Obama is a bad word at some Mississippi schools
Categories: Teens & tweens, In the news, Education
For the past few days, everywhere I go I hear people talking about our new President-Elect Barack Obama. The overwhelming majority of these overheard conversations are between excited young people, thrilled with his victory and giddy with excitement over our country's future. I have also heard conversations between McCain supporters who are disappointed with the way things turned out and apprehensive about what will happen next.
However you feel about Obama's victory, it is good to know that here in America, we are free to celebrate or criticize to our heart's content. Well, most of us are. Some students in Mississippi have found that the mere mention of Obama's name can get them in trouble.
The ACLU has received complaints from students and parents in that state claiming they are being told not to say Barack Obama's name or wear shirts or other items expressing their support for the President-Elect. At Pearl Junior High School, two students were kicked off the bus for daring to utter Obama's name. Players for the girls' basketball team were told they would be suspended if they spoke Obama's name. And at Puckett Attendance Center, two students were informed that Barack Obama was only to be discussed in history class, not in other classes or in the halls.
Why would these so-called authority figures want to silence conversations about our soon-to-be president? I am going to resist the urge to speculate on that. Let me just quote, in part, from a memorandum sent to high school teachers in Magee, Mississippi: "Seeing history in the making and being a part of that process is a wonderful thing. Many of you are excited because of this. Others are not. It is absolutely critical that we not use this election as a divisive event."
Because haven't we had enough divisiveness?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 64)
Bob Lieber 11-09-2008 @ 4:20PM
well, it is mississippi.
Reply
MRS. KKG 11-09-2008 @ 6:34PM
you is so right MISSISSIPPI IS A REDNECK STATE and they need to get over this this man has 4 years in office. Is these rednecks going to be mad the whole 4 years. GET OVER IT , IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE.
LeeAnn 11-09-2008 @ 9:19PM
DUH........Mississippi is majority Black!!!!! And guess who they along with another "Black" State (Alabama) voted for? MC CAIN!!!!!
Elentari Galad 11-09-2008 @ 9:46PM
Sorry LeeAnn. According to the U.S. Census, Mississippi's population is 37.1% black and Alabama's is 26.3% black. I'd bet they DID vote for Obama. But nice attempt, trying to blame this on blacks.
Elentari Galad 11-09-2008 @ 9:52PM
Sorry LeeAnn. Mississippi's population is 37.1% black and Alabama's is 26.3% black. Nice attempt though, trying to blame oppression on blacks. Even if they were the majority in those states, who has the power? Guess they'll just have to get over it.
Heartbears 11-09-2008 @ 10:20PM
I get tired of hearing how black are so oppressed. Anyone, any color, can accomplish anything they want to, if they so desire. Where there is a will, there is a way. But it is so much easier for someone to sit on their butt and believe that the government owes them something. Obama has now PROVEN that a black person can become president. NO MORE COMPLAINING!
sue 11-09-2008 @ 4:32PM
this crap
Reply
Ray 11-09-2008 @ 4:34PM
I did not vote for the man but am still willing to give him the chance to prove himself. His skin color has nothing to do with how he can or can't govern this country. It is time for all Americans to realize that our country needs to be above all this petty crap.
Reply
deedee 11-09-2008 @ 10:26PM
Race wasn't even a factor when I voted for him. I voted with knowledge of both party's choices, and chose the most intelligent person. Race only became a factor after the election with me, during Obama's speech, when he mentioned a preacher from Atlanta with a dream. It was at this time I realized what a dream had been fulfilled. Give change a chance...
camellia 11-09-2008 @ 10:31PM
thank u ray,that is the most decent comment i've read so far!!
Ranttessa 11-09-2008 @ 10:36PM
Ray is right. It's time we get our knickers out of a knot and get to work being Americans. We've got a lot of work to do to bail ourselves out of sinking ship some Wall Street greed mongers put us into.
And people, try to use punctuation, so we can understand what you mean.
Try to use good grammar, so we can understand what you mean.
Try to use good spelling, so we can understand what you mean.
EOR (End of Rant)
ONERN4TLC 11-09-2008 @ 4:39PM
My son got a level III suspension or paddling for saying OBAMA...course,,they were watching slides of animals...an old goat was shown and a black kid in the room said "MCCAIN"... a monkey was shown and my kids yelled...YOU GUESSED IT.."OBAMA"... for some wild reason "no one" could say who the other kid was...My sons teacher called my son a racist and sent him to the office where he took his punishment from the new black female asst. principle...lawsuit is pending...my child was stupid..but the teacher was also..she labelled my child a racist, and then he got level III...this coincides with drug use, robbery, extortion, guns...GEEZE folks. get over it
Reply
Leaper 11-09-2008 @ 8:15PM
Get used to it--- if you don't agree with the liberals-- you will be jailed. They have announced plans to throw Rush Limbaugh off the air. Book burning will be next.
amy 11-09-2008 @ 10:23PM
That's terrible! How bout freedom of speech? I hope the school has to pay for your son's ENTIRE future education-he deserves it!
shall28093 11-09-2008 @ 10:19PM
That is because you son is a racist...just like you. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Jen 11-09-2008 @ 11:22PM
To continue off-topic...
How does connecting a monkey with a black man make any child worthy of a free education? Other than the fact that he obviously requires some severe educating...
Of course, the teacher should have calmly explained that his "reasoning" is one of the biggest problems our society faces today, and she should have used the opportunity to discuss race issues rather than resorting to name-calling. However, the fact remains that it was a racist comment, just like the McCain/goat comment was discriminatory based on age (for which she also should have scolded them). If the kid is going to insinuate that a black man is a monkey, it would be irresponsible as an educator not to inform him of how racist his comment was.
And, Amy, how about freedom of speech for the teacher to call it like she sees it? That isn't a one-way argument. We should all hold ourselves - and our children - to the same high moral standard (that doesn't involve comparing people to animals).
liberalMomma 11-10-2008 @ 9:26AM
I don’t know where you are from, but if you think that comment your child said was not racist, then you truly are nuts. There is a huge difference between a Billy-goat and a Monkey, in terns of slang. An old goat has been used as a term referring to an old person. Monkey has been used as a racist term towards African Americans. Children should know right from wrong, unfortunately, what is heard at HOME is often repeated by children. Take a lesson from this experience, and watch the things you say & mostly think before you speak!
Not only suspension but a little soap in those dirty mouths should change what these kids are saying.
One Nation Under GOD! We are all created equal, when will people see beyond color and stop Breeding IGNORANCE!
Bettyverrt 11-09-2008 @ 4:52PM
How about reporting on the college professors that tried to sway their students to Obama? You did not dare say you were for McCain.
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Christen 11-09-2008 @ 9:49PM
College professors do tend to be more liberal, but I know - and I know this because I'm actually in college - that teachers (good ones anyway) do not put down someone because of their beliefs, as long as the reasons for that belief are put forward, not just blind belief. My professor didn't care who you were voting for, as long as you were an intelligent voter.
lisa 11-09-2008 @ 9:56PM
Hmmm...MY professors all remained completely silent on their choice of candidate until AFTER the election. My courses are all in mathematics and sciences. After the election, some mentioned that they were relieved that Obama had won, and one prof with a huge number of grade-grubbers I mean premed students in his classes jokingly announced that every student who had voted for Obama was getting an "A" in his class. As soon as the excitement wore off, he grinned and said: Just joking. I can tell you that at least in the life sciences, the majority of people I encountered voted for Obama: students, professors, researchers, technicians.
But there wasn't any pressure to vote for any specific candidate, or I'd have been making formal complaints left and right. It wouldn't have mattered whether the pressure was to vote for Obama OR McCain--from the first time in the Army I was told who to vote for by someone who outranked me I felt the ornery rise up and voted for the other candidate, regardless of my own preferences.