Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Boy punished for T-shirt with gun image
ASSOCIATED PRESS ^ | March 10, 2008

Posted on 03/10/2008 4:15:00 PM PDT by kingattax

LANCASTER, Pa. -- The family of a middle school student who was given detention for wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of a gun has filed a federal freedom of speech lawsuit against the school district.

Donald Miller III, 14, went to Penn Manor High School in December wearing a T-shirt he said was intended to honor his uncle, a U.S. Army soldier fighting in Iraq.

The shirt bears the image of a military sidearm and on the front pocket says "Volunteer Homeland Security." On the back, over another image of the weapon, are the words "Special issue Resident Lifetime License - United States Terrorist Hunting Permit - Permit No. 91101 - Gun Owner - No Bag Limit."

Officials at the Millersville school told him to turn his shirt inside out. When Miller refused, he got two days of detention.

His parents, Donald and Tina Miller of Holtwood, have accused the Penn Manor School District in a lawsuit of violating their son's First Amendment rights with a "vague Orwellian policy" that stifles both patriotism and free speech.

But an attorney for the school district said school must create a safe environment for students in the post-Columbine era, and bringing even the image of a gun to school violates the district's policy.

"There's a much higher level of sensitivity these days," Penn Manor attorney Kevin French said. "But it's based on reality."

The lawsuit was filed in January. A federal judge will hold a conference on the case March 31.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: banglist; dresscodes; guns; kevinfrench; libsgonewild; nannystate; publiceducation; publicschools; tshirt
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 next last
To: Gabz

ping a ling

This one could cover lots of bases for you.


21 posted on 03/10/2008 4:49:04 PM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: IllumiNaughtyByNature

I work with preschool kids. I did a home visit a couple days ago. This 5 year old built a block tower and was setting traps for the “people in the desert who want to steal the Army’s trucks”. He then took the “bad thieves” and said “bad guys go to hell” threw them on the ground and stepped on them. the mom was apologetic, said they have a nephew who is a Navy Seal. She looked really surprised when I told her that it looked to me like her son had a pretty good grasp of reality and moral development.


22 posted on 03/10/2008 4:49:44 PM PDT by chae (I am karmic retribution)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: chae

LOL. Nice.


23 posted on 03/10/2008 4:51:45 PM PDT by IllumiNaughtyByNature (Senator McCain, what did GWB promise you back in 2000? And you believed him? BWAHAAAAA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: kingattax
They would hate Texas Tech fans - our slogan is "Guns Up"


24 posted on 03/10/2008 4:52:13 PM PDT by WhyisaTexasgirlinPA (Even my tagline is sad....I can't stand ANY of the candidates!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: verga
"Kill'em all let god sort'em out"

I had that t-shirt in high school.

By the way, do you know what your name means in Spanish?

25 posted on 03/10/2008 4:53:40 PM PDT by humblegunner (™)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: HighWheeler
that picture of a gun can scares their pantywaisted principal?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I am willing to bet the principal is gay.

Also,,,,One of the major objectives of our Marxist dominated government schools is to emasculate the American boy! Marxists need pantywaisted girl-men.

26 posted on 03/10/2008 4:55:16 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: kingattax
I'll see if I still have a shirt to send the kid.


27 posted on 03/10/2008 4:56:07 PM PDT by labette
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: verga
by drawing the line and giving the kid the option of turning it inside out they prevent any one else for doing worse.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You don't “get it”!

Government schools, freedom of conscience, and the First Amendment can NOT coexist!

Solution: Privatize universal K-12 education. Let parents, principal, and board of directors of private schools work these matters out quietly and agreeably.

Government should NEVER be in the business of ordering anyone into one of its minimum security prisons ( mis-named “schools”) and telling them to shut up!

28 posted on 03/10/2008 4:59:05 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Balding_Eagle

They should ban all writing on clothing,

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The government should get out of the business of ordering children ( who have committed no crime) into government buildings that look like minimum security prisons, and telling them to shut up!

Solution: Privatize universal K-12 education. Allow these matters to be settled privately between parents, principals, teachers, and the boards of directors of **private** schools!

Government schools are a First Amendment and freedom of conscience abomination!


