Vermont Cop Story: AP's Bias or America's?

Rush Limbaugh ^ | May 6, 2003 | Rush Limbaugh

[.30Carbine]

Vermont Cop Story: AP's Bias or America's?

May 6, 2003

I spent Tuesday's Hour One discussing this story about Vermont police officer John Mott. While off duty at 1:30 AM, Mott entered a high school through an open service door. He then asked a janitor to unlock a classroom so he could take pictures of displays by "passionate pacifist" teacher Tom Treece to present to an attorney.

The Associated Press headlines this story: "Vt. Cop Photographed Class Projects," pointing a finger at the cop as the villain. We had to go to a local paper, the Barre Montpelier Times Argus, to find the classroom details. But this is not a media bias story. I held off giving my opinion on these events just to see what my audience's reaction would be, as you'll see below. More:

The officer reports taking pictures of "a poster of President Bush with duct tape over his mouth and a large papier-mâché combat boot with the American flag stuffed inside stepping on a doll, along with pictures of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and his co-thug reactionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. They aren't "pacifists"! Besides, the whole so-called peace movement was organized around defending and protecting Saddam Hussein! The slogan: "All hail the idiot boy king" was posted next to a picture of President Bush as, Treece claimed, "a reason to reject the high school budget."

If Mr. Treece posted pictures of me and Ronald Reagan on the wall, this cop would be a hero and the teacher would be on his way out. Apparently there were "rumors" about this teacher's curriculum, so this officer investigated. It's reported that there's a "backlash" against Officer Mott, but not that there was any sort of backlash against the class content. Why does it take a cop, taking pictures at 1:30 AM on his own time, to find out what's going on in this class? Where are the parents?

Is this not a public school? Our legal division doesn't see any constitutional issue on the officer entering the classroom in his private or public capacity; there's no expectation of privacy in a public school. We had a police officer call us up and say that Mott was off duty and out of his jurisdiction, so he shouldn't have entered the school or asked to be let into the locked classroom. You can hear such calls below along with my lengthily reporting of the details. I dedicated more than an hour to this story, and here's why:

After 70 minutes of discussion, all my e-mails and calls similarly focused on the cop - just like AP did. "So what, Rush?" So we hear education this and education that all the time in this country. Everybody claims to care about teaching "the children." But if we really cared about education, 90% of the garbage going on inside classrooms wouldn't be permitted. We would have parents involved in their children's education that know every word on the chalkboard and in the books. A police officer - who from this story doesn't seem to have any kids in the school much less in Treece's class - wouldn't have to enter through a service door and then ask a janitor to unlock the classroom for him. The parents would have expressed their outrage; instead, there wasn't a peep.

[.30Carbine]

It's a chill wind that blows through America when a leftist ideologue can't shove his political opinions down the throats of developing minds.

I've always liked a good stiff breeze. Wind seems to be picking up in VT.

[.30Carbine]

Young minds ARE impressionable

That's not the surprising part. The surprise to me is that so many adults (and even FReepers) are susceptible to the spin of the leftist press, running after their headlines like dogs after sticks.

I say, let's build a fire!

[.30Carbine]

Thanks for posting this.

It was an honor.

It seems that FreeRepublic has attracted a rather unsavory subset of what Lenin called "useful idiots." We will now have 150+ posts on why cops can't enter classrooms and take pictures, and how would you like it if he entered the major's office and rifled through his desk, and let me cite you sections of the Vermont criminal code, blah, blah blah. And not a word about what the teacher is teaching the kids.

You know how to call 'em. Bully!

[.30Carbine]

MCCARTHYWASRIGHT

Whoever put this in the keywords, thank you!

[.30Carbine]

(I have not flattered its rank breath, nor bowed to its idolatries a patient knee.)

I love this tag line. I'd love to know where it comes from, if another wrote it, or what your inspiration was if you did.

Please excuse my ignorance; I went to public school and I'm now playing catch-up with my education.

[Straight Vermonter]

I live not in myself, but I become
Portion of that around me: and to me
High mountains are a feeling, but the hum
Of human cities torture.....


I have not loved the world, nor the world me;
I have not flattered its rank breath, nor bowed
To its idolatries a patient knee...
...I stood
Amoung them, but not of them--in a shroud
Of thoughts which were not their thoughts...
-Lord Byron

[.30Carbine]

Thank you kindly, fellow straight Vermonter. We are described by every line.

