Huckleberries Online

PatrickH: Teach Protesters A Lesson

Posted by DFO

May 4, 2009 5:22 p.m. • 41 comments

I think the district has an opportunity to educate the students and teachers involved in the walk out about the responsibilities that come with our right to free speech. I would hope that the district does the right thing and mark all the students that participated as an unexcused truancy, and write up any teachers involved for walking of the job. I think that it’s great that they exercised their right to free speech, even though I think that they did it in the wrong way, but now I think that its time to teach them with that the rights that our founding fathers gave us comes the responsibility to be held accountable for your actions.

Question: Should the students involved in the Coeur d’Alene High walk out be reprimanded with an unexcused absence, as PatrickH Is Digging Spring suggests? What would you do with the students — and teachers — involved in the protest?

41 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Laughing on May 04 at 5:32 p.m.
Quick, someone grab the can of gasoline! This fire isn’t big enough yet. Let us show them who has the author-i-tie.
Stickman on May 04 at 7:34 p.m.
I agree with PatrickH.
Charlie on May 04 at 8:34 p.m.
There are consequences to every choice you make in life and now may be a good learning process. If discipline is warranted, so be it!
hhuseland on May 04 at 8:53 p.m.
Since the protests of the sixties, and ever since, there has been an attitude of anything goes. Those that were active during those days, excepting those that were serving in the Nam, were for the most part college students. When they found out that if you were ranting against the government, it was waved off as, after all, a learning experience.

Now we have the offspring of those that dropped out, dropped down and let it all hang out. It is no wonder that our society has floundered, considering that the past generation has cast out all that has been held holy in the birth and growth of our country. The only hope that I have is, first, that I’m old enough to not have to see first hand the demise of our great country, but caring enough to languish about what you younger people are doing to not only yourselves, but those that come after. It might be advisable, to start teaching Chinese in our schools, because unless we start caring about what happens here instead of who buys from whom cheaper, we’re toast!
spokelooneh on May 04 at 9:10 p.m.
“the rights that our founding fathers gave us …”

Wow, not very educated, eh?

The Founding Fathers didn’t “give” us any rights.

They attempted to enumerate and enshrine into law the rights given to us by our Creator, and they said just that!

As far as protests go… well, it’s the anniversary of the massacre at Kent State, where those folks exercising their God-given rights were SHOT DEAD by agents of the government.
Cis on May 04 at 9:29 p.m.
Lets see…. nice day….
Several teachers out with students..
Students giving their thoughts on government and Schools…
Sounds like a Civic Class held outside to me….
Nick_Adams on May 04 at 9:29 p.m.
I think that PatrickH needs to head over to the LCHS baseball field, pick up a rosin bag and make sure his hands are dry when he pulls the stick out of his a$$.

Same with Herb. Our society is not floundering. It’s changing. It always has. That’s what has made our country great. We’re rabble-rousers and malcontents. We don’t accept the status quo just because our “betters” tell us to. We’re generally pissed off and unhappy with our lot in life. In summary, we care and we try to do something about it.

I’ll mock the teabaggers because I believe they’re nutters, but I get where they’re coming from. I believe that it’s crucial to our existence that we, as Americans, must always push our leaders to be better than we are. Our leaders do not rule because of “Divine Right”. We let them lead us. We make them lead us.

The moment we cede our right to demand more, we cede our right to govern ourselves.
PatrickH on May 04 at 9:32 p.m.
Spokelooneh,

My apologies for my poor choice of words, I was doing two things at once and probably wrote my comment to quickly. I am fully aware of the Founding Father’s texts and am fully aware and believe that our rights where given to us by God.
PatrickH on May 04 at 9:40 p.m.
Nick,

At no point did I say that they didn’t have a right to stand up and protest. I think its great that they did protest, but my point was that to often in our society both sides pick a “right” and ignore that it comes with responsibilities. Freedom of Speech gives you the right to have your voice heard, but it does not preclude you from the consequences of having your voice heard. If you skip work or break the law to make your voice heard you have a responsibility to accept the consequences of those actions. They broke the policies of the district because they wanted to make their voices heard, now they have a responsibility to accept the consequences of their actions.
spokelooneh on May 04 at 9:48 p.m.
Rights given to us by God, like the freedom of speech, are inalienable, and NOT subject to governmental sanction for exercising such.

