Courier gets an earful about 'Trump Effect' article

The Pike County Courier received an unusually high number of responses on its Facebook page in response to the article, "Educators: 'Trump Effect' is increasing classroom bullying," submitted by the National Education Association (NEA) and published in the Courier's Oct. 14 edition (see: http://bit.ly/2fEyCba). The Courier posted the article on Facebook on Oct. 18 and asked readers: "We'd love to hear from local teachers and students. Have you been experiencing the phenomenon described here by the National Educational Association?"
Only two responses out of about 40 answered the question, and we've included them below. The other comments expressed fury that the Courier would include the article at all. Lynne Edgar, for example, wrote: "REALLY DISAPPOINTED in reading this BIASED article. I, too, receive this newspaper and feel it's a sad state of affairs when this type of article surfaces."
Here are the two responses that addressed the question posed:
Theresa Grant: I feel that our kids are just as caring and patient and compassionate as ever. Actually, our kids are very tolerant of each other and different personalities and different kinds of people. And I've never heard them speak negatively about special needs kids either...in fact, it's the opposite. They are very friendly and inclusive with them.
Jennifer Wentworth: One of the more disturbing issues in my classroom was when a kindergarten boy turned to the girl next to him and said "Once Trump gets elected, your family will have to go back where they came from. He's building a wall to keep you guys out, you know." The girl is not an illegal immigrant and neither is her family, not like a 5 year old boy would know that. He was obviously just parroting what he hears at home. Please be careful of what you say around your kids at home everyone! They are sponges and understand more than you think.
Check out the Courier's Facebook page to see the many other reader responses.