Teen Rethinks Brownback Apology Note

[proud2BlibKansan]

WICHITA, Kan. -- A Kansas teenager whose disparaging tweet about Gov. Sam Brownback drew national attention says she has gone from 61 followers on her Twitter account to more than 1,400.

Emma Sullivan tells The Wichita Eagle she's now leaning against sending a letter of apology to the governor's office because of all the support she's getting.

Sullivan was in Topeka on Monday as part of a Kansas Youth in Government program when she posted an insult about Brownback on her Twitter page. Someone in the governor's office flagged the tweet and reported it to event organizers, and her principal ordered her to apologize in writing.

Since the story was reported in the media, Sullivan says she heard from people all across the country, and most of them are supportive.

Read more: http://www.kmbc.com/news/29862306/detail.html#ixzz1eqUbGPVl

[NYC_SKP]

1. I became one of her fans two days ago. She will win this thing and the loser will lose.

In the end.

:kick:

[graywarrior]

5. I can't find her on fb

[NYC_SKP]

9. On Twitter:

She's @emmakate988

https://twitter.com/#!/emmakate988

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. I just became one of her followers

Good kid, not the insult, standing for her rights, Governors should understand not everybody likes them

[PatrynXX]

43. anyone quoting Ghandi gets a follow straight away! n/t

[graywarrior]

23. Thankie!

[roguevalley]

49. done. told her about this place too. :)

[demtenjeep]

10. here

https://www.facebook.com/WelcomeToBrownbackistan?ref=ts&sk=wall#!/pages/Emma-Sullivan/143932555713090

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. LOL

[hootinholler]

14. At first I thought the mics were a coat hanger. n/t

:rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Here

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emma-Sullivan/143932555713090

[graywarrior]

24. Thank you!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. There are ways she could apologize and still maintain her dignity

"Sorry you turned out to be such a scumbag politician, Mr. Brownback."

[Hassin Bin Sober]

3. LOL

[annabanana]

4. +1 . . . . . .n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

6. LOL! My thoughts exactly ...

"I'm sorry you're so sensitive about your dishonesty and ineptitude, sir."

[JoePhilly]

32. My version ... "Gov. Brownback ... I apologize, and I am sorry that you suck."

[Doctor_J]

36. "Sorry if you were offended by my free speech"

If there were a Dem version of Fox "News", this girl would be a TV start by now

[usrname]

42. Or the standard GOP "apology"

If my statements offended anyone...

[valerief]

48. There are ways Brownback could govern and still respect the citizens of his state. nt

[MADem]

7. She should send one of those Republican apologies.

"I'm so sorry that you didn't happen to like what I was saying. I hope you'll get over your feelings about this matter."

[hobbit709]

8. I would say this

"I apologize for exercising my First Amendment right to criticize a practicing politician."

[caseymoz]

45. Or perhaps,

"I'm sorry the First Amendment offends you so much that you would suppress it when you thought you could get away with it, but maybe you should have thought of that before you swore to uphold it? Might I suggest a career in the American Nazi Party would be more to your liking?"

[stlsaxman]

12. Stand your ground, Emma!!!! Don't back down!

[BoWanZi]

16. Why should she apologize? So what if she stated her opinion, everyone is entitled to them

I don't see why she has to apologize. That strikes me as extremely unfair.

What was the tweet of the twit anyway? The story in the OP didn't show the actual tweet.

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. It was this:

“Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot,”

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/23/3283680/students-joke-creates.html#storylink=omni_popular#ixzz1eqmtu5sB

[BoWanZi]

18. Really? All this hoopla over the single funny tweet of an 18 year old girl?

Good lord, that is messed up that the school is forcing an apology. Fine, if she said something like "gov. brownback is a child molester", then I would fully back the school forcing an apology since that is slander and false but what she said was nothing more than a humorous jab at the gov.

Good grief.

[roody]

34. Why are Kansans paying someone to monitor the internet

for the governor? Sounds like waste to me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

40. Good question.

[Downwinder]

19. Why should anybody have to apologize for telling the truth?

[AdHocSolver]

20. What does her school teach about constitutional rights when the principal insists that she apologize

Also disturbing is the fact that the governor's staff is searching the Internet for comments about this politician and is making a big deal about this student's exercising her constitutionally protected right of free speech.

