For Perdita, Colly, and the rest of our 1st ammendment protectors...

[minsue]

This is getting ridiculous...

Girl Suspended From School For Saying Hell

Thu Feb 5, 7:46 AM ET


PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A second-grade girl from Pittsburgh was suspended this week from her public elementary school for saying the word "hell" to a boy in her class.

But 7-year-old Brandy McKenith says she was only warning the boy about the eternal comeuppance he could face for saying: "I swear to God."

"I said, 'You're going to go to hell for swearing to God,'" Brandy was quoted as saying in an article that appeared on the Web site of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on Wednesday.

School officials were unavailable for comment. A Pittsburgh Public Schools spokeswoman told the newspaper that the student code prohibits profanity but does not provide a clear definition of what profanity is.


The girl's parents, who said they believed their daughter's version of the story, were flabbergasted by the suspension and complained to the school principal.

"Kids are bringing guns and knives to school. ... They've got dope. And we're worried about 'hell'?" said her father, Wayne McKenith.

Meanwhile, the incident drew the attention of civil liberties experts as far away as New York.

"There was no threat and the word was being used in its intended way, not in a vulgar manner," civil liberties attorney Christopher Murray said in a statement distributed by his New York law firm.

 

[Guest]

Sheesh! Is there anything in the constitution that protects common sense?

Perdita

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Sheesh! Is there anything in the constitution that protects common sense?

Perdita

common sense seems to be the least common of traits.

-Colly

 

[Starblayde]

Thats a fucking joke, I swear to God.

On a more serious note, that'll be another point for over-eager beauocracy dealing with the small, insignificant things rather than the actual important things.

 

[Couture]

Not only was she using profane language, there is also an implied threat of eternal damnation. If threatening to kill someone is a crime, why isn't the threat of burning in hell for all eternity? Me? I don't think sending the girl home for a few days is sufficient. I think a few days in jail will teach her to keep her mouth shut.

And while we are at it, this kind of thing goes on every Sunday. It's a huge extortion racket being waged in every community whereby innocent people are forced to give money to this well-connected strong arm organization. An organization so strong they don't even have to pay taxes on the money they swindle. So pervasive that members occupy the highest ranks of our government and courts.

We've got to end these threats and protect our citizens. I'm sorry it has to start with a poor defenseless seven year old girl. But hey, what's a few days suspension when compared to a good burning, stoning, or endless suffering in the afterlife?

 

[Boxlicker101]

This is an example of bureaucracy running wild. Bureaucracy, of course, discourages common sense or any kind of thinking at all. I have to agree with what the civil liberties atty said, much as it gripes me to agree with a lawyer. Had she said "Go to Hell", I would grudgingly agree with the school. I wonder what they call a structure that is used to block the flow of a river.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

Not only was she using profane language, there is also an implied threat of eternal damnation. If threatening to kill someone is a crime, why isn't the threat of burning in hell for all eternity?

And while we are at it, this kind of thing goes on every Sunday. It's a huge extortion racket being waged in every community whereby innocent people are forced to give money to this well-connected strong arm organization. An organization so strong they don't even have to pay taxes on the money they swindle. So pervasive that members occupy the highest ranks of our government and courts.

We've got to stop end these threats and protect our citizens. I'm sorry it has to start with a poor defenseless seven year old girl. But hey, what's a few days suspension when compared to a good burning, stoning, or endless suffering in the afterlife?

Hell...profane? C'mon. A proper threat from one seven year old to another consists largely of, "I'm telling!" or "My dad can beat up your dad!" or "You're stupid." If that little boy was threatened by the implication that he was going to hell, then why in the world was he swearing to God in the first place?

Mercy me...extremism is alive and well between you and my Mom.

And when are people going to start realizing that kids wouldn't give things like this (or 'surprise' nudity on primetime t.v.) as much as a second thought, if the adults around them didn't have such loud and vehement reactions. I can accidentally swear in front of my daughter and roll on like nothing ever happened and she fails to notice. But when I swear in front of her and my mother freaks out and makes a big case of it...the little girl runs around for the next two weeks yelling "Dammit!" at random whenever she's feeling happy.

