Slamming Poetry and Free Speech

(Disclaimer: As it is a matter of personal integrity that I endeavor to raise the standard of e-journalism, I must note that this source is somewhat questionable as it is not from an accredited news agency. That said, the story does have "a ring of truth" in my mind which is backed up by this, more reputable follow up story. The follow up article confirms many of the major points in the first one but leaves many holes the first article would seem to fill in. Similarly, this feature on the teacher in question lends some credulity to the events as reported in the first article as well.)

Many folks on the right (and some on the left) have pooh-poohed the idea that the idea that Bush and/or his supporters are trying to force any sort of agenda that would actually deprive anyone of their civil rights. While I've yet to find direct evidence linking W to such activities, I think it worthy to note the milieu this administration is creating.

As the disclaimer above notes, I cannot personnally vouch for all of the details of the following but overall there is "a ring of truth" the events in general as described. However, it is possible that a grain or two of salt may be necessary.

Back in the early part of 2003, a high school teacher in New Mexico was the faculty adviser for a "Slam Team", a group of high school poets. In March of that year, a girl presented her poem "Revolution X" in a live reading off campus and later via school's closed-circuit television system. Her poem questioned the country's involvement in the war in Iraq and the failure of the No Child Left Behind program. A school military advisor (I assume the ROTC teacher?) and the principal accused the girl of being un-American. The girl's mother, also a teacher, was ordered by the principal to destroy the poem. The teacher-advisor was suspended and later fired for not censoring the students' poems. Later, the principal and the military liaison read a poem of their own choosing during a flag raising ceremony. When students and faculty raised objections to these acts or espoused opinions contrary to the principal, he replied, "Shut your faces."

Yes, I know there are incidents where the right wing justifiably whines about how they've been victimized by "political correctness". But I've not heard of such things to this level of vindictiveness. Is this "compassionate conservatism" or the latest flavor of "PC"?