"A school valedictorian is representing the school and as such the school can turn off her microphone."
Nope. The valedictorian writes the speech that SHE earned the right to deliver. She has the basic right (not to mention the duty)to let the speech reflect her own personal beliefs. As long as the words are not offensive in or to the community. That is the COMMUNITY-- that aggregation of persons living in general proximity to one another--NOT some sour individual somewhere.
Did anyone on this thread read the article? She deviated from her submitted speech and was thus given the consequence of that action. Rules is rules.
Or is this another one of these FReeper "we only want to follow the rules we like" feeding frenzies?
She was told up front what was involved. If she submitted a speech that had "God" in it and that was disallowed, then THAT is what the ruckus should be. Or if another speaker deviated from their speech and was not cut off. But neither of those seem to be in play here.
Sometimes it seems to me we are not for Law and Order. We are for OUR Laws and OUR Order.
Not so far from our PC compatriots on the Left, eh?