[Jeff Chandler]

Well, isn't that special?

[Libertina]

I don't think it is a good idea to have ANY tee-shirts with slogans. But, if the left can wear them, then the right gets the same freedom. And boy how the liberals hate it when the right starts speaking up! LOL Even the kids are sick of all this PC nonsense.

[highlander_UW]

It's interesting that simply the exposure to 4 students wearing tee shirts with sentiments they don't agree with could cause many students to become emotionally distraught. To understand their plight better I decided to look up "distraught" in the dictionary. This is what Merriam Webster Online dictionary provides as it's only 2 definitions:

1 : agitated with doubt or mental conflict

2 : INSANE

So upon reading these tee shirts other students became troubled with doubt (presumably of their own views), faced with a mental conflict or just plain insane.

Wow, those are some powerful tee shirts...or some very flimsy people viewing them.

[GeekDejure]

other students became "emotionally distraught"
=======

Oh no... please say it isn't so...

Good grief, this is America!

"emotionally distraughtness" is absolutely positively prohibited to ever occur in the land of the Free and the home of the Brave...

I am now so "emotionally distraught" over this entire situation... I think I'm gonna maybe kinda sorta pass out !!! ;-))

[Bear_Slayer]

the law protects students' freedom of speech, as long as that speech doesn't disrupt the educational process.

Anyone could disrupt the school by complain that any free speech is offensive. Hetero sexuals need to screech about everything to frustrate them.

[APFel]

...Steven Vendetta...

Outstanding.

APf

[Enterprise]

"Vendetta said the impetus for the T-shirts came earlier in the week, when students at the high school took part in the annual Day of Silence, a project orchestrated by the national Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. On the Day of Silence, students across the country do not speak, as a reminder of the discrimination and harassment experienced by homosexuals.

Students at the high school also wore signs showing their support for legislation that would recognize civil unions for same-sex couples in Connecticut, Vendetta said.

Vendetta is correct. Some students decided to take part in a day of silence, which was orchestrated by a NATIONAL organization, pushing an agenda. Thus, it was NATIONAL effort, involving public schools throughout the nation on an issue of NATIONAL interest and some students supported that agenda. Ok, so be it. However, other students then exercised their right to free speech in opposition to a NATIONAL agenda being promoted in public schools supportive of a lifestyle and practices with which they didn't agree, and someone got “offended.”

Also to be considered, was support from some students for “legislation” recognizing same sex unions. Fine. But once one side supports “legislation,” they are advocating a political act, and once it becomes “political” it also becomes a free speech issue, and those opposing a political act have an inherent First Amendment right of free speech in their opposition, and they cannot arbitrarily be silenced because others are “offended.”

Finally, if there were disruptions, it wasn’t being caused by Vendetta or Shinfield, it was caused by students who were being “intolerant” of their views. It is the students who were being “intolerant” who should have been sent home.

[pleasedontzotme]

"School is supposed to be a safe zone for everyone," he said. "It's crossing the line when you target other people."

Sorry. School isn't a safe zone for everyone to feel warm and fuzzy. Read Tinker v. Des Moines, 393 US 503 (1969.) Students do not shed their free speech rights at the schoolhouse gate. (Unless the speech is truly disruptive; then schools have an interest in maintaining order.

As one of the few Democrats in decent standing on this forum, one of the things I disagree the most with the left on is the belief that we have a right not to be offended. We don't. Free speech "zones" are redundant; the entire country is a free speech zone.

Grow up, for goodness sake.

I would like to know what was on those shirts, and whether it was an actual disturbance to lessons.

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Free speech for thee, but not for me?

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

"He told the boys they could continue to wear the shirts as long as they didn't become a distraction to others."

So let me get this straight, these students are free to express their opinion. But if the pro-gay lobby in our public education system makes enough noise and distracts the educational process, then these students can no longer wear the tee shirts?

Can you imagine if all we had to do to deny the rights of others was to create a distraction?

And it seems like the entire "day of silence" is a distraction in itself. This movement tells students not to speak in class? Does this not interfere with the educational process?

Kudos to these students for having the backbone to exercise the rights that others exercise.

[DouglasKC]

Now if a person who is against homosexuality would have carried on and harrassed those participating in a "day of silence" then would they have had to stop being silent? Or if someone is emotionally distraught by the Gay-Straight alliance club then would they have to disband the club?

[upchuck]

The queers are a bunch of wussies:

• "I didn't feel safe at this school today," said Diana Rosen, who is co-president of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance.
• Rosen said that when she first saw the shirts, she "almost didn't believe it." She became very upset, crying and spending most of the day in administrators' and guidance counselor's offices. She also got into several arguments, she said.
• Alex Goldberg, a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance, said his classmates have a right to their opinions but took it too far. "School is supposed to be a safe zone for everyone," he said. "It's crossing the line when you target other people."

Please bear in mind they are feeling unsafe, crying, arguing and targeted by some T-shirts.

Gee, I wonder what the queers reaction would be if they were really threatened?

I trust y'all realize these histrionics* just help the queer's cause. They are just poor victims :)

* Theatrical arts or performances.

[upchuck]

Terrified queers ping.

[Mrs. Shawnlaw]

The parents of these boys are obviously raising them right!

The boys should sell the shirts on CafePress and make some money on it. Capitalism AMD non-pc, a beautiful double-whammy!

[SaveTheChief]

But other students say they felt threatened by the shirts, which also quoted Bible verses pertaining to homosexuality

The battle cry of the perverted secular humanists.

[tioga]

Now I've gotten a dang earworm -- "Feelings...........

[DLfromthedesert]

On the "Day of Silence" how do they conduct classes; and is it mandatory that everyone not speak?

[Texas_Jarhead]

"But other students say they felt threatened by the shirts, which also quoted Bible verses pertaining to homosexuality.

"I didn't feel safe at this school today," said Diana Rosen, who is co-president of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance.

"School is supposed to be a safe zone for everyone," he said. "It's crossing the line when you target other people.""

These young people really have learned the Orwellian language of the hate filled left.

[muir_redwoods]

So if any number of straight students became emotionally distraught at the position taken by the gay students, the gay students would have to surrender their right to freedom of expression? Is that how it works?

[little jeremiah]

Homosexual Agenda Ping.

More fallout from the foul "Day of Silence"/couldn't they PLEASE make it the "Decade of Silence"?

When I read stuff like this:

"I didn't feel safe at this school today," said Diana Rosen, who is co-president of the school's Gay-Straight Alliance.

I feel as though I seriously need to throw up.

Let DirtyHarryY2K and me know if you want on/off this pinglist.

I hope everyone who reads this clearly understands clearly that the purpose of public screwels is to turn the next generation into fools, deviants, and sheep.