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

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

[Senator Pardek]

I thought they all lived in Nyack, but maybe it's Nanuet.

I don't ever try to tell the difference anymore.

I just say "one of the two places on the other side of the river that start with an 'N'".

[CaptRon]

New City?

[dead]

The fact that Nyack and Nanuet both have big malls on Route 59 really adds to the confusion. They should just merge.

[weikel]

I believe in pre emptive force though. Leftist subversives like these( and all leftist radicals are the same) can ruin and PCize( the PC orthodoxy will then maintain itself by force in various ways) a high school or anything else if you don't put them in their place early on by any means. I grew up in about the only conservative town in Massachussetts so my high school wasn't very PC but a lotta guvment schools are.

[CaptRon]

Actually, the Palisades Mall is in West Nyack, not the Village of Nyack (just to cloud the issue a little more).

[FreeTally]

Do you think the school infringed on the pacifists rights by not providing the specific forum they wanted?

[weikel]

What do you think of preemptive force given the agenda and MO of these leftist are always the same? They don't start initiating force on you until they have enough strength I say you have to get them before then.

[Illbay]

...advocates an end to all war...

Gosh, isn't that neat? They want ALL WAR to end! Let's see, if only Bill Clinton could have run for reelection, or if Algore hadn't had the election stolen from him, it'd probably have happened by now.

After all, when you're an addle-pated leftist, to really "want" something is all it takes to make it happen.

These people need to read the story of King Canute.

[AmericanCheeseFood]

No doubt Chelsea was but a couple of blocks away and saw smoke.

Indeed noones right to free speech was infringed upon, because there is no right to be heard. I don't wanna hear ya but can't avoid ya I'll tell ya or do something about it.

That's freedom of association.

Cheese.

[KC_Conspirator]

The literature, from the War Resisters League, advocates an end to all war, condemnation of all acts of terror and an end to arms sales in the Middle East by all countries. It also advocates an end to all American military support of any country in the world, especially its support of Israel "until Israel ends its 35-year occupation, evacuates the illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza (and) ceases practicing state terrorism."

These kids have been indoctrinated well. Next thing you know their little pamphlets will say "Achtung! Schnell! Zeig Heil! Join ze party or else!"

[dakine]

My son was tossed out of school last week for wearing a shirt stating "Anti-flag", a rock group, he refused to turn it inside out at the request of the Principal...He paid the price...rules/perception of the elite...

[freeeee]

Do you think the school infringed on the pacifists rights by not providing the specific forum they wanted?

No private party is compelled to provide a forum. Had this been a private school, I would say no rights were violated.

However, this was a public school, and the government can't pick and choose who can speak. If they give a forum to one, they must give it to all.

Another point is that the school gave in to disruptors who clearly had no respect for the rules. This is caving in to lawlessness, and placing the whims of an unruly mob over the free speech rights of law-abiding, if unpopular, students. I have a problem with that.

[freeeee]

What do you think of preemptive force given the agenda and MO of these leftist are always the same? They don't start initiating force on you until they have enough strength I say you have to get them before then.

I think you are confusing initial force with defensive force. If someone is preparing to initiate force against you (example: drawing a weapon) you are not compelled for them to strike in order to legitimately use defensive force.

However, no such actions were taken by these students. They were merely expressing an opinion. Mere political opinions do not constitute an initiation of force, and therefore any force taken against them would be accurately called initial force. One cannot claim to be using defensive force against what others might do. That is initial force.

[rwfromkansas]

Students do have rights, but not if it causes an exess disruption of the school day. This obviouly did and free speech does not apply.

[Bush2000]

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

Dispute, debate, and argument are good. Censorship is not. Quite frankly, I'm shocked that a school administrator shut down a pacifist display. But fear not: I'm sure that he'll come to his senses in a week or two and order all pro-military displays shutdown, as well.

[cyndi]

The pacifist group should get equal time if they are offering the same salary and benefit package as the military.

[weikel]

But like I said the MO and agenda of these types is always the same.

[Kermit]

"...an end to arms sales in the Middle East by all countries..."

Actually, I agree with this. Unfortunately, it is simply unenforcable. How do you stop North Korea from selling missiles to Iran and Egypt? Russians selling nuclear plants to Iran? We'll have to take out North Korea and produce a better deal for the Russians.