Brickbat: Phil Robertson Understands

Zachary Golob-Drake won first place in a speech contest at his elementary school in Tampa, Florida, and as the winner, he was slated to deliver the speech to all the fourth- and fifth-graders at the school and compete in a regional speech contest. But an administrator told him there was a problem with the speech, which focused on how religion has sparked conflict and even mass murder. She said the religious references had to come out before he could speak to the assembly. When Golob-Drake said he wanted to think about it, she threatened to take his first-place ribbon away and not allow him to compete in the regional contest. School officials say Golob-Drake misunderstood, it wasn't the religion they wanted him to take out but the parts about mass murder.

Comments

[Snark Plissken]

it wasn't the religion they wanted him to take out but the parts about mass murder.

So he was going to talk about the religion of Communism?

[PH2050]

Zing!

Nice one.

[John Galt]

Well, if you want to talk shear numbers of humans tortured and murdered the Communist religion has out-slaughtered the rest of the religions combined.

[Bo Cara Esq.]

The staggering number of people killed at the hands of Communist regimes is something many more people should be aware of, but I have often seen included in the figures the millions of people who died in famines when Communists 'managed' the economy. If that is being included (and I think a good case for it being so can be made) then we would also have to include the number of people who suffered and died due to religious authorities mismanaging economies and retarding development by enforcing various intellectual orthodoxies.

[Kid Xenocles]

There's an excellent reason for it to be included as they often "managed" the famines toward enemy groups.

[C. Anacreon]

And which of those religious famines happened in the last 100 years, as all the Communist ones did?

[invisible furry hand]

I for one only listen to elementary school speech contests for the mass murder

[Snark Plissken]

No one should be forced to listen to a fifth grader with a hyphenated name lecture them on world history and morality.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"She said to me probably the fairest thing to do is to take your ribbon," he said, noting that he then got emotional.

He should have rewritten his speech to cover the topic of mindless bureaucrats and the spiteful punishments they enjoy meting out.

[Anomalous]

You're never too young to learn the meaning of Because Fuck You, That's Why.

[RishJoMo]

Sounds like a very good plan dude.

http://www.AnonIs.tk

[Suthenboy]

Zachary Golob-Drake is free to say what he is told to say. That is how freedom of inquiry, freedom of speech, and freedom of conscience works. So what is the problem here?

[Ted S.]

Once again, the State is showing itself ot be the biggest bully of them all.

[Killaz]

A monopoly on violence stems from a desire to have a monopoly on influence.

[PM]

Eh, standard free speech disclaimer: you're entitled to free speech, not an audience or a medium. I know, I know, public schools. One of the litany of reasons there should be no public schools.

[Ted S.]

He entered and won a speech contest qualifying him to compete at a broader level. I think this carries an expectation that he's going to have an audience for his speech at the next level. (Well, nobody's forced to attend the contest, but there will be judges there and whatnot.)

[anon]

Your tax dollars at work!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

So surely Huckabee, Palin and the rest of that gang are going to rush to loudly defend this speech and condemn the censorship?

[Some call me Tim?]

How silly, that's not how the TEAM mentality works. Red howls when red is silenced. blue bemoans the gagging of blue. There is an eerie quiet from each side when the other is censored, or a lot of excuses are made as to why it is ok.

[EDG reppin' LBC]

Non sequitur much, Bo? You seem so concerned about Huckabee and Palin. It's driven you to typing gibberish on internet forums.

Merry Christmas!

[Bo Cara Esq.]

Your comment here strikes me as the gibberish. Palin and Huckabee made quite the fuss in defending Phil Robertson's religious speech from similar 'censorship,' so why should they not step up to defend this young man's speech?

[Azathoth!!]

You really DO have liberty issues, don't you?