.
Strongly pro military to the point of bankrupting the country to building
more and more military weapons systems and directing much research into weapons and strategies.
Advocates using military might to influence the conduct of other countries.
What’s your guess?
If you guessed the Republican Party you are close but no cigar. It’s the
National Socialist Party also known as the Nazis.
Surprised? Or maybe not.
Ross Cassell September 11th, 2014 at 4:32 pm
Wow and yet anyone say anything bad about the Liberal GOD Obama and you all launch into an orgy of indignation.
whatthe46 September 11th, 2014 at 5:18 pm
because you LIE.
Ross Cassell September 11th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
I could never do that which you liberals have done so well doing.
Dwendt44 September 12th, 2014 at 12:44 am
That was a generalization, and >85% accurate.
jasperjava September 11th, 2014 at 7:16 pm
Of course. Comparing B*$h to Hitler is grossly exaggerated, but it’s essentially a matter of degree. Comparing Obama to Hitler is offensive and patently absurd.
Hitler would have sent Obama to an extermination camp; he would have gladly given Dubya a party membership (though I doubt he would have given this dumbkopf a position of responsibility.)
Ross Cassell September 11th, 2014 at 7:43 pm
Obama will be the first POTUS in which nothing is ever his fault/responsibility.. The standards are non-existent when it is your guy in office. To criticize your GOD Obama is blasphemy, yes?
majii September 11th, 2014 at 8:18 pm
I’ve never met a democrat/Obama supporter who hasn’t criticized him for something, but I’ve also never met a republican/Bush supporter who has ever had the guts to criticize him for the things he did which were wrong.
All I’ve heard from republicans since GWB left office are excuses and dodges to cover for the fact that he was a horrible chief executive. You’re so ashamed of him that not one of your 2012 presidential candidates wanted him to campaign for them. It was because of his decision to unnecessarily invade Iraq, and your support, which led to the rise of ISIS. You voted for, and supported, a president who destabilized the region, and you loved every minute of it because he “appeared” to be “strong.”
Dumbasses, focusing on optics again and not substance.
Although you’re doing everything you can to divert attention away from Pres. GWB’s horrible record of governing, history won’t be so kind to him, or you. Conversely, although you’re doing everything within your power to trash Pres. Obama, history will reward him for his accomplishments and so will your grand-kids and great grand-kids.
Ross Cassell September 11th, 2014 at 8:57 pm
and all I here is everything Obama done isn’t his fault.. I am not making excuses for Bush, but almost 1.5 terms in, when will it be Obamas fault? The problem liberals face is they expect politicians to be everything for everyone, its physically impossible.. Hence why I refer to them as starry eyed.
edmeyer_able September 11th, 2014 at 9:34 pm
Tell us, what would you like Obama to take the blame for, your poor education. The global price of oil, the drought, the fact that you aren’t able to find work because our manufacturing jobs have been shipped over seas. Go ahead type a laundry list of complaints.
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 9:40 am
Nah the first president with that magic power was Teflon Ron.
fahvel September 12th, 2014 at 3:24 am
dumb – just dumb and, er, belligerent because you have nothing to really say.
Tommy6860 September 11th, 2014 at 5:46 pm
I just can’t….!
Guest September 11th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
wow, after all the s%#*t i have seen on billboards and marquees and fox news etc etc about the president…someone is upset about this??
Skydog2 September 11th, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Keep politics out of the classroom.
majii September 11th, 2014 at 8:10 pm
I can tell you’re not a teacher. I’m a retired social studies teacher. In a social studies classroom, it’s impossible to “keep politics out of the classroom.”
Stick to what you know, not what you think you know.
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 9:39 am
I agree politics should be discussed in the classroom and teachers should feel free to state their opinions if asked, but allow the students to draw their conclusions. An assignment comparing Bush to Hitler is an obviously loaded question
Bunya September 11th, 2014 at 8:23 pm
I really can’t say anything bad about Dubya. After all, he was just the rodeo clown sent out by the GOP to take the slings and arrows for all their f*ck ups. Now, if the teacher would havewanted a comparison between Hitler and Cheney or Hitler and Rumsfeld…….
roccolore September 11th, 2014 at 9:50 pm
What about Hitler and Obama. Would that be okay?
jasperjava September 11th, 2014 at 11:17 pm
No, that’s ridiculous and offensive.
Hitler was a right-wing extremist, a hateful bigot, and a warmonger. In other words, he would have fit right in with the Tea partiers and the neo-cons in the Republican Party.
William September 12th, 2014 at 12:48 am
Also, Hitler was a painter BEFORE he invaded countries. Bush became a painter after.
Dwendt44 September 12th, 2014 at 12:49 am
And neither were good at it.
roccolore September 12th, 2014 at 6:49 am
Hitler was anti-Jewish and pro-abortionist. Hitler would fit in with you Democrats who stage “peace rallies” defending Hamas.
