Pricinpal Interrupts Valedictorian
[email protected]
Principal interrupts valedictorian's criticism of Mainland
By REGINA SCHAFFER Staff Writer, (609) 272-7211
Published: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Updated: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Kareem Elnahal learned a lesson Tuesday night - even in graduation, the
school still rules.
The class valedictorian surprised administrators and his fellow 2006
graduates at Mainland Regional High School when he opted to give an
unapproved speech criticizing the school. Mainland, Elnahal said, does
not
encourage intellectual thought and the exchange of ideas.
The senior, in a detailed speech that referenced philosphers and ethics
principles, referred to his education as "entirely hollow." The speech
was
interrupted by the principal, and Elnahal cut his remarks short and
left the
ceremony.
Mainland principal Robert Blake said the speech insulted Elnahal's
classmates.
"That was so hypocritical of him to make that statement," Blake said.
"It
was an insult to everyone here at this school ... he made inflammatory
comments about the school in general."
Reached at his home Wednesday, Elnahal said he regrets the way the
situation
unfolded. He was embarassed and apologetic.
"I put the principal in a very uncomfortable position - he's a very nice
guy, actually - I feel bad," Elnahal said. "I feel bad that he had to
deal
with this."
"I just wanted to finish up, I felt pretty guilty," he said. "I felt
embarassed that the ceremony had to happen this way. It's supposed to
be a
day of celebration."
At the same time, Elnahal said he is glad he had the opportunity to
make his
point.
"I went to two parties last night, and I'm their hero now," he said.
"I felt like this was the right thing to do," Elnahal said. "I couldn't
show
the speech (to officials) beforehand because they would have rejected
it. I
could tell by the reaction from students that they felt the same way. I
had
to express it or I felt that nothing would change."
In Elnahal's original approved speech, he was to touch on the high and
low
points of school and the experiences that moved the class to maturity.
But
once he took the podium, Elnahal changed gears and began to speak about
the
shortcomings of the American education system - specifically, at
Mainland, a
school that prides itself as being one of the premier area high
schools.
"In my reflection ... and I have reflected on this a great deal, I found
that many of life's important questions are ignored here," Elnahal said,
according to a copy of the alternate speech he provided to The Press.
He went on to say, "I speak today not to rant, complain or cause
trouble ...
rather, I was moved by the countless hours wasted in those halls."
Blake said he and other administrators realized after a few moments that
Elnahal's speech was different than what was approved. Blake said he
approached Elnahal, let him know he was disappointed with what he was
saying, and asked him to wrap up his speech.
Elnahal described the incident the same way.
After he finished the speech, Elnahal walked off the stage and left the
school grounds by his own choice.
"I thought it would be better for the ceremony to go on without me," he
said.
Blake noted that the very education system Elnahal criticized helped
him get
into Princeton University.
"He conveyed that he felt his education was worthless," Blake said. "We
have
an outstanding education system here."
Blake said the audience had a mixed reaction to Elnahal's comments. Some
yelled comments regarding freedom of speech after the speech was
interrupted. Blake said he heard some students cheering and applauding
Elnahal's comments.
"I truly don't believe they understood what he was saying," Blake said.
"My
hope was they did not hear or understand what he was saying. Whether it
was
intentional or not, he was belittling the diplomas of every one of those
kids."
Blake said that as with every valedictorian's speech, there is a
process of
review to make sure the speech is appropriate. Elnahal's original
speech was
approved.
"This is a school (sanctioned) program," Blake said. "We give them
latitude.
However, to say inflammatory things - no, I won't allow that. We have
several thousand people in the stands."
"He has a right to his comments, but he shouldn't have been using that
pulpit to put forth his limited viewpoint," Blake said. "Hopefully
people
kept it in context."
David Hudson, a research attorney at First Amendment Center, said it is
difficult to say in a situation like this who is right and who is wrong.
"The question becomes whether (the student's) speech is student
initiated or
school sponsored," Hudson said. "It's a hazy issue."
Hudson noted that students do not have full First Ammendment
protection, and
do not have the right to say whatever they want at a school event.
But at the same time, disliking a student's speech is not a reason to
stop
it, Hudson said. If there was substantial concern that the student's
words
could cause a problem, then someone has a right to step in, Hudson said.
