Protest Anticipated Over Negroponte At SJA Graduation

The Caledonian Record ^ | Wednesday May 31, 2006 | TAYLOR REED

[Candor7]

St. Johnsbury's top cop, the Vermont State Police, and the Central Intelligence Agency are preparing for a possible protest over the guest speaker at St. Johnsbury Academy graduation.

U.S. Director of Intelligence John Negroponte, a veteran diplomat and the father of a graduating Academy student, is slated to speak at the Monday morning ceremony.

The choice in speakers has already drawn fire, spurring law enforcement to plan for a possible protest.

"We've got contingency plans in place," said St. Johnsbury Police Chief Rich Leighton. "They'll be plenty of security between us, the state police and the CIA."

Leighton is unsure if protesters will show up, but said an area away from the ceremony will be reserved for them.

When selecting Negroponte, Academy Headmaster Tom Lovett said the school didn't figure on protests.

"We didn't really expect people would protest a graduation speaker," he said. "We were simply inviting an influential dad."

However, Lovett said someone from an out-of-town organization calling itself Vermont Citizens for a Just and Representative Democracy was recently on the Academy campus urging students to protest Negroponte and do whatever they can to prevent him from speaking.

The group also posted a letter at the Miss Lyndonville Diner criticizing Negroponte.

The North Country Coalition for Justice and Peace, members of which can often be seen protesting in front of the St. Johnsbury post office, are also unhappy with Negroponte. The coalition placed an ad in the May 27 edition of The Caledonian-Record calling the Academy's choice of speakers shameful and alleging human rights violations on Negroponte's watch as U.S ambassador to Honduras.

However, the coalition does not plan to protest.

"We did decide as a group we were not going to do any kind of active protest," said member Jim Wuertele.

Lovett said he fully supports citizens' right to free speech and protest, but at the same time he hopes to maintain a respectful, apolitical graduation ceremony.

"They're not political events, they're family events," Lovett said. "I'm just hoping people will respect the event. For some of our kids it's the only graduation ceremony."

Lovett stressed Negroponte was not invited to speak politically, but rather for his career, past and present.

"It's an opportunity we really couldn't pass up," Lovett said. "He's going to be an influence on [the students'] lives."

Besides being U.S. Director of Intelligence, Negroponte has served as an ambassador to the United Nations and an ambassador to Iraq, as well as an ambassador to Honduras.

"He's been a strong supporter of democracy," Lovett said.

[Candor7]

Out of town Liberal Wing nut protesters have been handing out literature to Academy students all week, trying to get our young high school students to protest against Negroponte speaking at his son's graduation ceremony. ( The Academy is a private school and the press and the protesters will not be allowed on school property, so they are trying to get students to do their dirty work!).

Local residents resent the influx of protesters into their small town of Saint Johnsbury , Vermont,and want to be left alone to enjoy their privacy and freedom.

These moon bats know no shame. The national press is descending on a small Vermont town to ruin the graduation day of not only a father and son, but will ruin the day for an entire graduating class.

Shame on these idiots! Hate mail has been sent to the schools headmaster by these tyrannical liberal socialist crazies!

A counter protest should be organized!

Saint Johnsbury Academy:

http://www.stjohnsburyacademy.org

[GAB-1955]

This is what Negroponte should do:

1. Drive by the protesters.
2. Get out of the car.
3. Point to one or two of the protesters, nod knowingly, and whisper to an aide nearby, who will be carrying a black notebook.
4. Aide makes a brief notation.
5. Negroponte looks at the protester again, shakes his head solemnly and sadly, and drives to the speech.
6. Guards give the protester the "You poor b------d" look.

[leadpenny]

and the Central Intelligence Agency

Is General Hayden going to be there?

U.S. Director of Intelligence John Negroponte

To the fact checkers at "The Calidonian Record," it's Director of National Intelligence.

[Straight Vermonter]

LOL, I love it!

[Candor7]

See follow up story at:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642913/posts