Student broadcaster suspended for 'God bless' institution

World Net Daily ^ | Wednesday, January 21, 2004 | staff of worldnetdaily.com

[mware]

Sign-off before holiday deemed inappropriate for public institution

A high school student dismissed from his school broadcast program for signing off with "God bless" is rallying community members to his side.

James Lord, a senior at Dupo High School in Belleville, Ill., was suspended for one month from his daily news broadcast on the school's closed circuit television after signing off his Dec. 17 broadcast, the Belleville News-Democrat reported.

Lord told his student audience: "Have a safe and happy holiday, and God bless."

School Principal Jonathan Heerboth has said Lord's comment was inappropriate for public school, the paper reported.

Lord said he plans to appeal the suspension because he claims it violated his First Amendment rights. Geoffrey Surtees, a lawyer with the Virginia-based American Center for Law and Justice who is advising Lord, said he would wait to see the outcome of the board meeting before making a comment.

Ahead of his address to the school board, Lord distributed more than 400 flyers to encourage local people to attend the meeting. The fliers said the school board was to meet last night, but board members say it is scheduled Jan. 27.

Will Lord say "God bless" again when he returns to the show Feb. 1?

"I can't guarantee I won't say it again," the student said, according to the News-Democrat.

School board member Mike Kloess said he had nothing against Lord's actions.

"I didn't have a problem with what he said, but [Superintendent Michael] Koebel knows the rules and knows what people can say and can't say," he told the Belleville paper.

Koebel could not be reached for comment.

James' mother, Beverly Lord, called the school's decision harsh and a suppression of free speech, the paper said.

[mware]

Well folks, I think I have seen about everything now.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Well folks, I think I have seen about everything now.

What would happen if somebody sneezes?

[mware]

Actually that happen in the school I teach at. They told the kids they could not have a prayer before the graduation.

Once the kids were on the stage one of them sneezed and almost everyone in the graduation class said, "God Bless You."

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

[nuconvert]

Lord > "God bless"

A month seems really harsh. I wonder if he was warned beforehand not to do it? Are we missing a few details?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

BUMP

[Dataman]

Lord told his student audience: "Have a safe and happy holiday, and God bless."

The President can say it but it is inappropriate for a public school student? This is not a constitutional issue like the ususal whining suspects claim; it is enforcing PC on a minor. Under any other circumstances that would be considered child abuse.

[glock rocks]

Wonder if they'll make the kid change his name too?

[zook]

Bump

[goldstategop]

Liberals think "God Bless" is an establishment of religion and God - oops - knows we can't have that --- tender young minds are going to draw the wrong conclusion about what they can say in front of the microphone. <sarcasm

[sd-joe]

Irony runs deep, when the Lord can not say "God" in public schools, the school and the society is in deep sushi.

[mware]

They have the same story at cnsnews.com. Basically the same informaition.

The American Center for Law and Justice is taking on the case. There may be more details at their site or in the paper of record for Belleville, Ill..

[Chewbacca]

I wonder what would have happened if he had said "God d#$n you"?

[rwfromkansas]

This is a heavy-handed attempt to control the free expression of student publications.

Freep this principal!

[Johnny_Cipher]

What part of Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof are these nitwit school administrators and activist judges having trouble understanding?

[mware]

Here is the name of the high school and principal.

Dupo High School in Belleville, Ill

School Principal Jonathan Heerboth

[mware]

I suspect his phone will be ringing off the hook today.

[chachacha]

Being told before hand not to say it does not make it right.

Sometimes it takes courage to do the right thing.

[AAABEST]

ping

[agrace]

Wonder if they'll make the kid change his name too?

Good one.

[Sloth]

I wonder if it's ok to say, "Praise the Lord!"

[truthandlife]

"Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." [Matthew 5:10-12]

[AAABEST]

ping

[JoJo Gunn]

"School board member Mike Kloess said he had nothing against Lord's actions.

"I didn't have a problem with what he said, but [Superintendent Michael] Koebel knows the rules and knows what people can say and can't say," he told the Belleville paper."

A spineless Yes Man.

[exit82]

It is not like he mentioned a specific God, like "Allah" or "Jehovah". It was a generic reference to a higher being, on its surface.

Someone should point out to the idiot principal that our national motto is "In God We Trust".

[mware]

When I did a search for the newspapers of Belleville, Ill., the first to show up was The Messangers, a Catholic publication. I suspect he will be getting strong support from them.

[AAABEST]

A month seems really harsh. I wonder if he was warned beforehand not to do it?

Not sure if I get your point. If he was "warned" by some God hating goon to keep his mouth shut he deserved to be punished, just not as severely?

[rwfromkansas]

Even if someone believes that a lot of things religion-wise in public schools violate the First Amendment, only an extremist would say saying "God bless you" violates the Constitution because it is said by a kid in school.

It is another expression like God bless America that has lost its religious meaning. Such phrases have been ruled Constitutional.

[goldstategop]

If he had said Yah Allah, he would have been given a promotion. <sarcasm

[hapy]

We need to destroy the liberal base here. Hopefully when Bush gets reElected some will leave the country. Those who stay should be jailed.

