Fifth grader suspended for anti-Obama t-shirt

Scotso

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http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/23/fifth-grader-suspended-for-wearing-anti-obama-shirt/


Fifth Grader Suspended For Wearing Anti-Obama Shirt
by FOXNews.com
Tuesday, September 23, 2008


An 11-year-old boy in Colorado was suspended from school after he refused to take off a shirt that read, “Obama is a terrorist’s best friend.” His father says that the school is violating his son’s First Amendment rights.

Daxx Dalton, a fifth grader at Aurora Frontier K-8 School in Aurora, Colo., wore the homemade shirt on a day when students were asked to show their patriotism by wearing red, white and blue, according to MyFOXColorado.com.

When he was given the choice of turning the shirt inside out or being suspended, Dalton chose suspension.

“They’re taking away my right of freedom of speech,” he said. “If I have the right to wear this shirt I’m going to use it. And if the only way to use it is get suspended, then I’m going to get suspended.”

Dann Dalton, the boy’s father — a “proud conservative” who has taken part in anti-abortion protests — told MyFOXColorado.com that the school is making a mistake by suspending his son.

“It’s the public school system,” he said. “Let’s be honest, it’s full of liberal loons.”

He later told FOX News, “I didn’t expect (my son) to get what he got, that was ridiculously uncalled for.”

His son also told FOX News he was “encouraged” to wear the shirt by his father.

“I felt like I should wear it, because I have a right to,” he added.

The school district would not discuss the case, but said the district “respects a student’s right to free speech, such as the right to wear specific clothing,” but they reserve the right to review any situation that interrupts the learning environment, MyFOXColorado.com reported.

Dalton’s suspension was for willful disobedience and defiance, not for wearing the shirt. His father said he intends to sue the district.
 
Sometimes the best thing that can happen is for a public school to reject you. I'm a high school dropout and a college graduate. My parents taught me everything I needed to know to go to college. Public education is useless if a child has good parents.
 
Reminds me a bit of the bong hits for jesus thing. I think it was a similar situation and the courts ruled that free speech wasn't protected in the public schools or something like that. I don't remember for sure though.
 
If the shirt had just said anti McCain or anti Obama then I wouldn't see anything disruptive about it but as much as I am not a Obama supporter, I still do not like the words “Obama is a terrorist’s best friend.” being written on it. Just because policies on BOTH sides are wrong, does not mean a individual is a terrorist's best friend! I believe if the words on the shirt had read, McCain is a terrorist's best friend, they would had still been sent home.
 
McCain is a terrorist's best friend, they would had still been sent home.

I'm not so sure.

And so what? He called someone a terrorist's best friend, big friggin' deal. Even hate speech is protected speech.
 
Unfortunately here is a case where even tasteless free speech needs to be protected. The whole obama terrorist thing is racist trash, there are real political reasons to dislike the guy, but yeah kids should be able to express themselves about current events if they feel the need too.

I'd love to see kids wearing shirts that said bush killed the constitution or something a little real.

Jesse ventura said on an interview with howard stern that where he lives in mexico, kids wear t-shirts with bush's face and "weapon of mass destruction". Pretty cool
 
The Supreme Court ruled that even students have a right to free speech and self-expression.

Only to the extent that it's not disruptive to the school's educational mission.

But I doubt the students were paying more attention to his shirt than to their teacher.
 
Sometimes the best thing that can happen is for a public school to reject you. I'm a high school dropout and a college graduate. My parents taught me everything I needed to know to go to college. Public education is useless if a child has good parents.

Also a high school dropout making more them some people with doctorates degrees. Life is good. I am going back to a university soon, I can't seem to break $150K a year without the degree, but I happily make over 6 figures now. Of course, that's not what I come home with.
 
Great. Like we need a new generation of hateful Bill O'Reilly clones. While I obviously support the 1st Amendment, that kid has no clue about politics whatsoever. He's 11! The truth is his father is preaching his political thoughts through his kid. Dad should be ashamed for politicizing his son. What's he gonna lay out for him tomorrow? A shirt with a dead fetus and GOD IS PRO-LIFE on it? How about GOD HATES FAGS?

The brainwashing parents are a scourge on society. Let the kid grow up and learn on his own FFS.
 
haha I'm used to that sadly.. we can't even wear plain white shirts at my school because it might be gang related.. WHAT A JOKE
 
what are you talking about? Racism is free speech too, you'd let that kid go to school with Nigger must Die? "Obama sides with the terrorists" is pretty bigoted to me, being an Arab and a Muslim hearing all those Obama is a Muslim emails and having a kid wear that obviously has some connotation.

Popular speech doesn't need protected.
 
Bah. The school has to reserve some right to prevent "expression" that antagonizes other students.

If a kid were to call another kid something hateful I'd expect some form of action on part of the school board.

And I agree with the shirt, but not because I'm some quasi racist that thinks Obama is one of them there muzelums. His policies endorse the inaction of force to reach change. By the very definition he and McCain are terrorists.
 
Freedom of speech is not 100% absolute, nor should it be...if it infringes on the rights, safety, and peace of others, it should not be allowed.

Examples:

- Slander/Libel
- Fraud
- Bomb threats
- Hate speech
- Etc.

Many of you are neglecting libertarian principles when you say "anything goes", because individual rights are to be protected and not infringed upon.
 
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