Lesson One: Revolution!: Dan Starney Novels, #1

By Stuart J. Whitmore

Confident that he understands what the founding fathers wanted and that the US has gone astray, and determined to restore liberty to the land, high school history teacher Dan Starney is willing to break the law to recruit his best students to his cause. He doesn't want a bloody revolution, but leaving the bloated federal government in place is not an option. When he is unwittingly drawn into the public spotlight as part of a school controversy, Dan feels the need to speed up his plans, but he's not sure what to do about Karena.

Math teacher Karena Walsh has little interest in politics, unlike her late father. When she starts to suspect that Dan is doing something unethical and possibly dangerous, she decides to secretly find out what she can. As she learns more about Dan, her goal of investigating him starts to conflict with her growing romantic feelings toward him, and she finds more than her career and reputation at risk.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crenel Books
• Release date: Feb 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9780996125819

Book preview

Chapter 1

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Political bias. Dan Starney paused to scan his class for a slacker to pick on. They were mostly seniors, along with some advanced juniors, and one particularly bookish sophomore. His own graying hair left no doubt that he was well ahead of them in years, but he still looked young enough that it might have surprised an onlooker that he was in his early fifties.

What is it, Mr. Starney continued, and should teachers teach with it, about it, both, or neither? As he expected, most of the teenagers either looked dazed or else shifted uncomfortably in their seats. It was that kind of question, the kind that few would want to take a stab at, especially on a Monday. It was too ambiguous, and Mr. Starney enjoyed his reputation for putting students on the spot to defend their answers.

Mr. Starney knew five students would raise their hands—four male, one female—and he already decided he would ignore them. They probably knew it, but slowly their hands went up as the silence of the unanswered question became uncomfortable. Mr. Starney glanced minimally at them, then focused on another student who was not looking dazed nor shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Katie, should we call the coroner, or the corner espresso stand?

A murmur of suppressed giggles rolled across the classroom as Katie’s fellow students saw that she was clearly dozing behind her now-drooping textbook. The young man seated behind Katie kicked her chair gently, then again with more force since the first kick had no effect. Katie’s eyelids and book rose abruptly and she looked around. Um, what was the question?

We were talking about political bias, Mr. Starney replied airily. Perhaps you’d like to pay attention in case this topic comes up on a test, during which I hope you will not be snoozing. The young woman glared at him, but her teacher moved on to his next victim. Kyle, he said, turning toward the other side of the classroom, perhaps you’d like to explain political bias and share your views on what role, if any, it should play in how a teacher instructs his or her students at the high school level.

The young man named Kyle sat up a bit more in his chair and gave a disrespectful roll of his eyes. "It’s when people lie to promote their beliefs. Teachers should teach about it, but the lame teachers in this school teach with it."

Ah, Mr. Starney nodded with a faint grin. Lies and poor quality teachers. That wraps it up in a nutshell! Despite how much his students seemed to generally dislike him, a few more quiet snickers could be heard. Indeed, there are some poor quality teachers in this world who will lie to their students to push their political agendas. A friend’s daughter, for example, once had a teacher who taught her class that ‘liberals are on the left, Republicans are on the right, and Democrats are in the center.’ Blatantly false and clearly biased, to be certain. But I’m afraid it’s not that simple. At least you’ve given us a starting point, though, so I’ll give you a participation point for that. What is a lie, Kyle?

It’s when you don’t tell the truth. Duh.

Mr. Starney turned to the world map at the front of his class and pointed to Italy. Benito Mussolini, he said simply, before turning back to his students. If you ask people these days about the leader of Italy during World War II, you’ll hear what a bad man he was. And, truly, he and his government did some awful things. But, also truly, some good things were done under his rule. As they say, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, so I suppose even Mussolini could accomplish some good. Maybe by accident or unintended side-effect, but still, good is good. Are you following me, Kyle?

Kyle slumped back in his chair. Yeah, I guess so.

Now, if our discussion in this class about Italy during World War II just included the good things, which truly did happen, and I never mentioned anything bad about Mussolini and his followers, would I be lying, Kyle?

No, I guess not.

Would I be showing political bias? A slight smile danced across Mr. Starney’s face when Kyle didn’t respond. Class, it seems Kyle has lost his voice. Would I be showing political bias if I only told you good facts about Mussolini’s reign and failed to mention the bad things he did?

Yes, Mr. Starney, the class responded together.

Before Mr. Starney could continue, he and his students heard a light tapping on his classroom door. They all looked to the source and saw the face of a young female teacher smiling in the window and giving a little wave to Mr. Starney. He nodded and beckoned for her to enter.

