Nyack (NY) High students clash over anti-war literature

THE JOURNAL NEWS (Westchester County, NY) ^ | June 6, 2002 | RANDI WEINER

[LurkedLongEnough]

One Nyack High School student was suspended for insubordination and another sent to an in-school disciplinary program after nearly 25 students clashed over pacifist literature being handed out in the high school in response to a visit by military recruiters.

[LurkedLongEnough]

The right to free speech was infringed here - is this an example of the practice of "public safety" procedures overriding free speech?

Besides, the table's premature closing saved the pacifist from having to prove his non-violence beliefs after receiving a hearty round of smacks by H.S. seniors interested in military careers.

[APBaer]

" (Westchester County, NY) ^ RANDI WEINER"

Is this ghost written by Bill Clinton??

[FreeTally]

Oh, boy, here we go again!

IMHO, no one's rights were infringed. The pacifist pansies can keep saying whatever they want. The school is just denying them the specific forum that they want(note, there literature can still be picked up in the office).

IMHO, the school should never allowed the kids to set up "an opposing view point" table. If they are going to allow kids to protest school decisions like allowing the military to come on campus to recruit, then schools might as well let students protest classwork, the curiculum, teachers, etc, and provide them a forum to do so.

[FreeTally]

"We at all times showed respect for the military in their endeavors .....

LOL! This is what Rush would call "Yound skulls full of mush". Their presence and ideas are a disrespect to all current and past military, and all those who died so this kid could could have the freedom to be an idiot.

[stands2reason]

Bump what you said. :-)

[APBaer]

"schools might as well let students protest classwork, the
curiculum, teachers, etc, and provide them a forum to do so"

They do, it's called "detention."

[dead]

"until Israel ends its 35-year occupation, evacuates the illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza (and) ceases practicing state terrorism."

The article doesn’t address it, but I believe this sort of “literature” may have angered the youngsters of Nyack’s sizable Hassidic community.

[FreeTally]

Well, detention is just the result of an "unauthorized protest". ;)

[FreeTally]

Pacifist principal, pacifist student.

I think her remarks that she "sympathizes with his position" is just a kind way of her not saying "you stupid kid". Teachers and principals are not supposed to tell kids they are "wrong". That might damage their self esteem, and we wouldn't want that now. Regardless of her beliefs, she probably had no choice but to say that.

[wardaddy]

I lived in Upper Nyack in a boathouse/carriagehouse on an old Robber Baron estate on Upper Broadway. It was not a bad place to live except I had to drive the Palisades back and forth to Midtown everday. That was 1985/1986. It was a mix of yuppies and celebrities and working class folks with a little of the granola crowd mixed in. The big scandal then was the plethora of mysterious deaths at the local hospital and then the Tawana Brawley case up the river.

Very nice sort of bucolic environs and less pricey than Westchester.

[CaptRon]

Nyack is my alma mater. Doesn't have a large Hassidic community. Never has.

[dead]

I thought they all lived in Nyack, but maybe it's Nanuet. (I always confused the two when I lived in Pearl River.)

I know there is a very large Hassidic community up in one of those towns.

[CaptRon]

Monsey and New Square (where Hillary managed to work in a few pardons).

[weikel]

LOL if they tried this in my high school I would be one of the kids "hassling" the pacifist. I hate pacifist thats basically the only thing thats seperates me from a libertarian.

[dead]

Thanks. That rings a bell!

I knew I didn't imagine all those black suits in the Palisades mall.

[CaptRon]

Because of its location right on the Hudson and its proximity to the city Nyack's always had its enclave of artsy left-wing types.

[CaptRon]

Were they buying or selling?

[freeeee]

I hate pacifist thats basically the only thing thats seperates me from a libertarian.

"Hassling" is mere speech, as in voicing an opposite opintion. Nothing wrong with that, from the libertarian point of view. The line is crossed when you initiate force in order to limit the speech of those you disagree with.

Also, not all libertarians are pacifists. Non-pacifist libertarians, such as myself, believe in defensive and retaliatory force as the proper response to those who initiate force.

The only force all libertarians oppose is initial force.

[dead]

Buying mostly. Though some were selling jewelry.