She should NOT apologize for exercising her rights.

Instead, the principal should back off, and maybe should read the Constitution with special attention paid to the Bill of Rights.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. I would understand a security staff person searching the internet for threats

But this was his communications person. And I'm not happy that MY tax dollars are paying for an employee to Google 'Brownback' and find people who don't like the governor. Many of us will gladly tell the governor we don't like him and we'll do it for FREE.

[The Genealogist]

30. Good point

I wonder how many Kansans realize their tax dollars may be paying the salary for a state employee to be, basically a tattletale. This is the kind of thing small children do, tattle on each other. And Kansans are possibly paying for it. Small government conservatism? I think not.

[proud2BlibKansan]

38. Well after this episode, they know now. LOL

[AndyTiedye]

22. Of Course She Should Send a Letter

We can lend here a few of these. :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Scuba]

25. Why should she apologize?

[Posteritatis]

26. The principal "ordered" her to apologize? Someone needs to be fired. (nt)

[etherealtruth]

27. Sam Brownback is an imbecile ...

Let me get this straight ... he hired staffers to publicize his abject stupidity? If that is the case they have done their job very well; he would not have gotten this much national attention without those dedicated staffers.

Idiots one and all

[Starry Messenger]

28. She's 18. No one should be telling her to do anything.

At most she may have violated the school phone policy or something, but even that is pretty flimsy on a field trip unless the event organizers made it a rule for the trip.

More people should follow her on Twitter. See, and people think that mass action doesn't have an effect on outcomes. :D

[Posteritatis]

29. If she wasn't, they'd still have no business telling her to apologize for insulting a politician. nt

[Starry Messenger]

31. Good point too.

The whole episode is flabbergasting.

[proud2BlibKansan]

39. The punishment is overkill

She may have violated the cell phone policy. I don't know because this isn't the district where I teach. But in my district, if you get caught with a cell phone, your parent has to come pick it up from the office. I saw Emma's mom on the local news. She wasn't a happy camper. I'd love to see her having to go to Brownback's office to retrieve her daughter's cell phone. LOL

[kestrel91316]

52. If that's the case, the only apologies she owes are to the school for violating

their cell phone policy.

NEVER apologize for speaking your mind to a Repig.

[Downwinder]

33. Instead of apologizing Why not run for Governor.

Brownback has given her a start. They are not to picky in Kansas, they elected Brownback.

[progressoid]

35. She should ask for an apology from the principal for bullying her into some fake

PR apology.

Go Emma!

[xmas74]

37. I know a couple of people

who are now following her because of this story.

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. She went from 60 followers to 1000 in 2 hours.

#heblowsalot

[xmas74]

57. Gotta love it.

I'm worried about how this will be perceived in the future for college and beyond. We need kids like her to stay in the area, settle down, and work in professional fields. What I'm worried about with her is that in our area some future employers will remember this and decide not to offer her a position. I'm worried that someone will hold it against her.

[sabrina 1]

44. I will look for her on Twitter and add to her followers.

No way should she apologize, especially since he has now proven that she was correct.

[demtenjeep]

46. Go to her FB page, there are some RW loonies now

calling her way worse names than she ever used towards #heblowsalot

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

56. Wingnuts sure like to dish out the meanness, then become the victim when other serve them

Their own medicine! I'm so sickk of this!!!

[demtenjeep]

58. totally agree

I hate all wing nuts

[FairWinds]

47. Stuff Ya Can't Say to Wingnuts . .

Note that the same righties who complain about how "political correctness" inhibits their freedom of expression are the SAME folks who throw hissy-fits when people call them out.
They love to dish it out, but can't take it.
Go Emma!! :toast:

[Turbineguy]

50. I'm sorry

I said "You suck". I will not say "You suck" again. I will not even think "You suck" anymore. I will forget i ever learned the term "You suck".

Regards,

Emma.

P.S. YOU SUCK!

[irisblue]

51. emma, don't apologize

you are an american citizen. you have first amendment rights to free speech. don't let anyone trample you and your rights. your principal was wrong, the aide to brownbeck was waay wrong.

[Spirochete]

53. He should apologize

to the entire state of kansas, for #blowingsomuch.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

54. Good for her!!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

55. Good for her!!