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Originally Posted by magictoy
Which is why your invocation of Godwin is inaccurate. Here is an example of a Godwin-esque statement:
Conservative: The Patriot Act has prevented a terrorist attack on American soil for the last 5 years.
Liberal: And Hitler made the trains run on time!!! (It was actually Mussolini, but you get the idea.)
Here is the type of statement that you confuse for a Godwin: "Hitler was a highly significant figure in the 20th century."
If you wish to continue to try to suppress any reference to Hitler, Nazis, or World War II, I suppose you are welcome to your philosophy, illogical as it may be. However, I will not avoid mentioning his name for fear that someone will type "Godwin! Godwin!" once their knee stops jerking.
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"As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one." Read that a few times, and soak it in. Did your comparison involve Hitler? Yes. You can banter all you want, but that fact doesn't change. Godwin is a much broader law than you suggest.
Also, you weren't talking about Hitler being a highly significant figure. You were comparing flag burning to dressing up like Hitler. Besides being rather silly, that is a Godwin, pure and simple. By trying to connect flag burning to Nazisim and Hitler (and you can't possibly deny that), you evoked the strong political and emotional feelings about WWII.
//end threadjack
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Originally Posted by magictoy
Now let's reduce the argument to the subject matter.
Is it your position that teachers should be allowed to burn flags, but NOT to appear in class in blackface, or dressed as Hitler?
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Actually, I think that any teacher willing to think outside the lesson plan should be commended. So long as it's clear that the teacher isn't racist while wearing the black face paint, and he or she isn't a Nazi when wearing a Hitler costume, and most importanty so long as it's clear that the teacher is trying to teach important lessons to these kids, I will be happy. How can we learn about our history - and thus ourselves, when we shield ourselves from the nasty stuff? I say that unorthodox teaching can be benificial to students, most of which are apathetic towards learning because of the nature of the public school program. If more teachers did stuff like this, I'd be willing to bet more students would pay attention.
Admittedly, it is the acquisition of attention through shock, but if all else has failed it is a good option.
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Originally Posted by magictoy
Either some things are too offensive occur in classrooms, or to paraphrase Orwell, "Some animals are more offensive than others."
So far, you appear to support taking selective offense. I think classrooms should not take political sides, and none of the above should occur there.
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I do not take offence to dressing up like Hitler, but I do know a Godwin when I see it. I recognize that just because I have no problem with either flag burning or dressing up like Hitler, the same may not be true of others. Connecting flag burning to Nazism and/or Hitler is extreeme, and that needed to be made clear.