ACLU Says Pulling The Plug On Free Speech Was The Right Call
Posted on June 18, 2006
Bumped up from the weekend.
The valedictorian of Foothill High, Brittany McComb, decided to share her faith voluntarily at her graduation cermony. However, before she could get to the part that meant the most to her, Christ, her microphone went dead. Her speech was in no way endorsed by her school, however the school directly participated in censoring her free speech.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The judicial branch has extended the meaning of this amendment to any government body, not just Congress. However, I still don’t understand how so many ignore the part that says ” or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This is exactly what the school did to this young girl, prohibited the free exercize of her religious expression.
The decision to cut short McComb’s commencement speech Thursday at The Orleans drew jeers from the nearly 400 graduates and their families that went on for several minutes.
However, Clark County School District officials and an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union said Friday that cutting McComb’s mic was the right call. Graduation ceremonies are school-sponsored events, a stance supported by federal court rulings, and as such may include religious references but not proselytizing, they said.
They said McComb’s speech amounted to proselytizing and that her commentary could have been perceived as school-sponsored.
Before she delivered her commencement speech, McComb met with Foothill administrators, who edited her remarks. It’s standard district practice to have graduation speeches vetted before they are read publicly.
School officials removed from McComb’s speech some biblical references and the only reference to Christ.
It is shameful that the ACLU take such a backwards stance on this issue. The school obviously didn’t endorse the speech, so therefore they prohibited it, and acted upon it by censoring her.
But even though administrators warned McComb that her speech would get cut short if she deviated from the language approved by the school, she said it all boiled down to her fundamental right to free speech.
That’s why, for what she said was the first time in her life, the valedictorian who graduated with a 4.7 GPA rebelled against authority.
“I went through four years of school at Foothill and they taught me logic and they taught me freedom of speech,” McComb said. “God’s the biggest part of my life. Just like other valedictorians thank their parents, I wanted to thank my lord and savior.” source
The ACLU lawyer said that it could have given the perception that the speech was school endorsed. However, the school could have put out a disclaimer. The ACLU said that her speech crossed the line from religious expression into the realm of preaching. I guess if anyone knows what kind of religious expression could cause a lawsuit, it would be the ACLU since they would most likely be the ones sueing. This girl was smart and brave, but her school was rude and cowardly.
“People aren’t stupid and they know we have freedom of speech and the district wasn’t advocating my ideas,” McComb said. “Those are my opinions.
“It’s what I believe.”
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25 Responses to “ACLU Says Pulling The Plug On Free Speech Was The Right Call”
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I applaud Brittany McComb for standing up for liberty. It is a victory for tyrants that the people of her community did not support her.
Hmmm… you guys seem to be missing the reason they cut her off.
Since the school vetted her speech, people would reasonably expect that the school endorsed her words.
To put out a disclaimer *after* the fact completely ignores the point of vetting her speech *before* the ceremony.
Here’s a thought experiment: Replace the Bible with the Koran
replace Jesus with Mohammad and
replace God with Allah. Do you still feel the same way?
Username,
I have a surprise for you. In the United States there is this document called the U.S. Constitution that is the high law of the land. The First Amendment of this document is supposed to limit the government. It states very clearly that the government should not censor religious expression. I know your type find this document objectionable and cherry pick it and ignore what you do not like on a regular basis. All I can say about that is by doing so you have made yourself an enemy of the Constitution who hates liberty and freedom.
Wow esa88, you really took to that indoctrination. Best of luck to you in college.
Now, how does someone saying “God” “Jesus” “Christ” or you seeing a cross offend you, exactly? Does a Star of David offend you? Or Islams’ Crescent and Star?
Here is a little tidbit for you esa88:
Now, have I “offended” you by showing the words “God”, Jesus” “Christ” or “cross”?
If so please explain how those words cause you displeasure, anger, resentment, wounded feelings or how you were violated.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to seeing you marching in an open borders rally very soon.
Socialist asshat!!!!
I spoke to Bill Hoffman this morning by phone. He confirmed what I had suspected all along. The ACLU had no involvement with this issue in the least bit. No lawyer or representative of the ACLU was consulted by any school official prior to the commencement ceremony and there was no approval sought on the part of the ACLU for any speech, planned or otherwise.
This is simply more scaremongering. More details are available at my website.
Brittany McComb you are hereby deemed Ob-so-lete!
esa88 you are the poster child for why our school system is completely useless. When you find where the Constitution provides for a federal school system please email me and let me know. She is the honored speaker, she can say any damn thing she wants, you pinko fascist, and it doesn’t violate the establishment clause. Did Congress make a law saying you will listen to Brittany McComb and do what she says. NO!! I’m angry that 12 years of my taxes have been wasted providing you a room to veg in 6 hours a day. Hopefully, one day soon, you’ll grow up.
If you actually read my post, I never said the ACLU was consulted prior to the ceremony. The ACLU did however approve of the school’s decision afterwards.
Brittany McComb you are hereby deemed Ob-so-lete!
Given the site’s name is “stop the ACLU” and a story is posted wherein the ACLU only offerened an opinion after the fact, it seems fair to assume you believe some connection between the them and the school in question.
esa88,
I do wish you good luck. You are obviously entering a tumultuous world with a wide variety of consequences for our public behaviors, as Brittany has now learned. Further still, as I indicated on my website, she has made a mockery of her faith and religion by making it into a public spectacle to the point her father is even threatening a lawsuit despite the clear agreement Brittany reached with the school prior to the commencement.
Good luck, once again, and may the winds be with you.
esa88, prepare to be mightly offended.
God helps you in your everyday life.
