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05/11/2003 Archived Entry: "Watch what you say, watch what you do."
Watch what you say, watch what you do.
It's a damn sad day when kids in school can't utter a negative word about this government without getting a visit from the Secret Service. Disturbing trend: once again, the phrase 'You don't have any rights' rears its ugly head.
Some teachers in Oakland are rallying behind two students who were interrogated by the Secret Service. That followed remarks the teenagers made about the President during a class discussion. The incident has many people angry. For years the classroom has been the setting for the free expression of ideas, but two weeks ago certain ideas led to two students being taken out of class and grilled by the United States Secret Service.
It happened at Oakland High. The discussion was about the war in Iraq. That's when two students made comments about the President of the United States. While the exact wording is up for debate, the teacher didn't consider it mere criticism, but a direct threat and she called the Secret Service...
Teacher Larry Felson says, "What we're concerned about is academic freedom and that students have the right to free expression in the classroom."
Even worse, they say, is the fact that the students were grilled by federal agents without legal counsel or their parents present, just the principal.
"When one of the students asked, 'do we have to talk now? Can we be silent? Can we get legal council?' they were told, 'we own you, you don't have any legal rights,'" Felson says.
"We don't want federal agents or police coming in our schools and interrogating our children at the whim of someone who has a hunch something might be wrong," Lopez says.
What fucking country is this, anyway??
Replies: somebody speaks up.
This (so-called) teacher should be dethroned. These kids who were interrogated shouldn't have to suffer through being in this sell-out's presence.
I don't want a person like this having access to my children.
Posted by *~Danielle~* @ 05/11/2003 02:45 PM NY
