Student suspended after voicing marijuana opinion — This is where things are headed in the public schools in both the USA and Canada. Kids, just shut up, will you? Say nothing about anything. Show disinterest, become a nihilist.
Kieran Kings views on marijuana have led to his suspension from Wawota Parkland School.
King said he was threatened with police action by Principal Susan Wilson previously after making the case that marijuana was less harmful than alcohol.
“In my opinion, cannabis is safer than they say, it is not worse than alcohol or tobacco,” said King, a 15-year-old Grade 10 student. Wilson accused King of using and selling marijuana at school, according to a media release issued by the Saskatchewan Marijuana Party. King has offered to submit to a voluntary drug test to prove otherwise.
“Ive never smoked marijuana. Ive never even seen it,” said King.
related link:
Another account by Media Awareness Project
30—I appear to be the main violater here. Lets look.
Kieran was NOT arrested/// That was my error, too lazy to confirm as it wasn’t the main point.
Kieran was NOT threatened with drug testing/// Correct, he volunteered to prove his innocense.
The school was NOT in lock down before the protesters arrived./// Correct. It was in lockdown after he left. His leaving was in violation
of leaving the campus and he got caught by the lock down on the way back.
For once, Bush is not to blame, he had nothing to do with this fiasco!/// Well thank goodness, that was one error I didn’t make.
Linuxchick==no spinning here, just lazy and reading/typing too fast.
But I think you too are spinning. Generally speaking, marijuana is no more dangerous than many other drugs and it is held hostage to governmental policy. It should be legalized for a variety of reasons. This article no matter how spun highlights that fact.
Hey, stick around and keep us informed and honest.
#32, bobbo,
I disagree that Linuxchick is spinning. She made no opinion, comment, or reference, to marijuana’s legality or status. Only the facts of the story.
While I support the decriminalizing of pot, maybe even the legalization, this story is disingenuous. It states several falsities when they didn’t occur. While this might be typical of Fox Spews and the whole Right Wing Neo-con Evangelical Conservative Republican cabel, it is not befitting those who desire a better world to live in. If Liberals need to stoop to the Right Wing… bull shit level to achieve their aims, count me out. Simply put, we are better then that.
But blaming Bush is OK. After all, the American government threats are the big reason marijuana wasn’t legalized already in Canada.
33—-Well, if her post was limited to facts, how do I get the notion she is against the legalization of pot? (Post minus facts= spin). Now, she is not knuckle-dragging outrageous but read her penultimate paragraph wherein she maligns the MJ Party. Eg–“They spun the whole issue out of control, came to town, screamed and ranted and left Kieran to deal with the results of his/their actions.” I don’t think they spun anything. They came to town to protest the anti-marijuana position of the school. Maybe they too got a few facts wrong==but a quibble methinks.
What “facts” were misstated in the articles ((dont confuse the article with my own inept postings))?
I agree that “the truth” gives us enough to argue about without introducting ideological driven pap. I try to be open to having my facts wrong, because being accurate is the foundation for any opinion that follows.
Yeap, takes a special kind of stupidity to be stupid oneself and gain comfort only by keeping those around you in the same state. Was it 6 months ago Mexico was going to decriminalize and they got the BushCo treatment as well? FREEDOM –the right of other people to do that which you would not.
Bob, this sort of thing happens in US schools all the time. Students sent home for wearing Straight Pride t-shirts, or a picture of marijuana, or anti-war slogans. I think this blog has posted some examples in the past.
36–I agree. Grades 1-12 is not the place for free speech and political action. I support use of uniforms to minimize cliques and other gangs and so forth. I believe the schools are locum parenti. So now lets see what I said that prompted your post?
I cant really tell. My main point is only that the student was NOT “suspended after doing nothing more than voicing marijuana opinion.”
Now, I do think students should be sent home if they wear MJ touting tee shirts, but I think their verbalized opinions for legalized marijuana should be criticized on their facts and logic alone and for time and place of utterence==meaning say the truth/your own opinion but don’t be disruptive.
If I missed your point, please redirect my attention.
#34 – I’ll cop to misreading a section as well – I thought he was being “encouraged” to submit to a drug test when in fact he offered to take one. (by the way, offering to take one only validates a practice that needs to be outlawed)
But you are right. While LinuxChick is one fine and righteous babe, as evidenced by her use of open source software, she is putting a definate spin on the story too.
I especially like “Kieran was a quiet, depressed, loner looking to fit in somewhere.” From this, do I assume he is Harris or Kliebold?
I don’t care why the kid wanted to tell the truth about marijuana. I only applaud that he did, and have no choice but to condemn the administrator that wanted him silent on the matter.
#35 – And its wrong in those cases too.
Bobbo – Can’t have your back in #36. How can I teach my kid the value of the Bill of Rights and of our civic duty to stand for the higher values embodied in the Constitution and to oppose authority when it defies those values… if I were to also accept the notion that kids lack First Amendment right?
They do not lack First Amendment rights. They are merely denied the ability to practice those undeniable, basic, human, universal, and natural rights that no authority can deny except by abusive and unjust force.
The problem with noble independent research and “dissent speech” by students at schools is that there is some evidence that it completely disrupts the core learning environment.
Now multiply the above research scenario by Christian speech, left-wing speech, right-wing speech, homosexual agenda, pornography, euthanasia, white supremacy, abortions, handguns, hate crimes, war on drugs, capital punishment, stem cell research, welfare bums, Nazi ideas, Bush as Saint, separatism, terrorism, wiretapping, wiretapping, slavery, religion, sects, creationism, Scientology, zoophilia… all just scratching the surface of the interesting “research” topics that could be shared by students as influenced by the vested interests of their parents, popular culture, and lobby groups.