Blake said that Elnahal's diploma still is at Mainland. He has not yet
contacted the school about obtaining it.
"I guess I have to go pick it up," Elnahal said.
The Press of Atlantic City chose to run the young man's speech
following the
above article:
ELNAHAL'S SPEECH
Four years ago, we gathered here for an education. Today marks a
milestone
in that pursuit, a culmination of four years of learning, growth and
shared
memories. At such times, it is appropriate to reflect on years past, to
examine what we have done and what we have learned. Today I am charged
with
that difficult task, and I would like to thank the school for the
opportunity to stand before my peers and reflect on our time together.
Education can be defined a number of different ways. For me, it is the
product of human curiosity. Intellectual thought, as far as I can tell,
is
nothing but the asking and answering of questions. In my reflection,
however, and I have reflected on this a great deal, I found that many of
life's most important questions are ignored here. What is the right way
to
live? What is the ideal society? What principles should guide my
behavior?
What is success, what is failure? Is there a creator, and if so, should
we
look to it for guidance? These are often dismissed as questions of
religion,
but religion is not something opposed to rationality, it simply seeks to
answer such questions through faith. The separation of church and state
is,
of course, important, but it should never be a reason for intellectual
submission or suppression of any kind. Ethics - it is what defines us -
as
individuals, as a society - and yet it is never discussed, never
explained,
never justified. Rousseau, Descartes, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas,
nearly every major writer I've encountered devotes time to the subject.
And
it's not as if these questions are without practical concern, that they
are
less immediately relevant than science for instance. Our laws, our
institutions and all our actions are a reflection of our ethics. Our own
society owes itself to the writers of the enlightenment, but we never
probe
their work - we fail to espouse the movement's central principle, doubt
-
doubt everything. We study what is, never why, never what should be. For
that reason, the education we have received here is not only
incomplete, it
is entirely hollow.
What's more, this same lack of focus can be found in many of the
subjects we
do study. We approach history as though it were a story, endlessly
cataloging every major character or event. But the details of that
story are
insignificant - what is significant is the progression of ideas. A
study of
history should get some sense of how the society he sees around him
developed from those built thousands of years ago, what ideas changed
and
what changed them. When humanist scholars looked into ancient Rome
during
the Renaissance, they searched for moral examples, for ideas. They
didn't
mull on every single daily event. They were inspired, and they
transformed
society. History is not an end in itself; it should act as a tool for
greater thought.
But it's not only history. I've taken a literature class nearly every
year
of my life, but never has a question so basic as "What is good writing?"
come up. Literary technique, what should be the focus of the class, is
never
discussed. How does an author develop plot? How can an author control
mood
or tone in his writing? What is the advantage of one author's methods
over
another's? Such matters are never discussed. We read for the sake of
reading, to talk about our interpretations in class as though we were
in a
book club. But no attention is paid to why we read the books we do, what
makes them so special. And this pattern, grade for the sake of a grade,
work
for the sake of work, can be found everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, the
spirit of intellectual thought is lost. I speak today not to rant,
complain
or cause trouble, and certainly not to draw attention to myself. I have
accomplished nothing and I am nothing. I know that. Rather, I was moved
by
the countless hours wasted in those halls. Today, you should focus on
your
child or loved one. This is meant to be a day of celebration, and if
I've
taken away from that, I'm sorry. But I know how highly this community
values
learning, and I urge you all to re-evaluate what it means to be
educated. I
care deeply about everyone here, and it is only our fulfillment I
desire. I
will leave now so that the ceremony can go on. Again, my deepest
apologies,
God help me.
The following article is from today's Press of Atlantic City's (New
Jersey)
Editorial Section:
MAINLAND'S VALEDICTORIAN
He proved his point
Published: Friday, June 23, 2006
Updated: Friday, June 23, 2006
Imagine the nerve ... a high-school valedictorian, on his way to
Princeton
next year, daring to speak about a topic he obviously has given much
thought
to - the American education system.
It beats the more typical "We are all astronauts on the spaceship to
tomorrow" speech, if you ask us.
In fact, the unapproved speech that Mainland Regional High School
valedictorian Kareem Elnahal tried to deliver before he was hustled off
the
stage by Principal Robert Blake was rather thoughtful and quite
interesting.
