GA Teen suspended for not hanging up on Mom in Iraq

[Gunsnrovers]

Yeah. Trying to temper my flying fingers.

Sometimes it's way to easy to blast away on the internet when a conversation over a pint would be much more enjoyable. Heated perhaps, but more enjoyable.

 

[rem]

True she might not be around the next day, but that could be said about anyone.

Yeah, since we are all in a combat zone.

The kid was on his lunch break. Just sounds like an over zealous teacher.

 

[Andrew Rothman]

This is just another example of our schools' decreasing ability to apply common sense, humanity and judgement, and increasing reliance on blind adherence to zero-tolerance, no-exception rules.

 

[Powderman]

I'm sorry....

I am in such complete disagreement with a lot of you folks about this incident. First, though, a question....

How many of you have a loved one deployed, RIGHT NOW?

How many of you have ever had a loved one off to war?

For those of you who don't--and those who are not old enough--you have NO idea how you spend each day when someone you love is in harm's way.

You can not know how many times each day your heart goes up in your throat and stays there; how it is indeed sane and rational behavior to break down in tears every now and then for no apparent reason.

How you tend to focus on little meaningless things because it helps to get your mind off of worrying.

How you almost go insane when you see a vehicle with .gov plates--ANY vehicle--in or near your neighborhood.

And, on the rare occasions when you do get a call--oh, glory! The way your heart leaps for joy when you hear the voice on the other end.

The miles and minutes melt away. You sit there and imagine your loved one being next to you. Sometimes, you sit and just imagine that you can touch them. And, if you close your eyes, sometimes, you can.

Where I work, the folks have been super supportive. Whatever I am doing--WHEREVER I am doing it--if necessary, someone will be sent to relieve me when I get a call like that.

Those people in that high school just don't get it. And, to the devil with political correctness.

If someone interrupted me like that while I was getting a call from my son, I pray that I would not be held responsible for my actions. Temporary insanity, call it what you will. With all due respect, you folks that have not been in that situation do not have a clue.

I've had to stop writing this three times so far--because this post is forcing me to think about a young man who is serving his country right now--who spent 7 months in and around Fallujah--whose gun tube fired the first shots in the battle to retake Fallujah;

Whose truck stopped less than 15 feet from an IED that failed to function; who saw a mortar round land almost right next to him that did NOT go off; who had to sit in a Humvee ALL NIGHT LONG while some idiot who wanted to kill Americans pegged AK and RPK fire off the side of the vehicle;

And, who by the Grace of God and the space of having to do a detail, missed a helicopter ride that crashed and killed over thirty of his fellow Marines.

This post is dedicated, therefore, to Lance Corporal EC Tovar III, who by the grace and mercy of Almighty God made it through all that--and who will be home in less than two weeks.

For those who have not been through it, you just don't have a clue. Sorry.

 

[San]

***?! If my mom was in Iraq, and there was a good chance I might not see her again, or not see her for a long time, I would sure as hell not hang up! I would have left the class, saying something like "fine, not during school hours on campus. Well, if im not on campus, you don't control me, bye." because as long as Im not on the campus they technically dont have jurisdiction over me. I would be really mad. I mean, the teacher should have told him to leave class if he was gonna talk on the phone. Its gotta be hard not seeing a parent for a while. It hurts. What the school did was wrong. They prolly didnt even bother to think of how much a kid just wants to be able to talk to his parents, and especially in a situation where the parent is in the military.

 

[Powderman]

Here is the text of a letter I just sent to the principal of that school. Come on, folks! If we can talk about different guns, powders and calibers, we can talk about this. Write these people! The link is in the first post. Keep it respectful; maybe we CAN make a difference.

"Principal Rutledge:

I have just read on a posted news article about how a student was suspended for talking to his mother, who was deployed to Iraq, on a cell phone.

With respect, I implore you to reconsider the suspension. While in other cases it might be appropriate, this student had only a brief moment to talk to the person who bore him, and brought him into the world.

The call itself more than likely provided a moment of peace and solace for a mother pulled away from a young man who she loves more than life itself.

I have a son who is now finishing a tour in Iraq. I live for his phone calls--hearing his voice is the most important thing in the world for me.