What can I do for you, Miss Walsh? Mr. Starney asked. His colleague was a petite and pretty young woman, whom he guessed to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Her blonde hair was drawn back in a simple ponytail and her clothes were more conservative than those worn by most of the other female teachers in Branner Glen High School. Mr. Starney did not know her very well, for she taught in the Math department and there were few interactions between her department and the History and Social Studies department.

I’m sorry to interrupt, Miss Walsh answered with a friendly smile. After this period, there is going to be a short meeting in the Romeo room. You and I have been asked to attend.

Mr. Starney raised his eyebrows. We have? That’s odd.

I can’t go into details right now, Miss Walsh answered, slightly inclining her head toward the students who were watching their conversation, but in general I can say that I think we’ve been ‘volunteered’ for something.

OK, he answered with a shrug and a dismissive gesture, whatever the school wants. I will see you there. Good thing I have a planning period next.

Miss Walsh nodded. I do too. It’s probably not a coincidence. Sorry again for interrupting. Without further discussion, she turned and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Hey hey, Mr. Starney, spoke up one of the male students in the front row, "meeting Miss Walsh in the Romeo room!"

Mr. Starney grimaced. It was the English department that convinced the school to name our meeting rooms after literary characters, and that’s the one I am least pleased with.

With which you are least pleased? one of the young women piped up with a smirk.

This is Advanced US History, not English, Mr. Starney shook his head. Political bias was the topic, I believe.

I’d like to meet Miss Walsh in the Romeo room, another young man said in a stage whisper to his neighbor.

Mr. Starney looked at the young man and narrowed his eyes. Aaron, I realize you might see the faculty as being fairly relaxed here at BGHS, but I made it clear on the first day of school that I do not take such a casual approach to student/teacher relations, and I expect all students in my class to show a reasonable level of respect to the faculty and staff of the school. Besides, he paused and grinned slightly, I don’t think you’re quite in her league.

Why, because I’m black? the young man named Aaron challenged sharply.

No, Mr. Starney said evenly, because you’re probably at least ten years younger than she is and, unlike her, you do not have a college degree. It has nothing to do with what you refer to as being ‘black.’ And really, what does that mean, anyway?

Aaron’s eyes widened. What? You gotta be kidding me! You don’t know what it means to be black?

Oh, don’t get me wrong, Mr. Starney shook his head. I’m a history teacher. I know very well what you meant when you said it, but that’s not my question. I’m questioning the very concept behind categorizing people, especially based on things they cannot choose and are generally permanent. I’m questioning inaccurate labels. You can’t choose your genetic background, it’s permanent, and it doesn’t say much of relevance about you. Your skin is obviously not black any more than mine is white, so those labels are just misguided and misleading tools of convenience, applied by those too lazy or stupid to see and understand individual characteristics. Inaccurate labels enforcing meaningless categories … and how much of our human history is defined and polluted by this mindlessness?

The students in his class just stared. It wasn’t unusual for Mr. Starney to show a peculiar passion about a topic, but usually it was about how a seemingly-irrelevant decision in history had an effect lasting right up through the current day. This was decidedly different. He was getting warmed up and although he knew he was treading on thin ice, he intended to press on. However, before he could say another word, one hand was raised amid the sea of stares. It was one of his five star students, but this time the hand caught him by surprise. Mr. Starney merely gestured to the student, a young man named Trevor.

Is this an example of political bias? Trevor asked evenly.

Mr. Starney raised one eyebrow and said nothing for a moment. Is it? he then asked in return. Let me ask this, Trevor: Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

Uh, I guess it’s a vegetable, Trevor answered, seeming confused by the topic shift.

Is that an example of food bias? Mr. Starney asked.

Food bias?

A tomato, Trevor’s teacher announced, is a fruit. If you call it a vegetable, you are miscategorizing it. You are putting an inaccurate label on something and in doing so communicating a falsehood about it. If I point out that your label is inaccurate, am I showing a bias or am I correcting inaccuracy?

Aaron shook his head, catching Mr. Starney’s attention. But I’m not a tomato, he commented, resulting in a few nervous giggles among the students who were showing far more interest in the class now that tensions were rising. "And being ‘black’ is not just about skin color. You don’t have to tell me that my skin technically isn’t black, I can see that. But there’s a culture, a heritage to it. You say you understand, but I don’t think you do."

Mr. Starney nodded. A culture. I’m pretty sure I follow you on that, Aaron. Styles of music, styles of dress, styles of speech … but how much of that is caused and enforced by categorization? How limited are you, how limited are we all, by pointless categories hung around our necks like yokes? Who would you be, and what would you become, if you didn’t have friends, family, and society telling you what is expected of you to fit in the category they assigned to you? If you prefer aspects of another category and people find out, they’ll tell you that you’re not living up to your heritage, but is this not just their insistence that you conform to the constraints of their categorization?

