Montana High School Cancels Famous Graduation Speaker Because He’s ‘Too Conservative’

Godfather Politics ^ | Jne 12, 2012 | Giacomo

[yoe]

I’ve heard of high schools and colleges cancelling graduation speakers because they were too controversial, too liberal or too religious, but this is the first time I’ve heard of one being cancelled for being too conservative. Ronan High School in Ronan, Montana, had arranged for famed and award winning film producer Gerald Molen, a Montana native to speak at their graduation ceremony.

Molen is best known for his Oscar winning film, Schindler’s List. He also produced Twister, Rain Man, Days of Thunder, Hook, Minority Report, Jurassic Park and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Before becoming a film producer, Molen served in the US Marine Corp. He says that he is now retired since his 2011 TV movie Beyond the Blackboard and Truth & Treason.

According to Molen, he spent nearly three weeks preparing his address to the students. He had planned to use Oskar Schindler as the subject of his speech, pointing out Schidler’s courage. Next he was going to ask them to use their imagination and think of their future lives as a movie and then ask them what they wanted the scripts of their movies to be. He not planned to talk about anything political whatsoever.

However, after driving an hour and half to reach the school, Molen was informed by Tom Stack, the principal at Ronan High School that he would not be allowed to address the students. Molen said that Stack told him that because he was a right-winged conservative and that he had received some phone calls from parents concerned about what Molen might say to their kids.

Molen wrote an article about what happened for a local Montana newspaper. After reading it, a number of parents complained to the school and to the school district officials. Andy Holmlund, superintendent of the school district agree that the outrage expressed by so many parents of Stack cancelling Molen’s speech. He explained that Stack’s decision was his own and not that of the district and that Stack will be leaving his position as principal in the next few months.

I question whether or not Stack actually received phone calls in advance complaining about Molen’s scheduled appearance or if it was due to his own political views. If he really had received complaints, the proper thing to do would have contact Molen and ask him what he was going to say. Then based on Molen’s response, he could have suggested something less political if that was necessary, which in this case it wasn’t it.

If I were the superintendent, I would insist that Stack reimburse Molen out of his own pocket for Molen’s travel and time spent. Then I would insist on a formal public apology. Lastly, I would make Stack’s departure early than Stack had planned for violating Molen’s freedom of speech before he had a chance to say anything.

[yoe]

You have to wonder how many other speakers, films, books, etc. principal Tom Stack denied the students because his likes and dislikes lay elsewhere. Is Mr. Stack staying on the pay roll for the summer? Firing him is neigh onto impossible...union rules and regs 'ya know...never-the-less the school board ought to try so at least it will show on Mr. Stack's record.

[a fool in paradise]

The supposed Hollywood Blacklist was "bad" because it accused card carrying members of the Communist party of being Communists. This was not true, Hollywood Reds like Lucille Ball joined merely to appease her family members. It's not like she was a true-blue pinko.

Then there is the meme that the blacklist prevented them from getting work. The supposed blacklisted authors got jobs using pseudonyms. The producers and directors who hired them were "brave" for standing up to the "blacklist". The blacklist in reality was a boycott by mainstream America and Hollywood protected the Reds in their midst by hiring them and lying to the public.

Today, there exists a genuine Blacklist (and PinkList) in Hollywood yet there are nothing but yawns from the press, academics, and historians.

[oldbrowser]

Lastly, I would make Stack’s departure early than Stack had planned

Not to worry, Stack has just struck gold, he will become a media darling, be on all of the TV shows, write a book, and land a great position at an elite school.
The libs take care of their own....with government money.

[massgopguy]

He was going to ask them to use their imagination and think. Wow, this is worse than the guy in Wellesley that told the kids they weren’t special.

[pfflier]

That's a pretty lame response from the superintendent. It is easy to say the principal was leaving but what was the root cause?

For our graduations, a member of the superintendent's offics is alway present and pretty much aware of the speakers. It would be very uncommon for a speaker to be cancelled on the eve or day of graduation unless the speaker backed out.

BTW we also engineered a kill switch on the mike and had a faculty member on the audio mixer. As Art Linkletter knew, kids say the darndest things.

[A_Former_Democrat]

Actually he should suc the bastard Stack for violation of his rights Lawsuits that hit the pocketball and keep their names embarrassingly before the public and into the public record is the “only law that Stack understood”

[hosepipe]

Must be too many Mexifornia democrats that left to find a place they could make a profit..

Presently screwing up their Montana school district like they did in Mexifornia..

Democrats carry “the Disease” with them.. they are “carriers”..
Democrats are indeed “diseased”... sick.. infected..
It’s a mental disease.. symptoms: sedition and treason..

Many RINOs have it but hide it well.. i.e. Myth Romney..

[FlingWingFlyer]

What the hell are they smoking and drinking up there in Montana? Maybe we should send a scout up there to check it out.

[USMCPOP]

Liberalism means anything goes except, of course, conservatism. OK kiddies, next lesson.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks yoe.

Andy Holmlund, superintendent of the school district agree that the outrage expressed by so many parents of Stack cancelling Molen's speech. He explained that Stack's decision was his own and not that of the district and that Stack will be leaving his position as principal in the next few months... If I were the superintendent, I would insist that Stack reimburse Molen out of his own pocket for Molen's travel and time spent. Then I would insist on a formal public apology. Lastly, I would make Stack's departure early than Stack had planned for violating Molen's freedom of speech before he had a chance to say anything.

I wouldn't do any of those things. I'd cut Stack's head off and stick it on a pole out in front of the school. That way, instead of Molen and anyone else the least bit conservative in the view of some unelected leftwing trash bureaucrats getting blackballed from speaking to students, we'd have a bunch of cowering leftwing trash bureaucrats keeping their idiotic views to themselves and their mouths shut.

If I'm going to be forced to live in a single party state, I guarantee you it won't be the Democratic [sic] Party.