Please tell me you're not seriously advocating every seven year old that slips up with profanity in school should be suspended, jailed, burned, stoned, or eternally damned.

-E

 

[minsue]

Please tell me you're not seriously advocating every seven year old that slips up with profanity in school should be suspended, jailed, burned, stoned, or eternally damned.

-E

Sarcasm becomes Couture almost as much as it does Colly. Check the end of the post, E for the .

- Mindy, helpful as ever

 

[Couture]

I couldn't resist. Sorry.

 

[Guest]

I couldn't resist. Sorry.

Of course you couldn't. So don't apologize.

Perdita

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I think the really upsetting thing is that the little girl was brainwashed into believing all that Christianity stuff at that young age.

Throw the moron out of school. She'll probably grow up and marry whomever the Elders choose for her, and be a good, silly housewife and mother-of-eight, anyway.

 

[minsue]

I think the really upsetting thing is that the little girl was brainwashed into believing all that Christianity stuff at that young age.

Throw the moron out of school. She'll probably grow up and marry whomever the Elders choose for her, and be a good, silly housewife and mother-of-eight, anyway.

You're going to hell for saying that




edited to add:

- Mindy, wondering why people insist on telling me I'm going to hell for being an athiest...

 

[Svenskaflicka]

C ya.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

You're going to hell for saying that

That's it Mindy...you're suspended!

-E

And don't think your dad is going to get you out of this one...

 

[Guest]

You're going to hell for saying that

Min! You are too much.

Laughing,

Perdita

 

[minsue]

WOW! 3 replies and my edit all simul-posted! Whew! I need a cigarette...

- Mindy, sated now

 

[lucky-E-leven]

WOW! 3 replies and my edit all simul-posted! Whew! I need a cigarette...

- Mindy, sated now

was that your first multiple?

might have two cigarettes, just in case

-E

 

[Guest]

Yummy menage-a-twah: Svenska, Lucky and Me

Off for my fag,

Perdita

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Say hello to him from me.

 

[Guest]

Say hello to him from me.

To quote the cute one: Hur hur.

P.

 

[Madame Manga]

Children see things in black and white. Even when Mom and Dad are liberal Christians and would never tell someone that he's going to hell for blaspheming, kids really prefer the punitive end of religion to "Love one another". Don't blame the parents for having a faith; blame the pure, uncomplicated innocence of childhood. The real problems arise when people of whatever denomination or of no denomination refuse to grow up.

MM

 

[Couture]

Children see things in black and white. Even when Mom and Dad are liberal Christians and would never tell someone that he's going to hell for blaspheming, kids really prefer the punitive end of religion to "Love one another". Don't blame the parents for having a faith; blame the pure, uncomplicated innocence of childhood. The real problems arise when people of whatever denomination or of no denomination refuse to grow up.

MM

I think I disagree. I think maybe it takes the thoughts of hell for children to get religion in the first place. I remember when I was little, I always had a hard time believing in God. I could deal with the Easter bunny and Santa, but not some big huge all seeing/knowing presence.

Then an enterprising preacher showed me a painting of Jesus and said this is God. Then a representation of hell... I remember lots of flames and whippings for the damned souls in hell. I got it after that point. At least until I learned that paintings of things fell into the same category as the Easter bunny and Santa.

 

[shereads]

Not only was she using profane language, there is also an implied threat of eternal damnation. If threatening to kill someone is a crime, why isn't the threat of burning in hell for all eternity?

I agree, Couture. Serves the little witch right. She'll be handing out religious tracts next.

 

[angela146]

Actually, the girl’s real offenses were self-righteousness and heresy. She should really be ashamed of herself for the self-righteousness and then burned at the stake as a heretic.

The boy’s swearing was only a venial sin. Therefore he would be going to purgatory. Preaching otherwise was heresy.

Of course, if what he swore to was actually a lie… perhaps it was mortal sin.

Damn, I think I’m going to have to burn myself at the stake for heresy…

(All of the above said with tongue firmly planted in cheek, in case you hadn’t guessed).

 

[shereads]

Damn, I think I’m going to have to burn myself at the stake for heresy…

Now that would be an impressive martyrdom.