HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 4: YOU CAN'T SAY THAT

[defrog]

ITEM [via Don’t Tase Me Bro!]: A student-produced newspaper at the Academy for Arts, Science & Technology in South Carolina is banned from being distributed after students failed to clear an editorial advocating gay marriage with the school administration.

Worth reading for a couple of things:

1. The doublespeak of the school principal who says he advocates diversity and free speech but thought the editorial would be “disruptive”.

2. The comment by the parent of a student who figures that any “disruption” caused by the article would be among parents, not the actual students:

"I think more than anything he was probably being overly cautious because of parents. I think since the students are seniors and juniors, not elementary kids, and they know that some of their classmates are gay, I think they probably could have handled the article. I think it was probably more a decision about the community as a whole."

Indeed. The only lessons being taught here are that (1) if it offends yr parents, you shouldn’t say it, (2) The Authorities have the right to censor you if they feel yr opinion is “disruptive”, and (3) gay marriage must never be talked about.

The outgoing Presidential admin would approve.

School’s out,

This is dF

Comments

[jreynolds.livejournal.com]

Well, it is South Cackalackee. Much as I love my home state, it's not exactly a bastion of "disruption" of any type. I'm surprised the kids weren't expelled, myself. That's the normal response to these type of socially conscious, humanistic shenanigans.

[def-fr0g-42.livejournal.com]

Well, having just returned from East Tennessee, which has similar disruption tolerance issues for the most part, I'd say you've got a point. The fact they weren't expelled and sentenced to community service probably counts as progress.