W.VA. teen arrested after "almost inciting riot"

[Nicksfix]

A West Virginia teen has been arrested for wearing a T-Shirt to school which was bearing an NRA logo, along with an image of a hunting rifle and the phrase, "Protect your right."

Full article

Is he right or wrong wearing a shirt that defends his views of the 2nd amendment ? Personally, I do not see an issue with this. I realize that there is all of this anti gun stuff going around and some people are edgy about things like this, but why can't he wear this kind of shirt that expresses his rights to support the 2nd amendment? Kids wear shirts that have pictures of God / Jesus on them. Is that not an infringement upon some people by seeing this ? Seeing script about have belief in God, is that not an infringement upon some people. Well, at least those who do not believe in God. So, what is the difference here ? I see kids who dress up all "Gangsta" and go to school. I believe that leaves more of an impact than some kid wearing an NRA t-shirt.

Why in the article do they call out the kids name who was arrested, but yet, they can't call out the teachers name ? Are they protecting the teacher ? Was the teacher in the wrong and they do not want to draw attention to him/her ? Maybe the kid wearing the shirt was an infringement upon the teachers personal agenda ? Anti gun teacher ? Maybe ?

Sounds to me like the teacher was the one who "almost incited a riot", not the kid.

From the article :

"There's no evidence that Jared almost caused a riot," he said. "They won't be able to produce any evidence to that fact. ... The teacher should have the ability to debate things with students. I don't care how you slice it. ... It was the teacher not acting like an adult. He created the issue."

According to the school dress code of this particular school, this kid was well within his means.

Link - Logan County Schools dress code.

There is nothing in this dress code that applies to this kid. 2ndly, how is this kid wearing a shirt "almost inciting a riot" ? By the way, how do you "almost" incite a riot and get arrested ?

Possible lawsuit upcoming ? Never know.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Left Wingers run the school systems in both our countries. You can probably support any kind of left wing cause you want with a t-shirt, but when it comes to so called right wing causes like supporting the Constitution of your own country, forget about it.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I noticed this part in the article:

"Jared respects firearms and has training to use them, and believes in the Second Amendment," White told ABCNews.com. "He believes it's being threatened by current legislation. He wore [the shirt] as an expression of political speech and the need to protect the Second Amendment."

The kid respects firearms and knows how to use them. That's fine. But what about all the other kids? Do they necessarily respect them or know how to use them?

There's a scenario here where a student sees this shirt and doesn't totally understand the issue at hand, and ends up interpreting it to mean that they can carry guns wherever they go, including to school.

 

[Omnis]

And that's somehow t-shirt-boy's problem?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

If he enables it, yes, even if it is only indirectly enabling it. He was wearing a politically-oriented t-shirt making a statement on a contentious topic that may or may not be understood by every student in the school. If there was a chance, however remote and inadvertent, that he may have inspired a student to bring a gun to school, then that needs to be addressed.

 

[Slash]

Hell yeah I commend that kid for doing that!!!! I'd do it too!!!! Good for him. File a lawsuit. I agree with his cause 100%!!!!!!!!!

 

[Azuremen]

If he enables it, yes, even if it is only indirectly enabling it. He was wearing a politically-oriented t-shirt making a statement on a contentious topic that may or may not be understood by every student in the school. If there was a chance, however remote and inadvertent, that he may have inspired a student to bring a gun to school, then that needs to be addressed.

How to live in fear 101.

We should probably ban kids from talking about video games at school then too.

 

[Johnnypenso]

I noticed this part in the article:

The kid respects firearms and knows how to use them. That's fine. But what about all the other kids? Do they necessarily respect them or know how to use them?

There's a scenario here where a student sees this shirt and doesn't totally understand the issue at hand, and ends up interpreting it to mean that they can carry guns wherever they go, including to school.

