On a second post on May 2, without mentioning the school the student wrote: “I feel threatened by you, I cant even have a public Web page with out you bullying me and telling me what has to be removed. Where is this freedom of speech that this government is sworn to uphold? … Did you ever stop to think this will start a community backlash? The kids at Columbine did what the did because they were bullied. … In my opinion you are the real threat here. None of us ever put in our xanga’s that they were going to kill or bring harm to any one. We voiced our opinions. You are the real threat here. you are depriving us of our right to learn. now stick that in your pipe and smoke it.“
Ah – he mentioned Columbine – that’s the problem. The school system is terrified he’ll go on a shooting rampage – actually they are more terrified about the liability. Sometimes I think What about the children? trumps Do you want the terrorists to win?
Smart teachers would make this a case study and use it to show the history of free speech (and all of it’s challenges and problems – from sedition to book burning). But of course they won’t – they won’t step outside the conflict and see it is as opportunity for learning in action.
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