[Vision2020] I am chilled, you?
Art Deco aka W. Fox
deco@moscow.com
Thu, 20 May 2004 18:16:15 -0700
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Janesta,
Frightening.
A strong argument for freedom of expression.
Wayne
Art Deco (Wayne Fox)
deco@moscow.com
----- Original Message -----
From: JSullivan
To: vision2020@moscow.com
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2004 5:45 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] I am chilled, you?
Are you registered to vote? Do you have an opinion about what is going
on in our country and where we are headed as a nation as a whole?
My grandfather told me over twenty years ago that within my lifetime I
would see a revolution in the United States. I pooh-pawed that wise man at the
time. The more I read, the more I see, the sharper the division becomes between
our dear nation, about so many pertinent issues, the clearer his long deceased
voice resonates in my ear. With each day that passes, part of me wants to say
"Stop the earth! Let me off!!! I'll be back in a hundred years!!!"
I can't jump off and neither can you. VOTE!!! It is the only way your
voice can or will be heard.
Janesta Carcich Sullivan
(link for story at bottom of page)
Hard lessons from poetry class: Speech is free unless it's critical
By BILL HILL
Last update: 15 May 2004
Bill Nevins, a New Mexico high school teacher and personal friend, was
fired last year and classes in poetry and the poetry club at Rio Rancho High
School were permanently terminated. It had nothing to do with obscenity, but it
had everything to do with extremist politics.
The "Slam Team" was a group of teenage poets who asked Nevins to serve
as faculty adviser to their club. The teens, mostly shy youngsters, were taught
to read their poetry aloud and before audiences. Rio Rancho High School gave the
Slam Team access to the school's closed-circuit television once a week and the
poets thrived.
In March 2003, a teenage girl named Courtney presented one of her poems
before an audience at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Albuquerque, then read the
poem live on the school's closed-circuit television channel.
A school military liaison and the high school principal accused the girl
of being "un-American" because she criticized the war in Iraq and the Bush
administration's failure to give substance to its "No child left behind"
education policy.
The girl's mother, also a teacher, was ordered by the principal to
destroy the child's poetry. The mother refused and may lose her job.
Bill Nevins was suspended for not censoring the poetry of his students.
Remember, there is no obscenity to be found in any of the poetry. He was later
fired by the principal.
After firing Nevins and terminating the teaching and reading of poetry
in the school, the principal and the military liaison read a poem of their own
as they raised the flag outside the school. When the principal had the flag at
full staff, he applauded the action he'd taken in concert with the military
liaison.
Then to all students and faculty who did not share his political
opinions, the principal shouted: "Shut your faces." What a wonderful lesson he
gave those 3,000 students at the largest public high school in New Mexico. In
his mind, only certain opinions are to be allowed.
But more was to come. Posters done by art students were ordered torn
down, even though none was termed obscene. Some were satirical, implicating a
national policy that had led us into war. Art teachers who refused to rip down
the posters on display in their classrooms were not given contracts to return to
the school in this current school year.
The message is plain. Critical thinking, questioning of public policies
and freedom of speech are not to be allowed to anyone who does not share the
thinking of the school principal.
The teachers union has been joined in a legal action against the school
by the National Writers Union, headquartered in New York City. NWU's at-large
representative Samantha Clark lives and works in Albuquerque.
The American Civil Liberties Union has become the legal arm of the
lawsuit pending in federal court.
Meanwhile, Nevins applied for a teaching post in another school and was
offered the job but he can't go to work until Rio Rancho's principal sends the
new school Nevins' credentials. The principal has refused to do so, and that
adds yet another issue to the lawsuit, which is awaiting a trial date.
While students are denied poetry readings, poetry clubs and classes in
poetry, Nevins works elsewhere and writes his own poetry.
Writers and editors who have spent years translating essays, films,
poems, scientific articles and books by Iranian, North Korean and Sudanese
authors have been warned not to do so by the U.S. Treasury Department under
penalty of fine and imprisonment. Publishers and film producers are not allowed
to edit works authored by writers in those nations. The Bush administration
contends doing so has the effect of trading with the enemy, despite a 1988 law
that exempts published materials from sanction under trade rules.
Robert Bovenschulte, president of the American Chemical Society, is
challenging the rule interpretation by violating it to edit into English several
scientific papers from Iran.
Are book burnings next?