He helps you tie your shoes and wipe your nose.
In fact, if it weren’t for God you would probably be a barefoot, snot-nosed little hooligan.
I hope I have offended you.
Regardless of what she believes, Ms. McComb was not within her rights when she attempted to convert her fellow students to Christianity.
Her right to free speech in this forum only goes so far as to not infringe on the rights of others.
Students of all religions, atheists and agnostics were in that audience. All of them are protected under the Constitution of the United States. If she wanted to convert them, she could hold a private assembly elsewhere, perhaps in a church. Nobody that attends a public school graduation ceremony should be preached at from the stage.
Her rights were protected, and so were everybody else’s. The ACLU is on the right side this time, even though their involvment is marginal at best.
It’s a shame that people still can’t be objective about this argument. How many of you people griping about this so passionately aren’t Christians?
I have never claimed to be Christian, and don’t argue from the perspective of “My religion is under attack.”
Simply telling someone that God helped them is not, I repeat NOT “trying to convert them”, and won’t result in conversion unless teh listener is a weak willed moron anyway.
As for people at a graduation not being there to be preached at, that may be, and probably is, but it didn’t stop a politician from preaching Socialism at the attedees of my friends grad ceremony a few weeks ago.
Now before you claim Socialism is NOT a religion, it fits the criteria. People must have FAITH that it works, because every instance of Socialism that has ever been tried ended up badly or is on the path of destruction. For proof, witness tehe EU.
Oh, I see esa….you are only offended in public.
I get it now. You only throw a spitfit when someone is around to see.
Gotcha.
Kender:
Did you read her entire speech? I saw some portions of her written speech, the parts that she didn’t get to say. It was more than just “I’d like to thank God for my success.” It was more like “God paves the way and makes life so much easier. Trust me.” The “trust me” part is a quote.
Even acknowledging the existence of a god goes directly against the beliefs of millions of Americans. The great thing about our country is that, in theory, the government can never tell anybody what to believe, as far as religion is concerned. When you start to blur that line separating church and state, that freedom starts to fade away. Don’t let the line blur.
You liberals are so full of made up crap philosphies on what freedom of speech is. You are all laughable. I don’t know what world you guys came from but your interpretations of our First Amendment is frightening.
“If she wanted to convert them, she could hold a private assembly elsewhere, perhaps in a church.”
So you are advocating for segregation? Or are you one of those “freethinkers” who support “free speech zones?”
“It’s a shame that people still can’t be objective about this argument.”
If you mean objectively as in, present factually– it is difficult if you are arguing with someone who is constitutionally ignorant.
“When you start to blur that line separating church and state, that freedom starts to fade away. Don’t let the line blur.”
Too late to put the poop back in that horse!
The separation of church and state is bassackwards and many have been willingly duped. As a result, our freedoms are starting to fade away.
“Even acknowledging the existence of a god goes directly against the beliefs of millions of Americans.”
Don’t sweat it! We allowed you to stay anyway.
But don’t push it. When we get that “Theocracy” set up, we might not be so benevolent.
Brittany McComb is a media whore who is simply carrying on the tradition of persecution in the name of Christianity.
And Cindy Sheehan is a media whore who is simply carrying on the stupidity and dangers of Socialism in the name of Democrats.
What does Cindy Sheehan have to do with this other than the fact you are ignorant as to what a non sequitur is and how to actually carry on a coherent conversation?
Oh, that’s right. People like you trot out any media boogeyman you can, thinking it sways public opinion in your favor. Guess what? The public couldn’t care less about Sheehan, just as they have moved on from McComb’s story. What they DO care about is what has Republicans and anti-freedom fascists like you scared out of your wits, come November.
**Don’t sweat it! We allowed you to stay anyway.
But don’t push it. When we get that “Theocracy” set up, we might not be so benevolent.**
America has already instituted a theocracy. Just read the Iraqi constitution sometime.
Thousands of lives lost for a brand new civil war in a formerly secular country now under the laws of Islam.
just as they have moved on from McComb’s story.
Brilliant comment, considering you are posting to a 3 month old thread.
What they DO care about is what has Republicans and anti-freedom fascists like you scared out of your wits, come November.
Brain-dead, clueless, Socialist DUmmies that don’t have a clue or a plan.
Anti-American morons, more interested in supporting terrorists, illegal aliens and Socialist professors.
Idiots that fancy themselves warriors with visions, who are more likely a hippie on dope, living with their parent, reading “Captain America” comic books.
America has already instituted a theocracy.
You are obviously ignorant as to what a “theocracy” is.
Thousands of lives lost for a brand new civil war in a formerly secular country now under the laws of Islam.
They are not in a civil war and won’t be in a civil war.
If you knew anything about Islam, you wouldn’t be swallowing media lies, hook, line and sinker.
Aside from that, make up your minds- last year you were whining about us nation building, now you whine about us allowing them to build the nation they want.
My biggest worry is you DUmmies figuring out how to get the terrorists to vote for you. Without them, you don’t stand a snowball’s chance in Hell.
Of course there are still enough illegal aliens and dead people to keep your hopes alive.
So are you, genius.
I moderate comments DUmmie. I get a “DU alert” by email whenever you post.
Worry all you like. We already own the world and most of the country.
You’ve even managed to get my computer laughing at you.
***I moderate comments DUmmie. I get a “DU alert” by email whenever you post.***
And you are the ONLY one who gets those alerts, right? LOLOL
***You’ve even managed to get my computer laughing at you.***
Laugh all you like. Deep down inside, you know and fear I am right.
______________________________
Where do you think I’m laughing from?
Lobo