Winona teen tests the limits of free speech at school (Winona vagina girl update!)

Mpls Star & Sickle ^ | 5-3-05 | James Walsh

[Rakkasan1]

WINONA, Minn. -- After all the radio interviews, after all the newspaper stories and television stories and hundreds and hundreds of e-mails, Carrie Rethlefsen ended her lesson in free speech and democracy today by doing a simple thing:

She walked into school with her "I [heart] My Vagina" T-shirt's message in plain sight. About 40 classmates had walked in just seconds before after turning their T-shirts inside out.

And, minutes later, she emerged with another lesson learned. The administrators at Winona Senior High School mean what they say. They sent her home for the day.

"I'm happy," said Rethlefsen, 18. "I got my message out there."

What began as a simple act of defiance -- she wore a "I [heart] My Vagina" button to school to raise awareness about violence against women, even after officials told her not to -- evolved into a platform to talk about women's rights, the fight against violence and freedom of speech that she couldn't have imagined two weeks ago.

[Rakkasan1]

and here I thought all along her message was "I'm a moron-please pay attention to me"

[DTwistedSisterS]

I love my buddy down there, but I don't go expressing it.

[CT CONSERVATIVE]

Someone from Department of Children's Services better get to her parent's house and save her siblings before its they get infected with whatever she has.

[AZHua87]

Where's Bill Engval handing out "THE SIGN" when you need him? Perfect photo op as she is escorted out.

[Rakkasan1]

no kidding. wack her over the head with "here's your sign"

[blackdog]

I wonder if it's ok to show solidarity with our opposite sex? Can I go to school wearing a tee shirt that say's "I love her vagina"? With an arrow pointing to my left?

Kinda like "I'm with stupid".

[GSlob]

"...save her siblings before ... they get infected with whatever she has."
Too late. Idiocy, while sometimes contagious, could be genetic, as amply documented by Murray and Herrnstein.

[SIDENET]

Young, radical, stupid, and lame.

I wonder what her DU name is.

[AZHua87]

nah..... more embarassing just to have the photo of her being handed the sign with a story as to why.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

How about a T-shirt saying, "I beat my....."?

[b4its2late]

I'm all for them too, but some things are just better not to put on a T-Shirt.

[randog]

...she wore a "I [heart] My Vagina" button to school to raise awareness about violence against women...

Everyone's trying to raise my awareness.

I was eating at a restaurant once, feeling particularly surly, when the college girl waitress strolled up wearing one of the colored "awareness" ribbons. I don't keep track of these things, so I pointed at her ribbon and asked her who I was supposed to give a s**t about.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

There's a George Bush horse joke somewhere in here, I just know it....

[Shanda]

It seems to me there is nothing wrong with loving it but why would you want to tell everyone else that?

[b4its2late]

I wonder what her DU name is.

YSSUP?

[CT CONSERVATIVE]

Coming up next on Bore'illy is more of this feminist vagina crapola in HS

[Michael Goldsberry]

... I was born in his 2nd to last year in office(19**)...

Hold still, love. This won't take long...

[CT CONSERVATIVE]

some Dr of Reproductive Psychiatry is on with Bill. What the hell is that?

[isthisnickcool]

There's a George Bush horse joke somewhere in here, I just know it....

I (heart) milking my male horse?

Seriously, this kid will be long forgotten soon. But history will remember Laura Bush for telling the most tastless joke ever heard from a "first lady". Who wrote the stuff Laura Bush used the other night? The drunk and shirtless guy you always see on an episode of COPS?

[CT CONSERVATIVE]

She is your typical "anything goes" Lib