Posted on 03/10/2008 4:15:00 PM PDT by kingattax
LANCASTER, Pa. -- The family of a middle school student who was given detention for wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of a gun has filed a federal freedom of speech lawsuit against the school district.
Donald Miller III, 14, went to Penn Manor High School in December wearing a T-shirt he said was intended to honor his uncle, a U.S. Army soldier fighting in Iraq.
The shirt bears the image of a military sidearm and on the front pocket says "Volunteer Homeland Security." On the back, over another image of the weapon, are the words "Special issue Resident Lifetime License - United States Terrorist Hunting Permit - Permit No. 91101 - Gun Owner - No Bag Limit."
Officials at the Millersville school told him to turn his shirt inside out. When Miller refused, he got two days of detention.
His parents, Donald and Tina Miller of Holtwood, have accused the Penn Manor School District in a lawsuit of violating their son's First Amendment rights with a "vague Orwellian policy" that stifles both patriotism and free speech.
But an attorney for the school district said school must create a safe environment for students in the post-Columbine era, and bringing even the image of a gun to school violates the district's policy.
"There's a much higher level of sensitivity these days," Penn Manor attorney Kevin French said. "But it's based on reality."
The lawsuit was filed in January. A federal judge will hold a conference on the case March 31.
ping a ling
This one could cover lots of bases for you.
I work with preschool kids. I did a home visit a couple days ago. This 5 year old built a block tower and was setting traps for the “people in the desert who want to steal the Army’s trucks”. He then took the “bad thieves” and said “bad guys go to hell” threw them on the ground and stepped on them. the mom was apologetic, said they have a nephew who is a Navy Seal. She looked really surprised when I told her that it looked to me like her son had a pretty good grasp of reality and moral development.
LOL. Nice.
I had that t-shirt in high school.
By the way, do you know what your name means in Spanish?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I am willing to bet the principal is gay.
Also,,,,One of the major objectives of our Marxist dominated government schools is to emasculate the American boy! Marxists need pantywaisted girl-men.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
You don't “get it”!
Government schools, freedom of conscience, and the First Amendment can NOT coexist!
Solution: Privatize universal K-12 education. Let parents, principal, and board of directors of private schools work these matters out quietly and agreeably.
Government should NEVER be in the business of ordering anyone into one of its minimum security prisons ( mis-named “schools”) and telling them to shut up!
They should ban all writing on clothing,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The government should get out of the business of ordering children ( who have committed no crime) into government buildings that look like minimum security prisons, and telling them to shut up!
Solution: Privatize universal K-12 education. Allow these matters to be settled privately between parents, principals, teachers, and the boards of directors of **private** schools!
Government schools are a First Amendment and freedom of conscience abomination!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Marxists running the schools are hard at work doing just that. The Marxist need a defenseless population.
Marxism is our nation's MOST serious threat. They are hard at work indoctrinating the next generation of voters.
So...What are conservatives going to do about it?
NO. The answer is NOT to try to reform the government schools. The correct answer is to SHUT DOWN government schools permanently!
Conservatives could do this if they set up endowments ( like Harvard's) that would give private vouchers to students attending private schools. Also, these endowments could award grants to teachers willing to start private schools.
Government schools, freedom of conscience, and the First Amendment can NOT coexist!
Solution: Privatize universal K-12 education. Let parents, principal, and board of directors of private schools work these matters out quietly and agreeably.
Government should NEVER be in the business of ordering anyone into one of its minimum security prisons ( mis-named schools) and telling them to shut up!
SIGH Yes I do get it, I have gotten it for the last 14 years which is how long I have been teaching high school.
Your plan is really great except for the execution part of it.
Private schools cost a lot of money, more then the average citizen has. That is why the cost is spread out over ALL the citizens.
How are you going to insure that all children will receive a quality education? would you still administer standardized tests? Who would make them up?
Obviously you do have some sort of axe to grind since you have posted your reply three times that I have seen so far, but I really think you need to think this out a bit more.
Yes I also know what it means in Latin and Italian as well. For the record I am Sicilian.
No doubt.
What I was suggesting was a simple, fast, evenhanded solution.
Yours is the ultimate solution.
It is sad that the homo-leninists have coopted the rainbow, formerly a symbol of God’s forgiveness of mankind.
Nonsense like this is why kids should be made to wear uniforms to school.
Banning the picture of a gun is a stupid policy......but it is the policy. The issue of freedom of expression would come in if a boy was told that “Give War a Chance” on a T-shirt with a Marine emblem was verboten, but a “Give Peace a Chance” T-Shirt (or “No Blood for Oil”) was allowed and even encouraged.
Fascinating.
Ha!
These liberal louts would have had the same reaction if only the “permit” message were on the shirt, without any gun image.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.