03/7/06 - Posted from the Daily Record newsroom
Parsippany officials say H.S. mock trial of Bush crossed line
Board members blast class project; final 'testimony' to come
BY ROB JENNINGS
DAILY RECORD
PARSIPPANY -- The war crimes "trial" of President Bush in a Parsippany High School classroom is expected to conclude today with additional defense testimony from the student playing Bush, but controversy over the project is continuing.
"It clearly crossed a line," school board member Frank Calabria said Monday of the mock tribunal, in which Bush is charged with "crimes against civilian populations" and "inhumane treatment of prisoners."
Calabria said he will be asking some questions --"What occurred, how did it happen, why did it happen and exactly what are the ramifications"--when the board meets on Thursday.
"We're polarizing people in an area that we shouldn't be," said Calabria, who is running for re-election in April.
Mayor Michael Luther also criticized the trial on Monday, saying it "breeds disrespect to accuse the commander-in-chief of being a war criminal."
"My initial reaction was, I didn't like it. I thought it was too emotional and not necessarily a proper exercise ... I was not comfortable with it,"said Luther, a Democrat.
Luther thought the overall tone of the project was too rough, particularly given the involvement of high school students.
"It's a very emotional time for the country, in terms of the state of war," Luther said.
Teacher Joseph Kyle, whose advanced placement government and politics class researched the project and opened the trial Feb. 27, continued to stand by it.
"Everybody has an opinion. I don't agree," Kyle said in response to Luther's comments.
Nationwide reactions
Kyle, 37, an 8-year teacher at the high school, has been the subject of mostly critical but also some supportive feedback from across the nation since the mock tribunal was first reported in last Thursday's Daily Record.
Parsippany officials say H.S. mock trial of Bush crossed line
Board members blast class project; final 'testimony' to come
BY ROB JENNINGS
DAILY RECORD
PARSIPPANY -- The war crimes "trial" of President Bush in a Parsippany High School classroom is expected to conclude today with additional defense testimony from the student playing Bush, but controversy over the project is continuing.
"It clearly crossed a line," school board member Frank Calabria said Monday of the mock tribunal, in which Bush is charged with "crimes against civilian populations" and "inhumane treatment of prisoners."
Calabria said he will be asking some questions --"What occurred, how did it happen, why did it happen and exactly what are the ramifications"--when the board meets on Thursday.
"We're polarizing people in an area that we shouldn't be," said Calabria, who is running for re-election in April.
Mayor Michael Luther also criticized the trial on Monday, saying it "breeds disrespect to accuse the commander-in-chief of being a war criminal."
"My initial reaction was, I didn't like it. I thought it was too emotional and not necessarily a proper exercise ... I was not comfortable with it,"said Luther, a Democrat.
Luther thought the overall tone of the project was too rough, particularly given the involvement of high school students.
"It's a very emotional time for the country, in terms of the state of war," Luther said.
Teacher Joseph Kyle, whose advanced placement government and politics class researched the project and opened the trial Feb. 27, continued to stand by it.
"Everybody has an opinion. I don't agree," Kyle said in response to Luther's comments.
Nationwide reactions
Kyle, 37, an 8-year teacher at the high school, has been the subject of mostly critical but also some supportive feedback from across the nation since the mock tribunal was first reported in last Thursday's Daily Record.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/NEWS01/603070319/1005
תוקן על ידי - נאר_פריילך - 07/03/2006 17:39:01