From the American Civil Liberties Union:
Responding to complaints from parents and students that a March 7 letter from Harford County Schools seems to have banned participation in the nationwide “Walk Out for Safe Schools” planned for this Wednesday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland has written to Superintendent Barbara Canavan, cautioning that schools may not punish students more severely for leaving class to engage in free speech activity then they would for any other unexcused absence.
The national “Walk Out for Safe Schools” walkouts are being organized as peaceful walkouts from class that will last for 17 minutes, from 10 am to 10:17 am. The Harford County Schools letter suggested that students who participate would be disciplined for “disrupting school operations.”
“Under the First Amendment schools may not use the threat of more severe punishment to silence students’ political speech,” said Sonia Kumar, Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Maryland. Back in 1969, in Tinker v. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled that public school students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” When school officials threaten to impose discipline for particular speech, they are, in effect, prohibiting it.
Kumar continued: “We encourage Harford County Schools to adopt an approach similar to other Maryland school systems, which recognize students’ First Amendment rights and affirm that they will not single out politically-motivated absences from class for harsher punishment.”
The ACLU’s staff will remain in touch with the students and parents who have reached out to us to ensure that students are not wrongly disciplined based on their First Amendment protected expression.
In addition, the ACLU today released a factsheet, “Know Your Rights: Student Walkouts in Public Schools.” Go to our website to see the factsheet and the ACLU of Maryland’s letter to Harford County Schools: http://www.aclu-md.org/
Have the parents of any student that wishes to walk out come to the school and sign their student out. If the parents cannot be bothered to do this, then they can stay in class. This is not restricting free speech this is not accepting students walking out of the school without permission. Tinker was about wearing armbands, that is completely different than walking out of school without permission.
You should really take the word “”constitutionalist” out of your name until you figure out what it means.
Constitutional doesn’t mean do whatever you want without consequences, civil disobedience is by it’s very definition something with consequences. Once again rather than make an argument for/or against the lefty’s just attack on a personal level.
Constitutional means within the framework of the government created by WE THE PEOPLE. If something is not within that frame, it is unconstitutional. There was NO Constitutional authority granted by WE THE PEOPLE to control and regulate our behavior. This was all done, by an illegal incorporation of our former government that seems to hold the international law of treaties higher than our own Supreme Law of the Land because it is in fact a CORPORATION. WE THE PEOPLE are not corporations and are not beholden to the law of treaties. In a constitutional framework, disobedience is extinct because there is no authority to control behavior, so there would be no consequences. Our government has committed treason against us and will continue in its war against the United States to control the people of the United States. WE THE PEOPLE are the United States and we gave no government this authority or power, therefore all unconstitutionally assumed power by a treasonous government would have to be considered null and void…..
I honestly don’t know why the school system doesn’t say, “Students who leave school without permission, regardless of reason, will have to face the consequences established in the school handbook,” and leave it at that. It’s literally just cutting class/school or leaving the building without permission. I don’t know why people are even confused about it. If the student decides to leave without permission, they get written up. Period. The same as a kid leaving to go smoke a doobie or whatever kids do these days. The school system didn’t even need to get crazy and make a statement like this.
Harford County School Policy of condemning a 17 minute gun safety walk out protest isthe most ridiculous school response in the state of Maryland. Its an embarrassing reactionary moronic conservative response.
Baltimore County schools will cooperate with the student walkout in a common sense manner. The whole Eastern Shore school system is responding in a common sense pragmatic way.
But old crazy Harford County hysterically goes full frontal authoritarian
Crazy Canavan says “It presents paradoxically a threat to student safety.”. It does not do so in any way.
Crazy Canavan dreams up some paranoid nightmare scenario that might happen to legitimize her suppression of free speech, protest , and assembly
. Her response is a disgrace to American values of democracy and freedom.
http://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/2018/03/10/national-school-walkout-student-gun-protest/411271002/
I will agree with you if you will agree that once the standard is set that it is okay to not follow established rules and protest whatever political issue is these young belief, including gun rights, anti abortion, and against illegal immigration, without penalty is okay. If so, then so be it. Of course many students will protest their education away, but no problem, we can support them all on our tax dollars until we’re dead. After that they are on their own!