Does anybody understand the Constitution anymore?
PatrickH on May 04 at 9:51 p.m.
Spokelooneh,

So are you saying that for example if I don’t show up to work because I was at a protest my employer has no right to fire me? If I decide to stage a sit in on a business’ private property that they have no right to have me removed?
Cis on May 04 at 9:54 p.m.
How were they breaking the law? And the teachers were there with the students were they not? So they didn’t leave their job.
They were all still on the school ground, weren’t they, or did I miss something there..
Don_Sausser on May 04 at 9:55 p.m.
Nick: “I think that PatrickH needs to head over to the LCHS baseball field, pick up a rosin bag and make sure his hands are dry when he pulls the stick out of his a$$.”

Quite a childish response to one you disagree with. I thought the blogs were for exchange of ideas, why the personal attack? Your disagreement is clearly stated with out the need to zing another blogger.

I find this quote interesting, “We’re generally pissed off and unhappy with our lot in life.” Are you incapable of changing your unhappiness? Would you like the Government (meaning the rest of us” to remedy your unhappy situation?

I’ve got a cure for you, go out and help someone who really needs it, you’l feel better about life!

Meanwhile, Herb & I are old enough to remember when it was a calmer society.
spokelooneh on May 04 at 10:00 p.m.
No, PatrickH, I said no such thing, and I’ll thank you not to put words in my mouth.

These students in this situation are not breaking any obligation to a private employer to show up for work.

Hadn’t you noticed?
PatrickH on May 04 at 10:05 p.m.
They are not required to go to public schools, they can be home schooled, obtain a GED, or go to a private school. By attending public schools they agree to a specific set of rules, just as you do when you obtain a employment. They broke one of these rules to make a point. If they truly believe in what they are protesting for, and if it was not just wanting to get out of class on a nice Spring day, then they should have no problem with the consequences
spokelooneh on May 04 at 10:11 p.m.
I see.

PatrickH believes exercising one’s God given right to free speech should result in governmental punishment.

Wow, that’s enlightened.
Cis on May 04 at 10:13 p.m.
But PatrickH….you said….
If you skip work or break the law to make your voice heard you have a responsibility to accept the consequences of those actions.

Actions I am sure the school may do, but again, I don’t see where you feel the law was broke… rules maybe, but not laws.
And the teachers were there with their students… so they did not leave the job, as far as I can see.
Nick_Adams on May 04 at 10:14 p.m.
Don: Dude, I’m very happy that you and Herb are old enough to remember a “calmer” time. Was that when blacks couldn’t vote? Gays stayed in the closet? Women stay at home and raise babies? Or just a general sense that whatever you were spoon fed by your government was palatable? Arms to Afghans? Arms to Iraqis? Arms to Contras?

Your complete inability to read my comments for what they’re worth (ie. unhappy with our lot in life) is yet proof positive that you, and your socio-political brethren, will never be able to deal with this next chapter in American history.
spokelooneh on May 04 at 10:32 p.m.
Sure you can protest (petition the government for redress), no problem.

But if you do, we (a governmental institution) may have to downgrade your permanent record, have you arrested, or shoot you if you’re really unruly in such protest.
spokelooneh on May 04 at 10:53 p.m.
And no, you can’t escape sanction/punishment for being really unruly in your exercise of your God-given rights if that means destruction of property.

Not the case here, except for those possible dents, and those are covered, the kid’s Dad has a dent removal business…

:)
redman on May 05 at 8:08 a.m.
Give them a little slap on the wrist and move on, Great job students and also those teachers who had the stomach to stand up and be counted. CDA school district shame on you! We need and deserve better leadership period.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.