Turning King's Dream Into a Nightmare
as reported in Chuck Muth's News & Views January 30, 2004

Out in Omaha, Nebraska, four students at Westside High School were suspended for behavior administrators deemed "inappropriate and insensitive." Good lord. Whatever did these little hellions do?

Remember that Martin Luther King speech where he said he looked forward to the day when people were judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin? Well, these four students actually took Dr. King at his word. They objected to the school's "Distinguished African American Student" award because the eight-year old honor was restricted to blacks only - kinda like the way water fountains were once restricted to whites only.

So on this year's MLK Day holiday, a trio of students hung posters urging the school to select student Trevor Richards for the award. Trevor was uniquely qualified for an "African American" award as he was actually from...Africa. His family moved to the U.S. six years ago from Johannesburg, South Africa. Problem was...Trevor isn't black. And this was exactly the point the high school students were trying to make; that you shouldn't judge someone solely on the color of their skin.

Exposing the hypocrisy of the award like this didn't sit well with Principal John Crook who had a conniption over the posters, saying they were "offensive to the individual being honored, to the people who work here and to some students." The "black" award-winner, Kingsley Okafor said the posters showed "the ignorance of the student body."

So Crook suspended the three boys behind the poster campaign, along with a fourth boy who was caught circulating a petition in support of the three boys. "My role is to make sure we have a safe environment, physically and psychologically," Dr. Crook declared in the Omaha World-Herald, saying the posters prevented a healthy dialogue. "We can't allow that kind of thing to be hung up on our walls. . . . We all need to be more sensitive."

Wow! Political speech suggesting that it's wrong to judge people solely on the color of their skin is psychologically unsafe? What would Tommy Jefferson, Georgie Washington, Pat Henry, Johnny Adams, Sammy Adams and Benny Franklin have said about THAT? For that matter, what would DR. KING have said about it? How does a person with such politically correct, anti-American views get put in charge of a public school? Is it any wonder Johnny can't read?

BRUSHFIRE ALERT: Frankly, I think Dr. Crook ought to (a) apologize to the students he suspended, (b) be forced to take a Revolutionary War/American history course at the local community college, and (c) discontinue the divisive and racist "African American" award effective immediately.

If you'd like to share your opinions on Dr. Crooks' decision to punish high school students for exercising their non-violent rights of free speech, you can reach him by phone at (402) 343-2600 or via email at: jcrook@westside66.org I did!

Mr. Crook:

The actions you took, toward the four students in your school for speaking out, are criminal and you should be brought up on charges for violating their 1st Amendment rights; not to mention, making your school out to be the intolerant physically and psychologically minefield you seem to want to shield your students from in your school.

They have a valid point!!! Awards should go to those that earn them not just because of their color, gender, race, creed or religion. Want to make a difference? Treat all students EQUAL!

People like you are pathetic and the reason this country is in the Social Quagmire it is in today!!!

Disgusted with Political Correctness,

Jackie Warren

Copyright Family Guardian Fellowship

Last revision: April 28, 2006 08:23 PM
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