how you earn the right to sit at a desk

[Guest dlstewart01]

>

> A lesson

> that should be taught

> in all schools . . and colleges!

>

> Back in

> September of 2005, on

> the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies

> school teacher at

> Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to

> be forgotten. On the

> first day of school, with the permission of the school

> superintendent, the

> principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of

> the desks out of her

> classroom.

>

>

> When the

> first period kids

> entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

> 'Ms. Cothren, where

> are our desks?'

>

> She

> replied, 'You can't have a

> desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a

> desk.'

>

> They

> thought, 'Well, maybe it's

> our grades..'

>

> 'No,' she

> said.

>

> 'Maybe it's our

> behavior.'

>

> She told

> them, 'No, it's not

> even your behavior..'

>

> And so,

> they came and went, the

> first period, second period, third period. Still no desks

> in the

> classroom.

>

> By early

> afternoon television

> news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's

> classroom to report about this

> crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her

> room.

>

> The final

> period of the day came

> and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the

> deskless classroom,

> Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has

> been able to tell me just

> what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the

> desks that are

> ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell

> you.'

>

> At this

> point, Martha Cothren

> went over to the door of her classroom and opened

> it.

>

> Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans,

> all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one

> carrying a school desk.

> The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then

> they would walk over

> and stand

> along the side

> the wall. By the time

> the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids

> started to

> understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just

> how the right to sit

> at those desks had been earned.

>

> Martha

> said, 'You didn't earn

> the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for

> you. They placed the

> desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them.

> It is your

> responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good

> citizens. They paid the

> price so that you could have the freedom to get an

> education. Don't

> ever

> forget

> it.'

>

> By the

> way, this is a true

> story. Martha Cothren is the daughter of a WW2

> POW.

[LagerHead]

Awesome story. And just so everybody knows, it's verified true by snopes.com.

snopes.com: Veterans Return Desks

[Guest db99wj]

Very nice.

[Jasongar8]

I have read this a few times and still enjoy it when I see it.

[Guest sgtrutledge]

[nightrunner]

awesome

[Punisher84]

I always liked the e-mail, love it more now that I know it's true!

[Trekbike]

Thanks for the post.

So many more things we enjoy are tied to what veterans have done, and continue to do for us.

[hipower]

If that dosen't make you misty-eyed, how can you say you truly appreciate our servicemen?

[Guest Arko]

Good story. Thanks.

[pitt2magic]

Very nice, thanks for sharing that story.

[Chazmr]

Great story. I've seen it once before but had forgotten about it.

Thanks for reminding me.

[Guest TOWgunner in TN]

thank you for that story....and thank a veteran when u see one, they will like it. I know I will!!