Liberal Lunatic of the Day (4/11/2005)

Liberal Lunacy ^ | 4/11/2005 | Beckwith

[Beckwith]

Mont Pleasant Middle School in Schenectady, New York, is today’s liberal lunatic of the day, the first institution to receive the title.  Mont Pleasant qualified when school officials violated the constitutional rights of one of its students, twelve-year-old Raven Furbert.

Raven Furbert was a typical student before she received a string-it-yourself bead kit for Christmas.  Her uncle, J.D. Barnes, a Police Officeir of 10 years, is serving in Iraq.  So she made a red, white and blue beaded necklace to express her patriotism and her support for the troops.  One Tuesday, In January, she wore the necklace to Mont Pleasant Middle School.  Mont Pleasant school officials told her to take it off because the beads were “gang-related.”

The school's code of conduct states student's jewelry "will be safe, appropriate and not...interfere with the educational process."  It also says "students will not wear any clothing deemed to be gang related."  The code of conduct does not explicitly mention beads or beaded necklaces.  But school officials say the beads have been affiliated with gangs in the past.  So they're not allowed.

Now, the girl who filed a civil rights violation claim in U.S. District Court in February has drawn national attention as she fights administrators who say paraphernalia featuring gang-oriented colors is prohibited.  At least 50 Web sites have been dedicated to her.  A federal lawsuit is slated to be filed this Friday.  For Raven, every day is a chance to be patriotic.

Raven’s attorney, Bob Keach said, "If this little girl wants to come here and wear this necklace to show her support for those people then that's an issue that I, as a civil rights lawyer, will fight for.  This is an action taken by the district to punish her for standing up for her rights.  They're enforcing an unwritten, unconstitutional policy against a 13-year-old who wants to show her patriotism."
 
link:  Teen risks penalty over beads
link:  Student suing school over patriotic necklace

[Beckwith]

By the way, the school colors are, you guessed it, red, white and blue.  The school mascot is a Patriot.

AND, mirabile dictu, the ALCU is sending forms and a complaint will also be filed with them.  They said that Raven should not hide her beads under her shirt and should be proud to display them.  If any appeals are necessary, (in their words, "I'm sure that there won't be") the ACLU will step in and defend them.  In addition, the ACLU  will now contact the school and state their case and let them know that they can't do this.  In addition, the ACLU will also be contacting the court to let them know that they are involved and support this case (link).

[TWohlford]

So freepers... How does it feel to be cheering on the ACLU?

[End Times Sentinel]

Mont Pleasant school officials told her to take it off because the beads were “gang-related.”

Yup, Red, White, and Blue, those are the colors of The Patriots.  I roll with that gang.  To the Mont Pleasant administration, "Word to everything you love we comin' to see you!"

 Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[presidio9]

FREE RAVEN!!!

[camle]

"FREE RAVEN!!!"

I want one!!!

[FreeKeys]

So freepers... How does it feel to be cheering on the ACLU?

Just as a blind squirrel occasionally finds a nut, just as a stopped mickey mouse watch is right twice a day, so a confused organization occasionally finds itself on the right side of an issue.

The MOST important lesson to be drawn from these "NEWSFLASH!!!! GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS ARE ACTUALLLY STAFFED WITH IDIOTS!!!!" news stories is:

Either home school or live in a modest enough community so you can afford to ENROLL YOUR KIDS IN THE BEST PRIVATE SCHOOLS which brook no bullcrap.

duh

[presidio9]

[whereasandsoforth]

I'm not cheering the ACLU. I don't like that socialist organization and I will not speak well of them just because they need to come out on the right side 9/10ths of 1% of the time so they can have something to point to when needing to defend themselves when their otherwise anti-american and anti-religion agenda comes under attack.

[jwalburg]

If the ACLU were kept busy with cases like this they would not be undermining the works of our forefathers so much.

[camle]

uh can I have TWO, please???

[Beckwith]

You mean these colors?

[Pyro7480]

That's Raven when she grows up!? Hubba-hubba!

[Gunrunner2]

>>So freepers... How does it feel to be cheering on the ACLU?<<

Like cheering a broken clock when it is right.

You don't.

[presidio9]

I said "FREE RAVEN," not "FREE RAVENS"

[Gunrunner2]

Broken clock thing. . .darn. . .beat me to it.

;-)

[camle]

damn! I was getting in to wanting a matched set for my mantlepiece....

if they ain't free, are they at least on special this week? Good ravens are so very hard to find nowadays.

[presidio9]

[FreeKeys]

OOOOOOOOOoooooh, yeahhhhh

[brooklyn dave]

well finally the ACLU is supporting something worthwhile. I think they do with about 1% of the cases they take on....aw, maybe I'll even give tem 2%.

[brooklyn dave]

Raven looks like a fairly normal high school girl. Yes, colors and beads are associated with gangs, but I think that there would be other identifying behavior, regalia, whatever than red, white and blue beads. These things are primarily associated with gangs like the Crips, Bloods and Latin Kings. I don't know if Raven belongs to a minority group, but even if she were from the planet Krypton--the school acted foolishly and failed to check out all the facts.