Categories are important, spoke up a young woman from the back of the room. They enable efficiency. Without categories, we would waste time repeatedly discovering the same facts.

An astute observation, Hannah, Mr. Starney nodded, but this can only be true if the categories are both meaningful and accurate. If a category is accurate but not meaningful, or meaningful but not accurate, does it enable efficiency or is it simply a burden on the efficiency you seek? Let’s categorize you, for example. I can categorize you as a high school student, which is accurate and somewhat meaningful. If I knew your GPA, I might be able to categorize you, with less accuracy but still perhaps with meaning, by your motivation, discipline, and intelligence. But what if I classify you as a turtle? It would be meaningful if it was accurate, but it’s not. And what if I classify you as a girl?

A young woman, you mean? Hannah shot back, arching her eyebrows.

Mr. Starney smiled. As you wish. But what if I do classify you as a young woman? We can assume it is accurate, but is it meaningful? Apart from limited scopes such as health care, it’s mostly irrelevant. Think of it this way: Do you want to be known as a female BGHS student or as Hannah? Hannah opened her mouth to reply, but instead the loud buzzing of the bell announced the end of class. Mr. Starney’s students knew better than to rush for the door. Write two paragraphs about political bias. See you tomorrow.

As the youth in the room collected their belongings and headed toward the door, Dan Starney stashed some loose papers from the top of his desk into a top drawer and locked it. After the last of his students were gone, he grabbed his jacket and left the room, locking his door behind him. There were still quite a few students in the halls, moving faster as the time for the next bell loomed, so he walked at a casual pace and let the students dodge around him. Dan was in no hurry to attend the meeting itself, but he was eager to have it over with. As Karena Walsh suggested, it was likely that they were being roped in to some task for which nobody would volunteer. He hoped it would be both trivial and non-disruptive to his schedule.

Dan, come in, Ed Roberts, the school’s principal, greeted Dan as he opened the door to the Romeo conference room. Dan quickly surveyed the other people in the room and just as quickly changed his mind about the potential triviality of whatever the school intended. In addition to Ed and Karena, Dan recognized members of the school board, and there was another man who Dan guessed might be a lawyer. Glad you could join us. Please, have a seat next to Karena.

Dan closed the door behind him and sat down at the conference table next to Karena. He looked at the others present, each of whom seemed stiff or uncomfortable, and he made no effort to keep private his comment to the young math teacher. I take it we’re not being asked to chaperone the next dance. Karena Walsh smiled briefly but said nothing.

No, Ed responded with a strained chuckle, unfortunately we have more serious things to discuss today. As the meeting proceeded, Dan learned that one of the art teachers, Paul Johnson, had his first gallery opening over the weekend. The dominant topic of his work, previously unseen by anyone at the school, was male homosexuality.

Branner Glen was not a small town, but it wasn’t New York either, and the gallery exhibit caused quite a stir in certain circles. It wasn’t the type of news that would normally catch Dan’s attention, but it seemed that Karena was already aware of it. Some parents were insisting that Mr. Johnson remove himself from school or be removed by the school, and there were rumors that there might be some picketing of both the art gallery and the school.

Attention from the press could not be avoided, and that was where Dan and Karena fit into the picture. The school and district did not want to take an official position on the controversy yet, so they were putting off requests for statements, yet they still wanted to be able to provide some unofficial, and deniable, communication. Dan and Karena were selected by the school as being uncontroversial enough, and with sufficient free time since they weren’t actively involved in after-school programs, to speak to the press and provide school-guided comments.

When Ed was done presenting the situation, Dan glanced briefly at Karena and saw that her expression was pointedly neutral. Well, he commented slowly, "I suppose this approach is not too uncommon, but aside from questions of journalistic integrity, it also impinges on our integrity if we are saying

Reviews for Lesson One

[centauri272 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dan Starney, a US history teacher, and Karena Walsh, a math teacher, are asked by the school board to give "unofficial" comments to the press about a topic bothering that same board.From then on, their lives are turned upside down. Everything Dan says and does is subject to interpretation, and Karena discovers her patriot side... The whole situation slowly gets out of control.Even if Stuart J. Whitmore wrote a fiction, this story could be true. It's shocking to see how, in today's society, you have to be careful about everything. Is privacy still allowed or is your own life everyone's business?Dan and Karena, the school board, even the students have their own point of view. And appearances can be deceiving...!The ending is quite abrupt, leaving some questions without an answer.I really liked this book about "normal" people in a "normal" society!!