Arrrhh!
Posted on 03/05/2006 11:42:03 AM PST by Pikamax
Student 'starting to get crucified,' his dad says By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News March 4, 2006
Sean Allen's dad says he isn't handling this week's media attention and threats as well as his son.
"Sean has handled this way better than his father," Jeff Allen, Sean's dad, said in an interview with Sean Hannity, syndicated talk show host with Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes.
"To read some of these e-mails that are attacking Sean is just devastating," he said. "It looks like the tactic is to turn it around, to make it about Sean and not about the comments (Jay) Bennish made.
"Sean is already starting to get crucified."
Sean Allen, who also was on the show Friday, said he has received anonymous e-mails "cursing" him. Even Overland High School students he considered friends are calling him spineless and gutless, he said.
But Jeff Allen, 50, who works for Buena Vista Games, the video game arm of the Walt Disney Co., said the family is strongly behind Sean, a budding stand-up comic who lives in a typical, covenant-controlled neighborhood in Aurora. He said that even Sean's mother, Patti Allen, 52, a registered Democrat, is supporting her son "100 percent."
"She's a Democrat; she's not a lib," Allen said, responding to Hannity's comment that his wife was a "lib."
"Regardless of party affiliation, there are certain things that don't belong in the classroom," Scott Thornton, Sean's 24-year- old half-brother, said about his mother's position. "Mr. Bennish's comments were inappropriate and radical. She feels ultimately that Sean made the right decision."
Neither Sean, a 16-year-old sophomore at Overland High, nor his parents returned repeated phone calls for comment Friday.
On -MySpace.com, Sean Allen makes numerous references to his comedy acts and notes that he performed at the Redfish New Orleans Brewhouse in Boulder.
"Seano" or "The Sean" writes that he is influenced by comedians Andrew Dice Clay and "the one and only" Richard Pryor.
He describes his favorite movies as Blade Runner, the Alien series and The Thing. He lists his heroes as God, Jesus, Moses, Thor and Dane Cook.
He describes his major as football.
Sean Allen posted some of his comic routines on MySpace.com but they were removed by Friday afternoon. However, KHOW-AM (630) posted some of the material on its Web site.
The following is from Allen's sketch lampooning Jehovah's Witnesses. In the bit, he describes a fictional Jehovah's Witness coming to his home with magnets of Jesus "at a disco club" and "at the driving range."
Here's the punch line: " . . . but this guy came to my house and i just - lost it on him. i took him into my house and beat him to death with his own bible . . . so now, im in the johovas witness protection program."
Thornton said he was proud of his younger brother.
"Teachers are bestowed the honor of educating our youth. If they take advantage of that by going on these types of tirades, I think they should be held accountable."
In the Hannity interview, Sean said he had received numerous supportive e-mail messages from parents across the country.
"It really makes me feel really, really good this has done something and changed things so teachers who are like this start to think twice," Sean Allen said.
But neither Sean Allen nor his father, who initially distributed the recording to the media, want Bennish fired. They just want him to stick to the curriculum and stop with the political commentary. Jeff Allen said firing Bennish would send a negative message to good teachers, who would be afraid to say the wrong thing.
"We want them to give their opinion," Jeff Allen said. "We want the other side as well."
Because of the heated debate the Bennish affair has caused, Sean Allen said he may transfer to another school. "I'm working on putting my safety and my family's safety first," he told Hannity.
Perhaps the author, Julie Poppen, is a Columbia Journalism grad.
Thank you!!! Can someone translate this to English - this makes no sense to me, I read the whole thing and could not figure out what Sean did 'wrong' that was causing him to receive death threats. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE! lol, thanks!
Why did I post to an article from 9 months ago? Where did this come from? LOL at me, again.
Why did I post to an article from 9 months ago? Where did this come from? LOL at me, again.
Just reading this article without knowing the back story, I'm left with a very negative impression of Sean and his parents. If my 16 year old son wanted to appear at a comedy club, I'd know what jokes were in his routine before I allowed him to do it and he sure wouldn't be allowed to tell jokes like that.
LOL. Well, you aren't alone because you dragged me into this, too.
In college, I used to tape record all of my classes and then transcribe the notes later at night over a few beers and dinner.
One of my profs asked me to come by his office one day. When I arrived there he asked me why I was taping. I told him why and he replied that his lectures were copyrighted and would cost me $500 per session to record...so I should just start taking written notes like everyone else.
He was a Sociology prof. As Liberal as the day was long. I wonder what he was afraid of? None of my other profs had a problem with it.
Old thread...I know. But I didn't revive it.
HOrribly written indeed. I can't figure out what happened.
It isn't just you...
This is "journalism?"
Arrgh, matey! It's Friday! 'Tis time for a bit o' thread piracy! I sez we take this one off to Freeper Island.
I'm so sorry! I'm still laughing about it. The only reason I caught it was because I looked up the teacher's name because some other FReeper said: "It's only been a really big deal around here for the last few days!" I'm thinking, where have I been??!?!
I thought it was just me.
Who, what, why, when and where. Let's start with that.
I told him why and he replied that his lectures were copyrighted and would cost me $500 per session to record
I would've told him two words...Fair Use. Then dared him to sue me.
Were this to happen today...I would do the same.
But I was 18 at the time. Not the same scrappy, curmudgeonly, in-your-face person I am today.
Arrrhh!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.