If he enables it, yes, even if it is only indirectly enabling it. He was wearing a politically-oriented t-shirt making a statement on a contentious topic that may or may not be understood by every student in the school. If there was a chance, however remote and inadvertent, that he may have inspired a student to bring a gun to school, then that needs to be addressed.

So your position is that another kid might think guns are bad and never think of bringing them to school to shoot up his classmates, might somehow be influenced by a picture of a gun on a t-shirt and bring one to school...because he saw a picture of a gun on a t-shirt? Have you watched the news? A TV show? A movie? Played a video game? And you think a gun on a t-shirt is going to influence a kid to do something he wouldn't normally do? Seriously? That's your position?

How to live in fear 101.
We should probably ban kids from talking about video games at school then too.

No kidding. And tv shows, movies, news, the internet and real life sometimes.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

So your position is that another kid might think guns are bad and never think of bringing them to school to shoot up his classmates, might somehow be influenced by a picture of a gun on a t-shirt and bring one to school...because he saw a picture of a gun on a t-shirt?

If the kid wearing the shirt feels strongly enough about the issue to wear the shirt in the first place, don't you think it stands to reason that he's going to be telling everyone about it?

The school has a duty of care to protect its students. If a teacher sees a student engaging in a behaviour that they feel endangers the safety of other students, then they have a responsibility to stop that behaviour.

 

[Nicksfix]

The teen returns to school wearing the same t-shirt ... and this time, with support from others.

Article

As I suspected :

Video evidence in the case, Mr. White said, indicates that the situation in the cafeteria deteriorated when a teacher raised his voice while confronting Jared. Other students jumped up on benches and began chanting Jared’s name.

But yet, the kid got arrested. Go figure !

 

[Sam48]

This one's up there with the kid who possessed a fully loaded pop-tart.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

But yet, the kid got arrested. Go figure !

The student was asked to do something by a teacher. The student refused. At this point, the teacher raised their voice - though how many times they asked the student to do so is unclear - and the other students started chanting.

If the student had followed the teacher's instructions, the others never would have gotten up on the tables and started chanting.

 

[Sam48]

The student was asked to do something by a teacher. The student refused. At this point, the teacher raised their voice - though how many times they asked the student to do so is unclear - and the other students started chanting.

If the student had followed the teacher's instructions, the others never would have gotten up on the tables and started chanting.

But the teacher had no right to be addressing the boy in regards to his clothing in the first place, right?

 

[Doth1s]

I don't know how it works in West Virginia, but down here the school system decides the dress codes, and the teaching staff enforces it. When a child wears a shirt deemed offensive that kid is asked to turn their shirt inside out. If the child refuses, they are detained by the SRO (School Resource Officer) until the parents arrive.

 

[Nicksfix]

The student was asked to do something by a teacher. The student refused.

Because the student was asked to do something against his legal rights, that gives the teacher the right to shout at him ?

Mind you, the shirt was not against the dress code, which I posted in the OP. So where does the teacher get off asking the kid to do so ?

 

[Solid Lifters]

Another stupid liberal-douche teacher creating the problem and the kid gets blamed for it. Some of these same types tried that with oldest boy when he was younger. Two trips to the school to chat with them put a stop to it. Some teachers think they can bully a kid like that around. But, it's a different story when the parent gets involved. That teacher needs to be fired.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Because the student was asked to do something against his legal rights,

I was wondering how long it would take someone to play this card.

Just because you have a right, it's not a licence to exercise it when and wherever you like without consequence. You have the responsibility to exercise your rights in the appropriate manner.

For example, you have the right to free speech. You are well within your rights to shout "fire!" in a crowded theatre. However, it is also expected that you don't shout it where there is no fire to speak of.

I have to question just how much the kid understands the issue he was promoting. If he really understood it as much as his lawyer is making out, then he would know that the subject of guns in schools is highly contentious, and that wearing a shirt - and promoting a viewpoint - in favour of owning guns to school is a stupid idea. Did he think that there would be no consequences to his actions?

