Posted on 06/13/2013 9:38:26 AM PDT by Nachum
Reimer, a senior at Joshua High School, made national headlines on June 6 when officials cut off his microphone in mid-speech after he strayed from pre-approved remarks and began talking about his relationship with Jesus Christ.The Priniple, Mick Cochran, is a tinhorn ppowermonger, who thought he could bully this young man into conforming to what he thought the young man should say during his Validctorian speech. but this young man, who will attent the US Naval Academy is made of much sterner stuff.
Reimer, who has received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy, thanked God for “sending His only son to die for me and the rest of the world,” the Joshua Star reported.
The following day the principal met with Reimer’s father and informed him “that he intended to punish Remington for his perceived misdeed.”
“Specifically, he threatened to send a letter to the United States Naval Academy advising them that Remington has poor character or words to that effect,” Sasser told Fox News.
After consulting with a school attorney, the principal temporarily retracted the threat, Sasser said.
“The principal said he wanted to try to ruin him for what he did – for talking about the Constitution and his faith,” Sasser said. “I don’t know if he’s going to be able to continue to be the principal of that school.”
Reimer, described by his classmates as quiet and soft-spoken, then talked about free speech and the Constitution and how “I was threatened with having the mic turned off.”
And that point – the audio feed was cut – leaving those in the audience confused. But Reimer kept on talking.
Following is a transcript of what the school district didn’t want graduates or their families to hear:“We are all fortunate to live in a country where we can express our beliefs, where our mics won’t be turned off, as I have been threatened to be if I veer away from the school-censored speech I have just finished,” he said according to the Star. “Just as Jesus spoke out against the authority of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who tried to silence him, I will not have my freedom of speech taken away from me. And I urge you all to do the same. Do not let anyone take away your religious or Constitutional rights from you.”Principal Mick Cochran defended the school’s decision to cut off the audio feed.
“The district has reviewed the rules and policies regarding graduation speeches and has determined that the policy was followed last night,” he told the Star.
The Joshua ISD issued a statement to MyFoxDFW noting, “student speakers were told that if their speeches deviated from the prior-reviewed material, the microphone would be turned off, regardless of content. When one student’s speech deviated from the prior-reviewed speech, the microphone was turned off, pursuant to District policy and procedure.”
But Sasser said the school district violated state and federal laws by censoring Reimer’s speech. He said the law, along with local school policy, requires the school to distance itself from the valedictorian’s speech. That means not editing or drafting the speech.
The school was also required to publish a message in the graduation program that read in part, “the content of each student-speaker’s message is the private expression of the individual student and does not reflect the endorsement, sponsorship, position or expression of the District.”
Sasser said contrary to the law and its own policies the Joshua Independent School District failed to include the disclaimer and not only edited – but tried to control Reimer’s speech.
“These school officials broke the rules and violated state and federal law and their own board policy,” Sasser said. “They should be held accountable for violating school board policy and causing needless embarrassment for Joshua ISD and the Joshua community.”
Thank God for young men like this...gives one hope for our Republic.
The priciple's email is: Cochranm@joshuaisd.org
Here is the email I sent him:
Mr. Cochran,
I write this email to you today regarding your pathetic attempts to squelch the free speech of one of your students, the Validtorian, who simply wanted to refer to the Constitution of this nation, and his own faith regarding the bed-rock principles it is founded upon.
You felt you could censor that apparently because it does not conform to your world view. Well, sir, the Constitution is clear about free speech, and your attempts to thwart it will reflect on you appropriately as they should. Remember, Mr. Cochran, that the Ten Commandments are on the wall at the Supreme Court of this land. That should give you some kind of clue.
Thank God that this young man was raised, and adopted the raising to show that he was made of much sterner stuff than you, and would not be silenced.
Then, to compound your pathetic attempt, you then attempted to threaten the young man by saying you were going to write a letter to the US Naval Academy and somehow discredit the young man by indicating that his character is flawed. Really? Let's see, a principle of a school gets upset because he could not silence a young man who was the validictorian from speaking about his faith, and then this same man threatens to write a false accusation about, this young man, regarding of all things his character?
Can you not see the sick irony in that?
Sir, you have no honor. It is you who have no character. It is you who have the flawed character as these events make painfully clear. I hope that they reflect accrodingly on your position there at the school, and in your career. You have no place teaching or administrating youth anywhere in this country.
