Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Free speech? Obama song gets coach fired
gopusa ^ | Today

Posted on 08/20/2010 7:30:35 AM PDT by jessduntno

America... the land of the free and the home of the brave. At least that's what we hear when we sing the National Anthem.

Wait... are we still allowed to sing that song and express our patriotism? I know we are still the home of the brave, but it's become clearer that we are no longer the land of the free. Just ask "former" middle school football coach Bryan Glover, who wrote a song about Barack Obama and sent it to people on his e-mail list. Where did this expression of free speech land him?

The unemployment line, that's where.

As reported by OneNewsNow.com, Glover, a 26-year-old Christian, co-wrote the song "When You're Holding a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nail." The song "takes a dig at the current administration and what he believes to be the wrong moves for the U.S." According to the report, Glover sent the song to everyone in his personal e-mail list, "which included parents from Grassland Middle School, where he coached football."

That's when the trouble began. Within 90 minutes of sending out the song, Glover heard from his head coach that parents were asking that Glover be fired.

"When the coach first called me, he said his phone was blown up with parents saying that I was being politically incorrect -- quote, unquote -- if you will, and that some of them were even reading into racial overtones in the song," Glover explains.

Listen to the song for yourself and see if there is ANY reference to race in it at all. Why do people have to knee-jerk and claim racism just because someone doesn't like Obama? It's because they are so enamored with him and his socialist programs that they think anyone who doesn't like him must be a racist.

(Excerpt) Read more at gopusa.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: deptofeducation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-149 next last
To: Personal Responsibility

If he sent it out to parents, he’s cooked. But just to get technical, courts have tended to protect teachers’ right to engage in controversial speech outside of school as long as they aren’t bashing school officials or doing things that might harm the school’s reputation. Much depends, of course, on whether or not a teacher has tenure.


101 posted on 08/20/2010 9:21:40 AM PDT by sand lake bar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: jessduntno

Franklin TN. That surprises me a little.

Here’s the school web page:
http://www.wcs.edu/gms/


102 posted on 08/20/2010 9:22:13 AM PDT by Tigercap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jessduntno; All

Ironically, they have a quick-link, on their web page, to report bullying.

I think the coach was bullied irrationally.

http://www.wcs.edu/gms/Bullying.htm


103 posted on 08/20/2010 9:23:35 AM PDT by Tigercap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies]

To: Personal Responsibility
While I agree with the sentiment in the song you just cannot send out stuff like that and expect no reprecussions. He messed up.

"Stuff like that"? Are you completely insane?
104 posted on 08/20/2010 9:24:07 AM PDT by aruanan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: All

finally, the Administration, with emails and phone numbers. Includes the AD and Principal.

http://www.wcs.edu/gms/Staff%20Profiles%20New/adm_office.htm


105 posted on 08/20/2010 9:26:13 AM PDT by Tigercap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 103 | View Replies]

To: pepperdog
The public schools have been indoctrinating our children for years, I'm surprised you didn't know. Obama’s election is the direct result their indoctrination. I suspect we have at least two generations of indoctrinated voters. The sad thing is they don't even know they've been brain washed.

"I'm surprised you didn't know."

What is that supposed to mean?

So, is it your contention that we should accept the fact that teachers are free to indoctrinate?

Remember this?

Video: Parents angry over Obama song at NJ elementary school

Once you make excuses for teachers that are dishing out political propaganda you agree with, you are also making excuses for teachers that are dishing out political propaganda you do not agree with.

Elementary and high school education and partisan political advocacy do not mix. Period. No matter which flavor of partisan politics they are dishing out.

106 posted on 08/20/2010 9:27:19 AM PDT by Polybius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Polybius

I don;t disrespect your point of view. But, one is a coach doing it, not to students but to his friends. The other is coercing students to comply. They’re really quite different, wouldn’t you say?


107 posted on 08/20/2010 9:35:24 AM PDT by Tigercap
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 106 | View Replies]

To: jessduntno
What don’t you get about this issue?

And what about the teachers who did the Obama mmmm mmmm mmmm song. I remember a lot of us trying to get them fired. Read the constitution, this is not a first amendment issue unless you bring in some psycho logic judicial activism.
108 posted on 08/20/2010 9:35:39 AM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 100 | View Replies]

To: Labyrinthos

During the summer of 2007, our faculty members received training in two new programs. Capturing Kids’ Hearts and the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program are both designed to help build relationships between students and teachers and students and their peers. A special period is inserted into the daily schedule that we are calling “General Intermission.” This period will include one day for relationship building, one day for intramurals, and three days each week for study and reading time.

My letter to the Super and Principal;

Dr. Susan Curtis
Principal
Grasslands Middle School

Dr. Curtis,

I have read extensively and heard about, the recent firing of your football coach for sending out a song that he wrote that is critical of the current administration. If this was done on his own time, sent from his own computer to his personal email list and did not use any school resources, how could his summary dismissal be a positive example for the children?

If personal and private expression of political thought and expression is met with this type of immmediate summary dismissal, do we not teach that you should never “question authority” or “speak truth to power?”

I have seen the lyrics and there is nothing in them to raise concern about racism or any personal attack or threat. I simply do not understand the stance you have taken.