Norm Hull September 12th, 2014 at 9:37 am
The GOP only cares about Jews because of their insane end-times ideology that states the Jews need to be in Israel. But yeah I guess the 70% of Jews who are Democrat hate themselves. You should tell them what’s best for them
Dwendt44 September 13th, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Hitler outlawed abortions, made it a capital offense. Sounds like some right wing nut jobs I’ve heard.
Democrats are not anti-Jewish, stop listening to the talking heads on squawk radio.
roccolore September 13th, 2014 at 1:14 pm
Left-wing nut jobs support pro-abortionists like Margaret Sanger, who was a Hitler defending. They still think Kermit Gosnell is a victim.
Dwendt44 September 14th, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Response to:
Lie #1: Sanger denounced Hitler and his actions.
Lie#2: She was pro-choice, there are few, if any ‘pro abortion’ folks.
Lie#3: I doubt anyone thinks Gosnell is a victim.
Spirit of America September 12th, 2014 at 1:37 am
Both sides thinks it is ok if they are doing it to the other side, neither side thinks it is ok if it is done to them/theirs. It used to be both sides showed a bit of civility and decorum, that’s gone out the hypocrisy door….
Bunya September 12th, 2014 at 9:59 am
If Obama started an unnecessary war for profit, tortured detainees, allowed an attack inside the US, tanked the economy, spied on its own citizens and a whole host of other atrocities, then yes. I would say compare Hitler to Obama. But, since that didn’t happen (and it doesn’t look like it’s gonna happen anytime soon), there just isn’t any comparison whatsoever between Hitler and Obama. It’s like comparing apples to Ford Falcons.
Thomas Martin September 12th, 2014 at 9:28 am
Bush’s ‘strategy’ always was to be the public face of whatever company or office he had and let the ‘experts’ have the freedom do the work they were supposedly suited for. Which can work as a leadership strategy if you know how to hold them accountable for failures. He obviously did not.
majii September 11th, 2014 at 8:30 pm
The issue here is, imo, not with the assignment, but with whether it can be proved that both Hitler and GWB abused their powers of office. I’d have to examine the materials the teacher provided to the students before assigning this exercise in order to be able to make a definitive decision. If the materials provide proof that both abused the powers of their offices, this would be an acceptable assignment.
I think what has some up in arms is the idea that the teacher equates Hitler with Pres. Bush. I don’t think that is what s/he was trying to do. Since I taught social studies for 33 years and have some expertise in the area, I think s/he was trying to compare the leadership styles/actions of the two leaders.
I think some may also be offended because they are loathe to admit that all presidents have at one time or another overstepped the boundaries of their office. Historians say that Pres. Lincoln did it when he suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War, that FDR did it when he tried to “pack” the Supreme Ct. with justices who were sympathetic to his politics, that Nixon did it when he tried to cover up his role in the Watergate break-in, and so did Reagan and Oliver North in the Iran-Contra Affair.
I also think that some are upset, and may be without a valid reason since they know little/nothing about education, curriculum standards, lesson planning, or history.
roccolore September 11th, 2014 at 9:49 pm
Democrats would be demanding firings had it compared Obama to Hitler.
Dwendt44 September 12th, 2014 at 12:40 am
That’s because there is very little comparison between those two.
William September 12th, 2014 at 12:45 am
“Democrats would be demanding firings had it compared Obama to Hitler.
Because that NEVER happens.
http://www.survivalistdaily.com/obama-hitler-similarities/
fahvel September 12th, 2014 at 3:20 am
fascinating assignment!!!!!
Thomas Martin September 12th, 2014 at 9:31 am
I’m fine with an assignment asking students to critically think of how hitler came to power and compare him to another leader in history, letting them come up with their own comparison. making them do it for Bush is just setting them up to make them tell you what you want to hear. And setting yourself up for a sh*tshow
Herb Sarge Phelps September 12th, 2014 at 1:58 pm
The biggest problem in this is it cheapens the meaning of what Hitler and the Nazis were about. It really makes it easy since the comparison of current situations to the Nazis and Hitler become meaningless to most and endangers us to being vulnerable to such again. I see fascist ideas being clearly introduced, but because of the saturation of comparing everything to fascism or Nazism well meaning people who see it, fear to bring it up.
I had the chance to spend a good deal of time with a man who was Hitler Youth and SS Officer while I was stationed in Germany. I talked about Hitler, the Nazis, and what to look out for so it wouldn’t happen again, but unfortunately now I am always concerned to say so because I know many will not hear anything else.
So yeah it is unfortunate the use by the teacher, but it is even worse to dismiss things because it is used. Like in most things, continue to read or listen because there might be something missed by letting that statement turn one away.
Kmom4kids September 13th, 2014 at 11:25 pm
Hitler was an intelligent psycho who knew how to use mass indoctrination,not much off from right wing propaganda. Bus,well he needed others to think up the evil deeds.