Poetry Shouldn't Dissent

Anna Gregoline | May 20, 2004
This might be kind of uncool, but I think it's important enough that I post this here too. Link to MeFi I did about a teacher who was fired for refusing to censor a child's "un-American" poetry.

THIS is one of the many reasons I no longer feel safe or secure in America. More and more of these stories keep coming to my attention. One of the last things I think we have going for us is that people can say anything and not worry about it - free speech is great! Unfortunately, we are losing that too, bit by bit.

Jackie Mason | May 20, 2004
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Melissa Erin | May 21, 2004
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Jackie Mason | May 22, 2004
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Scott Hardie | May 22, 2004
I think it's the latter. Twice I was ticketed by the Peoria police for not having proof of auto insurance, because in their words, the card "doesn't have an expiration date on it." That's because the card displays the date it was printed and says "not valid more than six months from this date."

Melissa Erin | May 22, 2004
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Scott Hardie | May 22, 2004
They both happened a few days apart from each other, so I arranged to have them on the same court date. The cops didn't show, so the judge let me off without having to pay anything. The question of whether I really had insurance or not didn't even come up. I haven't been pulled over since, but I do wonder whether it will become an issue again.

Erik Bates | May 24, 2004
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Melissa Erin | May 24, 2004
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Anna Gregoline | May 24, 2004
I don't think anyone sued anybody, as this happened a while ago. Shame, really. The teacher who got fired has another job though.

Jackie Mason | May 25, 2004
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