Student suspended after voicing marijuana opinion

[karrie]

When I went to school everyone talked about this kind of stuff and it was no big deal. Maybe you were taught by nuns.

What do I have to do with this?

I wrote a paper for my grade 9 Social studies class on the reasons FOR drug use. I saw people selling drugs IN the school. Science class erupted into a flurry of activity when the teacher stepped out, as people rushed to the door to keep watch, while others rushed to the scales to weigh out shrooms for their buddies.

*I* wouldn't have taken issue with his comments.

But, it is a principal's job, if they are informed of drug activities or even discussions within their school, to look into it and make sure that drug deals aren't occurring on their watch. I can't believe you guys would think otherwise.

 

[karrie]

Seriously, Karrie, it does not matter what the kid was saying, as long as it did not promote hatred or was intended to cause harm. He didn't yell "fire" in a theatre - he voiced an opinion. A researched opinion, to boot. This was an act of scholarship, for crying out loud.

An educational opportunity (perhaps for the teachers, too), not a act of sedition.

Pangloss

So when his discussions in the school hallway reached the ears of the principal, she should have ignored the possibility that there was drug activity occurring in her school, and not questioned the boy? No, sorry, that's just not the way an ACTUAL highschool works. Not anywhere.

 

[Pangloss]

I wrote paper after paper in high school advocating anarchy (the George Woodcock variety). I probably could have been arrested for sedition - instead the democrats and I engaged in debate.

Our PoliSci classes became the cool place to be.

If by "cool" you mean "terminally geeky and will be virgins forever."

Sometimes even illegal speech can be positive and educational.

Pangloss

 

[Pangloss]

So when his discussions in the school hallway reached the ears of the principal, she should have ignored the possibility that there was drug activity occurring in her school, and not questioned the boy? No, sorry, that's just not the way an ACTUAL highschool works. Not anywhere.

Question away, dear principal. Make sure there is no dealing going on. Engage the student in conversation, make this an educational opportunity - do not break the Charter and act like the footstomping authoritarian principal she had betrayed herself as.

There is prudence, which seeks enlightenment, and then there is prejudice, which seeks obedience.

What lesson do you think the student body learned from all of this?

Pangloss

 

[s243a]

What lesson do you think the student body learned from all of this?

Pangloss

That teachers can´t be trusted?

 

[karrie]

I wrote paper after paper in high school advocating anarchy (the George Woodcock variety). I probably could have been arrested for sedition - instead the democrats and I engaged in debate.

Our PoliSci classes became the cool place to be.

If by "cool" you mean "terminally geeky and will be virgins forever."

Sometimes even illegal speech can be positive and educational.

Pangloss

Yep, and that is what school is for. The essay I wrote advocating the use of marijuana psychotropic drugs earned me a 97% and was submitted to the school's essay contest. Fights erupted when I didn't win, because the school was unwilling to submit my essay to the provincial level the school winner was to head off to. My teacher was furious and raised a huge stink about the whole thing. It sparked a lot of debate. That's what school is for. The critical exchange of ideas. Learning and growing.

It's just too bad his research wasn't done and presented in a classroom setting.

 

[Zzarchov]

That the principle encourages smoking and underage drinking which kill scores of Canadian teens each year?

 

[s243a]

What do I have to do with this?

I wrote a paper for my grade 9 Social studies class on the reasons FOR drug use. I saw people selling drugs IN the school. Science class erupted into a flurry of activity when the teacher stepped out, as people rushed to the door to keep watch, while others rushed to the scales to weigh out shrooms for their buddies.

*I* wouldn't have taken issue with his comments.

But, it is a principal's job, if they are informed of drug activities or even discussions within their school, to look into it and make sure that drug deals aren't occurring on their watch. I can't believe you guys would think otherwise.

Wow! It school like you went to quite a crazy school. One thing I hate about these kind of stories is there is such a lack of context.

 

[karrie]

Question away, dear principal. Make sure there is no dealing going on. Engage the student in conversation, make this an educational opportunity - do not break the Charter and act like the footstomping authoritarian principal she had betrayed herself as.

There is prudence, which seeks enlightenment, and then there is prejudice, which seeks obedience.

What lesson do you think the student body learned from all of this?

Pangloss

Explain to me how exactly she broke the charter by accusing him of dealing drugs due to his views. She didn't expell him. I don't recall the article even saying he was told to stop talking about his views on marijuana. All it said is that he felt his freedom of speech was being curtailed.