Sincerely,


109 posted on 08/20/2010 9:35:39 AM PDT by jessduntno (Is Barack the Kenyan word for barracks? You know, a place where many men are lodged?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 97 | View Replies]

To: GonzoGOP

“And what about the teachers who did the Obama mmmm mmmm mmmm song. I remember a lot of us trying to get them fired.”

Maybe YOU did, I did not. Nothing there.


110 posted on 08/20/2010 9:38:14 AM PDT by jessduntno (Is Barack the Kenyan word for barracks? You know, a place where many men are lodged?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]

To: jessduntno; GonzoGOP
To: GonzoGOP ..... Don’t you think firing a guy from his government paid position without hearings or cause given (which I still don’t understand and neither do you)

The cause is that he sent partisan political e-mail to a list of people, that were not his personal friends, that were, in effect, the clients of his employer.

This is the third time I have explained this.

You can send your personal friends whatever you please.

Once you get a list of your employer's clients and start sending them partisan political e-mails, dirty jokes, etc., your employer will not be happy and you may very well be fired.

If you do not believe me, try it.

111 posted on 08/20/2010 9:38:44 AM PDT by Polybius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies]

To: jessduntno; Personal Responsibility
As a matter for comparison - were the teachers who had their students singing songs praising the president by name fired?

Anyone with details, please post citations.

112 posted on 08/20/2010 9:39:09 AM PDT by loveliberty2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SoldierDad
It’s because polarizing people is a dumb thing to do.

Then Jesus must have been the dumbest guy on the planet. In a world of lies, the truth will always polarize.
113 posted on 08/20/2010 9:43:12 AM PDT by aruanan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: jessduntno

Guy is an idiot and can’t claim immunity for stupidly sending out the song in an email.

It was inappropriate for his position and relationship to the parents and children.

He had to have known, his controversial song would not be well received by at 50% of those on email list, for their political leanings.

Next time use your frickin’ head, coach.

I will give you a pass for being 26 and chalk it up to leftover adolescent.


114 posted on 08/20/2010 9:44:50 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously... You'll never live through it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tigercap
I don't disrespect your point of view. But, one is a coach doing it, not to students but to his friends. The other is coercing students to comply. They’re really quite different, wouldn’t you say?

IF .... IF .... it had been only "to his friends", then it would have been perfectly O.K.

But, that's the rub. It was NOT solely "to his friends".

Your "friends" do not complain and ask that you be fired.

Where he messed up is that he included a list of parents in his "personal friends" list. He mixed "clients" with "personal friends".

As I posted above: "The cause is that he sent partisan political e-mail to a list of people, that were not his personal friends, but were, in effect, the clients of his employer.

You can send your personal friends whatever you please.

Once you get a list of your employer's clients and start sending them partisan political e-mails, dirty jokes, etc., your employer will not be happy and you may very well be fired."

115 posted on 08/20/2010 9:49:49 AM PDT by Polybius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies]

To: Personal Responsibility
When anyone on the left demonizes anyone on the right, including the President (Bush), they are given immunity from being held accountable no matter how blatantly bigoted, biased, racist, etc. their comments or actions are (recall the thugs with clubs at the polling location during the 2008 election).

When anyone on the right makes a derisive comment about the ONE, or questions his motives, or protests his agenda (or the mosque), there is a call for an investigation or a firing.

The attitude that you have taken in this (I'm not condemning, just making an observation) is precisely the reason why the left gets away with all they do and the right is subjected to insult after insult after insult (often resulting in firings, resignations, prosecutions, etc, etc, etc.). Until WE stand up and say enough the left will continue using this form of censorship against us.

116 posted on 08/20/2010 9:56:16 AM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud Papa of two new Army Brats! Congrats to my Soldier son and his wife.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: jessduntno
have read extensively and heard about, the recent firing of your football coach for sending out a song that he wrote that is critical of the current administration. If this was done on his own time, sent from his own computer to his personal email list

How many times does this have to be explained to you?

THE MAN INCLUDED A LIST OF HIS EMPLOYER'S CLIENTS (THE PARENTS)IN HIS " PERSONAL EMAIL LIST".

Your employer's clients are NOT "your personal friends". They do NOT belong on your "personal email list".

If you start sending partisan political emails, dirty jokes, etc., to your employer's clients, you will be scolded, at the very least, or fired.

Your "personal friends" do not call up your boss and demand that you be fired for sending them an e-mail they did not appreciate.

Pissed off clients do.

117 posted on 08/20/2010 9:59:21 AM PDT by Polybius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 109 | View Replies]

To: Personal Responsibility

I do not think so..


118 posted on 08/20/2010 10:00:51 AM PDT by RnMomof7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: loveliberty2

I had already asked that question - the answer is no, they were not fired (I already knew the answer when I posed the question).


119 posted on 08/20/2010 10:02:23 AM PDT by SoldierDad (Proud Papa of two new Army Brats! Congrats to my Soldier son and his wife.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 112 | View Replies]

To: Personal Responsibility

In this case his employer was the government, in particular a local school district. 14th Amendment anyone?


120 posted on 08/20/2010 10:07:29 AM PDT by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know. . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-149 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson