TM™ Turbulence At Terra Linda High

File under: The Siddhi of PR

The Madharishi better get his ass-bouncing peace battalions pointed at Marin, 'cause folks are shouting each other down and storming the stage to denounce principle Carole Ramsey's moves to get a TM™ program started at Terra Linda High School:

Principal Carole Ramsey hosted half a dozen supporters of the program so they could explain it and answer questions from parents who want to know more about the school's possible new club. But Ramsey ended the meeting abruptly when a parent stormed the stage, refused to leave and angrily denounced Transcendental Meditation as a cult she'd broken free of after teaching it for 35 years.

There's no doubt that it's religion in the school, but now they're calling it a "club."

Ramsey has supported a Transcendental Meditation club that would be voluntary and not part of the curriculum. She said more than 60 students indicated interest in it after physical education teacher David Garcia proposed it as a way to reduce student stress.

Since Terra Linda undoubtedly has a Bible study club, there's really nothing to stop Ramsey from forming a TM™ club. The $175,000 David Lynch gave her the school will probably help see to that. Some of the students who join will probably get razzed for it by their non-TM™ing friends, but in the woowoo capitial of Northern California, all of these kids have been exposed to much crazier things than sitting on the floor and mumbling to yourself twice a day for twenty minutes.

As long as it's a club and voluntary, it's going to be ok, and may actually do some kids some good. Will it turn them into Madharishi-mad minions bent on destroying all buildings that don't face east? Only in that old man's crazy dreams.