Yes, schools have a right and a responsibility to screen graduation
speeches. But Elnahal's speech wasn't a puerile rant filled with
expletives
- it was an on-the-money critique of the public education system. In
fact,
both Mark Twain ("I have never let my schooling interfere with my
education") and, slightly more crudely, Paul Simon ("When I look back
on all
the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all")
have
offered similar critiques.
Mainland officials simply proved Elnahal's point by not letting him give
this speech. Listen to what he said:
n "Education can be defined a number of different ways. For me, it is
the
product of human curiosity. Intellectual thought, as far as I can tell,
is
nothing but the asking and answering of questions. In my reflection,
however
... I found that many of life's most important questions are ignored
here."
n "We approach history as though it were a story, endlessly cataloging
every
major character or event. But the details of the story are
insignificant -
what is significant is the progression of ideas."
n "We read for the sake of reading, to talk about our interpretations in
class as though we were in a book club. ... And this pattern, grade for
the
sake of grade, work for the sake of work, can be found everywhere.
Ladies
and gentlemen, the spirit of intellectual thought is lost. I speak
today not
to rant, complain or cause trouble. ... Rather, I was moved by the
countless
hours wasted in those halls."
And the principal's reaction? He said Elnahal's speech was
"hypocritical"
and "an insult." Speaking of the other students in the audience, Blake
said,
"My hope was they did not hear or understand what he was saying. ... He
was
belittling the diplomas of every one of those kids."
Nonsense. Elnahal was making those kids, and everyone else, think.
School officials should be asking themselves why they wouldn't have
approved
this speech in the first place. Elnahal's fellow graduates and
Mainland's
teachers and administrators shouldn't be embarrassed by him. They
should be
proud of him.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://liveandlearnconference.org
School's goal is to prepare them to be anything they want. But the
process is so dullifying and kids haven't explored the possibilities
of what they could be that many set their sites as low as possible.
They go to college to get a job to buy stuff. ~Joyce Fetteroll
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
By REGINA SCHAFFER Staff Writer, (609) 272-7211
Published: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Updated: Thursday, June 22, 2006
Kareem Elnahal learned a lesson Tuesday night - even in graduation, the
school still rules.
The class valedictorian surprised administrators and his fellow 2006
graduates at Mainland Regional High School when he opted to give an
unapproved speech criticizing the school. Mainland, Elnahal said, does
not
encourage intellectual thought and the exchange of ideas.
The senior, in a detailed speech that referenced philosphers and ethics
principles, referred to his education as "entirely hollow." The speech
was
interrupted by the principal, and Elnahal cut his remarks short and
left the
ceremony.
Mainland principal Robert Blake said the speech insulted Elnahal's
classmates.
"That was so hypocritical of him to make that statement," Blake said.
"It
was an insult to everyone here at this school ... he made inflammatory
comments about the school in general."
Reached at his home Wednesday, Elnahal said he regrets the way the
situation
unfolded. He was embarassed and apologetic.
"I put the principal in a very uncomfortable position - he's a very nice
guy, actually - I feel bad," Elnahal said. "I feel bad that he had to
deal
with this."
"I just wanted to finish up, I felt pretty guilty," he said. "I felt
embarassed that the ceremony had to happen this way. It's supposed to
be a
day of celebration."
At the same time, Elnahal said he is glad he had the opportunity to
make his
point.
"I went to two parties last night, and I'm their hero now," he said.
"I felt like this was the right thing to do," Elnahal said. "I couldn't
show
the speech (to officials) beforehand because they would have rejected
it. I
could tell by the reaction from students that they felt the same way. I
had
to express it or I felt that nothing would change."
In Elnahal's original approved speech, he was to touch on the high and
low
points of school and the experiences that moved the class to maturity.
But
once he took the podium, Elnahal changed gears and began to speak about
the
shortcomings of the American education system - specifically, at
Mainland, a
school that prides itself as being one of the premier area high
schools.
"In my reflection ... and I have reflected on this a great deal, I found
that many of life's important questions are ignored here," Elnahal said,
according to a copy of the alternate speech he provided to The Press.
