What's Wrong with Teaching Kids Compassion?
Monday November 3, 2003
In Sacramento, California, an unusual new charter school, to be founded on principles of "kindness, compassion, respect, and consideration for all humans, all species, and the environment," has become the object of controversy. While some parents believe that children who learn compassion for all creatures at an early age will grow up to be responsible members of society, others view the new school as a tool of animal rights groups.
Debra Saunders, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, calls the Humane Education Learning Community charter school Vegan elementary, and goes on to say, "If you took all failed, trendy education bureaucrat ideas, packaged them in a school and put radical animal-rights activists in charge of it, you'd end up with something like the Humane Education Learning Community..."
Karen Dawn, of Dawnwatch, and Jim Willis, author of "Pieces of my Heart," and animal advocate, each wrote their responses to Saunder's critical article.
The charter petition for the school says in part, "People who are trained to extend justice, kindness and mercy to animals become more just, kind and considerate in their relations with each other."
I ask, not entirely rhetorically, "What is wrong with that?"
More articles on the charter school controversy:Sacramento Bee Taxpayers Against Agendas in Public Schools 'Untrue Drivel'
Teaching Kids Respect for Animals on this site: Start at Home to Make a Global Difference Kids and Cats Photo Album Other Resources on Kids and Cats
More from Jim Willis: Excerpts from Pieces of my Heart Review of Pieces of my Heart Killing with Kindness Campaign
Debra Saunders, columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, calls the Humane Education Learning Community charter school Vegan elementary, and goes on to say, "If you took all failed, trendy education bureaucrat ideas, packaged them in a school and put radical animal-rights activists in charge of it, you'd end up with something like the Humane Education Learning Community..."
Karen Dawn, of Dawnwatch, and Jim Willis, author of "Pieces of my Heart," and animal advocate, each wrote their responses to Saunder's critical article.
The charter petition for the school says in part, "People who are trained to extend justice, kindness and mercy to animals become more just, kind and considerate in their relations with each other."
I ask, not entirely rhetorically, "What is wrong with that?"
More articles on the charter school controversy:
Teaching Kids Respect for Animals on this site:
More from Jim Willis:
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