Song about Islam wasn't meant to offend, Ocean View school district says after parent airs concerns

[exboyfil]

Thoughts about this. I think the song is inappropriate, and I would like to get a look at the curriculum which sanctions it.



http://www.latimes.com/socal/hb-independent/news/tn-hbi-me-1120-ocean-view-song-20151120-story.html

In the Spring View Middle School social studies class, lyrics to the melody of "Fight Song" by pop artist Rachel Platten were changed to include key concepts on Islam. Singing the lyrics was meant to help with memorization, according to a public statement district Supt. Carol Hansen issued Wednesday.

The modified lyrics read: "Like a sandstorm, On the desert, Sending camels, Into motion. Like how a single faith, Can make a heart open, They might only have one God, But they can make an explosion."

[KittyWampus]

1. Totally inappropriate.

"they can make an explosion".

That's like saying Christians can make huge, family sized gas ovens (sorry, but I just read the thread about Holocaust papers uncovered in Budapest.

[exboyfil]

2. That too but even without that statement

I am not sure about singing a song with doctrinal content. I see it as a violation of the 1st Amendment. It is one thing to teach the tenants of Islam, and even then care should be taken to do it as part of an understanding of history and culture, and it is another thing to border on a praise song of any religion.

[Arugula Latte]

3. This is a public school I take it? Why are they singing about God and "faith"? THAT is what is

completely inappropriate. I have no problem with kids learning about different mythology systems and how they have impacted history and so on, but their lyrics are oddly complimentary towards this particular mythology. It would be like singing "and accepting Jesus can make a heart open" -- total bullshit that should be off limits for public schools.

[exboyfil]

4. Yes definitely

It is coming through Fox News and a Facebook from one of my right wing friends. If it was Christian lyrics expressing the same sentiment, then it would be viewed as a praise song.

The apology was ridiculous. Offending is not the issue. What happened in the world should not make a difference to the curriculum either (a recent ISIS attack).

[lindysalsagal]

5. These days it's smarter in schools to keep your distance altogether

Schools need to make children feel safe, and bringing up any part of something frightening that's been all over the news is asking for confrontation.

Not putting an opinion on this particular circumstance, I'm just thinking that children will associate the wrong idea about just about anything, if they connect things together.

If there are muslim kids in that school, I feel it's better to leave the whole thing out so that school can be a break from all of the fear mongering.

Some families are telling their children really improper, hateful things, and they'll get everything mixed up together. There are so many avenues for misunderstanding, and children often take bits and pieces of larger ideas without understanding the whole.

I'm not sure why any student would even need to memorize the principles of a religion in a public school.

[6chars]

6. Original lyrics

(you can see the modification is not very clever)

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep
Everybody's worried about me
In too deep
Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)
And it's been two years
I miss my home
But there's a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe

And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

A lot of fight left in me

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion

This is my fight song (Hey!)
Take back my life song (Hey!)
Prove I'm alright song (Hey!)
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me

No I've still got a lot of fight left in me

[exboyfil]

7. Would it be a copyright infringement to use the music

from this song with the modified lyrics? The article says the lesson was in conformance to the state and district standards (I don't know if that was true), but I wonder if the song was a creation of the teacher or contained in the standards or some sort of workbook created to support the standards.

Reporters do not know how to ask the right questions. If it is a creation of the teacher, then correcting the teacher and moving on should be sufficient. If it is included in the standards, then we have a much bigger problem?

[6chars]

8. yes.

even modified lyrics would be copyright infringement - a derivative work.

[Igel]

10. Assuming no "fair use" provisions exist still.

Did the damned rat manage to dispose of those?

Given the passive, it's hard to know if a student did this, if the teacher did this, if it was done by a publisher or another teacher and shared (not for profit) or from a "teachers pay teachers" website.

[Igel]

9. So do we assume that the kids would understand the context.

At least better than the pundits on DU and many of their parents?

Because as with many other things that are deemed offensive, the problem isn't in the intent but in the "deeming." People continually take what's not offered, and then get all defensive when it's pointed out that they wallowed in outrage before seeking knowledge and understanding. ("Don't judge me." No, of course not, one doesn't judge the judges. We should kneel before our superiors, after all.)

The rest of the rewording really depends on context, as well. Islam spread through conquest, over a short period of time. Schools these days are all but commanded to teach not "safe zones" by way of avoiding anything controversial but trying to teach what religions "really" teach in order to forestall any criticism. (Except Xianity, of course; schools engage in compulsory flagellation over that.)