He went on to say, "I speak today not to rant, complain or cause
trouble ...
rather, I was moved by the countless hours wasted in those halls."
Blake said he and other administrators realized after a few moments that
Elnahal's speech was different than what was approved. Blake said he
approached Elnahal, let him know he was disappointed with what he was
saying, and asked him to wrap up his speech.
Elnahal described the incident the same way.
After he finished the speech, Elnahal walked off the stage and left the
school grounds by his own choice.
"I thought it would be better for the ceremony to go on without me," he
said.
Blake noted that the very education system Elnahal criticized helped
him get
into Princeton University.
"He conveyed that he felt his education was worthless," Blake said. "We
have
an outstanding education system here."
Blake said the audience had a mixed reaction to Elnahal's comments. Some
yelled comments regarding freedom of speech after the speech was
interrupted. Blake said he heard some students cheering and applauding
Elnahal's comments.
"I truly don't believe they understood what he was saying," Blake said.
"My
hope was they did not hear or understand what he was saying. Whether it
was
intentional or not, he was belittling the diplomas of every one of those
kids."
Blake said that as with every valedictorian's speech, there is a
process of
review to make sure the speech is appropriate. Elnahal's original
speech was
approved.
"This is a school (sanctioned) program," Blake said. "We give them
latitude.
However, to say inflammatory things - no, I won't allow that. We have
several thousand people in the stands."
"He has a right to his comments, but he shouldn't have been using that
pulpit to put forth his limited viewpoint," Blake said. "Hopefully
people
kept it in context."
David Hudson, a research attorney at First Amendment Center, said it is
difficult to say in a situation like this who is right and who is wrong.
"The question becomes whether (the student's) speech is student
initiated or
school sponsored," Hudson said. "It's a hazy issue."
Hudson noted that students do not have full First Ammendment
protection, and
do not have the right to say whatever they want at a school event.
But at the same time, disliking a student's speech is not a reason to
stop
it, Hudson said. If there was substantial concern that the student's
words
could cause a problem, then someone has a right to step in, Hudson said.
Blake said that Elnahal's diploma still is at Mainland. He has not yet
contacted the school about obtaining it.
"I guess I have to go pick it up," Elnahal said.
The Press of Atlantic City chose to run the young man's speech
following the
above article:
ELNAHAL'S SPEECH
Four years ago, we gathered here for an education. Today marks a
milestone
in that pursuit, a culmination of four years of learning, growth and
shared
memories. At such times, it is appropriate to reflect on years past, to
examine what we have done and what we have learned. Today I am charged
with
that difficult task, and I would like to thank the school for the
opportunity to stand before my peers and reflect on our time together.
Education can be defined a number of different ways. For me, it is the
product of human curiosity. Intellectual thought, as far as I can tell,
is
nothing but the asking and answering of questions. In my reflection,
however, and I have reflected on this a great deal, I found that many of
life's most important questions are ignored here. What is the right way
to
live? What is the ideal society? What principles should guide my
behavior?
What is success, what is failure? Is there a creator, and if so, should
we
look to it for guidance? These are often dismissed as questions of
religion,
but religion is not something opposed to rationality, it simply seeks to
answer such questions through faith. The separation of church and state
is,
of course, important, but it should never be a reason for intellectual
submission or suppression of any kind. Ethics - it is what defines us -
as
individuals, as a society - and yet it is never discussed, never
explained,
never justified. Rousseau, Descartes, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas,
nearly every major writer I've encountered devotes time to the subject.
And
it's not as if these questions are without practical concern, that they
are
less immediately relevant than science for instance. Our laws, our
institutions and all our actions are a reflection of our ethics. Our own
society owes itself to the writers of the enlightenment, but we never
probe
their work - we fail to espouse the movement's central principle, doubt
-
doubt everything. We study what is, never why, never what should be. For
that reason, the education we have received here is not only
incomplete, it
is entirely hollow.
What's more, this same lack of focus can be found in many of the
subjects we
do study. We approach history as though it were a story, endlessly
cataloging every major character or event. But the details of that
story are
insignificant - what is significant is the progression of ideas. A
study of
history should get some sense of how the society he sees around him
developed from those built thousands of years ago, what ideas changed
and
what changed them. When humanist scholars looked into ancient Rome
during
the Renaissance, they searched for moral examples, for ideas. They
didn't
mull on every single daily event. They were inspired, and they
transformed
society. History is not an end in itself; it should act as a tool for
greater thought.
