Fox & Friends is the morning mouthpiece for right wing outrage over any attempts to introduce new and different approaches to school curriculums. And while there are those who do support educational innovation, Roger Ailes does not and his "morning happy-talk show that Ailes uses as one of his primary vehicles to inject his venom into the media bloodstream" makes it abundantly clear by their framing of the issues as "The Trouble With Schools." Yesterday, the Murdoch right wing tabloid rag, "The NY Post" reported that OMG, NY schools will be introducing age appropriate books about war to third graders. One of the books is a true story about an Iraqi librarian who saved books from American bombs. While the books are not required reading, some parents are outraged and surprise, surprise, one of the parents showed up on Murdoch's right wing tabloid network, Fox News where she was validated by Steve Doocy who doesn't think that kids should know about scary stuff like war - which, in the case of the Iraq war, was celebrated by Fox & Friends.

This morning, after the graphic "The Trouble With Schools" (phrase written on a blackboard) was shown, Doocy reinforced the troublesome nature of the books: "Talk about trouble with our schools, many parents in New York are up in arms this morning about a plan to teach third graders about war." He reported that "school leaders have approved curriculum from a scary new book that illustrates graphic bombings, abductions, guys with guns and many things that aren't meant for children many feel, especially if they are as young as third grade." The chyron reinforced the agitprop: "War in the Classroom 3rd Grade Book Features Disturbing Drawings." He introduced his guest, Maureen Santora, a former school teacher and parent of a man who died on 9-11. What is interesting is that Ms. Santora was one of those who vehemently opposed the so called "Ground Zero Mosque" and who spoke out against it during a rally organized by Islamophobe Pam Geller.

Doocy asked her what she thought about these "new books that sound pretty scary." She responded that they were not age appropriate. The chyron: " 'Explosive'  Curriculum, Children Could Be Shown Drawings of Bombs." He described a scene from "The Librarian of Basra" without noting that it was a true story. He quoted the line which, considering the bombing that took place in Iraq, was true to life: "Who among us will die."

After reading a statement from the school chancellor, in support of the books, Santora opined that the books would be more appropriate for Jr. high or high school. Doocy said "sure" and nodded his head as she spoke about how many parents don't let their children see violent events on TV. If, as reported in a Rolling Stones article about Fox, Ailes meets with the Fox & Friends staff before each program and gives them "the daily structured talking points," the word "scary" must have been part of the spin because Doocy responded, "If you introduce scary things too early to a kid, they're be worried is that gonna happen to me."

As usual, Fox & Friends omitted key details such as the fact that these books are not required reading and that teachers are free to use them or not. Doocy didn't mention that a psychologist feels that war is best introduced to children in a classroom.

What really is troublesome is that while Steve Doocy says that talk of bombs is scary, he was never concerned about real scary bombs which killed and maimed Iraqi children during the war against "the bad guys" for which he was one of the head cheerleaders!

 Some Illustrations from the book found here.