On the other hand, if he doesn't understand the issue he is promoting, then again, why is he wearing the shirt in the first place? It's patently irresponsible to promote a cause that you don't understand. So, again, did he think that there would be no consequences to his actions?

Far too many people seem to think that "I'm exercising my rights" means "I can do what I want and the consequences be danmed". You can exercise your rights all you want, provided that you are willing and able to live with being held responsible for your actions. if you aren't willing or able to take responsibility, then you can't call out "I'm exercising my rights" and expect to walk away.

that gives the teacher the right to shout at him ?

Did you ever get in trouble at school? A teacher raising their voice is usually a sign that if you continue with a behaviour, you're going to wind up in detention. It's a far cry from shouting.

 

[Johnnypenso]

The student was asked to do something by a teacher. The student refused. At this point, the teacher raised their voice - though how many times they asked the student to do so is unclear - and the other students started chanting.

If the student had followed the teacher's instructions, the others never would have gotten up on the tables and started chanting.

Teachers aren't Gods. Kids have rights too and this kid was doing what he thought was right, there's nothing offensive about defending the Constitution to any reasonable person. I'm actually quite happy the other kids started chanting his name, again exercising their rights to free speech, not harming any reasonable person. I'd be even more impressed to see kids walk out en masse in support of this young man and even happier if the teacher got fired. At the very least this might promote some open discussion in the student body about this issue and other issues like it.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Kids have rights too and this kid was doing what he thought was right, there's nothing offensive about defending the Constitution to any reasonable person.

Again, if you want to exercise a right, you have to take on the responsibilities that go with it.

If you want to defend your right to own a gun, go for it. But you have the responsibility to do it in an appropriate manner. Advocating gun ownership is fine. Advocating gun ownership at a school is not, given how the issue of gun violence in schools is such a sensitive issue.

If you don't want to accept responsibility for your actions, don't exercise your rights. You can't do one without the other.

I'm actually quite happy the other kids started chanting his name, again exercising their rights to free speech, not harming any reasonable person.

You have no idea why they were chanting his name. For all you know, it was nothing to do with supporting the kid - and everything to do with causing trouble.

I'd be even more impressed to see kids walk out en masse in support of this young man and even happier if the teacher got fired.

That's deplorable. You're effectively saying that kids in schools have the right to do or say whatever they want, and if a teacher asks them to stop, then all they have to do is make a constitutional issue out of it and get the teacher fired for it.

 

[Zenith]

If you want to defend your right to own a gun, go for it. But you have the responsibility to do it in an appropriate manner. Advocating gun ownership is fine. Advocating gun ownership at a school is not, given how the issue of gun violence in schools is such a sensitive issue.

His shirt advocates the protection of the 2nd Amendment, not gun ownership, not using guns as tools in violence. Compared to stuff other kids are wearing, this is nothing. The reason he was attacked by teachers was because they disagreed with his stance and him making this apparent with a shirt.

And why wouldn't advocating gun ownership at school be fine? Advocating the use of illegal drugs seems to be fine. Sounds to me like we're pretending that gun rights are a special case just because we disagree with this student's stance.

If you don't want to accept responsibility for your actions, don't exercise your rights. You can't do one without the other.

Tell that to the teachers... The student didn't do anything to harm other students or faculty. Expressing an opinion is expressing an opinion.

You have no idea why they were chanting his name. For all you know, it was nothing to do with supporting the kid - and everything to do with causing trouble.

Neither do you. It should be noted that most teenagers are strongly in favor of their right to share their opinion.

That's deplorable. You're effectively saying that kids in schools have the right to do or say whatever they want, and if a teacher asks them to stop, then all they have to do is make a constitutional issue out of it and get the teacher fired for it.

No, he's effectively saying that students should support each other's rights to express their opinions and any power-tripping faculty attempting to violate those rights should be fired. If the shirt had been about Gay rights and the same thing happened then people would be in the streets.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Again, if you want to exercise a right, you have to take on the responsibilities that go with it.

