Under these circumstances - give 'em the high five.
Posted on 05/26/2004 5:06:35 PM PDT by Macaw
GRANDVIEW, Mo. -- Imagine cops throwing you out of your own child's graduation just for expressing your joy.
It happened Monday night to several families at a local ceremony, and it was all caught on tape.
KCTV5's Liana Joyce reported live on "KCTV5 News at 6 p.m." that there was a dress code and a behavior code that was strictly followed at the Grandview High School graduation.
One family who got kicked out for cheering their son's accomplishments said it was being taken too far.
It all began when 18-year-old Brandon Sample's family clapped and whistled as the Grandview grad walked across the stage.
It may have seemed harmless, but it was enough to get them tossed out of the ceremony.
On home video, a police officer said, "You've got to leave."
A woman said, "This is a celebration, sir."
The police officer said: "I know. The school didn't want you, them doing that. You don't leave, you go to jail. You understand that?"
It was all over this short burst of celebration.
"We were proud. It was one those where it was like the proudest moment in your life, and so we cheered. It was just a cheer, and then we were quiet," said Joy Sample.
That was when the officer approached, asking the teen's mother, father, aunts, and even his 86-year-old grandmother to leave.
They couldn't believe it.
The Grandview School District defended the policy, saying the crowd was getting too disruptive, and they had to keep things under control. Some parents agreed.
"A lot of the kids we didn't even hear their names, the next names called. This has been an ongoing problem for Grandview, and it progressively gets worse," said Mary Swift, a graduate's aunt.
What about the graduate whose family was kicked out? Brandon Sample insisted his parents weren't out of line.
"My parents have backed me up for 13 years, and I think they deserve at least five or six seconds of cheering for me," he said.
Brandon's parents admitted there were warnings against making too much noise. There was even a warning on the program, but his mother said things were taken just too far.
Question for you freepers: What do you do when you are bullied by an officer and threatened with jail? I was standing on a Seattle corner last week for about 20 seconds waiting for someone when a cop told me to leave. I said "why?" and he said "leave or you go to jail."
Another story of our Heros In Blue protecting us from terrorists and criminals.
Unbelievable...they have dirtbag leftists that badmouth America at graduation ceremonies and when booed the president of the University who invited the pond-scum stands up for his/her right of free speech to berate the USA....yet a family cheers wildly at their sons accomplishments and are removed from the ceremony...is there something wrong with this picture??
Look, you have no Constitutional right to stand on a street corner. OK?
I was in a bind because I was waiting for six German tourists who were to meet me there. The cop wouldn't listen though and just intimidated me to leave.
Under these circumstances - give 'em the high five.
The cops can put you in jail but they cannot keep you there. My reply would have been, "Please stop hassling a law-abiding disabled Veteran or my lawyer and I will make your life a living hell."
"What do you do when you are bullied by an officer and threatened with jail? "
Thank god you live in a free country.
.
Pull out a piece of paper and write on it: "Down with Taxes!" and tell him that you are excercising your First Amendment right.
Probably some crappy city ordinance about "loitering" that was implemented to try to combat prostitution and the cop was being a jerk.
Those of you who disagree can go pound sand.
I'd ask for his name and badge number and make a written complaint to the chief of police and the city council.
Next time get his badge number and report him or go to the press...that will work
I don't understand this either; but we better take a hard look at what our city councils and schools, etc. are doing. Last I heard we are paying their salaries. It appears that they are trying to put the big Nanny State on us. I feel, if confronted, they would use the excuse of being sued which, of course, is not the real reason.
Kick the crap out out of the idiot.
Of course, you're in the right, and you'll be given an expensive chance to prove that after posting bail and hiring an attorney.
What would the charge be?
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