NYT: 'Bong hits' case divides Bush and religious right

[Hepburn]

A free speech case has divided President Bush from key supporters of his base, as many religious rights groups have joined the ACLU and others in defending the rights of high school students, an article in Sunday's New York Times reports.

The case which will be argued in front of the Supreme Court on Monday "has opened an unexpected fissure between the Bush administration and its usual allies among conservative Christian supporters," Linda Greenhouse reports for the Times.

"On the surface, Joseph Frederick's dispute with his principal, Deborah Morse, at the Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska five years ago appeared to have little if anything to do with religion," Greenhouse writes. "As the Olympic torch was carried through the streets of Juneau on its way to the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City and as television cameras focused on the scene, Frederick and some friends unfurled a 14-foot-long banner with the inscription: 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus.'"

The principal tore down the sign, after Frederick initially refused her demand to remove the banner, and suspended him for ten days.

More....

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/NYT_Bong_hits_case_divides_Bush_0317.html

BushCo, of course, is on the side against the students and free speech. Anyone surprised?

[FogerRox]

1. Well........

[Hepburn]

2. LMBO!

That picture is sooooooo funny!

[TlalocW]

3. I can't see how the school has a case

If I'm remembering correctly, the students were dismissed from school that day so they could watch the torch get run through town so they were no longer under the jurisdiction of the school, and the kid wasn't on school property. It would be like my high school principal making me take off a shirt with a political opinion he didn't like while we were both off school grounds.

TlalocW

[Pushed To The Left]

4. "Religious rights groups" is different than the religious right.

In fact, I would consider the ACLU a "religious rights group" because they fight for all religions to be treated fairly.

[Bjorn Against]

6. If you read the whole article you will see this covers both "religious rights" and "religious right"

The groups include the American Center for Law and Justice, founded by the Rev. Pat Robertson, the Christian Legal Society, the Alliance Defense Fund, the Rutherford Institute, which has participated in many religion cases before the court, and Liberty Legal Institute, a nonprofit law firm "dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights and religious freedom." The institute, based in Plano, Texas, told the justices in its brief that it was "gravely concerned that the religious freedom of students in public schools will be damaged" if the court rules for the school board.

It is a bit strange to see Pat Robertson on the side of bongs, but it appears for once the religious right is on the good side. Enjoy it while it lasts, because this is a very rare occasion.

[Pushed To The Left]

8. Sorry about that! I should have read the rest of the article. This is a surprising story!

I'm not that surprised that Bush and the religious right are disagreeing, but I'm shocked that the ACLU and the religious right are agreeing! How confused will Bill O'Reilly be now? Will he gave the ACLU their props, or will he condemn Pat Robertson as a "secular progressive"?

[Blue_Tires]

5. i don't get it

a whole lotta americans love bong hits, and a whole lotta americans love jesus -- both are on the list right after baseball, apple pie and chevrolet...yeah, the sign was a little embarrassing and in questionable taste, but that's what being in high school is about...

[badgerpup]

7. Just when you put the concepts of 'bong hits' and 'Jesus' together...

...it tends to make a whole lotta people's heads explode. :shrug:

[TygrBright]

9. Why? Jesus was a cool dude who knew how to relax...

...I'm sure if bong technology had been around 2000 years ago, he would have taken a few hits with his favorite apostles while knockin' back a little wine...

mellowly,
Bright

[jazzjunkysue]

10. I actually "know" the answer to this. Seriously. Please read.

1. The suspension was uncalled for and must be stricken from the student's record. If there are any other injuries that the student can cite from the days out of school, those have to be remedied as well.

2. The principal must state the limitations of free speech clearly to the community and then be ready to tolerate when the students toe up to that line without crossing it.

3. Taking the banner down was the school's responsibility because it was a school function and it promoted illegal drugs. The students were on school grounds and it was a school organized activity. The school does have the responsibility to take the sign down, whether it promoted drugs or religion.

4. But the really important learning moment comes when religous leaders understand that religion needs free speech to survive. Let's hope that they can also some day understand that protecting students from religous promotion in school is the other side of that coin. If you're allowed to push Jesus at school, then I'm allowed to push Buddah. If you don't want me to push Buddah, then you can't push Jesus, either. And calling it a moment of silent prayer is skirting the issue, when what you're really doing is promoting one very narrow, specific branch of one belief system above all others. Religion has no place in school. That's for parents to handle off school hours.