[WaterDragon]

God bless you all in Vermont as you fight the good fight. I had no idea it was so bad. It probably is worse than I realized everywhere. I do believe the NEA is a communist front organization.

[Copernicus]

Only in an alternate universe.

Since you initiated this thread and have responded to my comment I will briefly list the reasons this business stinks-from the individual level up through the policy level all the way to the public relations level.

If you have substantive expository rebuttals to make, please make them in a substantive expository way and I will reply as time and circumstance permit.

Reason 1: The personal level: If I am in a large building in the middle of the night by myself or with a small crew you can bet I will be cautious around ANYONE, in uniform or not, who is "out of context" even if they are known to me. I find it hard to believe this building was unlocked after hours with no protocol for monitoring people on the property. Maybe they do things differently in Vermont. Personally, in a similar situation I would work locked-and-cocked. (After all, we are at an "elevated" threat level and chiiiiildrun frequent this building)

Reason 2: The Contractual Level. Even if the Officer is "off the clock", the janitor is NOT. Guy comes up to me in the middle of the night and "needs to have a door unlocked" and he is NOT a parent and NOT a staffer and NOT on official business the only real world response is and should be: "Dude, I've gotta finish mopping this floor by three o'clock so I can be home in time to get my kids ready for the bus."

Reason 3: The Contractual Level part II: This business about the Officer "off the clock" or "taking lunch" is very odd. Most competent Police Departments have very strict protocols about how and where and when duty officers can and cannot go and how they report their movements by radio. This is for THEIR PROTECTION. They need to be prepared to back up other officers, they need to have other officers prepared to back them up, etc. etc. If someone is driving all over town and an emergency breaks out chaos could result. I would be very interested in the radio traffic from that night to find out exactly how they determined this guy could be so far removed from his assigned zone. After all, they are public records!

Reason 4: The Policy/Public Relations Level. Anyone who wants to fry a Soviet Socialist Communist Traitor Public School Teacher should do it! But try to remember WE ARE THE GOOD GUYS. We don't have to engage in impropriety or even the perception of impropriety to WIN! Hang this guy from a public lamp post in broad daylight at high noon! Whatever you do, do NOT create a public relations nightmare by skulking around in the middle of the night like some kind of petty thief to make your point. When you do it that way, you could hardly give a bigger gift to all the usual suspects. There are ten thousand effective correct ways to accomplish this mission and one truly counterproductive and distructive way and this Officer found that single way. Sheesh!

Lest you are confused where I stand on this issue, I have frequently stated here and elsewhere it is time to get all government, Federal, State and Local out of education. It has been a century-long disaster.

This incident is one more example.

Having said that, I certainly cannot or will not endorse emotion based Conservative Republican Support of Leviathan Government anymore than I can or will endorse emotion based Liberal Democrat Support of Leviathan Government.

If this thread is an example of what it takes "to win" count me out. I believe in the rule of law, not the rule of mob hysteria.

At the very least, this officer engaged in the "appearance of impropriety" and such behaviour does nothing to advance ANY conservative, Constitutional Cause.

I hope this helps. Excuse me while I go don my asbestos underwear.

Best regards,

[Interesting Times]

Thanks for the posts documenting the radical agenda and tactics of Thomas Treece. They lay to rest the false claims of his defenders that he is fair and even-handed.

We can expect the leftists to fight desperately to protect such indoctrinators, as removing them strikes at the core of their power.

Let the freeping continue.

[Lady Eileen]

bump....thanks for the post.

[dirtboy]

The superintendant's concern is not germane and is personal.

So you are claiming that the superindent of a school has no standing to offer commentary as to whether the guidelines for which she is responsible have been violated?

Out of all the novel legal and logical concepts offered so far on this thread, this one is the best yet.

[TigersEye]

MCCARTHYWASRIGHT - Whoever put this in the keywords, thank you!

Tweren't me! I figured you had. In fact I thought you had done them all, LOL.

[CobaltBlue]

>>Then why can't I say a slew of words that begin with n, f, k, c, g, w, m, d, etc.?<<

You know you can say those words and you probably do, but you have to be careful about the audience. That's always been the case.

