Dallas Center-Grimes Has Some Really Fucked Up Schools

From the Des Moines Register (headline "Students convict Columbus of atrocities"):

Christopher Columbus sat in the hot seat during his trial for crimes against humanity Oct. 27 at Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School.

Eighth-graders in Joel Rankin's history class at the middle school, 1400 Vine St. in Dallas Center, put on a mock trial of Columbus. They took the side of either the defense or prosecution, researched information for their respective sides, dressed the part of witnesses or lawyers and called witnesses to prove their cases.

"It was pretty fun and I learned a lot about Christopher Columbus and what he really did," said Alec Seei, 13, of Granger, who portrayed Columbus at the trial. "I liked dressing up as Christopher Columbus and the trial part and performing it helped keep what we learned in my mind."

Rankin, of Grimes, who played the judge in the trial, said he hoped kids would learn things about Columbus they wouldn't normally read about in the average textbook.

"I'm trying to get them to think at a higher level," he said. "It's up to the kids to decide what they think of him based on their research. He did a lot of things kids aren't traditionally taught, and they might be surprised about it."

Eighth-graders searched the Internet and found information portraying Columbus not just as a great adventurer and hero, but also as a man who committed crimes against American Indians.

Students read about how the explorer allegedly brought disease and cruelty to the American Indians. Through their research, it was up to the kids to decide whether Columbus was a hero or a zero - as they put it. Columbus was convicted for crimes against humanity at the mock trial.

"I think he's a zero," said Drew Thompson, 13, of Grimes. "The textbook compliments him, but if you actually get on the Internet, it tells what really happened."

Sam Anderson, 13, of Dallas Center played the part of the lawyer for the defense.

"I had fun interviewing the witnesses," he said. "I think Columbus was a zero."

Brooks Ginn, 13, of Dallas Center said this was the most fun he's had in a class in a long time.

"It was a lot more fun than anything else I've done in school," he said. "It's so silly, it's easier to remember and you can look back and say, 'Yeah, that's what happened.' "

Chelsea Lonsdale, 14, of Dallas Center portrayed Queen Isabella during the trial. She said the hands-on method of learning helped her to retain information.

"We pay more attention because we don't have to just read it out of a book," she said. "We got to see both sides of the story - because in the book it just says he's a hero, but on the Internet it tells both sides of the story."

Travis Pullin, 13, of Adel played the part of a priest who was an acquaintance of Columbus.

"We should do more stuff like this at school," he said.

Yeah, maybe they could find some way to stage a play or mock trial about a 9/11 conspiracy theorist who believes Bush brought down the World Trade Center towers in a controlled explosion. Or the people who filmed the Apollo moon landings on some soundstage in Hollywood. Or how Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalin did really good things for their countries.

It's all on the internet. You can go look it up. Both sides, you know.

I guess these kids, or their teachers and administrators at least, agree with lunatic Jew-hater Hugo Chavez, who once blamed Christopher Columbus for mass genocide of natives. Nevermind the fact that the natives regularly conquered and ate each other before Columbus showed up on the scene.