They should protest their education. The educational system is now owned by the Democratic Party thru common core. The Democratic party is in control of the Gates Foundation and this was intentionally set up by Obama. Education will include methodology to trick your sons and daughters into believing the government is their friend. Education will include ideals that are un-American and will endorse the abrogation of the Constitution by not teaching it. What a great way for a political party to garner the future votes by controlling what your children believe in. This is all part of a war against the United States to control the will and actions of the people that make up the United States. This is the truth and I want everyone to know it.
Give it a rest. There is not a single person here who cares about your jaggering about the Constitution. Go away.
Really? If you didn’t care about my “jaggering” you would’ve never typed a response. Now, you go away, because the people should be aware of the truth and not fall for the brainwashing that has been forced upon them by the government, political associations and a complete and utter traitor going by the alias of “LILY”.
I care.
THANK YOU for being a Real American….
At 10 today, everybody give money to the NRA in response to the walk out.
Do you really think that giving money to the NRA because students are choosing to do a “walk out”, will really be of any great benefit? The only thing you can do to benefit the current situation is to teach your children yourselves about the realities and consequences of these actions and protests going on around them. Let’s face it, traditionally protests are done because of governmental disgraces, corporate disgraces, wars and many other unjust actions against the people. Now, your children’s minds are resting on the edge of a wall. They could fall one way or the other. Will you allow your child to fall on the side of abrogation or will you at least try and teach them that our rights should not be infringed.
Screw the ACLU! What’s their stance on the 2nd Amendment for law-abiding citizens and their rights to bear arms? What’s their stance on freedom of religion in the schools and why prayers been banned at many schools? What’s their stance on neo-nazis and white supremacist groups? What’s your stand on black lives matter another terrorist racist organizations? Phuck the ACLU they’re nothing but a bunch of retarded idiots.
I don’t want teachers armed unless they are Chris Kyle type experts. Joe Teacher who goes to the range once every 6 months is not the guy who I want waving his .357 magnum around the classroom.
Chris Kyle was killed but a nut with a gun how did training work out for him?
“Maroon”
It’s unfortunate Mr. Chris Kyle was killed by a criminal.
I’m sure that training worked very well, as he was a Navy Seal and survived multiple combat tours.
Criminals kill all kinds of people to include those without a Navy Seal background.
Someone with elite military training could be killed in freak accident, like a tree falling on them.
What’s your point you’re trying to make, that the training was worthless as he was killed?
That nut with a gun was a former US marine that had become suicidal and claimed PTSD was the reason for his murder of Kyle. Eddie Routh’s own Forensic Psychologist, whom was hired by his own defense team, found that he was in fact schizophrenic and had paranoid delusions. So yeah, he was killed by a nut with a gun who probably should’ve had his guns taken from him. That nut also had a lot of training, just like Kyle. You should think about that when you point out that you think Kyle’s training failed him….
Who said anything about his training failed him? I was merely pointing out even the best trained is no match for a nut with a gun. SoulCrusher why do you have to always make things up?
Really? Whenever someone points to a man being killed and then points out “how did training work out for him?”, implies that the training failed him as it did not save him. I don’t make things up and you did imply Kyle’s training failed him. What a “Maroon”…..
“Harford Resident”
But there is probably a deputy, or an incorporated town (city) Police officer designated the “School Resource Officer” in a lot of these schools who probably aren’t the “Chris Kyle expert” neither. You’re okay with that, too?
I’m sure a lot of Police officers have hobbies with firearms and spend (personal) time practicing. I’m not so sure they are all given hundreds of hours of employer training specifically for firearms.
Maybe you should ask a personal friend who’s a cop how much “gun” training they get while on the job?
P.s. I doubt many teachers would carry a .357 magnum revolver. Maybe you have watched the Hollywood films “Dirty Harry” genre a little too much?
These days it’s mostly about capacity (something anti gun people love to ban) and manageable recoil.
Quite a few gun manufacturers produce small to medium sized 9mm that fit that niche very nicely.
I hope this has helped.