>>Without being accused of 'hate speech'?<<

The First Amendment doesn't protect obscenities, and it doesn't protect crimes, and it doesn't protect libel and slander. It's intended to protect freedom of religion and freedom of expression, especially political thought, even political thought that you disagree with.

In a democratic republic, people are not going to agree on everything, and they shouldn't. They should be able to express their beliefs passionately without fear of government repression. That's one of the major differences between the US and places like China and Cuba and North Korea and Saudi Arabia.

>>Regardless of context, these words are being expunged from our culture to the sometimes detriment of its history and literature.<<

I don't think so. You seem to be well-versed in their usage.

>>I noticed the 'Impeach Bush' bumper sticker, which looked like a production unit. If the students made these posters, were they the result of an assignment?<<

Unless more photos of posters have turned up since the last time I looked at Rush's web site, there was one photo of a poster and one photo of a door with several bumper stickers and one photo of the classroom with some paper mache' heads and a couple of photos of a bulletin board with a sign saying "GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS". The bumper stickers were clearly mass produced. The poster was clearly student artwork.

>>Why were there no posters supporting the president if there is free speech in the classroom?<<

I see that Rush has more photos of the classroom. Here is a link to one that shows a sign saying "GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS" and a copy of the famous photo of the Kurdish child that was killed when Saddam gassed the Kurds. People who supported the war in Iraq used that photo as proof that Saddam had WMD and was willing to use them.
http://rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_050703/content/web_photos_2.guest.html

>>Have you, personally ever openly disagreed with a teacher?<<

Yes, many times. I am very outspoken and have been all my life. I love to argue and debate. However, I try to develop a rapport with people and I listen to what they say respectfully, especially when they are in a position of authority.

>>Was your free speech stifled?<<

No, I was pretty much a teacher's pet, especially with teachers that liked an intellectual challenge.

Maybe it's because I care more about truth and ideals than whether I can say "words that begin with n, f, k, c, g, w, m, d, etc." I do support your right to say them, perhaps in a nightclub doing standup, or in a bar with your friends. But that orientation isn't endearing to teacher types.

[CobaltBlue]

Did your husband notice the huge poster saying "GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS"? And the photo of the Kurdish child that was gassed by Saddam during the Kurdish uprising?
http://rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_050703/content/web_photos_2.guest.html

Why are you saying that there is no support for the president in the classroom?

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS isn't good enough for you?

[CobaltBlue]

Did you see the additional photos on Rush's website of Treece's classroom, including ones with a poster saying "GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS", a copy of the famous photo of the Kurdish child that was gassed by Saddam during the Kurdish uprising, that was used to prove that Saddam had WMD and was willing to use them, and an American flag?
http://rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_050703/content/web_photos_2.guest.html

It appears to me that Treece is more "fair and balanced" than ya'll were giving him credit for. Comment?

[arthurus]

Thanks for the redirect.

[Interesting Times]

It appears to me that Treece is more "fair and balanced" than ya'll were giving him credit for. Comment?

"Supporting the troops" is part of the leftist party line on the war. They noticed that spitting on returning vets after VietNam and calling them baby killers didn't play well in the heartland, so today's leftists pretend they're patriotic as they work to undermine America's interests. Show me a poster in Treece's classroom that calls Bush a great President, or maybe one that supports the War on Terror, and then we'll talk about fairness.

I know you want very badly for everyone to believe Treece is a fine fellow and we should leave him alone -- even to the extent of making bogus claims that you are in contact with one of his students. You have been caught in several obvious falsehoods during your tireless advocacy of this position.

What isn't clear is why it's so important to you that Treece must be permitted to continue his efforts at indoctrinating students.

[CobaltBlue]

I've printed out your post so that I will remember your name. Next week I'll tell you the details of how I spoke with one of Treece's students. I don't want to do it now but I will do it when the story dies down.

>>Show me a poster in Treece's classroom that calls Bush a great President, or maybe one that supports the War on Terror, and then we'll talk about fairness.<<

The photo of the gassed Kurdish child is support for the war against Iraq. It's not as dramatic as the poster of Bush with duct tape over his mouth, but the student who did it isn't as creative as the student who did the poster of Bush.

[moneyrunner]

It’s from Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, a poem by Lord Byron:

The whole line reads: “I have not loved the world, or the world me. I have not flattered its rank breath nor bowed to its idolatries a patient knee.”