Anti-Bush shirt gets student sent home

[adambyte]

Here's more fuel for the political fire.... as if we needed any more.... har har...

the story:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/0....ap/index.html

and if you WANT the shirt, go here:
http://www.internationalterrorist.com/

Just making people aware. Don't shoot the messenger (me) .

[Cat]

This kind of thing is just a case of fighting the symptoms, not curing the disease. If a free and open society like the USA cannot cope with this kind of expression, it's a sad thing... If people get aroused because of such a simple T-Shirt, something is wrong in the background.

[dlloyd]

Yes, reminds me of this letter in the Denver Rocky Mountain News recently:

It's time for these anti-war protesters to put up or shut up! Before we forget, George W. Bush is the president of the United States. He made his decision. There is nothing that we, as citizens, are going to do to change his mind. He has nothing to prove to this nation. He does not have to display every piece of evidence to the American public because most Americans are incapable of handling the truth!

He was voted into office just like every other president before him. It's time to support him for the decisions he makes for this country whether you like them or not! Only a true American would provide such support. Our families, who are Americans, are deployed to implement Bush's plan.

They are going to be the true heroes of this country and the sooner the job is finished, the sooner they'll be home with their families! It's about time that this country sucks it up and stands for a leader who has the guts and isn't afraid to face a dictator who is capable of destroying you!

John Pfistner Jr.
Aurora

Don't flame me, but I completly disagree with this person. You can probably tell I am anti-war.

PS, how do some of the 'non-U.S.A.-ians' (not 'non-Americans') here feel about this?

Oh, and he wasn't voted in, he got in on a fluke. I can explain it if you want

[themacko]

While I don't agree with the shirt (I don't agree with Bush, either) it wasn't right for the kid to be sent home. However, it's understandable that the school would make that decision as it is their choice. When you are at school you are under the control of the faculty and you don't have 100% freedom of speech.

Now, let's think about this. If this kid were in Iraq and went to school wearing the same shirt with Saddam's picture he and/or his parents would have probably been either jailed or executed. America certainly is a free country, we are most definately far from perfect but in my opinion we are ahead of most other countries with our citizen's freedoms.

Just out of curiosity, what do you some of you from other countries think would happen of this situation in your own schools? I'm not starting a political debate I'm just curious if it would much different than what happened here.

[Cat]

There is nothing that we, as citizens, are going to do to change his mind. He has nothing to prove to this nation. He does not have to display every piece of evidence to the American public because most Americans are incapable of handling the truth!

WOW! That is SO wrong! I think I can safely state that I believe exactly the opposite... Even when already elected, a president or PM has to justify his actions towards his citizens. Not only to his voters, but also to those that didn't vote for him. Especially when it concerns matters unforseen at the time of the election. Imagine somebody winning an election by making a lot of promises and keeping only a few: he would need to justify his actions or at least explain them. E.g. A candidate mayor promises a new library and then when elected drops the plan. If he gives no reasons (bad economy, natural desasters, other unforseen events, etc.) the voters should make themselves heard. Either by public protest, by forming an interest group, by supporting the opposition, by raising funds etc.
The ultimate power of any democratic nation resides with the people, so their actions should never be underestimated, because even when protesting, this is in the interest and for the good of democracy.

In Italy and in the Netherlands I've partecipated in public protest and constestations both in school and at the university. Nothing 'official' ever happened. We occupied the school building, marched in protest against the government's plans for education, publicly insulted (well, not too vulgarly ... ) our PM and ministers etc.

At the last anti-war protests there were very offensive signs (Way beyond "Bush Terrorist"), but the police was very cool. There were also equally obscene messages directed to our own PM (Balkenende), but they were left alone as well... We're quite democrati here in the Netherlands, so there is no need to invade The Hague ...

[toast]

This website verifies one of my last theories:

Intelligence is conversely proportional to provocation.

[Cat]

Thank you!

[chevy]

School is not the place for provocation.

Here such T-Shirts would be forbidden too at school (as are military suits and religious signs). School is supposed to be a place where students can freely express and discuss their opinions, but not flame each others.