Posted on 12/12/2001 10:01:21 AM PST by truth4all
Katie Sierra was suspended for wearing anti-war T-shirts in high school and trying to organize an anarchist club to protest the war. We are "free" to express any and all opinions as long as they support the government's agenda. Parts of a local newspaper article are below followed by an interview with Katie by www.infoshop.org. Gavin
Student can't wear anti-war clothing to Sissonville High
By Eric Eyre
Click Here
"Students at Sissonville High School no longer feel safe," said school system attorney Jim Withrow. "Without question, it has disrupted the educational process."
(Gavin. Contrary opinions are a threat to other pupils.)
Sierra's attorney blamed Mann for the turmoil at Sissonville, saying he overreacted and "took those bellows and flamed the fires."
"He wanted her shirts out of there," Forman said. "He wants her opinions out of there. If truth be known, he probably wants her out of there."
End article quote.
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller
Please visit my nonprofit website.
Exposing the Cancer Indu$try.
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Thank you. Gavin.
KATIE SIERRA
www.infoshop.org Click Here
Katie Sierra is a 15-year-old anarchist who lives in Sissonville, West Virginia. She recently made international news after her high school suspended her for wearing a t-shirt critical of the war in Afghanistan, as well as for her efforts in organizing a student anarchy club at the school. Her legal protest of the school's decision was turned down by the courts. There is an international effort to support her and her fight against the school.
Infoshop.org: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Katie Sierra: Let's see..my name is Katie. I am a former student from Sissonville High School. I'm a 15-year-old 10th grader. In my spare time I go to shows, read, and write poetry.
Infoshop: Why did you get suspended from your high school?
KS: I was suspended for wearing a t-shirt that spoke of political views. Also, for having possession of the flyers in my purse.
Infoshop: What did your T-shirt say?
KS: Well, there's more than one. The one I got suspended for said "Racism, Sexism, Homophobia..I'm so proud of the people in the land of the so called "Free". Then the next week after my principal allowed me to wear them again...and then made me take it off again said "When I saw the dead and dying Afghani children on TV, I felt a newly recovered sense of national security. God Bless America."
Infoshop: What happened in court?
KS: Besides staring at Mr. Mann's strange comb-over and missing thumb lol. I didn't win. I don't really know why. At least everything I said was factual, but everything Mann said was opinion or hearsay.
Infoshop: Are you appealing the judge's decision?
KS: Yes, we'll be going to court uhhh...Jan. 25. State Supreme turned it down...but I'm not giving up!
How do you feel about the authorities telling you that you have no rights?
KS: It makes me feel like total crap. I mean I think it's crazy. Everyone else in that school can say how they feel towards certain things, unless you have something no one agrees with. I just don't think that is fair. If I could go back to school for a day. I think I'd probably. wear duck tape over my mouth with "I have no rights" printed on the front. lol I think that might be quite humorous.
Why did you decide to start an anarchy club? Are other students interested in joining it?
KS: I think we were pretty much a group already. I mean I know we were a group. At the time we didn't have a name. And there isn't anything for us to join at SHS. So I was thinking since we are all interesting in Anarchy and whatnot things it would be a good idea. I read about it on Infoshop...that's how the idea popped into my head. Yeah, there was about 15-20 people who wanted to join.
If your club existed, what kind of projects would the club be working on?
KS: It was mostly for us to learn and discuss things. We had somewhat started a zine--it isn't really finished. We were going to work in some soup kitchens on the weekend. Just a lot of different things. Have people come speak. Possibly a Food not Bombs group.
Tell us about the zine you were working on?
KS: It was going to be called the Anny. There was four of us working on it. We were only going to print no more than 30 copies of it. Honestly, we didn't want anyone besides people in our uhh "freak/punk" to know about it. It was going to be about things that happen in our school, city, state, country, world...blah blah blah and how we felt. The 1st copy was never finished so I'm sure there would have been more.
When and how did you first become interested in radical politics?
KS: I don't really know. I mean I think I've always been pretty interested. It might have been my friends. Most of them are older than me and I guess I just learned a lot from them.
What's your opinion on the current war?
KS: As like any war I think it's wrong. I don't believe in fighting and last time I checked war is included. I don't know or have an answer for the war, but I do know that killing people is not right. I think our country is just to lazy to think of another solution.
What kinds of things are your classmates saying about the war?
KS: See they don't even know what their talking about most of the time. Most of the things they say are just cruel about how they want to kill out the whole country. And how they are supporters of bombing. How they should stop sending food packets out there.
Now that your mother has pulled you out of school, what kind of things are you studying at home? KS: History, English, Career, and Science. It's quite funny to now know and realize how much bull crap they're feeding you in schools lol.
What lessons have you learned from this, that you'd like to share with teenagers in similar situations?
KS: I've learned that this country is crap...actually I already knew that. I've learned that school systems are crap. Wait! I knew that too. I guess I've learned that this country and school systems are more crappy than ever and they suck. I guess I've also learned not to give up. And to stand up for what you believe in no matter what it is. It's okay to think differently, its normal. Don't let anyone run over you because of your beliefs.