But it's not only history. I've taken a literature class nearly every
year
of my life, but never has a question so basic as "What is good writing?"
come up. Literary technique, what should be the focus of the class, is
never
discussed. How does an author develop plot? How can an author control
mood
or tone in his writing? What is the advantage of one author's methods
over
another's? Such matters are never discussed. We read for the sake of
reading, to talk about our interpretations in class as though we were
in a
book club. But no attention is paid to why we read the books we do, what
makes them so special. And this pattern, grade for the sake of a grade,
work
for the sake of work, can be found everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, the
spirit of intellectual thought is lost. I speak today not to rant,
complain
or cause trouble, and certainly not to draw attention to myself. I have
accomplished nothing and I am nothing. I know that. Rather, I was moved
by
the countless hours wasted in those halls. Today, you should focus on
your
child or loved one. This is meant to be a day of celebration, and if
I've
taken away from that, I'm sorry. But I know how highly this community
values
learning, and I urge you all to re-evaluate what it means to be
educated. I
care deeply about everyone here, and it is only our fulfillment I
desire. I
will leave now so that the ceremony can go on. Again, my deepest
apologies,
God help me.
The following article is from today's Press of Atlantic City's (New
Jersey)
Editorial Section:
MAINLAND'S VALEDICTORIAN
He proved his point
Published: Friday, June 23, 2006
Updated: Friday, June 23, 2006
Imagine the nerve ... a high-school valedictorian, on his way to
Princeton
next year, daring to speak about a topic he obviously has given much
thought
to - the American education system.
It beats the more typical "We are all astronauts on the spaceship to
tomorrow" speech, if you ask us.
In fact, the unapproved speech that Mainland Regional High School
valedictorian Kareem Elnahal tried to deliver before he was hustled off
the
stage by Principal Robert Blake was rather thoughtful and quite
interesting.
Yes, schools have a right and a responsibility to screen graduation
speeches. But Elnahal's speech wasn't a puerile rant filled with
expletives
- it was an on-the-money critique of the public education system. In
fact,
both Mark Twain ("I have never let my schooling interfere with my
education") and, slightly more crudely, Paul Simon ("When I look back
on all
the crap I learned in high school, it's a wonder I can think at all")
have
offered similar critiques.
Mainland officials simply proved Elnahal's point by not letting him give
this speech. Listen to what he said:
n "Education can be defined a number of different ways. For me, it is
the
product of human curiosity. Intellectual thought, as far as I can tell,
is
nothing but the asking and answering of questions. In my reflection,
however
... I found that many of life's most important questions are ignored
here."
n "We approach history as though it were a story, endlessly cataloging
every
major character or event. But the details of the story are
insignificant -
what is significant is the progression of ideas."
n "We read for the sake of reading, to talk about our interpretations in
class as though we were in a book club. ... And this pattern, grade for
the
sake of grade, work for the sake of work, can be found everywhere.
Ladies
and gentlemen, the spirit of intellectual thought is lost. I speak
today not
to rant, complain or cause trouble. ... Rather, I was moved by the
countless
hours wasted in those halls."
And the principal's reaction? He said Elnahal's speech was
"hypocritical"
and "an insult." Speaking of the other students in the audience, Blake
said,
"My hope was they did not hear or understand what he was saying. ... He
was
belittling the diplomas of every one of those kids."
Nonsense. Elnahal was making those kids, and everyone else, think.
School officials should be asking themselves why they wouldn't have
approved
this speech in the first place. Elnahal's fellow graduates and
Mainland's
teachers and administrators shouldn't be embarrassed by him. They
should be
proud of him.
~Kelly
Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://liveandlearnconference.org
School's goal is to prepare them to be anything they want. But the
process is so dullifying and kids haven't explored the possibilities
of what they could be that many set their sites as low as possible.
They go to college to get a job to buy stuff. ~Joyce Fetteroll
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
Sandra Dodd
Wow.
It's a strong story and will probably make differences in people's
thinking, but I'm on the school's side.