Please give this suggestion your most careful consideration. The rules can be flexed once in a while--and respectfully, may I suggest a bending of the rules to allow students to receive calls from parents who are deployed in a combat zone--and who may never have another chance to hear their children's voice.

I also note that your school is in Columbus, GA--which is very close to Fort Benning, GA, where I received Advanced Infantry Training in 1978.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

E. C. Tovar Jr.
Enumclaw, Washington.

 

[another okie]

If you know you're going to receive an important call, you can tell the office and have them come get you.

Cell phones are banned in school for a good reason. Make that for many good reasons.

How was the teacher supposed to know the kid was actually talking to his mother? Those of you that think the teacher should have backed off when the kid said so are obviously not around teenagers very much - they always have a story and do not consider it wrong to lie to get their way.

For that matter, how do those of you responding know whether or not the kid was actually talking to his mother? Maybe he was ordering pizza.

 

[Cosmoline]

Public schools have become training grounds for the next generation of sheep. Those who do not cower before the authority of the state are crushed. This is just one of a million examples.

 

[spacemanspiff]

how many millions of family members relied only upon letters sent home by their loved ones fighting battles overseas the last century?

was this the first time the child has talked to his mother since she went overseas? i doubt it.

just because we have the ability to communicate at any time anywhere, doesnt mean its really a benefit.


spacemanDESTROYALLCELLPHONESspiff

 

[ceetee]

+1 Powderman.

I have a son-in-law that did one tour in Iraq, and is going back soon. Even though I personally find him to be a cast-iron jackass who had no business ever marrying my daughter, he's still the father of two of my grandchildren. As such (if he ever starts to act like it), if anything happens to him over there, he would be missed. Eventually.

Please give your son my thanks.



On the meat of the story, we:

1. Don't know the kid's past history. Maybe he's "a troublemaker."
2. Don't know the exact circumstances, or what he told the teacher. The situation was probably a lot hotter than it would appear.
3. Don't know exactly what kinds of problems the school has had in the past from the cell phones. There may be a perfectly good reason for the "zero tolerance" policy.

It seems to me that everybody here played their proper roles. Mom called her son at whatever moment she could. As would you or I. Son took the call considering it to be more important that any picayune school rule. As would've you or I. School official enforced a rule (however petty or important it may have been) with enviable zeal. All in order, except for the silly-arsed way it was reported on. Aren't their more important things going on in the world?

 

[rust collector]

Ok

Who has personal knowledge of the identity of the person on the other end of the line? Who thinks they have all the relevant facts here? Who knows the student involved and his history?

When we jump on stuff like this we are being played by the media. I'm not making any calls based on one news story. The one thing I can guarantee is that there's a lot more to the story than we've been spoon fed.

 

[charlesb_la]

Is it just me or does the "It could be the last time he could talk to her" argument make you think of the "It's for the children" argument?

I don't have a dog in this fight but find it strange how some posters who hate the emotional side of gun control and other issues will use the emotional side when it supports their argument.

 

[nico]

The one thing I can guarantee is that there's a lot more to the story than we've been spoon fed.

EXACTLY!!!!

Noone here knows exactly what happened.
If the conversation was "Son, you need to hang up the phone" "F** off! I'm talking to my mom" then suspend the brat.

If it was "you need to hang up that phone right now if you don't want me to drag you down to the principal's office" "but, I'm talking to my mom who's stationed in Iraq" then the school was out of line.

I have a feeling that what actually happened was somewhere between those two scenarios. But, either way, noone here knows which situation or what combination of the two happened and trying to spout off like you do is ignorant.

It amazes me that so many people complain about insubordination in schools and then get so outraged that a teacher in a school told a kid to **GASP** hang up his cell phone.

 

[scout26]

I'm with you Spiff !!!

we wouldnt be discussing this if i had my way and all cell phones were smashed to smithereens.

I refer to the one my employer requires me to have as "The Electronic Leash". Gets turned on when I walk into work and gets turned off when I walk out. Gets left home 2-3 days per week.

Boss standing in my office door: "I tried to call you on the Nextel, did you forget it again ??"