Social Media has made a lot of people retarded. I hope you’re offended because it’s meant to be an insult.
When I go eat at a restaurant, 50 percent or more people I glance at are holding their phones in their face or these electronic devices are on the table next to their plate of food, no participation in social interaction with the others at their table. They’re all too busy clicking “like” or something.
I’m not totally sure I understand the “defy authority” shtick that’s being lumped around, but it’s also from the same group that wants to ban everything.
Example: that statue is offensive, time to ban it.
Ah, the ACLU!
Everybody both loves and hates them, depending on the issue involved. They’re so consistent.
They must be doing something right,
The ACLU has no leg r to stand on in this matter. If they did they would have already filed suit in Harford County District Court.
Your sentence makes no sense. “no leg r to stand.” Perhaps you should consult a dictionary before responding.
Sorry, fat fingers. Just eliminate the “r.” Hope that helps.
Patience, Grasshopper.
You got to love the ACLU the way they pick and choose what cause they are going to rally around. To me they are a bunch of cowards. They will go after a school for having a live nativity scene because they are confident that good Christians won’t retaliate. However they don’t have the stones to take issue with the Mayor of New York who on a regular basis shuts down city streets, blocking free passage, for Muslims to pray. He utilizes city money for police protection and public works people to clean up after them.(That is another story about what is left in the street to be cleaned up) While I’m on my rant let me change gears and talk about Joy Behar another liberal coward. She has no problem maligning the Vice President about his statement that Jesus speaks to him. You never hear her making any comments about the numerous Muslim extremeist who following the words of Ala commit frequent horrible acts against innocent people. What does Joy have to say about that? I will tell you. Nothing. Why? Because she like other liberals will attack conservative christians beacause the will not retaliate.
I don’t care what happens in new York City. This is Harford County.
Sod off.
That our VP is hearing voices should be of concern to everyone.
Have an excavation drill at that time. Stay out 17 minutes and come in. That would solve the problem. This is no learning activity for students. Who cares if nothing gets done the other days of the year.
ACLU? How about STFU.
LOL! A comedian! SO FUNNY!!!!!!!!!
I see what you did there.
Harford County schools overreact on this stuff. My daughter was wearing a pink kitty hat on the playground at recess last year and her teacher made her take it off.
Has anyone else ever felt like all those who find everything so offensive are really offending all of us? Maybe we should tell those who find things so offensive that we are offended by their offensive misconceptions….
Painful Truth, I can’t stop laughing. In fact, I have been laughing since laat night.
That is easily the most creative and hilarious Internet Posting I’ve ever seen. It must have taken you many hours to come up with it. Have you ever considered a career in comedy?
No, these days you have to be a mindless liberal to get a job in comedy and I can’t lower my IQ far enough to compete. I’ll stick with my engineering career.
To begin I would like to state that I’m a gun owner, I have a HQL (Handgun Qualification License) and I love guns.
My suggestion to the proliferation of AR15s in the hands of people who should not have them is to require the purchase of all semi-automatic rifles to obtain a HQL. I would include semi-automatic rifles in the same category as handguns with the same requirements including a seven day waiting period, being twenty one and to compete a HQL course.
Handgun Qualification License (HQL)
• To apply for an HQL, the law requires a fingerprint based background check.
• Within 3 years prior to the submission of an HQL application, an applicant must demonstrate a satisfactory completion of a Firearms Safety Training Course. The Firearms Safety Training Course must be instructed by a Qualified Handgun Instructor, and shall consist of a minimum of 4 hours of instruction and include the following minimum curricula:
-State Firearm Law. Overview of the State firearm laws, including discussion of what constitutes a regulated firearm, how to properly purchase or transfer a firearm, where allowed to carry or transport a firearm, when necessary to possess a carry permit, who is prohibited from possessing firearms, and state law relating to minors, permissible levels of force, and use of deadly force.
-Home Firearm Safety. Overview of handgun and firearm safety in the home, including discussion of access to minors, locking and storing of firearms, and use of safety devices, such as secure lock boxes.
-Handgun Mechanisms and Operation. Overview of the proper operation and safe handling of a handgun, including cleaning and maintenance, the loading and unloading of ammunition, and the differences between revolvers and semi-automatic handguns.
-Operation and Handling Demonstration. Orientation component that demonstrates the person’s safe operation and handling of a firearm, to include a “live fire” component in which the applicant safely shoots the weapon. An applicant may not be required to fire in excess of 15 yards during qualifications (I would change this to 100 yards for a rifle).
These requirements would not place an undue burden on owning this weapon but would impose a degree of competence upon any owner.
It doesn’t sound like you’re a firearm enthusiasts. Why would someone need a “handgun qualification license” to buy a semi automatic rifle?
Rifle qualification license, is that where are you going with that?
So what’s up with this 100 yard requirement? People have to shoot a 1 MOA group or they won’t “pass”? LOL Sounds like a heavy burden to me, considering in Maryland there are only a few Public and Private membership club type facilities that have 100 yard ranges.
Seems like a burden to me.
“These requirements would not place an undue burden on owning this weapon but would impose a degree of competence upon any owner.”
100 yards? List for me all the facilities in Maryland that have a 100 yard rifle range.
Next, list me the facilities that are open to the public.
Now, the facilities that are not open to the public (ie; private), do these and/or will these facilities cater to the average consumer for the purpose of being “qualified” on some sort of license the consumer wishes to be granted in order to purchase a semi automatic rifle? I’ll take a guess that local government (ie; Police training ranges) will not. I’ll also take a guess many private clubs may not allow a 3rd party/non club affiliated “instructors” into the property with their student(s) for a multitude of reasons.
Next, per the student shooting a rifle 100 yards is to do what exactly? Please explain in more depth with what you are hoping to achieve.
What kind of rifle will the student shoot? A .22LR or will the MD certified instructor have to bring a rifle that matches what each individual student wishes to buy?
I’m not a gun owner/shooter so help me understnd the 100 yard issue. Don’t rifle shot a long way? I’ve seen rifle competition videos and competitors are shooting pretty far. Wouldn’t 100 yards be typical? I’m honestly asking because I’ve never fired a weapon in my life so don’t have a good sense of how far a bullet will travel.
You can look up the data on ammunition yourself. There are air rifle’s/”pellet gun” that are capable of 100 yards. That’s not the point.
The forest for the tree’s was the fact that this state has very little public and private “shooting ranges” that offer 100 yards. It’s pretty typical to find indoor gun ranges/25 yards in abundance around the state. We’re also not talking about shooting on your farmer buddy’s property. The burden is the inability for Professional instructors to instruct their students at such limited amount of state wide facilities.
I’m not talking about PA/VA/WVa neither.
There is also the ability to have a smaller target you place at 25 yards that represents what a 100 yard target would look like, but again, many indoor gun often prohibit rifle caliber ammunition, although .223/5.56mm has been allowed in many.
The 100 yard issue would be nothing but another way of regulating the people regarding gun control. That is all it is. Nothing else. 100 yards is a football field. So if you cant hit the target a football field away, you would not qualify. Let me put it in perspective for you. Your government is on a mission to disarm the American public. Your government teaches your children that guns are bad and we should do away with them. Your government is trying to groom the next generation so that it can take their guns from them, knowingly and willingly. Your government is on a mission to destroy the United States by feminizing the population and making them sensitive to any and all realities of life. Your government wants you to rely on them for protection and security. Your government is your enemy and you don’t owe it a damn thing. Your government has committed treason against the United States because WE THE PEOPLE are the United States. However, the government isn’t a living breathing entity. It relies on those who come from WE THE PEOPLE to commit its treason. Those who carry out the treason for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA are rewarded with jobs, raises, pensions and a slue of benefits. Yet the punishment for treason is death. There is no immunity for treason. There is no reason for treason. There is no season for treason. Your government can’t control the people if the people can fight back and you can’t fight back if you are unarmed. I hope you now understand what is really going on and the answer to your last question is a bullet will travel different distances and velocities depending on the caliber of the round.
“100 yards is a football field. So if you cant hit the target a football field away, you would not qualify.”
