11 year Old "Anti-American"
polycounter lvl 18
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Police Investigate Anti-American Statements of 11-Year-Old
And in news from Virginia, the Washington Post reports two police officers recently visited the home of an 11-year-old and questioned his parents for three hours about anti-American comments their son made in school The student had refused to participate in a Veterans Day exercise and criticized the Marines. The school claimed he had said, "I wish all Americans were dead and that American soldiers should die." The Police questioned his parents about their views on Sept. 11, the military and if they knew any foreigners who criticized US policy. They also inquired whether the parents might be teaching "anti-American values" at home. The mother, Pamela Allbaugh, told the Washington Post "It was intimidating. I told them it's like a George Orwell novel, that it felt like they were the thought police." She went on to say "If someone would have asked me five years ago if this was something my government would do, I would have said never."
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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/16/1444215
Here is original link if you are registered.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn...-2004Dec14.html
Police Investigate Anti-American Statements of 11-Year-Old
And in news from Virginia, the Washington Post reports two police officers recently visited the home of an 11-year-old and questioned his parents for three hours about anti-American comments their son made in school The student had refused to participate in a Veterans Day exercise and criticized the Marines. The school claimed he had said, "I wish all Americans were dead and that American soldiers should die." The Police questioned his parents about their views on Sept. 11, the military and if they knew any foreigners who criticized US policy. They also inquired whether the parents might be teaching "anti-American values" at home. The mother, Pamela Allbaugh, told the Washington Post "It was intimidating. I told them it's like a George Orwell novel, that it felt like they were the thought police." She went on to say "If someone would have asked me five years ago if this was something my government would do, I would have said never."
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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/16/1444215
Here is original link if you are registered.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn...-2004Dec14.html
Replies
//takes off belt
that is a rather harsh thing to say, but of course it shouldn't have been responded to the way it was. that's scary.
I would never wish death on all Americans, just the politicians...and maybe Republicans. j/k
It's not like they really thought the 11-year-old is a terrorist. They didn't detain him, right? He's not going to Gitmo. They're quoted as saying that when a student makes rashly violent comments, they want to take it seriously. After Columbine, I think this is reasonable. I'm sure they also wanted to make sure that the kid wasn't mimicking real terrorist statements he'd heard first-hand. Ignoring that possibility would have been bad, also.
At the end of the story, though, it looks like law enforcement did exactly what they're supposed to do: they investigated. When they didn't find anything suspicious, they left. The family never left their house, nobody was taken away, no charges were filed, and no rights were violated. The only comment stated about rights was from the kid, who is also described by his own mom as 'rambunctious'. Sounds like he wants some attention, too, Mom.
It's too bad that the parents felt like they were under suspicion, but that seems to be all they underwent. I don't see any deviation from acceptable methods on the part of law enforcement. Anyone have a different view?
/jzero
That is what I call normal in such a situation.
Getting the police involved absolutly isn't, and the mother is right about orwellian methods.
Seriously, this is something that was normal during the Nazi times here in Germany, when teachers were incuraged to report any 'abnormal' behaviour of the children directly to the police/SS.
There is absolutly nothing right about this, period
The Washington Post is selling news, and everyone loves to read about the Big Bad govermnet, I'm one of their most eager clients :P But I think I know a non-issue when I see one. I think this is an example of just that.
-R
They also inquired whether the parents might be teaching "anti-American values" at home.
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So what if they were? Is this illegal now? If a police officer who was questioning me asked if I had any 'anti-American' sentiments, I'd tell him to go fuck himself.
I wonder if the kid had said "I wish all Muslims were dead and that Muslims should die," if the police would've been called. Hmmm...
Well I hope that family had no Xmas travel plans, cause their probally on the TSA list now. LOLOLOLO
Slayer, Mishra, and just about everyone else hit it right on the head, kids say stuff to say stuff, most of the time they feel really opinionated about something but can't tell you why. They are kids, they do stupid things that is how they learn. The teacher shouldn't be a big freaking baby and run off to the cops because some kid spouts off. One of the freedoms we have it to protest peaceably when we have grievances with the government (see first amendment). Now if the kid was tossing punches around or pulled out a knife and started cutting people, ok call the cops, he's out of control. But just refusing to be part of something? Call the parents not the freakin thought police...
A LEO's job is to protect the people. A kid makes some pretty radical statements, it's their job to investigate to make sure that this kid isn't a psychopath. Strangers things have happened then an 11 year old kid killing a classmate or two.
Bottom line is, SOMEBODY needs to tell the kid what he said isn't very moral. Sounds like his parents aren't likely doing it, so maybe it's a good wakeup call for him.
Thanks for dumbing down the post a a little with your ignorance blackhawk.
It sucks that they called the cops on the kid. But hey, atleast he didn't bring scissors of mass destruction to school.
"If all Americans should die, then that means you and your family as well?"
Anyways its sad to watch how you americans get stripped of your civil rights.
Sounds to me like the officers were just doing their jobs.
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I see they were just doing their job.
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No one is questioning whether or not they were doing their job. The police aren't allowed to make judgment calls as to whether or not a call deserves their attention; if the police are called, they are required to respond--that goes without saying--the question is whether or not they should have been called. The kid didn't threaten anyone (what he said could be construed as threatening, but he didn't point out any specific person or say anything about wanting to kill anyone) and it's not illegal to dislike America or any of its policies.
It's not like the 'I wish all Americans were dead' comment came out of nowhere. It was said after the kid refused to participate in a Veterans Day exercise and criticized our military, and the teacher probably gave him shit for it. The kid was trying to justify his sentiments after being confronted by the teacher, but 11-year-olds usually aren't very articulate, so the 'I wish all Americans were dead' comment was the best thing he could come up with.
In this situation, the parents should've been called and the police should have never been involved. The teacher (or his parents, or both) should've pointed out to the child that wishing malice upon his fellow man is just as bad as anything the US is doing, and that he should find a better way to express his opinions. If necessary, they could also give the kid and his parents a warning that this type of behavior could result in suspension or even expultion.
Oh well, I guess calling the police whenever a student has a difference of opinion or breaks the rules is easier than actually doing what is right :rolleyes:.
Would you slap your kid across the head because he caught you sleeping with a prostitute and thought it was wrong of you?
Kids say alot of shit -- Hell when I was young I believed in Christianity - what shit that was. Everyone says something of that "nature". (I hate living here, etc.)
Because people are all living on bullshit security alerts things are getting OTT. Get the SAS in, I'm on a forum! Could be used for plotting the queens murder.
Alot of things today can be put into that context. You've got a pair of scissors, you can do alot of harm. You've got a cat? You can cause kids blindess if they fall on it..
Being totally blown out of proportion IMO
The world is full of BS.
john
I don't really see what the major thing is with the US. (*This isn't a bash just an insight*). Pretty much everything is patroism.. Having to learn all 50 states, that general bullshit.
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Being expected to know basic national geography is patriotic bullshit? I pretty much attribute knowledge of the different states to not wanting to be an ignorant dumbass: "Say, Bob, what's this Utah I've been hearing so much about?"
-R