Me: "Nope."

Boss: "So you have it and forgot to turn it on ??"

Me: "Nope."

Boss: "I've been trying to get ahold you for 10 minutes."

Me: "I've been at my desk, I have a regular phone on my desk, Did you dial my extension ??"

Boss: "Uhhh, no"

Me: "Did you page me over the intercom, just incase I was in the warehouse ??"

Boss: "Ummm, no"

Me: "You just tried to use that Star Trek gizmo and then walked down here, when it didn't work ??"

Boss: "errr, yes "

Me: "What do you need ???"

Boss: "I was just checking to see if forgot your nextel today."

Me: "No, didn't forget it, left it plugged into the charger at home on purpose."

Boss: "Why ??"

Me: "I like it when you come down to my office for at little chat."

 

[JJohnston015]

So where are all the cop worshippers, with their "That's the law. Don't break the law, and you won't get pulled over. If you don't like the law, worked to get it changed." ?

That's the rule. Don't break the rules and you won't get suspended. If you don't like the rule, work to get it changed. No double standard. No sympathy from me.

 

[Dmack_901]

It's close. While the kid deserved to be suspended for using profanity and becomming disorderly, she should not have been brought to the office for using his cell phone durring lunch. Phones are of no disruption durring luch. I don't know if schools were as rhoudy(spll) when you all went, but now days you wouldn't hear a gunshot in our lunchroom. Still, I have to side with the school on this one. The kid knew the policy, and he would not have gotten in trouble had he respectfully explained his situation once brought to the office.

 

[torpid]

From what is in the article, the kid did the right thing by not hanging up on his mom, but he shouldn't have used profanity towards school authorities after the call on the way to the office...

...because he should have left that up to me!



.

 

[jefnvk]

she should not have been brought to the office for using his cell phone durring lunch

I agree, but the policy said during school hours. Policy should read 'while in class', not 'during school hours'.

I am also suprised the number of people that will argue 'he was talking to his mom' as a good reason for the school to give him special privlidges, yet yell and scream that only 'privlidged people' can get a CCW in San Francisco (or whatever Cali city happens to be being discussed that day). Or that cops get off easy on shooting someone because they're cops. Or that it is unfair that cops can own weapons that normal people can't. Yet, will say that the kid is privlidged, because of who he was talking to.


A big +1 on the 'tere is probably more behind the story'/'it was probably twisted to make the school look bad' theory.
Also, a big +1 on spiff and scout. Got a cell phone because it was cheaper than hooking up the long distance at college, and while driving throuhg hundreds of miles of wilderness, it is good to have an emergency phone. But I hate it when people expect me to have it all the time, so that tehy can call.

 

[GigaBuist]

The proper response would have been, IMHO, to make a quick exit while keeping the mother on the phone and ignoring the administration. Unfortunately that's not a mindset that schools promote; in fact they actively work to destroy the idea that you can just leave at any time. Schools insist that their artificial rules are what is right and should be followed no matter what. Should you be punished if you break them? Sure, that's fair.

What irks me is that the call was ended. I presume the admin/teacher entered into the student's space to make this happen. I sincerly doubt that the student presented the phone's termination button to the admin/teacher to end the call and it certainly doesn't sound like the student flipped the phone closed during the encounter.

Parents, please teach your children that they can just walk away from this nonsense if they feel the need.

 

[Shootcraps]

This is the wife....I have a lot to say on this. I realize there are rules, but there should always be exceptions to some things. Sometimes school administration and teachers carry it too far. Suspending a student for talking to his mother while she is in a combat area, how very understanding this school system is. I can understand if a student has been warned about using a cell phone while in school, and parents have received notification that the student is not following guidelines. I would ask this school system where is the support and encouragement to students who's parents are deployed. I would think that the teacher and administration would be glad that the parent has had the opportunity to call. This may be the only time this mother has been able to call her child, and don't forget the 6+ hour time difference. I get very annoyed when teachers don't listen to the student. It happens far more than parents realize. My 17 year old daughter has a cell phone and she knows that she is not allowed to have it on during school hours, however, there are times when she has it on vibrate, so that I can send her a message. If she should need to call me for an important reason (sickness, transportation issues after school) the school had better allow her the opportunity. Of course, she has approached the teacher in the past to let her know she needs to send a message to her parent. I trust my daughter's descretion on when the right time would be.

