Sunday, May 16, 2010



Must not portray Obama as a Communist



We read:
"A painting depicting President Barack Obama next to a hammer and sickle symbol hung for nearly two weeks at Hallsville High School. It was taken down Monday after complaints.

Art teacher Brittany Williamson said her student simply wanted to “get a reaction” with his painting that depicted President Barack Obama with a hammer and sickle symbolizing communism. “That’s the whole purpose of art — to get a reaction,” Williamson said.

Although Williamson thought the Hallsville High School sophomore’s painting was “an amazing piece,” it received not-so-amazing critiques from some school staff and visitors who complained to Williamson and Superintendent John Robertson. The painting was taken down Monday after being displayed for nearly two weeks.

Robertson said the piece was removed because it could have been construed to reflect an official position of the school district...

Supreme Court rulings seem to side with the school district on whether to abridge a student’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression.

Doug Abrams, an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law, said the courts have determined that students have First Amendment rights, “but if the administration believes that exercise of those rights would disrupt the school’s learning environment, then the administration can abridge the exercise of those rights.” [But it was NOT disrupting anything]

Source

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

So students have a right to free speech, but only that speech the EduNazi's agree with? Sure sounds like Amerika to me! This is just another example of how the truth is no longer acceptable in the United States of PC.

Anonymous said...

It was disrupting the officially required indoctrination, slowing down the process of turning pupils into good little drones of the leftist elite.
So yes, it was interfering with the educational process, just not with any curiculum that's supplied to parents.

Anonymous said...

Betcha if it was a picture of Dubya or Cheney with a moustache, a swastika in the background and LABELED: DER FURHER! it'd be perfectly OK.

Anonymous said...

I'd be screaming to take down a poster of GWB painted as the devil, so I understand Obama being taken down. The difference being is the school would have fought to keep up the GWB devil painting.

Anonymous said...

the kenyan mullato mutt is a commie bastard, so what is the problem?

stinky said...

“That’s the whole purpose of art — to get a reaction,” Williamson said.

An open admission that art has become little more than a peurile bid for attention?

I can, myself, think of many other purposes to art beyond making a scene. And I bet most other people could too, but apparently not all.

Anonymous said...

I can, myself, think of many other purposes to art beyond making a scene. And I bet most other people could too, but apparently not all.

There is a difference between "a reaction" and the singular reaction of "making a scene."

Art has always been created to have a reaction. Whether that reaction is one of inspiration, disgust, loathing, love, appreciation of beauty, or whatever emotion you choose, art can and will get it.

Anonymous said...

Well, the key here methinks must be viewpoint discrimination.
If the school is going to remove this type of picture then it must also do the same with all other expressions of political provocation.
Let's see how that works out huh?

Anonymous said...

"Robertson said the piece was removed because it could have been construed to reflect an official position of the school district..."

Could that not be said of ANY piece of art? And that's the problem in hinging the issue on the subjectivity of the school administration. It is obvious that true freedom of speech does not exist in the American school system.