Drama students learn tough lesson: Dubya's no joke (bye bye free speech)

[Roland99]

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~2890519,00.html

WOODLAND HILLS -- A doctored poster of President George W. Bush -- sporting Groucho Marx's dark eyebrows, mustache and stogie -- was supposed to promote a high school play. But for award-winning drama students at El Camino Real High School, it turned out to be a stark lesson in free speech. The poster was close, but no cigar.

After one student complained last week, school officials ordered a hundred of the posters ripped from the Woodland Hills campus on grounds they promoted smoking and political preference.

<...>

Because the jacket of the original play depicts George Washington with a Groucho treatment, students thought their production promo deserved a fresh look.

So on Dubya's sleepy-eyed mug they dabbed black bushy brows, a thick mustache and a lit Macanudo cigar. Dubya stood for politics; Groucho for satire. Perfect twin symbols of their play, they reasoned.

[Stephanie]

1. Banned because they promoted "political preference"

So that's it, expressing political preference is now outlawed in our "democracy"? All Hail King George?

Is there a DU'er in Canada who would marry me? Thanks in advance.

[Yupster]

15. You want political preferences

advocated in public schools?

I sure don't.

If this is a private school, I'd have no complaint though.

[sam sarrha]

2. dont mess wth the DickTatter ..unless you are Jeff Gannon..

[kerry-is-my-prez]

3. "It taught us that the First Amendment doesn't guarantee free speech"

I love these kids:


Many students are incensed at the ban.

"It taught us that the First Amendment certainly does not guarantee the right of free speech," said Jes Shah, 16, of West Hills, a junior enrolled in the school drama program.

"Instead, we have more restrictions on what we can say."

-snip-

The result: six new play promotion broadsheets with a silhouette of Bush and a burning cigar, including such inscriptions as: "Free Expression for All (unless you are in high school)." "What First Amendment?" "LAUSD (heart symbol) Censorship." "Support Our Troops."

[cestpaspossible]

4. Anybody who reads the First amendment and uses their brain knows that.

All it says is that Congress will make no law abridging the freedom of speech -- it is a prohibition on Congress, rather than an affirmative statement that people can say whatever they want.

[Roland99]

5. So, we've all been ASSuming we had freedom of speech all this time?

[cestpaspossible]

8. I can still picture Felix Unger at that chalkboard.

Man that cracked me up...

[Fire Walk With Me]

6. Then ban anything in school which would promote religious preference.

No political satire in school, no religious songs in talent shows.

Looks like the next generation of political cartoonists will have to travel overseas to learn their craft without organized opposition.

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. And if no Bush in school, no Bush in church!

[Lisa]

9. "promoted smoking" -- what, that many students will copy Bush?

One would think that it would DISCOURAGE tobacco use.

And the person who complained evidently hasn't been keeping track of his/her idol's public appearances -- haven't there been a number of recent press dinners where Dubya tried to yuk it up as a standup comic? In which case comparing him to Groucho would be a lavish (and in my opinion, undeserved) compliment.

[sarcasmo]

10. Martial Law is right around the corner.

[onenote]

11. "made Bush look like an Israeli"?????

WTF??? Someone wake me up, cause this is one bad dream I'm having.

onenote

[Roland99]

13. Groucho was Israeli?

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

12. The thing that gets me

is that one, ONE student complained. If it was 20 or 50 or some other larger percentage of the population I could understand a bit better. So if only one student complains about a teacher or the menu in the cafeteria they would change it? Something here stinks.......

[Yupster]

14. Is this a public school

or a private school?

To me that makes a difference.