Fight Crime: Shoot First, or SNiVeL?

[Kennedy 0]

http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:59ydyHcdYcsJ:www.lowellsun.com/Stories/0,1413,105%25257E4746%25257E2721094,00.html+%22%27Fight+crime%27+plate%22&hl=en

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'Fight crime' plate on car at school has some parents fuming

By CHRISTINE PHELAN, Sun Staff

LOWELL -- An employee's car parked at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School lot has sparked fury among some parents ushering their children inside the school each morning.

The car -- a red, late-model Ford Mustang with a novelty plate on its front end reading "Fight crime, shoot first" -- irritated one parent so much that she complained to her son's pre-kindergarten teacher. The parent, who asked to remain anonymous, also took the issue up with school Principal Sandra Dunning earlier this week, as well as Superintendent of Schools Karla Brooks Baehr.

"Being a member of the staff, well, you have to be an example to the kids," the mother insisted. "You don't just do whatever."

"I can listen to parents and listen to their concerns," Dunning said. "But we do live in America. That's part of our democracy, free speech."

The parent, however, says the school's responsibility to provide positive role models to children supersedes the right to free speech, and that the offending license plate is a breech of the public trust placed in school employees.

"I don't think it's just a question of freedom of speech," the mother said, noting that while her son is still learning to read, the school's older students have full reading ability. "You don't leave it for the kids to see every day."

The First Amendment of the Constitution, which protects freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition and was added in 1791, stipulates that Congress shall not "(abridge) the freedom of speech."

According to Taylor Flynn, a Northeastern University professor and expert in Constitutional law, the school employee with the plate might actually find favor if the case found its way into court, particularly because, in her view, the evidence that students' education is being disrupted by the plate is on the lean side.

"However, I think there is a fairly strong possibility that a court would find that the staff person's First Amendment rights are being violated if the employee feels (directly or indirectly) coerced into covering the plate or is doing so over her objection."

Principal Dunning, who admitted she was "a little surprised" by the plate, initially echoed Flynn's concerns, saying that such a message might be considered inappropriate if it entered the building. But outside? Dunning said that's a different matter entirely.

"If anything disrupts the educational process, we do have the right to ask staff and teachers to maintain a code of conduct," she said. "What is parked in a lot or on a street is a different matter, however. Whatever happens in the building we have control over."

"I think it's inappropriate," she said. "I think we all take responsibility to model appropriate language and behavior. Yes, they see all sorts of things on TV, in ads, that lots of people would find inappropriate as a model for a 5- or 6-year-old. But having (the license plate) there in the lot suggests we condone it."

The solution? Dunning and Baehr plan to mandate that the staff member somehow cover the plate upon arrival each morning, possibly with magnets and a cloth. The plate will be covered by the first day of school after February break, Feb. 28, Behr said.

"I expect cooperation on the part of the staff members to cover it up or obscure it in some way," Baehr said.

And when the staff member is not on school property -- and by that, Baehr means either in the building or in the parking lot -- "she's free to do as she pleases."

The parent who initially complained said she was happy with that solution, though put off that "going public" with the story was the route to compromise.

"I'm aggravated because they only did something when I said I was going to talk to The Sun," the mother said. "I feel that I had to go outside the school to solve a little problem, because this could have been solved within the school."

I suppose this woman would have preferred the teacher pass out SNiVeL pamphlets to all students.

http://www.handguncontrolinc.org/snivel.htm

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[justinb138 0]

It seems that some people complain about stuff like that just for the sake of having something to complain about. Come on lady, get a life...

[Kennedy 0]

She must be one of those smart folks who knows that the purpose of a school is to raise your children for you.

I mean really, who would think a mother can have more influence on her kid than a teacher's license plate?

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[miked10270 0]

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"I expect cooperation on the part of the staff members to cover it up or obscure it in some way," Baehr said.

And when the staff member is not on school property -- and by that, Baehr means either in the building or in the parking lot -- "she's free to do as she pleases."