Hill is a retired News-Journal reporter.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorials/03OpOPN62051504.htm
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<DIV><FONT size=3D4>Janesta,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>Frightening.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>A strong argument for freedom of =
expression.</FONT></DIV><FONT=20
size=3D4>
<DIV><BR>Wayne</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Art Deco (Wayne Fox)<BR><A=20
href=3D"mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A><BR></DIV>
<DIV></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Djsullivan@moscow.com =
href=3D"mailto:jsullivan@moscow.com">JSullivan</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvision2020@moscow.com=20
href=3D"mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, May 20, 2004 =
5:45=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] I am =
chilled,=20
you?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D480 border=3D0=20
xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<TBODY>
<TR vAlign=3Dtop>
<TD class=3Dbase>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" =
size=3D2>Are you=20
registered to vote? Do you have an opinion about what is going =
on in our=20
country and where we are headed as a nation as a whole?=20
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT size=3D2>My grandfather told =
me over=20
twenty years ago that within my lifetime I would see a =
revolution in the=20
United States. I pooh-pawed that wise man at the time. The more =
I read,=20
the more I see, the sharper the division becomes between =
our dear=20
nation, about so many pertinent issues, the clearer his =
long=20
deceased voice resonates in my ear. With each day that passes, =
part of=20
me wants to say "Stop the earth! Let me off!!! I'll be back in a =
hundred=20
years!!!" </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT size=3D2>I can't jump off and =
neither can=20
you. VOTE!!! It is the only way your voice can or will be=20
heard.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT size=3D2>Janesta Carcich=20
Sullivan</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT size=3D2>(link for story at =
bottom of=20
page)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica"=20
size=3D4><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dheadline><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica"=20
size=3D4><STRONG>Hard lessons from poetry class: Speech is free =
unless=20
it's critical</STRONG> </FONT></SPAN><BR><BR><BR><FONT=20
face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" size=3D2>By BILL HILL</FONT> =
<BR><BR><SPAN=20
class=3Deditdate><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" =
size=3D1><I>Last update: 15=20
May 2004</I> =
</FONT></SPAN><BR><BR></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D"100%" border=3D0=20
xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<TBODY>
<TR vAlign=3Dtop>
<TD width=3D"100%">
<DIV style=3D"TEXT-ALIGN: left">
<P><SPAN><FONT face=3D"Arial, Helvetica" size=3D2><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Bill Nevins, a New Mexico high school teacher and =
personal=20
friend, was fired last year and classes in poetry and the poetry =
club at=20
Rio Rancho High School were permanently terminated. It had =
nothing to do=20
with obscenity, but it had everything to do with extremist =
politics.=20
<P>The "Slam Team" was a group of teenage poets who asked Nevins =
to=20
serve as faculty adviser to their club. The teens, mostly shy=20
youngsters, were taught to read their poetry aloud and before =
audiences.=20
Rio Rancho High School gave the Slam Team access to the school's =
closed-circuit television once a week and the poets thrived.=20
<P>In March 2003, a teenage girl named Courtney presented one of =
her=20
poems before an audience at Barnes & Noble bookstore in =
Albuquerque,=20
then read the poem live on the school's closed-circuit =
television=20
channel.=20
<P>A school military liaison and the high school principal =
accused the=20
girl of being "un-American" because she criticized the war in =
Iraq and=20
the Bush administration's failure to give substance to its "No =
child=20
left behind" education policy.=20
<P>The girl's mother, also a teacher, was ordered by the =
principal to=20
destroy the child's poetry. The mother refused and may lose her =
job.=20
<P>Bill Nevins was suspended for not censoring the poetry of his =
students. Remember, there is no obscenity to be found in any of =
the=20
poetry. He was later fired by the principal.=20
<P>After firing Nevins and terminating the teaching and reading =
of=20
poetry in the school, the principal and the military liaison =
read a poem=20
of their own as they raised the flag outside the school. When =
the=20
principal had the flag at full staff, he applauded the action =
he'd taken=20
in concert with the military liaison.=20
<P>Then to all students and faculty who did not share his =
political=20
opinions, the principal shouted: "Shut your faces." What a =
wonderful=20
lesson he gave those 3,000 students at the largest public high =
school in=20
New Mexico. In his mind, only certain opinions are to be =
allowed.=20
<P>But more was to come. Posters done by art students were =
ordered torn=20
down, even though none was termed obscene. Some were satirical,=20
implicating a national policy that had led us into war. Art =
teachers who=20
refused to rip down the posters on display in their classrooms =
were not=20
given contracts to return to the school in this current school =
year.=20
<P>The message is plain. Critical thinking, questioning of =
public=20
policies and freedom of speech are not to be allowed to anyone =
who does=20
not share the thinking of the school principal.=20
<P>The teachers union has been joined in a legal action against =
the=20
school by the National Writers Union, headquartered in New York =
City.=20
NWU's at-large representative Samantha Clark lives and works in=20
Albuquerque.=20
<P>
<P>
<P>
<P>
<P>
<P>
<P>
<P>The American Civil Liberties Union has become the legal arm =
of the=20
lawsuit pending in federal court.=20
<P>Meanwhile, Nevins applied for a teaching post in another =
school and=20
was offered the job but he can't go to work until Rio Rancho's =
principal=20
sends the new school Nevins' credentials. The principal has =
refused to=20
do so, and that adds yet another issue to the lawsuit, which is =
awaiting=20
a trial date.=20
<P>While students are denied poetry readings, poetry clubs and =
classes=20
in poetry, Nevins works elsewhere and writes his own poetry.=20
<P>Writers and editors who have spent years translating essays, =
films,=20
poems, scientific articles and books by Iranian, North Korean =
and=20
Sudanese authors have been warned not to do so by the U.S. =
Treasury=20
Department under penalty of fine and imprisonment. Publishers =
and film=20
producers are not allowed to edit works authored by writers in =
those=20
nations. The Bush administration contends doing so has the =
effect of=20
trading with the enemy, despite a 1988 law that exempts =
published=20
materials from sanction under trade rules.=20
<P>Robert Bovenschulte, president of the American Chemical =
Society, is=20
challenging the rule interpretation by violating it to edit into =
English=20
several scientific papers from Iran.=20
<P>Are book burnings next?=20
<P><EM>Hill is a retired News-Journal reporter. </EM>
<P><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Edito=
rials/03OpOPN62051504.htm">http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalO=
nline/Opinion/Editorials/03OpOPN62051504.htm</A></FONT></FONT></SPAN></P>=
</DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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