Father arrested for disorderly conduct at School Board meeting

[Linda7NJ]

That's the problem with slippery slopes, you never know where one is gonna turn up!



Hell, it's been ten years here in Mass that we've had gay marriage, and I STILL haven't come across the slippery slope to polygamy and child brides that we were warned about!! :help: :scared:

What about farm animals? Problem with folks wanting to marry them?



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[gitana1]

I haven't read the book, only the passage provided in the linked article above.
I don't have a problem with it for an honors class. People have sex. I'd hope by the 9th grade., honors students would be aware of that fact.




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I object to this book because it appears to have no literary merit. It's Jodi Picoultfor goodness sake. I've read a few of her books. She's literary elevator music. Pleasant but little literary merit. She can't compare to Alice Walker or James Baldwin, or William Faulkner.

I don't have a problem with teens being exposed to sexual content. However, the level of "graphic ness" could be disturbing depending on the maturity level. My niece is 14 but has the maturity level of 11 (ADHD). I feel that 1984 was too much for her. I felt sorry for her having to read that. She can't possibly comprehend the themes of the novel.

I can't imagine her being exposed to this piece. She'd be baffled and creeped out. I do think being exposed to sexual themes and scenes that are beyond ones maturity level can negatively impact ones sexual development.

In any event, this is certainly a violation of this man's first amendment right go speech free from government censorship. And if it really happened in the manner stated, wth?

This man has a right as a parent to voice his concerns regarding the education if his child. Or he should.

This is a troubling incident to me on many levels.

 

[Gardenlady]

What about farm animals? Problem with folks wanting to marry them?



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Oh god, I almost forgot that one! You know, I'm not sure we HAVE farm animals here. But if we do, I'm sure some godless liberal somewhere in the state is trying to marry them! Probably in Cambridge! Although picturing, say, a cow in Cambridge makes me laugh hard! :lol:

 

[MyBelle]

Oh god, I almost forgot that one! You know, I'm not sure we HAVE farm animals here. But if we do, I'm sure some godless liberal somewhere in the state is trying to marry them! Probably in Cambridge! Although picturing, say, a cow in Cambridge makes me laugh hard! :lol:

Iowa has farm animals and has legalized gay marriage so my guess is the sad case of Gabriel McFarland will provide the next opportunity for grand standing.

 

[MyBelle]

I object to this book because it appears to have no literary merit. It's Jodi Picoultfor goodness sake. I've read a few of her books. She's literary elevator music. Pleasant but little literary merit. She can't compare to Alice Walker or James Baldwin, or William Faulkner.

I don't have a problem with teens being exposed to sexual content. However, the level of "graphic ness" could be disturbing depending on the maturity level. My niece is 14 but has the maturity level of 11 (ADHD). I feel that 1984 was too much for her. I felt sorry for her having to read that. She can't possibly comprehend the themes of the novel.

I can't imagine her being exposed to this piece. She'd be baffled and creeped out. I do think being exposed to sexual themes and scenes that are beyond ones maturity level can negatively impact ones sexual development.

In any event, this is certainly a violation of this man's first amendment right go speech free from government censorship. And if it really happened in the manner stated, wth?

This man has a right as a parent to voice his concerns regarding the education if his child. Or he should.

This is a troubling incident to me on many levels.

He wasn't arrested because he voiced his concerns, he was arrested because he violated the rules of the public proceeding. I don't know of any elected officials who can be commanded by a member of the public to read passages of a book out loud at a public meeting.

 

[gitana1]

He wasn't arrested because he voiced his concerns, he was arrested because he violated the rules of the public proceeding. I don't know of any elected officials who can be commanded by a member of the public to read passages of a book out loud at a public meeting.

It is illegal to arrest someone for merely breaking the rules of a meeting. They have to actually commit a crime. Here he was arrested for disorderly conduct. However, violating the rules in the manner he did as described in the article (I've read no others yet and am assuming it is a true account), does not constitute disorderly conduct. Plus, they apparently created specific rules just for him. Thus, it is logical to conclude that the arrest (and special rules leading up to the arrest which had the effect of limiting his ability to express his concerns and inquire about the boards' reasoning), was designed to censor him. That is unconstitutional.

I get that there are political extremists that can make teaching and running school districts very difficult. I don't see this (from the article I read), as a political extremist or right or left issue. It's about the first amendment and the right to parent ones child and challenge those in power. In fact, it's one of the few cases recently that actually is about the first amendment (ahem, Donald Sterling, Benham twins, ahem, NOT about "free speech").

We simply cannot allow our government to censor us this way.

Some of you seem to feel it's okay because the father may be an extreme right winger. Well, that's not justification for removing his constitutional right to speech and parenting his child.

Just change the facts a bit. Here in SoCal recently we had a school board issue an assignment asking kids to read "credible" sources representing "both sides of the debate" as to whether the Holocaust actually took place. The question was: "Did the Holocaust really happen or was it a 'merely a political scheme created to influence public emotion and gain wealth.'"

If a parent had challenged the Rialto school district here in California over that assignment in the exact manner this man did, would you support the special rules and his arrest?

IMO we have to fight to protect the constitutional rights of every American to be free from government censorship of our speech, even the rights of those whose message we disagree with. If we don't, it will be our message that is censored next.

 

[i.b.nora]

Why would one go solely by a written article when a video of the entire incident is available?

From what I saw, everyone who planned to comment in the public comment part of the business meeting, was given two minutes to comment. He was first and got his full two minutes plus a little bit more. The next person got to speak and took less than two minutes to voice her opinion that she and her husband were appalled by the book. The third person, a man, started speaking and was interupted by Baer because Baer apparently did not agree with the man and seemed to want to disrupt the man's right to comment and to challenge his opinion.

The Chairwoman of the board asked him to please respect other people's right to speak. Other board members asked him to please be quiet, one asked him to shutup. He continued to be disruptive, he was asked to leave if he couldn't be quiet, a police officer was asked to escort him out of the meeting. Baer himself suggested that they should have him arrested. He seemed to want to be arrested since he mentioned it several times. The officer asked him to leave. He continued to sit and disrupt. Finally, the officer reached in and took his wrist and escorted him out of the meeting to the hallway. The young video team that had captured the meeting to that point followed the officer and Baer out to the hallway and then out of the building to the police car. It seemed to me that Baer had personally arranged for the entire meeting and arrest to be videotaped.

This isn't a free speech case, this is a case about a town bully, imo.

 

[MyBelle]

Why would one go solely by a written article when a video of the entire incident is available?

From what I saw, everyone who planned to comment in the public comment part of the business meeting, was given two minutes to comment. He was first and got his full two minutes plus a little bit more. The next person got to speak and took less than two minutes to voice her opinion that she and her husband were appalled by the book. The third person, a man, started speaking and was interupted by Baer because Baer apparently did not agree with the man and seemed to want to disrupt the man's right to comment and to challenge his opinion.

The Chairwoman of the board asked him to please respect other people's right to speak. Other board members asked him to please be quiet, one asked him to shutup. He continued to be disruptive, he was asked to leave if he couldn't be quiet, a police officer was asked to escort him out of the meeting. Baer himself suggested that they should have him arrested. He seemed to want to be arrested since he mentioned it several times. The officer asked him to leave. He continued to sit and disrupt. Finally, the officer reached in and took his wrist and escorted him out of the meeting to the hallway. The young video team that had captured the meeting to that point followed the officer and Baer out to the hallway and then out of the building to the police car. It seemed to me that Baer had personally arranged for the entire meeting and arrest to be videotaped.

This isn't a free speech case, this is a case about a town bully, imo.

ITA. He refused a police officer's request to leave and challenged him to arrest him. He got what he asked for. He certainly has the "right" to persuade a judge he wasn't disorderly. I wish him luck with that one.

JMO

 

[bill.sweet.90]

In my experience, if someone has a problem which can be solved by banning a book, they really should be looking for another solution.

I'm wondering if his problem is more with the anti gun message of the book, but he knew he could get more mileage with the --gosh!-- naughty bits.




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[MyBelle]

In my experience, if someone has a problem which can be solved by banning a book, they really should be looking for another solution.

I'm wondering if his problem is more with the anti gun message of the book, but he knew he could get more mileage with the --gosh!-- naughty bits.




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Ya think? He demanded the naughty bits be read aloud into the minutes of the public meeting. Could his true agenda be more transparent? I think not.

just my opinion, of course.

 

[i.b.nora]

Judge dismisses charges against Gilford dad who protested school book
Published On: Dec 19 2014 11:01:18 AM EST

"In a ruling Thursday (December 18), a judge found Baer's actions, "impolite, but not criminal.""

http://m.wmur.com/news/judge-dismis...ilford-dad-who-protested-school-book/30315710

 

[1&2&3]

Thank you Judge! You showed that school board what a fool they were!! Of course, the police officer was on an ego trip once challenged by Mr. Baer. JMO

The school board runs like my HOA - grr, so I am well acquainted with the shenanigans that were pulled that night.

My opinions only!

 

[Nova]

Personally, I think assigned reading is stupid at that age. Let them read what personally interests them. God forbid they enjoy reading or the joy of selecting their own material.


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How do you have a class discussion then?