So... Once the staff member is IN the building, she can be told to cover the plate. But in leaving the building to do so, she is then free to NOT cover the plate!?

Or does the staff member now have permission to park her car inside the building?

This makes even less sense than suggesting the "Concerned Parent" buy a gun & shoot holes in the offending plate!

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[Darius11 12]

God I hate people who are like that.
Get a life. Some people and there is a lot of them just need to bitch to feel important.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[justinb138 0]

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I mean really, who would think a mother can have more influence on her kid than a teacher's license plate?

Seems like no one anymore.

If the kids spend the majority of the day looking at the license plate on a car, they've got bigger issues to worry about.

[WrongWay 0]

Hey, people should take this more seriously. I was instantly converted by a "My boss is a Jewish carpenter" bumper sticker.

Freedom of speech....one of the great things that makes America what it is. Live it and love it, or get the fuck out.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[justinb138 0]

Well, I guess it could have been worse.

I guess she could have said nothing to the school, and just filed some lawsuit against the school district for 10 million dollars because the school system "corrupted" her child due to some teacher's bumper sticker.

[lawrocket 3]

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The parent, who asked to remain anonymous

I always wonder why this is. She's trying to stick up for something, but doesn't want to be named?

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"Being a member of the staff, well, you have to be an example to the kids," the mother insisted. "You don't just do whatever."

Pissing and moaning and sniveling? I wonder if her child's therapist is trying to deal with issues with mommy...

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The parent, however, says the school's responsibility to provide positive role models to children supersedes the right to free speech, and that the offending license plate is a breech of the public trust placed in school employees.

I always thought that parents should provide positive role models. And I always thought that rights shouldn't be trumped by anything.

Anyway, I wonder if she's advocating studying Jesus in school. A positive role model.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Kennedy 0]

That one is in the works, I bet.

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[MC208B 0]

Geez! These "it takes a village to raise an idiot" people really chaff my ass! Why doesn't this woman just let others live without interjecting her nonsense?!? I let my kids know what I thought was right and wrong and they have all turned out quite well, no therapy required. Get a life lady!

[ahegeman 0]

The important question is, of course, where can I get one of those bumper stickers?

---------------------------------------------------------------
There is a fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness'.
--Dave Barry

[Kennedy 0]

Good man!

And the magic (google) eight ball says:

http://www.mesavistapress.com/catalog/size_30.php

http://www.cafepress.com/pro2am.13295862

http://www.bumperart.com/ProductsList.aspx?CategoryId=2

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*

[Kennedy 0]

Compromise reached over "controversial" plate.

Just one question:
What are they going to do when the snow melts?

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LOWELL -- Lincoln School administrators have reached a compromise with an employee whose car carries a controversial novelty plate on the front bumper.

The compromise aims to protect the employee's First Amendment rights while reducing the chance that students will see the plate, which reads “Fight Crime Shoot First.”

Principal Sandra Dunning said she met
with the employee and they agreed the car should be pulled into its parking space nose-first to reduce visibility.

“So if anyone wanted to see it, it had to be an intentional walk around the car to see it,” Dunning said. “We felt that was an appropriate request and she has honored our request.”

School officials have not identified the woman who drives
the car, or what her position is at the school. The middle-aged woman declined to comment when approached in the parking lot yesterday afternoon by The Sun.

The late-model, red Ford Mustang was pulled in tight against a snowbank toward the rear of the school parking lot yesterday. It was difficult for anyone to read the plate without climbing a snowbank.

A parent had complained about the message the plate sends to children and asked that it be removed.

Dunning described the employee as a conscientious worker who cares about the students.

“She felt that she wanted to support our request any way she could, understanding this is her car and feels she has the right to put on the car what she likes,” Dunning said.

Superintendent
of Schools Karla Brooks Baehr said she approved of the compromise.

“The plate is not visible to the youngsters. It's a good solution,” she said. “It's not visible so people's needs get met. The employee is apparently comfortable with this.”

witty subliminal message
Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards.
1*