 

[Pangloss]

Karrie:

It doesn't matter if it's the classroom or in the hallway or on the playing field: the kid had an opinion - and an informed one.

It didn't matter if the opinion was solicited or not - this was an educational opportunity squandered. Well, maybe not - if the students are smart, they'll learn about the careless misuse of power and how common it is.

The principal reacted exactly the wrong way.

Pangloss

 

[karrie]

@ Karrie
I would disagree.

He is 15, he was discouraging two ilelgal activities (Tobacco and Alcohol)

It may suprise you, most schools have a worse smoking and ESPECIALLY alcohol problem in high schools then drug.

Far more people got drunk off their gourd (myself included) in high school (causing massive amounts of deaths) than smoked pot (which resulted in no deaths).

Saying illegal activity A is less lethal than illegal activities B and C doesn't strike me as a crime.

If you can show me where it said he was discouraging either one of those, then you might have a point. Saying that pot is safer, isn't the same as discouraging the others. It could simply mean 'Well, if you're willing to smoke tobacco, you should smoke pot too!'

 

[Pangloss]

Kieran King's views on marijuana have led to his suspension from Wawota Parkland School.
King said he was threatened with police action by Principal Susan Wilson previously after making the case that marijuana was less harmful than alcohol.

After that, the principal escalated events to the point of a lockdown, which led to the kids suspension.

Sorry Karrie - while you are technically right, this is an environment where the principal is in charge and in control and the principal screwed up by over-reacting and forgetting to be a teacher first.

But thanks for getting me to re-read the article - I sometimes get off track.

Pangloss

 

[karrie]

Karrie:

The principal reacted exactly the wrong way.

Pangloss

how exactly? She questioned/accused him regarding sale of the stuff.

He skipped class in protest of having been questioned/accused, and was given the exact same suspension I received for skipping class when I was in highschool.

I really don't see where any of this is any different from what goes on in any other highschool. Or that it's any different than it was when I was in school 10 yrs ago.

 

[Pangloss]

Heroin (at least clean heroin) is nowhere near as bad as cocaine.

Have I just advocated the use of heroin?

No.

Pangloss

 

[Pangloss]

This is (sadly) getting tiresome and technical.

But it sure was a hoot for a while.

Thanks Karrie - it is always fun and informative to spar with you.

Pangloss

 

[karrie]

This is (sadly) getting tiresome and technical.

But it sure was a hoot for a while.

Thanks Karrie - it is always fun and informative to spar with you.

Pangloss

yes Pangloss, it is always nice to engage in a lively debate. Have yourself a good day.

 

[#juan]

Just my two cents:

The kid said he didn't do drugs. He said he was not encouraging marijuana use. He also said he had never seen marijuana. He did some research, and based on that research, he decided that pot was no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco. He is probably right. The principal handled it badly. It could have turned into something they all could be proud of but the principal wanted absolute control. Did he get it?

 

[RomSpaceKnight]

This is a free speech issue, and only a free speech issue. Don't let the subject of the kid's paper fool you - this is all about freedom to say what we know or reasonably believe.

Stupid, and embarrassing to happen in Canada.

Pangloss

Exactly, I thought when i opened it to find some Texan kid.

 

[karrie]

One thing a person has to realize in reading this, is that it's all taking the word of a hormonal teenage boy as to what was threatened and what happened. Reading the mom's statement at the end is what ultimately cemented my view. Any time you hear a mom speak words like that, you can almost certainly guarantee that her child has taken something out of context, or blown it out of proportion.

He said she said is a difficult game at the best of times, let alone when transposed into imprecise wording such as 'he said police action was threatened'. To me, that could be anything from "I'll phone the police and have you sent to juvie", to "you need to realize that marijuana is illegal, and if you're using or selling it, it could result in jail time." Methinks his mom knows a bit more about what was actually said and what actually went on. 'I feel I need to support Kieran but...'

 

[triedit]

Since when do children have rights?

Im sort of on the fence about this actually. Certainly he should have been counseled on the illegality of drugs and that it is not within the rules to encourage illegal behaviors. But then again, alcohol and tobacco are illegal for kids too so if they are allowed to speak positively about those they should be allowed to speak positively about pot.

Suspension is a little much. But a "free speech" issue? Not in my book. Children don't get that much freedom until they are mature enough to use it properly.

Yeah, I know I'm a hard ass.