I bet this kid could have said good-bye and Fu** you and theh ACLU would deffend him to the end. Imagine not being able to say god bless you!? I hate liberals and I hate what they have done with my country. I am so glad we are taking it back, but the process is so slow.

At what point do liberals = terrorism?

[Redcoat LI]

"Superintendent Michael Koebel knows the rules and knows what people can say and can't say,"
How people can allow these little dictators with sham academic degrees to rule their children is beyond me.
No American can be told what not to say.

[elli1]

Freep this principal!

Better targets would be members of the school board & the superintendent, Koebel.

[Sloth]

Too bad this headline wasn't something like "Principal Scolds Lord for Religious Message"

[Blood of Tyrants]

Schools and university used to be where the idea of free speech was most actively promoted. But of course that was before the liberals got into power and decided that only certain, state pre-approved speech was acceptable.

[kimmie7]

The point was passed around 1992....

This is getting ridiculous.

[Jim Noble]

Is he claimimg free speech or free exercise?

[alisasny]

I was discussing something similar about seperation of church and state with my husband all week regarding the excessive schoolwork my 2nd grader brought home about Martin Luther King. In fact in her homework packet this week is a "social studies" ditto called SKIN DEEP. Child is to make a list of things I can tell about myslef from looking in the mirror and a list of things I can't tell about myself from looking in the mirror. After they are to answer Would you want to be judged only by the way you look? Why or why not?

MLK was a Reverand. Where is the seperation of church and state when it comes to him?

Anyway I am refusing to allow my child to do this assignment. It is my job to teach her the items mentioned not the public school. If it comes up I will have some questions for the teacher however I doubt she will even notice it is missing from the packet. Mind you this is the first Social Studies assignment included in the homework packet since school started in September.

We were bombarded with MLK school work since January 5th and clearly it is now going to spill over to Black History month in February.

Anyway
there was a thread about an assignment that kids had to read a speach given by MLK. One student choose one of his religious speeches. Needless to say if that ever comes up for either of my children they will both read a similar speech.

[Rebelbase]

IMO, the school is wrong. Students have the right of free speech.

If the principal or school employee included the "God Bless", then I would respect someone's right to object.

[AppyPappy]

Quote from a school teacher I know regarding whether Muslims can say "Allah a Akbar" in school during a debate on whether Christians can speak about God in school:

"He can say it all he wants as long as he doesn't mind me diving under the desk when he does"

[AAABEST]

If the principal or school employee included the "God Bless", then I would respect someone's right to object.

Principals and government employees should be forced to shut their mouths in America?

I thought I was supposed to be the bigot here?

[Modernman]

The principal, and the school board, don't seem to understand the constitutional limits of religion in schools. Since there was no government action here, the kid's statements do not violate the current state of what type of religious expression is allowed in school. If the principal had made him say "God bless you" if would have been a different story.

[Modernman]

Principals and government employees should be forced to shut their mouths in America?

While on the job? To a certain extent, yes. The principal couldn't proselytize while on the job. However, even him saying "God bless you" wouldn't cross the line, IMO.

[drlevy88]

He oughtta say "Lord bless you." Then if challenged he can always claim it meant himself.

[r9etb]

Are we missing a few details?

I suspect we're missing more than a few details. I never trust stories like this, especially when they're reported in WND.

[mountaineer]

Having to attend school in Dupo (the armpit of Illinois) is punishment enough for this unfortunate youth.

[Cubs Fan]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free excercise thereof;"

Its pretty obvious to me which half of that phrase this is about-- the left is increasingly moving from a dubious effort to maintain "separation" to an outright effort to ban the free exercise of religion.

[AAABEST]

To a certain extent, yes....

This is why socialism is evil. If schools were private people could take their children out of those with preaching principals.

IMO, a prinipal is no more harmful (actually much more helpful) speaking about his God than he is about his favorite hobby. If others don't like it they can make fun of him or tune him out.

Freedom has a strange way of weeding out inefficiencies and stupidity. For example if the guy has enough intellect to become a principal, you probably wouldn't find him "proselytizing" in a way that is rude or abrasive. The "ethos" would probably weed him out.

This hammer coming down on free speech and our Creator is far more damaging than where we would be if we kept the system we had where someone occasionally acts like a rude idiot.

I hope I'm making sense.

[nuconvert]

I'm just wondering why they decided on a month. Doesn't that seem a bit severe? Just like to know all the facts.........Nope, warning him doesn't make it right.

[johnb2004]

If the student said have a happy holiday and practice safe sex he would have recieved applause and support.

[Rebelbase]

Separation of Church and State. It's not that hard to comprehend.

[r9etb]

This hammer coming down on free speech and our Creator is far more damaging than where we would be if we kept the system we had where someone occasionally acts like a rude idiot.

FWIW, I think you're probably wrong about this. Every stupid ACLU case that makes the news has the effect of strengthening peoples' opinions against them, and for the things the ACLU is litigating against. The "no establishment" thing sounds fine in theory, but the patently ridiculous application of the theory makes it clear that the motives of the ACLU are far from noble.

God can and will make this into a good thing.