Letter writers pontificate about idiot

Letters are up at the Post and News about Overland High School geography teacher Jay Bennish, whose often falsetto anti-American rant to a class was recorded by one of his students.

The Post ran an all-Bennish letters column Saturday. Eleven defended him, four wanted to shoot out his beastly liver. Here's a supporter:

To follow in the footsteps of our esteemed leader, I'd like to take a pre-emptive strike [Ha! Well played, laddie!] against conservative squawking over the Overland High School teacher ranting about President Bush. I went to high school during the Clinton era, in one of the wealthiest, whitest, most conservative suburbs of Pittsburgh. Many of my teachers (in government classes as well as other subjects) would often go on belabored "rants" about President Clinton and other conservative pet issues. Did this influence my Weltanschauung? Probably not - I grew up to be a socialist. I only say this to illustrate that students have greater critical thinking abilities than some assume. They can make up their own minds. . . .--Leslie C. Volkar, Denver.

Well my Weltanschauung has certainly been influenced (even slightly aroused), Leslie! But get that Leslie says his socialism, of all things, shows that dumb high school kids have "greater critical thinking abilities than some assume." (By the way, I just assumed Leslie is a guy. Oink!)

Here's another for Bennish:

Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish said that capitalism is a system "at odds with human rights"; that he found similarities between statements in President Bush's State of the Union address and statements by Adolf Hitler; and the U.S. was "probably the single most violent nation" on Earth. You may disagree with these ideas, but they are intellectually tenable.

Yeah, sure (scroll down three or four to "BoltsFanInSanAntone").

One more:

. . . .As far as comparing anyone to Adolf Hitler, I suggest people read "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" by William L. Shirer. Hitler's "fear" campaigns are so much like the current administration's way of handling post-Sept. 11 and Bush's handling of the Iraq war and his terrorists threats [double sic, at least], this country wouldn't be where it is. It's called opening your mind to other opinions.--Linda J. Rudzinskas, Lone Tree.

So which of Hitler's "fear" campaigns are you thinking of, Linda J. Rudzinksas of Lone Tree, Colorado? Let's see, the best known are the Night of the Long Knives, the Reichstag fire, and Kristallnacht. (My fave, though, has always been the Exhibition of Degenerate Art.) What actions of Bush's do you believe compare to those, Linda, and why? Be specific, please.

All kidding aside though, Linda: you're an idiot. And the Post was an idiot for publishing your letter.

Sullen refusal

I've decided not to quote any of the anti-Bennish letters. They're not nearly as fun. And the News, which has been all over the story (duh), hasn't posted its letters page for March 4 and 5, so who knows what they're getting (except that March 6 has two, one for, one agin').

Update: Shirer, in The Nightmare Years (I think), tells of how he instantly became famous when he reported live over CBS while a girl with shaved head was paraded through the streets of Vienna (just after the Anschluss) for sleeping with a Jew. Linda Rudzinskas of Lone Tree seems to think such things happen in Bushitler's Amerikkka all the time.

Update II: I've just decided that Rudzinskas of Lone Tree will be the title of a series of Westerns I will definitely write some day. Hey, that's how Elmore Leonard got started.

Update III: Speaking of things Jewish, the name "Bennish" is amazingly close to the Yiddish nebbish, ain't it?