The first Amendment wasn't written to protect popular speech. It was written to protect unpopular speech. No matter how obnoxious or how sickening this speech is, this dim whitt has a right to express her opinion.
This school is just as wrong as the school that suspended the kid for his pro-war signs. There is no right to go through life never being offended or never being faced with opinions we find repugnent. Free speech never enslaves anyone or takes anyones rights.
Your high school sounds a little like pre-liberation Kabul.
Theres no reason for the club to have control. each individual could decide to do whatever they wanted, and they could decide to organize to perform some activity, making the whole excercise an example of how an anarchist club would work. Those who didn't want to perform the activity wouldn't. After enough such non-participation they would, despite their name being on some "membership list" really not be considered part of this "club" by anyone with even a remote familiarity to it. specially if the activities are the things we normally associate anarchy with -- such as anti-authoritarianism/anti-capitalism etc... and the people who aren't participating are known to be bunch of shmucky smartasses trying to make the point that they too are "members" of the club. no-one will mistake them for anarchists, and pretty much everyone involved will know whats going on.
I'm all for increased freedoms within the context, protection and laws of the US Constitution. I don't think that that is anarchy, though.
I don't believe that anarchy is the opposite of tyranny. Anarchy is the law of the jungle and only exists until the biggest meanest ape beats his opponents, then you have tyranny.
Freedom is the opposite of tyranny. Freedoms codified and protected by the US Constitution sure seems like the best solution on this mortal plane. At least we can throw our government out regularly without civil war...
Do you think beating up little girls for unpopular opinions is the right thing to do?
They're discussed and reasoned through untill something is developed which has the consent of those governed by these concentrations of power.
Try "this website." Move on over to the Rule of Law vs. Rule of Ashcroft thread for more of the same "freedom of speech for me but not for thee" theme -- i.e., anything a conservative does is OK, even if if we'd go bananas over a liberal doing the exact same thing.
I happen to think this girl has a healthy skepticism of government authority -- something I thought was a central trait of conservatism.
LOL! By then, that unjustified concentration of power has impaled its enemies and dissedents are being rounded up and clapped in irons.
People blame teachers and they don't look at the system.
It's crazy, you have kids that don't flunk because it hurts their self-esteem or that can't speak English, or that deserve to be paddled but can't be, or that couldn't tell you what the various Ammendments to the Constitution are, but if given a test on it could guess enough to pass.
It's sad actually. In another generation or two, we are going to have a lot of apathetic, drugged up, idiots that can't be fired from work because it would hurt their feelings, can do whatever they please and not have to take personal responsibility because they don't speak English or had a bad childhood, that can't read a newspaper or balance their bank account, etc. Yeah, we have some now, but just wait.
So its a contradiction if in order to make it so that no-one governs me, I govern myself?
But your doubts and questions are bringing you to the cusp of some important reveleations -- that anarchy is best understood as a tendency, not a program or platform. and that regarding things as absolutes will lead us ultimately into useless loops such as "total freedom = tyranny" and "no government == dictatorship", so we should rather be interested in the incremental changes that can be made in society. Like are we better in a society that can chase a 15 year old girl out of school for her opinions or not?
They might just make some. you would win. and they would have their meeting, and would be happy. see how wonderfull an anarchistic world would be?
How can a society deal with an individual who actively and openly hates that society?--except to exclude that individual from the benefits of that society that they hate.
It's only fair.
Just like your anarchy society--we have come up with general rules of behavior that are acceptable within that society. Openly hating that society and supporting its destruction is definitely not acceptable behavior in any society in the world.
Like are we better in a society that harbors those who hate and would destroy that society?
She hates this society, why should she share in its benefits, such as a free education?
I would hardly call myself liberal. I support people's right to have their own thoughts and express them, even if they are stupid. I'm sorry, I love the Constitution, you may not, that's your thing, but I support your right to speak out against free thought/free speech, kinda ironic eh?
You don't applaud errant thought - you try to educate it. Failing that - you treat it with derision.
That is true Comrade, we must send her to the re-education camps immediately! We cannot allow these "thoughts" to spread among the population, otherwise our iron-grip over this country will dissolve.
Seriously, are you really that afraid of some 15 year old girl that your willing to brainwash her?
If they want to pull a little Johnny Taliban and go off the path to the point where they are fighting us, then I'll get some rope, you find a tree. But some little 15 year old girl speaking out for what she believes in, right or wrong, is not a threat to you or I.
This thread makes me feel a whole lot better about Freepers, many of whom have defended the right to freedom of speech of this little girl with whom they disagree. Congrats! BBL.
Yes, this is what happened when the colonies decided to rebel against the king, and castro's "barbudos" against batista. You seem to forget that history will have its Tiananmen squares just like it has its stormings of the bastille -- to use two extreme examples.
You've just got an (ahem) unconventional definition of 'anarchy' is all....
Dakmar: Self-governing is still governing.
gfactor: So its a contradiction if in order to make it so that no-one governs me, I govern myself?
I was referring to your remarks about consensus and voting, self-governing in that context meaning a group, not an individual. If a group imposes rules on an individual, it's no longer anarchy, is it?
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