I want to just spit



LAFAYETTE, Colo. -- A Boulder Valley School District teacher now faces child abuse and assault charges for allegedly forcing a child to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance earlier this month, CBS Denver reports. Lafayette police say Karen Smith, a physical education teacher at Angevine Middle School, grabbed a boy by his jacket, lifted him to his feet and took him out of class on February 1. Police were called.
The school district released a letter it sent to parents Tuesday saying, "Today we learned that the Boulder County District Attorney's office has formally charged Angevine Middle School Physical Education Teacher Karen Smith. Ms. Smith has served Boulder Valley School District for 20 years and is currently on paid administrative leave. We are cooperating with the District Attorney's Office and respect their decision on this matter. We are unable to comment further because it remains a personnel matter that the school district is actively investigating."
The school district allows students to stand or sit during the pledge, district spokesperson Randy Barber told the Denver Post.
A parent waiting to pick her child up at the school the day after the alleged incident told CBS Denver her daughter knows Smith as a "strict" teacher but has never had an issue with her.
Two other parents who spoke to CBS Denver off camera said they believe the story has been "blown out of proportion," and expressed disappointment.


https://www.msn.com/en-us/news...kt5R&ocid=spartanntp

I remember when I was in grade school and the teacher would jerk any kid to his feet that tried to sit during the Pledge.
I just felt bad that the teacher had to do what the parents should have already taught.

I do believe, and someone correct me if this is not correct, SCOTUS has already ruled a child cannot be required to stand and/or recite the pledge. Nor can they be removed from the room.

They can be required to remain quiet and unobtrusive with regards to others.

In the days of my Elementary School, I had my 4th grade teacher pinch me and yank me by my ear outta my chair. I was a regular in the Principals office for getting my backside tanned by Mrs Brown with a long wooden paddle with holes drilled into it. I was smacked on the rear of my head by another teacher...I don't know why, I was a model student

All my Dad would say when he got home is I probably deserved it, and he was usually right

These days those kind of teachers would be buried in a dark dungeon someplace. Needless to say, I turned out Ok, no permanent damages!

When I taught high school for a few years, they didn't even do the Pledge.

Back when I went to public school we had to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance and the Lord's Prayer.
Somehow, I lived through the experience and didn't require counseling.

This student was wrong, the teacher right. Disrespect to the flag equals disrespect to: Country, All Veterans that served, fought and those that died for it, all people who did and do work to make it great, from the street sweeper to the President.

By supporting the student vs. the teacher the school encourages the student, and all students seeing it, that disrespect is acceptable and will have no cost to them.

They are breeding a generation of spoiled brats. In a very few years they will see young adults that have no respect whatsoever for anything or anyone. Then they will wonder “Where did these kids come from?”

The answer - Look in the mirror - your schools, funded by your tax money.

Both did wrong. The student should stand, if only out of courtesy.

The teacher should not force the student to stand, especially physically. Reciting the pledge is not something we can or should require of anyone. This is a country where we are free to express dissent or simply to be rude punks.

The teacher is an employee of the state. The state should not be in the business of compelling anyone to take part in political speech.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Both did wrong. The student should stand, if only out of courtesy.

The teacher should not force the student to stand, especially physically. Reciting the pledge is not something we can or should require of anyone. This is a country where we are free to express dissent or simply to be rude punks.

The teacher is an employee of the state. The state should not be in the business of compelling anyone to take part in political speech.

This is right, of course.

The reason such ceremonial displays were unanimously honored and observed in times past was that most people in former times had some modicum of manners, or at least did not wish to be exposed as lacking them. It was unthinkable to act like that “in your face” and would often result in very negative social consequences for the perps. You would be ashamed to act like that.

In the same way, you seldom heard of or saw someone “stealing valor.” Acting like that was shameful, or perhaps an indication of maladjustment.

I find it ironic that people feel it’s ok to impinge on this kids freedoms for not wanting to stand for a pledge that insures those freedoms. We either fully subscribe ourselves to the constitution and what this country was founded on and for or we don’t. While what this kid did is disrespectful it’s not illegal. In this country we have the right to be assholes. The left is actively trying to take those rights away by regulating speech without delving into the intent or context of that speech. Let’s not be leftists. The kid was wrong...the teacher was more wrong and should know better. This is still America...for now.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Both did wrong. The student should stand, if only out of courtesy.

The teacher should not force the student to stand, especially physically. Reciting the pledge is not something we can or should require of anyone. This is a country where we are free to express dissent or simply to be rude punks.

The teacher is an employee of the state. The state should not be in the business of compelling anyone to take part in political speech.

Perfectly stated.

quote:

Originally posted by Dusty78:
In this country we have the right to be assholes. The left is actively trying to take those rights away by regulating speech without delving into the intent or context of that speech. Let’s not be leftists.

Is this a derivative right?

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
Both did wrong. The student should stand, if only out of courtesy.

The teacher should not force the student to stand, especially physically. Reciting the pledge is not something we can or should require of anyone. This is a country where we are free to express dissent or simply to be rude punks.

The teacher is an employee of the state. The state should not be in the business of compelling anyone to take part in political speech.

Yep

In this day and age if you go hands on with a child it better be to save them or others from imminent danger or to perform first aid.

While I believe everyone should stand for the Pledge I also believe teaching such is a job for parents.

quote:

faces child abuse and assault charges

And if these charges are pressed forward, this is also wrong. An admonishment not to do it again ought to be sufficient.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
This student was wrong, the teacher right. Disrespect to the flag equals disrespect...

While you are entitled to believe that,the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to force a student to stand for the Pledge...in 1943

In West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), the Supreme Court ruled that requiring the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

I bet there's a few steps in between student refuses to stand for pledge and teacher physically removes student from classroom. Like the time my son thinks he lost video games for a week because he didn't brush his teeth. My recollection is that when asked if he had brushed his teeth, he lied about it, then he lost a privilege.

I'm more surprised there was a pledge.

The student should be free to not stand a be a tool. Teacher shouldn't have grabbed him...but assault and abuse charges are also idiotic.

jhe888 is obviously right from a legal standpoint.

Those who posted some version of "in a free country it's the student's right not to stand" are correct from a moral standpoint.

Doesn't mean I have to like it, and I'll tell you what it DOES mean on my planet: That student is a poorly raised, self-centered, attention-whoring, rude little shit and I will goddamn sure treat him/her as such in all subsequent encounters. Such behavior results in absolutely zero breaks from me on any topic at any time in the future.

In other words, as far as I'm concerned, you done messed in yer messkit, son.

What a stupid scenario.
Ignorance ruled that day.