-=-"In my reflection ... and I have reflected on this a great deal, I
found
that many of life's important questions are ignored here," Elnahal said,
according to a copy of the alternate speech he provided to The Press.
He went on to say, "I speak today not to rant, complain or cause
trouble ...
rather, I was moved by the countless hours wasted in those halls."-=-
It wasn't honest, as he knew it was trouble and it WAS complaint.
Bummer. Had he printed up lots of copies of his alternative speech,
he could've distributed five to everyone who attended, and they
could've gone out all over the place. Freedom of the press is his,
if he pays for the paper and printing.
-=-Whether it was intentional or not, he was belittling the diplomas
of every one of those
kids."-=-
Valedictorians aren't the kids who work hard in school. They're
usually the kids who breeze through, who learned most of that stuff
on their own. The kids who do work hard are those whose family life
would conspire against success, but they keep at it anyway. The kids
whose diplomas mean something are those who would've gotten D's and
F's if they slacked off as many of the A students do, but they worked
and they got B's.
Those are the diplomas he belittled. But it's been my experience as
a kid and a teacher that the "best students" (as measured by grades,
which is the purpose of grades) don't know much about the middlin'
kids, many of whom are actually, truly working to learn or to make
better grades.
-=-Hudson noted that students do not have full First Ammendment
protection, and
do not have the right to say whatever they want at a school event.-=-
They have protection of what they say outside of school Nobody has
"full protection" when they're on someone else's TV show or radio
program or podium. Freedom of expression belongs, at one level, to
those providing the platform, and in the case of a school's
graduation ceremony, there is very literally a platform and it very
clearly belongs to the school.
-=-School officials should be asking themselves why they wouldn't have
approved this speech in the first place.-=-
They weren't given a chance to approve it or not. Maybe they would
have approved at least big hunks of it. He knew he was doing
something subversive or he wouldn't have been sneaky.
I'm glad it was published and I'm glad he'll get attention, but it
doesn't seem heroic or mature to me. (And some of his arguments and
critiques seem lame, too.)
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
It's a strong story and will probably make differences in people's
thinking, but I'm on the school's side.
-=-"In my reflection ... and I have reflected on this a great deal, I
found
that many of life's important questions are ignored here," Elnahal said,
according to a copy of the alternate speech he provided to The Press.
He went on to say, "I speak today not to rant, complain or cause
trouble ...
rather, I was moved by the countless hours wasted in those halls."-=-
It wasn't honest, as he knew it was trouble and it WAS complaint.
Bummer. Had he printed up lots of copies of his alternative speech,
he could've distributed five to everyone who attended, and they
could've gone out all over the place. Freedom of the press is his,
if he pays for the paper and printing.
-=-Whether it was intentional or not, he was belittling the diplomas
of every one of those
kids."-=-
Valedictorians aren't the kids who work hard in school. They're
usually the kids who breeze through, who learned most of that stuff
on their own. The kids who do work hard are those whose family life
would conspire against success, but they keep at it anyway. The kids
whose diplomas mean something are those who would've gotten D's and
F's if they slacked off as many of the A students do, but they worked
and they got B's.
Those are the diplomas he belittled. But it's been my experience as
a kid and a teacher that the "best students" (as measured by grades,
which is the purpose of grades) don't know much about the middlin'
kids, many of whom are actually, truly working to learn or to make
better grades.
-=-Hudson noted that students do not have full First Ammendment
protection, and
do not have the right to say whatever they want at a school event.-=-
They have protection of what they say outside of school Nobody has
"full protection" when they're on someone else's TV show or radio
program or podium. Freedom of expression belongs, at one level, to
those providing the platform, and in the case of a school's
graduation ceremony, there is very literally a platform and it very
clearly belongs to the school.
-=-School officials should be asking themselves why they wouldn't have
approved this speech in the first place.-=-
They weren't given a chance to approve it or not. Maybe they would
have approved at least big hunks of it. He knew he was doing
something subversive or he wouldn't have been sneaky.
I'm glad it was published and I'm glad he'll get attention, but it
doesn't seem heroic or mature to me. (And some of his arguments and
critiques seem lame, too.)
