Today is

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Don't believe In God? You Must be Crazy

A Janesville high school student tore up pages from a Bible during class earlier this month, quoted verses and exercised his freedom of expression. Then quietly sat down.
JG Excerpt:
The student was suspended, his mother said. She was told he couldn’t return to school until he had undergone a psychological evaluation. He was out of school for a week.
Read additional Gazette editorial
Excerpt:
Some in the class apparently feared the boy might finish his speech by pulling out a weapon.
Why weren't the accusing fearful kids suspended for creating controversy and hate by negatively stereotyping the expressive student.

I'm also under the impression this entire classroom episode was a requested project, the student did not just act this out of the blue.

Read more opinion here and here and again here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why would they think he might pull out a weapon....when that seems to be a malfunction only of those promoting the bible.

Lou Kaye said...

But you're stereotyping.

Everything I've heard and read about this incident puts the student's expression into the art category. Apparently the reaction he got is controversial, that is what art does.

He questioned what others take for granted, steered some public debate and exposed something that was always there, someone else's hate, fears and bigotry. He deserves an A++.

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