a member of a class of serfs in ancient Sparta, intermediate in status between slaves and citizens.

• a serf or slave.**

"Therefore, Pausanias calls them "slaves of the commonwealth". Strabo of Amasia says they were "some sort of public slaves", and other authors say they were a category between slaves and free people. Perhaps the best approach is to leave the niceties for what they are, and simply define helots as a class of unfree laborers."*

Consider this article by CLICKING here: (The video in question appears at end of post)

" The parent, who asked not to be named out of fear that her daughter could be ostracized or get a lower class grade, told The Pilot that she contacted the division and police after her daughter described the leaflet and video.

"She came home recently and said, 'You won't believe what we are learning in Government. They are teaching us how to hide our drugs,' " the parent recounted.

Last week, an Oakwood Elementary School employee was placed on leave with pay in connection with the distribution of plastic fetus models to children, which division leaders also considered unauthorized material. Oakwood's principal was also put on leave in connection with the incident, and an investigation is continuing."

------

If a teacher exposed your kids to this video - THEY ARE FRIEND NOT FOE. Teachers with such courage should be given a pay raise and a promotion. The video presents an extreme example - but only for the sake of argument - to show the degree to which knowing ones rights can keep one out of trouble.

Teaching kids to mindlessly obey ANYONE - and yes that goes for police - ignores the possibility that the person wearing the uniform may not even be a police officer, but an imposter. By training young people to blindly put their hands up the moment a person in a uniform tells them to the child turns from Spartan to Helot.

" In fact, the creation of a great number of helots in Messenia caused great problems and led to the introduction of a strict military discipline among the Spartans, who became a specialized military class. They had to be permanently on their guard, and it is not surprising, therefore, that their magistrates (the ephors) declared war upon the Messenians every year. If a member of the Spartan elite happened to kill a helot, it was not considered to be murder but an act of war. Other acts of violence and terror are recorded, and it seems that Spartan society as a whole suffered from a permanent fear of a helot rebellion. Probably, the helots outnumbered their masters by some seven to one." *

Citizens must ASSERT their rights in order to have them. And in order to ASSERT those rights they must KNOW their rights. The teachers presenting this information were challenging the students to look at the bigger picture, the more adult picture, the picture that must be taken into consideration by the CITIZEN.

Obviously a SLAVE need not bother themselves with such high-minded things as UNALIENABLE RIGHTS. The school seems too weak to stand up for those bold enough to lead the way toward citizenship - and in so doing, punishes excellence - encouraging mediocrity. Now that I'm thinking about it - they'd might as well not even bother teaching the students to read: What for if they are going to be slaves anyway? So they can read the corporate policy manual telling them when to piss in a cup for their illegal drug test? Or keep quiet like a good little slave because we've now declared free speech is a privilege and can therefore deny it to you?

privilege |ˈpriv(ə)lij|

noun

a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people : education is a right, not a privilege | he has been accustomed all his life to wealth and privilege.

• something regarded as a rare opportunity and bringing particular pleasure : I have the privilege of awarding you this scholarship.

• (also absolute privilege) (in a parliamentary context) the right to say or write something without the risk of incurring punishment or legal action for defamation.

• the right of a lawyer or official to refuse to divulge confidential information.

• chiefly historical a grant to an individual, corporation, or place of special rights or immunities, esp. in the form of a franchise or monopoly.**

Look at this recent article called Bloggers Beware – They’re Coming After You! by Rep. Tom Price of Georgia. I don't want to get into the political motivations of the Congressman here - but at least he is sounding a warning bell:

" Just when you thought it was safe to start expressing your right to free speech, Democrats in Congress are gearing up for a vote on a new piece of legislation to blatantly undermine the First Amendment. Known as the DISCLOSE Act (HR 5175), this bill – written by the head of the Democrats’ congressional campaign committee – is their response to the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In short, the Supreme Court found that the government could not restrict the free speech rights of individuals or other entities wishing to participate in the political dialogue.

... For many bloggers to exercise their free speech rights, they would have to jump through the same onerous new hoops as many businesses, nonprofit groups, and even such threats to democracy as your local chamber of commerce. If this sounds like an absurd overreach by one party in power, I invite you to take a look at their government takeover of health care, taxpayer-funded bailouts, and general hostility to private sector economic growth."

How many students know that this is unconstitutional? How many students, who are supposed to become citizens, would say:

"Hey pal - you can't restrict my freedom of speech because it is against the foundations upon which my country was built?"

How many would do anything about it when the example set for them by their school is to cave in, knuckle under and cower when uninformed critics start crying about UNPOPULAR methods used to wise-up some would-be chumps? Is that the goal? To stamp out chumps so we can keep our stinkin' job at a crappy school?

Getting back to the blind obedience to a uniform: If you think ALL police are such noble servants watch the following video if you haven't seen it already.

When they say "survive" a police encounter - they are NOT kidding!

americansjourney.blogspot.com/2010/05/two-norfolk-teachers-put-on-leave-over.html