You could not handle the character of a good, 17-18 year old boy, who has clearly been chosen for the honor of serving as an Officer in the US NAvy, and so you try and "hurt" him as a consequence of your petty jealousies and well deserved damaged pride.
As I said, this young man is made of much sterner stuff than you. And thank God for it.
And now, as a result of your tantrums, and attempts to wrest the very rules and laws you are supposed to operate under, your entire taudy affair is on display for the entire country. The consequences of your actions...you know, the grown up kind, are self inflicted and will be richly deserved.
In fact, I am willing to bet, that in future months and years, you are going to rue the day you attempted these petty, pathetic, and sophomoric attempts to damage this young man. As much as many people may want themselves to do something to make you feel the consequences, they will not have to.
You have inflicted the wounds upon yourself and I expect over the next few years they will be very painful indeed, unless and until you change and humble yourself, and feel terribly about what you attempted to do and change your life. You know, in a twist of good irony, you could best achieve that by asking God in Heaven, through the atonement and redemption of the same Jesus Christ that this young man spoke of, and that you tried to censor, to forgive you. He is the One who can heal this wound in your soul.
If you developed the character to do that, you might recover. Otherwise, and as I suspect, you will be what we call, "kicking against the pricks," unable to face yourself and develop the moral courage to allow your Savior to help lance the putrid, festering boil that is your own character.
Good luck with all of that, you are going to need it.
Sincerely,
Jeff Head,
Idaho, USA
www.jeffhead.com
Reimer is going to be told to keep his mouth shut about his faith and not proselytize in the Navy too. He better figure out now how he’s going to deal with that.
Hey! FR doesn’t want ANY Freeper suggesting that someone hunt down this beady-eyed little savage high school principal, tie him to the back of a pickup, and drag him around a dirt field. So don’t EVEN think about doing so!
When I was in high school, part of the Validictorian’s speech was to impart wisdom, experience and knowledge to the other graduates. To say, “This is how I did it. You can, too.” To give advice to others on how to achieve similar accomplishments.
The speech *should* be personal.
One problem with the ‘rules are rules’ crowd on these threads is that they don’t understand that the *principal* violated the rules. He actually broke the law AND school policy. (This information is toward the end of the article.) The threat of further intimidation and slander after the fact is a cherry on top of a depressing story.
As far as the military goes - yes, it’s bad right now. DOD directive 1344.10 is being violated by NCO’s and Commanders all the time.
It is my hope that members of the armed forces who’re already planning to get out (or retire) push these boundaries and go out with a massive, legal, public BANG and put these jerks back in their place.
I’m always amazed at how frequently seeing pictures of these clowns sets off the alarm bells on my gaydar.
Joshua High School principal Mick Cochran = gay?
Naw, he’s just overdue for a dentist appointment.
Most, but not all, Naval Academy nominations are sourced through the Congress. If this kid’s nomination was one of those, I would think the Congressman’s/Senator’s office would have to be consulted if his/her nomination was jeopardized by this stupidity.
Another way to get an Academy nomination is to go to an “Honor” Military School. At least it was back in the 60’s.
The one I attended had a full-time active duty military staff to teach the ROTC classes and any other military classes, rifle range, etc.
Because of this, the school was allowed one nomination to each of the 4 service academies. I was the one nominated to the Air Force Academy and was accepted. But I turned it down because I wanted to fly and my vision just missed the cut.
Poofter. Obviously.
I stand corrected...thank you.
I know this man can’t help the way he looks, but he really does have the appearance of a bully. This is the sort of person you will usually find in the vice-principal’s job, that is, the principal’s enforcer. I’ve known the type; they usually come up behind you and clamp their hand on the back of your neck. A good ass-whooping is about all coward like that needs.
What the hell does this action have to with Liberty? I was in the Navy 26 years, the mention or belief of God never bothered me.
The right to freely express religious beliefs have everything to do with liberty. Good for Sasser and the Liberty Institute for fighting for this most basic of American liberties.
Sasser is the kid's lawyer. He deserves our respect and gratitude.
Sorry, getting old is not for sissies. I obviously misread it.
The mere fact that this drunk states what harmful consequences he wants out of this says his actions are actionable in court.
I know that feeling more and more every day.
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