Flag-stomping teacher has no regrets, wants student punished

[Taneras]

appropriate or not: even the Quran is not excepted from First Amendment. it's harsh, but still covered by its freedom of speech/ freedom of religion clauses to dislike any religion you want.

I agree with the freedom to do it, only question if a high school classroom is the approporiate venue to exercise the First Amendment in that way. Surely just saying "Hey, the 1st Amendment allows you to do x, y, and yea, even z..." rather than targeting items that are that inflammatory.

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What if it was the Qu'ran and the Bible? Then all of the little strawmen could be outraged together.

I'd tell the teacher to hold of on burning the book that lists the logical fallacies though, you sound like you need it.

[AndaliteBandit]

All he did was take a picture, pick up a flag, and deliver it to the principle. If all of you were half this civil in expressing your disagreement, we'd have much less to make fun of you over.

Like kneeling during the national anthem?

[May90]

I bet if it were a Quran and the kid were a Muslim we'd see a different reaction from some of the people in this thread.

If a Muslim stomped on a Quran, the reaction wouldn't be much different. If a non-Muslim did that in the presence of Muslims, then the reaction would be much more negative - as it would if a non-American stomped on the American flag in the presence of Americans.

[Korlok]

Another thread that shows no one cares about free speech when its someone they dont like.

/thread

characters of the tenth power

[Taneras]

Like kneeling during the national anthem?

Yep, or after a touchdown... Wait, not that.

[NineSpine]

Yep, or after a touchdown... Wait, not that.

I really, really hope you aren't saying that Tebow received the same response as people kneeling during the anthem now.

[ranzino]

I agree with the freedom to do it, only question if a high school classroom is the approporiate venue to exercise the First Amendment in that way. Surely just saying "Hey, the 1st Amendment allows you to do x, y, and yea, even z..." rather than targeting items that are that inflammatory.
....

teacher used a harsh way; to tell people about the First Amendment is nice and dandy, but to demonstrate it is usually much more educational. those student will likely never forget the lesson ?

[Endus]

He did this because he was ranting about 1st Amendment and apparently thought it was ok to go this far to make his point.

It absolutely was. The only way it could perhaps be an issue is the burning, and only because of policies against open flames in schoolrooms. The same reason that he wouldn't be allowed to burn a piece of paper in a trash can. And that's only a maybe. That what he was burning was the American flag is completely secondary and irrelevant. If he'd destroyed it in some other non-fire-related way, it would've been totally fine. Putting it through a high-capacity shredder, that can handle fabric? Totally fine.

Now meet Alex Dunn, a student who stood up and took possession of the flag so that this radical moonbat couldn't defile it any further. The link below has a video interview of him, its short, and its worth watching.

Taking the flag is;
A> disrespectful towards the teacher,
B> Disrupting the class and the lesson, and
C> Stealing the teacher's property.

So yes, absolutely grounds for suspension.

As for taking the photo, there's a whole wide range of school policies that could make that actionable, and posting it to defame the teacher is legally actionable as well, not to mention laws about posting people's image without their consent. For instance, posting it and claiming that he's unpatriotic, or a traitor, or unAmerican? Yeah, that's libel.

The indoctrination of youth and the programming of radical anti-American sentiment is an ever growing and ever vicious plague but its nice to see that its not a nation wide pandemic ...yet.

The only "indoctrination" going on is by people like you, who want to silence expressions protected under the First Amendment because you don't like the content.

[Kellhound]

Maybe not, but schools are definitely not public spaces either.

Debatable. They are semi-public at best if they are public schools, and the teacher still has no expectation of privacy. He is just butt-hurt that his tactic has backfired and he is being a hypocrite.

[NineSpine]

Debatable. They are semi-public at best if they are public schools, and the teacher still has no expectation of privacy. He is just butt-hurt that his tactic has backfired and he is being a hypocrite.

H'ed be a hypocrite if he said nobody could discuss what was happening in the class. However, he isn't doing that.

[dd614]

Why do these hate-filled nutbars become teachers? To spread their hatred and evil to innocent kids.

[NineSpine]

Why do these hate-filled nutbars become teachers? To spread their hatred and evil to innocent kids.

Why do you think the First Amendment is hateful and evil?

[AndaliteBandit]

Yep, or after a touchdown... Wait, not that.

You mean like when a Muslim player was penalized by the NFL for praying after a touchdown?

https://www.rt.com/usa/191916-nfl-mu...rayer-penalty/

[Kellhound]

It absolutely was. The only way it could perhaps be an issue is the burning, and only because of policies against open flames in schoolrooms. The same reason that he wouldn't be allowed to burn a piece of paper in a trash can. And that's only a maybe. That what he was burning was the American flag is completely secondary and irrelevant. If he'd destroyed it in some other non-fire-related way, it would've been totally fine. Putting it through a high-capacity shredder, that can handle fabric? Totally fine.



Taking the flag is;
A> disrespectful towards the teacher,
B> Disrupting the class and the lesson, and
C> Stealing the teacher's property.

So yes, absolutely grounds for suspension.



The only "indoctrination" going on is by people like you, who want to silence expressions protected under the First Amendment because you don't like the content.

The teacher can be said to have performed A (disrespecting students), and B (performing an act that reasonably would be expected to cause a disruption), so suspending him is reasonable.

[ranzino]

It absolutely was. The only way it could perhaps be an issue is the burning, and only because of policies against open flames in schoolrooms. ....

AFAIK he was "only" stomping on the flag. Burning would have been the ultimate way to demonstrate the wide playground of first amendment's "freedom of speech" clause, but perhaps he abstained because the safety rules.

[Theinquisition]

Not in this case, no. Since the teacher specifically stomped on the flag to demonstrate the values it represents, you can't care about the piece of cloth enough to want to throw the teacher out of school, and also support the values the teacher demonstrates at the same time. This is actually a masterful move the teacher pulled out, as it necessarily requires one to take the side in the "pseudo-patriotic nonsense vs societal values" matter.

Well, heres the issue, he did it while on the tax payers time. while acting as a teacher, he is representing the school and the district, not just himself. It's a given that some students and parents would find this demonstration offensive, and frankly he should have used a bit more common sense. I am confident that the etacher could have found a less provocative way to teach about the first amendment.

[Darkeon]

I find that a bit vile of an opinion. I don't understand why people are being so hostile to someone who just wanted to educate about a basic right.

Or, you know, use words? I'm sure most, if not all, of the students would understand it that way and he'd avoid being criticized for his actions.

[Theinquisition]

I find that a bit vile of an opinion. I don't understand why people are being so hostile to someone who just wanted to educate about a basic right.

Maybe he should have burnt a Quran, he could have made the same point, or perhaps a rainbow flag.

[Zenotetsuken]

Flags are just pieces of cloth that you CHOOSE to place meaning in, then you CHOOSE to place that meaning in reverence. To someone else, that same piece of cloth has no meaning, or a different meaning entirely.
Would you be whining if he was stomping on a towel? How about a Hijab?

[Kellhound]

I find that a bit vile of an opinion. I don't understand why people are being so hostile to someone who just wanted to educate about a basic right.

Perhaps because he is trying to attack the student for exercising the same right? The teacher performed an act that he knew would be offensive to some of the students and their parents but felt he should no be exposed to any negative comments concerning it.