Maybe This is Why Some Animals Eat Their Young

I don't even know the best way to introduce this appalling story...

The city Department of Education, red-faced over Brooklyn sixth-graders who slammed a GI with demoralizing anti-Iraq-war letters as part of a school assignment, will send the 20-year-old private a letter of apology today.

Deputy Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina, who has a nephew serving in Iraq, plans to personally contact Pfc. Rob Jacobs and his family, said department spokeswoman Michele McManus Higgins.

"She knows how difficult it is to have a loved one in a war zone," Higgins said.

Jacobs is stationed 10 miles from the North Korean border and who has been told he may be headed to Iraq in the near future.

The GI got the ranting missives last month from pint-sized pen pals at JHS 51 in Park Slope.

Filled with political diatribes, the letters — excerpts of which were printed in yesterday's Post — predicted GIs would die by the tens of thousands, accused soldiers of killing Iraqi civilians and bashed President Bush.

Teacher Alex Kunhardt had his students write Jacobs as part of a social-studies assignment.

He declined to comment yesterday on whether he read the rants before passing them along, but said he planned to contact Jacobs soon to explain the situation.

In an accompanying letter to Jacobs, Kunhardt had written that the students "come from a variety of backgrounds and political beliefs, but unanimously support the bravery and sacrifice of American soldiers around the world."

"Support" was not the word that came to Jacobs' mind when he read the letters.

One girl wrote that she believes Jacobs is "being forced to kill innocent people" and challenged him to name an Iraqi terrorist, concluding, "I know I can't."

Another girl wrote, "I strongly feel this war is pointless," while a classmate predicted that because Bush was re-elected, "only 50 or 100 [soldiers] will survive."

A boy accused soldiers of "destroying holy places like mosques."

Even one kid smitten with soldiers couldn't keep politics out of the picture, writing, "I find that many extreme liberals are disrespectful to you."

Well, the last kid gets an award for stating the obvious. I'm guessing the teacher regrets this decision.

I'm guessing Pfc. Jacobs doesn't have time to reply to these missives personally, but I'd like to respond for him.

Letter One: One girl wrote that she believes Jacobs is "being forced to kill innocent people" and challenged him to name an Iraqi terrorist, concluding, "I know I can't."

Response: That's because you're (a) 12 years old, (b) fail to recognize Saddam, Uday, Qusai, the insurgents and several others as terrorists, and (c) you've been indoctrinated into being an idiot. But buck up -- there are plenty of college professors in your future who will never challenge these preconceptions of yours.

Letter Two: Another girl wrote, "I strongly feel this war is pointless."

Response: Strangely, I have the same feeling about reading your letter.

Letter Three: [A] classmate predicted that because Bush was re-elected, "only 50 or 100 [soldiers] will survive."

Response: Survive what? Reading your crap?

Letter Four: A boy accused soldiers of "destroying holy places like mosques."

Response: Yes, prior to the Marines' efforts, mosques dominated the landscape in Korea. We also burned down all of the Hindu temples here -- that's why there aren't any.

Maybe I'm being too hard on these kids. After all, they're only kids. I mean, what's Michael Moore's excuse?