 

[jefnvk]

If she should need to call me for an important reason (sickness, transportation issues after school) the school had better allow her the opportunity.

My problem with this, is how did these things get done before cell phones? I managed all the way through school without my parents being able to contact me 24/7. There should be a phone at school free for student use, and if there is an emergency, the school is capable of delivering a message within minuets of recieving the call.

The other idea that I have is that the opposite of walking away mad from any situtation you disagree with is not the right thing to be taught to kids. You can't always get your way, people need to learn that. I think school is the appropriate place to do so.

 

[gaston_45]

To all those that ask how we made it through all those years without cell phones; we made it through hundreds of years of warfare using only black powder and flintlocks, should we do away with modern guns because they are too effective?

The technology is here, it is useful as is shown by this article, the kid talked to his mother rather than waiting weeks or months for a letter to arrive. Personally, this is the best use of a cell phone I have heard of in a long time and you are bashing the kid for it. The school is as wrong in this zero mentality defect as it is in the zero mentality defect that punishes kids for even drawing guns.

Don't like technology that allows instant communication? Why are you posting on a board like this then? Just thought I'd throw out some things for you to think about before you blindly follow the " the government knows best" line of reasoning. That, and a little more support for a kid that sounds like he did the right thing, not necessarily the pollitically correct thing.

 

[GT]

Certainly some whacky opinions here.

Facts:

Kid's father was killed when he was 5 and his mother is in Iraq. Kid lives with guardian.
Mother doesn't get much chance (about once a month) to call and she managed to hit his lunch break despite time difference.
Teacher grabbed the phone making it hang up when kid said he wouldn't stop talking to his mother.
Kid got angry and abusive when they would not let him answer the phone when his mother CALLED BACK to find out why he hung up. She left a message complaining about him hanging up.
They knew this was for real and not a kid's fake story but they (the school administration) have to be in charge of this and are "working with the relatives".

This boy has special circumstances. We are at war and his mother - his only parent - is serving our country abroad, but heaven forbid he should be allowed to speak to her during school hours without the school being in control.

The astonishing attitude of some here (do as you're told kid, we make the rules) I find quite offensive.

Yeah I know, back in our day we would walk 40 miles to school and eat gravel for breakfast and we turned out OK.
Yeah I know, kids these days are pampered wimps who don't know how good they got it.

I am just going to say this again...
The
kid
was
talking
to
his
Mother
deployed
in
Iraq.

Don't you get it?


G

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/nation/11583319.htm

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/11575912.htm

 

[jefnvk]

I get the idea quite fine. I am against selective enforcement of rules. I have been on the recieveing end of selective enforcement of rules, and I was the one in trouble while others were not, simply because of who they were/who they knew. I am definitely against selective enforcement.

What if it is a kids grandma halfway across the world who wants to talk, but can't because of her schedule. Should we make an exception because of that?

What if some kids dad decides to call him before taking off on a flight? Should that be allowed?

What if the kid's mom (siting halfway across town) just wants to call and see how her kid did on a test? Should we allow that?

Unless you are going to allow all kids to use the cell phones during lunch, none can.

Furthermore, I'm guessing it was a planned call. If it were planned, why couldn't they plan it while the kid wern't in school. If my mom needed to call me at noon, I'd probably be home that day to take the call, if it is that important to me.

What I am trying to say, is that I hate selective enforcement.

EDIT: and on a more general scale, not many people (especially students) are important enough to be needed 24/7

 

[chas_martel]

I am almost speechless at those of you that side with the school and society
on this topic.

You try and twist things by saying that we, gun owners , should be siding with the school on this issue. Three cheers for zero tolerance, common
sense be damned.

You people are sheep like virtually all of todays Americans. And I use
the term "American" loosely.

God what I would give for us to be a nation of people that think for themselves.

And I am doubly, to the inth degree, glad I don't put my kids into the
public indoctination centers some of you call schools!