29 posted on 03/10/2008 5:04:24 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: kingattax; All
Bart Lib Blackboard
30 posted on 03/10/2008 5:05:57 PM PDT by musicman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: IllumiNaughtyByNature; All
Lib Hunting permit
31 posted on 03/10/2008 5:08:23 PM PDT by musicman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Dagny&Hank
Let them brainwash the children and the resulting adults will forever be anti-gunners voting against the Second Amendment.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The Marxists running the schools are hard at work doing just that. The Marxist need a defenseless population.

Marxism is our nation's MOST serious threat. They are hard at work indoctrinating the next generation of voters.

So...What are conservatives going to do about it?

NO. The answer is NOT to try to reform the government schools. The correct answer is to SHUT DOWN government schools permanently!

Conservatives could do this if they set up endowments ( like Harvard's) that would give private vouchers to students attending private schools. Also, these endowments could award grants to teachers willing to start private schools.

32 posted on 03/10/2008 5:09:23 PM PDT by wintertime (Good ideas win! Why? Because people are not stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: wintertime
You don't “get it”!

Government schools, freedom of conscience, and the First Amendment can NOT coexist!

Solution: Privatize universal K-12 education. Let parents, principal, and board of directors of private schools work these matters out quietly and agreeably.

Government should NEVER be in the business of ordering anyone into one of its minimum security prisons ( mis-named “schools”) and telling them to shut up!

SIGH Yes I do get it, I have gotten it for the last 14 years which is how long I have been teaching high school.

Your plan is really great except for the execution part of it.

Private schools cost a lot of money, more then the average citizen has. That is why the cost is spread out over ALL the citizens.

How are you going to insure that all children will receive a quality education? would you still administer standardized tests? Who would make them up?

Obviously you do have some sort of axe to grind since you have posted your reply three times that I have seen so far, but I really think you need to think this out a bit more.

33 posted on 03/10/2008 5:27:12 PM PDT by verga (I'm not an apologist I just play one on TV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: humblegunner
By the way, do you know what your name means in Spanish?

Yes I also know what it means in Latin and Italian as well. For the record I am Sicilian.

34 posted on 03/10/2008 5:29:13 PM PDT by verga (I'm not an apologist I just play one on TV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: wintertime

No doubt.

What I was suggesting was a simple, fast, evenhanded solution.

Yours is the ultimate solution.


35 posted on 03/10/2008 5:34:34 PM PDT by Balding_Eagle (If America falls, darkness will cover the face of the earth for a thousand years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: ozaukeemom

It is sad that the homo-leninists have coopted the rainbow, formerly a symbol of God’s forgiveness of mankind.


36 posted on 03/10/2008 5:37:27 PM PDT by ichabod1 ("Self defense is not only our right, it is our duty." President Ronald Reagan)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Balding_Eagle

Nonsense like this is why kids should be made to wear uniforms to school.


37 posted on 03/10/2008 5:40:40 PM PDT by glorgau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: kingattax
The more that issues like this come up the more I embrace the legal theory of Justice Thomas in regards to the 1st Amendment and being a kid in school. Inasmuch as I embrace the Constitution and its rights entirely, school kids in the context of being a student in school do NOT have 1st Amendment rights to freedom of speech or ‘expression’ in a way that precludes them being told to cease and desist or go home.

Banning the picture of a gun is a stupid policy......but it is the policy. The issue of freedom of expression would come in if a boy was told that “Give War a Chance” on a T-shirt with a Marine emblem was verboten, but a “Give Peace a Chance” T-Shirt (or “No Blood for Oil”) was allowed and even encouraged.

38 posted on 03/10/2008 5:41:44 PM PDT by allmendream ("A Lyger is pretty much my favorite animal."NapoleonD)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: verga
For the record I am Sicilian.

Fascinating.

39 posted on 03/10/2008 5:43:47 PM PDT by humblegunner (™)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: IllumiNaughtyByNature

Ha!

These liberal louts would have had the same reaction if only the “permit” message were on the shirt, without any gun image.


40 posted on 03/10/2008 5:48:06 PM PDT by G Larry (HILLARY CARE = DYING IN LINE!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-59 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson