REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

These Young Ladies Objected To Forced Proselytizing At School Assembly

POSTED BY: NIKI2
UPDATED: Sunday, May 19, 2013 09:30
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Sunday, May 19, 2013 4:42 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...


This sickens me, while at the same time giving me heart:
Quote:

In April, Stephen D. Foster Jr. wrote about Northwest Rankin High School in Flowood, Mississippi and the Christian indoctrination disguised as an assembly that all students were forced to sit through. When some students tried to leave, they were ordered to sit back down and the exit doors were blocked ( http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/04/26/mississippi-school-forces-stud
ents-to-listen-to-christian-lecture-teachers-block-exits/
]).
Afterward, several students approached one senior who had been openly atheist since middle school, Alexis Smith, thinking that she would know what they could do about the ordeal they had just been through. When the idea of a lawsuit was brought up, only Alexis and her younger friend, Magdalene Bedi (who goes by “Gracie”), were willing to be named on it.

The lawsuit is being brought on the girls’ behalf by the Appignani Humanist Legal Center (AHLC), which is part of by the American Humanist Association (AHA)/ This same group is advocating for students at Fayette High School in Missouri.

The young women have been vilified in their school and small town: they were called “angry atheists,” “scorned” and “greedy.” In response, Gracie wrote an open letter for the Humanist Network News, explaining why she joined the lawsuit:
Quote:

I am not an angry atheist. As a matter of fact, I am not an atheist at all… this case is not about our religious beliefs. I am not a scorned student… My grievances are only with the inappropriate and unconstitutional actions by the administration and staff… I’m not getting rich out of this. The most the school will pay for are the funds to cover legal fees. You may all be rest assured that I will not be driving a state funded car anytime soon. What I hope for readers to have gained from this statement is a deeper awareness of my and Alexis’s intentions. Our sole motive for bringing this case is to uphold the values instilled by our nation’s Constitution, not to tread on the beliefs and values of others.

Alexis is the other plaintiff in the lawsuit. Her parents are out of the country right now – boy, are they in for a surprise when they get back. And even though they are religious, I hope that they will be proud of their strong daughter. This is what she said she hoped would come of this lawsuit:
Quote:

I hope the school stops the close relationship between it and the church. Also that religious events such as these assemblies won’t happen again for future generations, at least not during school hours. And that people will be more open-minded about secularists and nonbelievers and understand that they are around, just not open about it.

These are two amazing young ladies. They are standing up for what this country is supposed to be about. They will be attacked and demonized by those on the right who cannot grasp the concept of the First Amendment, we can be sure. But hopefully, they will know that defenders of that right have their back. We are Alexis and Gracie. http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/19/these-young-ladies-objected-to
-forced-proselytizing-at-school-assembly/


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Sunday, May 19, 2013 5:56 AM

BYTEMITE


They did the same thing to us at my high school once though it wasn't for religious reasons, but just as annoying and objectionable. My friends and I snuck out to get bagels instead with a bunch of other people, but we found the parking lots gated off, and cop cars patrolling the streets outside.

So one of us called the fire department.

Lulz ensued. The school got in trouble for creating a fire hazard.

I know, I've told that one before. But I like the memory.

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Sunday, May 19, 2013 7:53 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.


My reading got as far as .... When some students tried to leave, they were ordered to sit back down and the exit doors were blocked .

Do you have any idea how many deaths occurred because the building owners locked exits to prevent theft (garment workers) or to prevent people from getting in for free (night clubs, movie theaters) or getting out without notice (schools, penitentiaries)? Regardless of the event, EXITS SHOULD NEVER BE LOCKED. So there is another potential lawsuit waiting in the wings.
BYTE Calling the fire department was the appropriate response, and a stroke of genius.

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Sunday, May 19, 2013 8:32 AM

BYTEMITE


In our case they called it an "OPTIONAL SCHOOL ASSEMBLY." And it was a while ago, but I think it was about the student elections and me and my friends were objecting on the basis that we felt that there'd been cheating and favouritism in the results, let alone the how the final candidates had been selected.

But yeah, call it optional, and what did they think kids were going to do? They'd choose not to go of course. But apparently calling it optional was actually just a bullshit sting operation for the juvie courts? Come on, what were a bunch of high schoolers from the good side of town IN SALT LAKE CITY going to get up to that warranted a police response? We were pretty much too laughable to make a good go of any real trouble. Is buying and carrying concealed bagelry against the law or something?

Anyway sorry, didn't mean to threadjack. I do feel for the girls forced to listen in to a religious spiel, and I agree with the similar concerns here about the potential fire hazard created by blocking off exits.

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