Last week in this column we lamented the lack of free speech at Harvard's Red University, and now I find myself confronted with a dilemma, because now I want to limit the speech of a high school teacher in Colorado. But, is there actually a problem between my advocating for free speech among faculty members at an Ivy League school, and restricting the speech of a high school teacher in the classroom? The facts concerning the high school teacher's suspension for comparing President Bush to Hitler need to be examined.

You will recall that a student of Mr. Jay Bennish recorded Mr. Bennish's one-sided classroom tirades against President Bush, and all things connected with him and the Republican Party. According to the left-wing propagandist, masquerading as a teacher, Comrade Bennish, the slave labor states of North Korea and China are more "progressive" than the United States of America. Remember this, whenever the left uses the word progressive, they really mean "progressing" to the point where the state owns everything.

After enduring the recurring one-sided diatribes by Mr. Bennish during his "Human Geography" class, the student started collecting tape recordings of the sessions for evidence. The tapes reveal no hint of impartiality from Mr. Bennish, whose role as teacher ethically requires balance and fairness. So in the face of such evidence, Superintendent Monte Moses, with the approval of the Cherry Creek School District School Board, suspended Mr. Bennish with pay.

I was bothered by Mr. Bennish's apparent abuse of authority in his classroom, and his "defense" that his method of teaching was in the "Socratic" tradition of inspiring debate. I was also immediately intrigued by the course he was teaching? What the heck is "Human Geography?" Let's start with defining "geography." Geography (geo=earth (Greek) +graphein=writes) involves the following: "The science dealing with the earth's surface, continents, climates, plants, animals, resources, etc., and the physical features of a region"(Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language). But, the New Age version of geography includes the following: "Use and think about maps and spatial data," and "Understand and interpret the implications of associations among 'phenomena,' " [? kk], and "Recognize and interpret at different scales the relationships among patterns and processes," and "Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places" (www.collegeboard.com).

So, "Human Geography" isn't about geography? Sounds to me like it's more like plain old Social Science (which isn't really a "science," nor are psychology and psychiatry, because all three fail the major criterion of science: Repeatability of the same results, when one uses the same experimental materials and procedures, no matter who performs the experiment). Social Science means the following: "Any of several studies, as history, economics, civics, etc., dealing with society and the activities of its members"(Webster's again).

Mr. Bennish was not teaching geography as it's understood by nearly everybody, except in states such as Colorado and California. "Human Geography" is the bastard product of Columbia University's School of "Education" and New Age, "What's in a name," nonsense. Let's look at Mr. Bennish's claim that he uses the "Socratic" method in his classes.

Socrates' [that's pronounced SOCK- ruh-tees, boys] students respected him. Plato said that what they liked best in him was the "modesty of his wisdom." In fact, the starting point of the teaching of Socrates' philosophy was his statement, "One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing." One can hardly imagine Mr. Bennish having such intellectual modesty.

If Mr. Bennish is familiar enough with the Socratic method to use it, so he says, as a teaching guideline, one would think he would be at least acquainted with Socrates' admonition to "know thyself" ("Gnothi seauton")? However, the tapes of Mr. Bennish's teaching style suggest Bennish to be more a loudmouthed inciter of mob thinking, than one seeking the Socratic method.

It was Socrates who observed that, "there is chaos where there is no thought, and the crowd [opinion polls=mob-think, kk] decides in haste and ignorance, to repent in leisure and desolation." Socrates thought and taught, ". . . is it not base superstition that mere numbers will give wisdom?" He taught, ". . . men in crowds are more foolish and more violent and more cruel than men separate and alone." And, "how can a society be saved, or be strong, except it be led [taught] by its wisest men?" Unlike Mr. Bennish, Socrates' students had only the complaint that, "If we were discussing justice, he would give us not answers, but ask us quietly, 'to ti' -- what is it?" Socrates asked more question than he gave answers. Instead of brow beating and Bennish-like ranting, Socrates taught his students not by brainwashing propaganda, but by asking the right questions: What do you mean by these abstract words with which you so easily settle the problems of life and death? What do you mean by honor, virtue, morality, patriotism? Socrates loved to teach by asking questions, that's the real Socratic method of teaching.

His most famous dangerous thoughts involved his growing disbelief in the numerous Greek "gods" that controlled every aspect of Greek thought and official action in his time. More than 2, 349 years ago, Socrates had his own developing faith: He believed in one God. That belief, and the belief that Athens could be saved, or be strong, only if it were led by its wisest men, caused him to be condemned to drink the cup of Hemlock. The Athenian "democratic"mob put him to death, for he would not recant his beliefs, and his students wept.

Mr. Bennish is back at work, with a new haircut, apparently obtained to clean himself up a bit for the cameras. One hopes Mr. Bennish, who, one discovers, among other things, after a bit of elementary snooping, has no degree in geography, will yet become a good teacher, and will read Plato's account of his meeting with a real teacher. One can imagine Plato saying to Mr. Bennish (as Senator Benson to Dan Quayle), "I knew Socrates, and you, Mr. Bennish, are no Socrates." Plato left us with these words, "I thank God [one God, kk] that I was born Greek and not barbarian, freeman and not slave, man and not woman; but above all, that I was born in the age of Socrates." Finally, a personal remembrance, we former students of Hornersville High School are grateful that we had our own Socrates in the master "Civics" teacher, the late Mr. Lloyd Gaines, a man of virtue and intellect and infinite patience.

Kenneth Kinchen