TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Schools Prohibit Personal E-mail Sites

Re: Schools Prohibit Personal E-mail Sites

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com
7 Jun 2005 13:26:08 -0700

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Did the court actually put the choir
> out of business? It sounds to me like it did.

Yes. They were ordered shut down.

> Did the choir try going the 'free association' direction as the one
> did in Chicago? That is to say, pick up their music and other
> belongings (and since it was after school hours) simply skip the
> premises to do their thing?

That I don't know. If they formed as an independent group they
shouldn't have had any trouble. However, this particular school was a
city-wide magnet school so it would've been hard to find a good
meeting location convenient to all.

What bothered many people was that the school's supposedly policy was
"open use". Somehow the school was "promoting religion" even though
the staff person involved was a volunteer.

I guess if school kids sit on the steps and sing rap songs with nasty
lyrics of rape and violence that's perfectly ok and free speech, but
if they sing religious songs life as we know it will come to an end.
That hypocrisy bothered a lot of people.

IMHO, this is similar to the "Ten Commandments" issue -- with people
demanding plagues of them be removed from court houses. Frankly, I
would not build a courthouse with one today. But in the 1920s, when
these things were built, it was considered appropriate and dignified
decoration. It bothers me that suddenly 80 year old stuff is deemed
religious and has to come out.

IMHO arguing against such plaques and volunteer choirs kills public
support for such activist groups and has undesirable political
consequences. People will be tolerant only to a point of radical
political views, then they will dig in their heels and fight hard.
Activists need to pick their battles better.

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