So practice more and you can hit the target. I’m being serious. If I want to improve my piano or guitar playing skills I practice. The more I do so, the better I will get. Seems like the same concept applies to shooting.
“Your government can’t control the people if the people can fight back and you can’t fight back if you are unarmed.”
Fight back against who?? The Army??
First, 100 yards isn’t that far for a rifle shot. However, most instances where guns are used to thwart a home invasion or a matter of protecting one’s property are at a lot shorter distance that 100 yards. The 100 yard rule would be moot because of this. As far as fighting back goes, our forefathers envisioned that one day the government may become as or more oppressive than the one they fought for their freedom from. The right to bear arms shall not be infringed due to this possibility. In US vs. Cruikshank, the Supreme Court said “The Second Amendment means no more than that it shall not be infringed by Congress, and has no other effect than to restrict the powers of the National Government”. What do you think that means? It is to prevent the Federal takeover of the States. I think that the Army would abstain from involvement as it is sworn to protect the US Constitution FIRST. Meaning to protect the United States FIRST. WE THE PEOPLE are the United States and the military would protect WE THE PEOPLE, FIRST and FOREMOST, as that is what they are sworn to do. You seem to put a lot of trust in your government. Tyranny could manifest at any time and the Second Amendment guarantees out rights to possess guns as a deterrent. Furthermore the 9th Amendment guarantees any other rights that WE THE PEOPLE feel exist….Including the right to defend yourself from any unreasonable outside threat and we don’t need someone to tell us that we have this right because self preservation is a given.
God those young students and college students crushing free speech, er, oops. Have to love the faux outrage of conservatives blaming young Americans for crushing free speech in the country and then to prevent them from participating in the walkout in Harford County.
Hold strong HCPS students, the young in this country will clean up the mess our elders have left for us!
I’m not so sure if it’s faux outrage.
Rules, regulation and authority in all fairness.
Example: if you’re going to “ban” the offensive Confederate flag, surely you can’t have students defying the same authority/regulation by leaving classrooms when they feel like it because it’s their “constitutional right.”
Does that make sense? You can’t have it only 1 way.
2nd example:
Students leave the classroom and stand around outside for “gun control.”
Student walks around inside school wearing Confederate flag t-shirt. Imagine a hypothetical “ban” on the Confederate flag.
Not OK:
Student wearing Confederate flag t shirt is subject to disciplinary action, students outside rallying for “gun control” not subject to disciplinary action.
Both are free speech issues, yes?
If the Confederate flag was hypothetically banned, disciplinary actions just the same as going AWOL during school hours.
Nobody cares about the confederate flag.
You live in the freest most prosperous time and place in human history, yet find the ability to criticize those that built the world where you have the freedom to make those criticisms. The entitlement that you feel is amazing to me. You are one of the 3% lucky enough to be born in America, you were born into freedom and wealth that most people can only dream of.
This may be the most prosperous time, but I question if it is the freest. During most of the 1800’s, there was no war against the people’s behaviors and peopled did as they chose to do. This was a wild time because to be free is essentially being wild and untamed. We do still have the right to criticize, but almost every other freedom has been defecated upon by statutory laws and those that enforce and administer these statutes. We have been betrayed nationally and locally in just about everything else and now laws are being passed to control our speech. It is amazing that those who govern believe unalienable means “gifted by the government” and not “god given” as it was meant to be…
No one cares what you think, constitution man.
Good and I don’t care what you think either.
I agree with you to a point, not so sure about that Corporation thing, but our rights are being regulated away. But there is hope, look at the Bundy case. A man and his familiy took up arms against a tyrannical government. They were taken to court and the case was dismissed. Not saying the same thing would happen in Md, but there is still freedom.
You’re right. There is still glimmers of freedom and WE THE PEOPLE must make sure that those glimmers are not extinguished.
So the ACLU wants any student to be able to leave school anytime he/she wants as long as they proclaim “political freedom”? Sounds stupid to me but then again I’m not a liberal.
Any student that leaves school is breaking a school rule and should be reprimanded. Students have the option of proclaiming their “political freedom” after school and weekends. If a student is injured in this walk out, of course the school would be held responsible. Common sense, something that is rapidly escaping most people these days.