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pamela Sorooshian
On Jul 1, 2006, at 6:12 PM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
and ranting and complaining wasn't the reason he was speaking about
it. His reason was the hope that he'd be heard and something done.
Very idealistic. But that's as it should be!
-pam
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> -=-"In my reflection ... and I have reflected on this a great deal, II can understand, though, that he honestly meant that causing trouble
> found
> that many of life's important questions are ignored here," Elnahal
> said,
> according to a copy of the alternate speech he provided to The Press.
> He went on to say, "I speak today not to rant, complain or cause
> trouble ...
> rather, I was moved by the countless hours wasted in those halls."-=-
>
> It wasn't honest, as he knew it was trouble and it WAS complaint.
and ranting and complaining wasn't the reason he was speaking about
it. His reason was the hope that he'd be heard and something done.
Very idealistic. But that's as it should be!
-pam
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pamela Sorooshian
On Jul 1, 2006, at 6:12 PM, Sandra Dodd wrote:
function in which someone owns the platform. The "school" is a public
school - and so when the school censors, it is the government doing
the censoring. Most of us are protected from censorship by the
government - even though we might not be given full freedom of speech
on a tv show or radio program or a private platform of some kind, it
isn't the government prohibiting us from saying what we think.
Courts have ruled that the government can censor kids at school -
that their right to free speech CAN be abridged by the government
operating as a school. Hard to imagine how schools could function
without that ruling, but the issue seems complex to me.
The exact same thing happened at MY high school graduation, by the
way. The valedictorian chose to speak out against the vietnam war and
they turned off his microphone part way into the speech, and escorted
him off campus. I was 17 and I thought he was very brave. So - my
perspective is colored by that personal experience, I'm sure.
-pam
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> They have protection of what they say outside of school Nobody hasIt is a little trickier than that, I think. It isn't like a private
> "full protection" when they're on someone else's TV show or radio
> program or podium. Freedom of expression belongs, at one level, to
> those providing the platform, and in the case of a school's
> graduation ceremony, there is very literally a platform and it very
> clearly belongs to the school.
function in which someone owns the platform. The "school" is a public
school - and so when the school censors, it is the government doing
the censoring. Most of us are protected from censorship by the
government - even though we might not be given full freedom of speech
on a tv show or radio program or a private platform of some kind, it
isn't the government prohibiting us from saying what we think.
Courts have ruled that the government can censor kids at school -
that their right to free speech CAN be abridged by the government
operating as a school. Hard to imagine how schools could function
without that ruling, but the issue seems complex to me.
The exact same thing happened at MY high school graduation, by the
way. The valedictorian chose to speak out against the vietnam war and
they turned off his microphone part way into the speech, and escorted
him off campus. I was 17 and I thought he was very brave. So - my
perspective is colored by that personal experience, I'm sure.
-pam
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-The "school" is a public
school - and so when the school censors, it is the government doing
the censoring. -=-
But if "the government" is putting on a show or a ceremony, the
officials of the government in charge have the right to allow or
disallow certain displays or songs or words. "The government" allows
people to make speeches in their own places in their own time, and to
publish things on their own paper with their own (or hired) printing
presses, etc.
I have the right to have a webpage.
I don't have the right to put whatever I want to on a governmental
webpage.
Others have the right to have webpages.
Others don't have the right to put whatever they want to on MY webpage.
I have the right to have amailing list (on their own servers or on a
borrowed or hired server, like yahoogroups, if yahoogroups doesn't
object).
Others have that right too.
Others don't have the right to put whatever they want to on my
mailing list.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
school - and so when the school censors, it is the government doing
the censoring. -=-
But if "the government" is putting on a show or a ceremony, the
officials of the government in charge have the right to allow or
disallow certain displays or songs or words. "The government" allows
people to make speeches in their own places in their own time, and to
publish things on their own paper with their own (or hired) printing
presses, etc.
I have the right to have a webpage.
I don't have the right to put whatever I want to on a governmental
webpage.
Others have the right to have webpages.
Others don't have the right to put whatever they want to on MY webpage.
I have the right to have amailing list (on their own servers or on a
borrowed or hired server, like yahoogroups, if yahoogroups doesn't
object).
Others have that right too.
Others don't have the right to put whatever they want to on my
mailing list.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]