I’d also add, that almost all these kids have brains that are still physically developing with little amounts of education and life experience to draw upon as a check reference. A nice combination when “first impression” topics such as the above are haphazardly introduced by student “researchers” – especially when the merits of an argument may be evaluated mainly with respect to the popularity and eloquence of a particular student.
I suspect this is not the mandatory education some parents envisioned. Better to teach students how to think first, before what they should think. Keep socially contentious issues in the social studies class as requires introduction and moderation by a professional educator.
Otherwise school becomes DU: a bunch of people shouting at each other. Can you imagine if we were all in the same room?
RBG
38—All rights must be balanced with all the other rights. Please Note I said he should speak his truth subject only to not being disruptive==that supports/recognizes any students free speech rights.
So, the only way you can think I’m against First Amendment Rights is to ignore what I expressly said and focus on YOUR interpretation of banning message containing teeshirts in shool? As I said, I’m for uniforms. Wearing a teeshirt that says “Fuck This School” or “Smoke MJ” would be LIKE SPELLING THINGS OUT IN CAPITAL LETTERS ALL THE TIME, OR USING “CYBER-PUNCTUATION!” (ie-disruptive) and given the school is full of developing minds (speaking of teachers as well as students) I think a minimum amount of control to maintain order is appropriate. Recall that school is coerced mandatory attendance for our Kiddies and an environment for learning is its only justification. Its no different than saying that free speech rights means your kid can mouth off while the teacher is giving a lecture==no, I don’t think so. Time and place restrictions are mandatory.
So, how can you teach your kids?===probably just exactly the way you are.
#39 – The kid wasn’t leading a damn protest. He was having conversations with friends.
How far down this road to thought control do you want to travel?
38—Damn, I can’t even correctly read my OWN posts!! (Talk about spin!)
So, when I posted “Grades 1-12 is not the place for free speech” I meant disruptive speech that interferes with teaching good critical independent thinking skills.===and thats clear if you read all my posts in this one thread. But that one sentence reads as you post.
Do I have to be careful from now on? Thats not much fun. I’d rather shoot my mouth off and complain about things that aren’t relevant at all.
First I have to say, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a discussion on this topic, without childish name calling and accusations of inherited backwoods stupidity. What a great change of pace!
“Well, if her post was limited to facts, how do I get the notion she is against the legalization of pot?” -I’m not against legalizing marijuana. I haven’t researched it enough to have an opinion either way.
“What “facts” were misstated in the articles ((dont confuse the article with my own inept postings))?” -From what I know of the story, Kieran was asked to stop speaking to younger children, he’s 15 and telling 10 year olds they should try it. One of these young children is the son of a very good friend of mine. I don’t have a problem with the pros and cons of marijuana legalization being discussed in or at school. I do however (as did the parents that complained to the Principal) have a problem with a 15 year old telling 10 year olds about the wonders of pot.
“I don’t think they spun anything. They came to town to protest the anti-marijuana position of the school. Maybe they too got a few facts wrong==but a quibble methinks.” -During and after the protest, the members of the Saskatchewan Marijuana Party kept insisting that the protest was ONLY about freedom of speech and had nothing to do with promoting marijuana.
“she is putting a definate spin on the story too. I especially like “Kieran was a quiet, depressed, loner looking to fit in somewhere.” From this, do I assume he is Harris or Kliebold?” -I know this child, he was the one that said he suffered from depression, his search for a nontraditional way of dealing with his depression is what brought him to marijuana in the first place. Those are his own words. I feel sorry for him. In my opinion, the SKMP took advantage of him.
“Recall that school is coerced mandatory attendance for our Kiddies and an environment for learning is its only justification. Its no different than saying that free speech rights means your kid can mouth off while the teacher is giving a lecture==no, I don’t think so. Time and place restrictions are mandatory.” – Yes, well said bobbo!
“The kid wasn’t leading a damn protest. He was having conversations with friends.” – Not true.
#37, OFTLO,
FYI, Drug tests in Canada are generally viewed as intrusive and thus are illegal. A view I concur with.
#34, bobbo
While I disagreed with you earlier, my disagreement stems from the spinning, not your position. I generally agree with you on most of this.
Besides, it’s the next day and I still respect you.
OFTLO & bobbo,
I think you two are splitting hairs here and both sound pretty close. There are much worse things to get our knickers in a knot over.
44. “Under laws that came into effect on December 1, 2004, Victoria (BC) Police have the power to conduct random roadside saliva testing to detect drivers travelling while affected by illicit drugs. ”
http://www.arrivealive.vic.gov.au/c_drugsAD.html
Couldn’t tell you if they can still do this.
RBG
#45, RBG,
C’mon, do the world a favor and learn some geography. Canada is just to the North of mainland USA and East of Alaska. The Victoria in your link just happens to be on the other side of the world in AUSTRALIA !!!
I’ll give you a hint. Check out the site address. The .au suffix is the Australian domain.
Oh god, that is funny.
Well, obviously I know that. I was simply pointing out the similarities in approach between these two jurisdictions. Even included the initials for “Bogus Canada.”
Holy crap. That boomeranged on me. Busted good. Posted on the run.
So, wait for it then. Meanwhile, here’s the real deal from Down Under (the Ice Cap):
“PM unveils new drug-driving legislation…The legislation will among other things provide police with more tools to detect drug-impaired driving, increase penalties for drug-impaired driving, strengthen presumptions of breath and blood tests…” http://tinyurl.com/y245x4
——–
“I appeared as Chair of the BC Civil Liberties Association Drug Policy Committee to oppose Bill C-32, legislation that if passed would do several things: … Moreover, the invasive process – the forced taking of blood, urine or saliva” Fri, 06/08/2007 http://tinyurl.com/22nlus
RBG
Legalization is the best thing that could happen right now, for so many reasons. I think it’s coming soon.