Remember that the ACLU is not saying that students can’t be punished. The warning to HCPS was that they could not punish students who walk out more severely simply because they are make a statement. If the normal punishment for a student who walks out is a detention on the first offense, then students who participate in the walk out cannot be suspended. The ACLU simply called HCPS out on its veiled threat of punishment.
Sorry — “…making a statement.”
Exactly. Nuance is lost on the arms addicted crowd.
When is PETA coming for dog killer Jerry Scarborough?
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-03-25/news/1992085153_1_scarborough-mcintire-trooper
It is ironic that a bunch of school kids want to protest gun violence that is typically perpetuated by someone who was a victim of bulling by the same school kids. Perhaps a march to end bullying by students would do more to end school violence than a gun ban.
Agreed to a point, but the real issue is fear. Fear is a terrible thing. Fear makes people do things they normally would not. Bullying does instill fear among people, especially in that of a young mind and can have impressions that last a lifetime. Fear can control. Fear can manipulate. Fear is deceit. The old adage is “the only thing you should fear is fear itself” and we need to teach todays youth that fear is being used to influence them and that they should not succumb to the desires of those who promote it.
Despite the threat of legal action by the ACLU, Harford County Public Schools is banning students from using their First Amendment rights, given to them by the Constitution, not God! They are presenting a “program” not open to the public or media. The government is denying first amendment rights and presenting a mandatory state run program the public can’t see. Unbelievable!
“The superintendent and her staff are in no way trying to limit the rights of students or deny them any of their God-given rights, but again, it just comes down to time and place, and the protesting that the students want to do is just not the time and not the place,” Resnik said.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/harford/aegis/ph-ag-learning-modules-0314-story.html
Interesting. I suggest you read the First Amendment. The 1A does not ‘give’ anything, if you read the text it prevents government from infringing on an existing right. If that right is provided by God, Buddha, Allah or the Easter bunny is the right of anyone to declare. But, stating the 1A gives a citizen anything is factually wrong.
THANK YOU, for acting as an American and believing in the truth.
You are a jerk-off, you may have the right to protest anything but when and how you choose to protest has consequences. Imagine if all of the boarder agents protested pay and abandoned the posts. Imagine if the police protested the treatment of their fellow officers and walked off the job. Imagine if you walked out of you job on any given day to go to Washington to protest. Students are required to be in class, period. If they choose to walk out, they deserve whatever verdict is rendered upon them.
My thoughts on kids leaving school during official learning time: Every kid in every school that leaves during school hours should face what is called discipline. The snowflakes and the fake news have now captured the kids in the false story of gun control. A gun did not kill anyone. Sound-minded individuals must speak up about leftist using children as tools of their social warfare. Now for the adults…. teachers and staff that encourage & support this type of activity should be reprimanded. If they leave the building… the consequences should be measured and appropriate with any teacher leaving work during the school day.
Once again, we have an individual acting as a REAL American, who believes in the truth. I have to say, THANK YOU, for being an American….
If a gun didn’t kill anyone then a gun isn’t going to protect anyone.
A gun is a tool or a device. How we use it is the dependency on whether it protects or harms. People kill people, end of the story….
You sir are correct. The person carrying that gun will be doing the protecting, the gun is just the tool.
Why exactly does anyone care? Let the ACLU rant… the Anti Christian Lawyers Union gets a bunch of sticky underwear anytime they force someone to bend to their will by threatening legal action. Let them have it; it’s really all the pathetic losers have. Let the kids walk out. It’s not like they were learning anything anyway. What difference will it make? Who cares what a bunch of kids that are being shepherded by liberal teachers and the infinitely more liberal ACLU think? Next week it’ll all be forgotten. Unless teachers keep stoking these kids they’ll forget in about 10 minutes.
I would like to know how many students actually walked out for only 17 minutes before returning to class and how many just said “peace out” and left for the day.
I know for a fact that more than a dozen students at some schools just left for the day…sounds more like they used it as an excuse to skip class, not to exercise their 1st Amendment rights.