If you want to defend your right to own a gun, go for it. But you have the responsibility to do it in an appropriate manner. Advocating gun ownership is fine. Advocating gun ownership at a school is not, given how the issue of gun violence in schools is such a sensitive issue.

If you don't want to accept responsibility for your actions, don't exercise your rights. You can't do one without the other.

You have no idea why they were chanting his name. For all you know, it was nothing to do with supporting the kid - and everything to do with causing trouble.

That's deplorable. You're effectively saying that kids in schools have the right to do or say whatever they want, and if a teacher asks them to stop, then all they have to do is make a constitutional issue out of it and get the teacher fired for it.

What are the consequences of defending the Constitution of the United States? Please enlighten me.

Don't put words in my mouth. I didn't say the kid had a right to do whatever he wants to do, I said he had a right to do this specific thing. Try to stay on topic.

Try these scenarios on for size:

If the kid had a shirt on that said, "USMC" would the teacher have the right to say he's advocating war and therefore someone will be offended?

If the kid has a shirt on with a picture of two guys making out on it advocating gay rights (let's assume it's a state where gays are allowed to marry for the sake of argument) would the teacher be entitled to say it's offensive?

If he had a shirt on that said "praise Allah" and lived in Boston, and went to school today, is that offensive? Is it offensive in Indiana? Was it offensive 2 weeks ago?

If he has a shirt on with a little logo on it of some famous clothing designer who makes most of his clothes in Chinese sweatshops is that offensive?

 

[gogatrs]

I actually just had this discussion with my Civics teacher two weeks ago.

There had been a kid in our school that wore an NRA t shirt to school recently. Nobody made any complaints. It just sparked a discussion in our civics class.
So according to that Supreme Court case with the black arm bands the kids wore to school in protest of the Vietnam War, the kid was fine.

As long as it does not disrupt the learning environment, the kid can constitutionally wear whatever he wants.

The question would be whether the kid or this teacher caused this disruption.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

What are the consequences of defending the Constitution of the United States? Please enlighten me.

Don't put words in my mouth.

Says the man who opened with this:

What are the consequences of defending the Constitution of the United States? Please enlighten me.

And yet the quote he posted does not contain the word "consequence":

Again, if you want to exercise a right, you have to take on the responsibilities that go with it.

If you want to defend your right to own a gun, go for it. But you have the responsibility to do it in an appropriate manner. Advocating gun ownership is fine. Advocating gun ownership at a school is not, given how the issue of gun violence in schools is such a sensitive issue.

If you don't want to accept responsibility for your actions, don't exercise your rights. You can't do one without the other.

You have no idea why they were chanting his name. For all you know, it was nothing to do with supporting the kid - and everything to do with causing trouble.

That's deplorable. You're effectively saying that kids in schools have the right to do or say whatever they want, and if a teacher asks them to stop, then all they have to do is make a constitutional issue out of it and get the teacher fired for it.

I did not say that there were consequences. I said that if you are going to exercise your rights, then you are expected to exercise them in a responsible manner.

For instance, you have the right to free speech. And under that right, you can shout "fire!" in a crowded theatre. However, you also have the responsibility not to shout "fire!" if there is no fire.

 

[Grayfox]

He was arrested for defending his first right.

It happens alot.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

He was arrested for defending his first right.

If that's true, then apparently "I was defending my rights" or "I was exercising my rights" is an excuse for people to do whatever they want, and suffer no consequences for it. Do you want to shout "fire!" in a crowded theatre? Go ahead. If you cause a stampede and eighty people die, you can't be held responsible, because you were just exercising your right to free speech, and all those people caught up in the stampede should have realised that there was no fire to begin with, so it's their fault; not yours. Rather than take responsibility for your actions, you'd rather just claim that someone was denying you your rights and make it their problem. Because why should you be held accountable for what you do?

Or at least, that's what some people here seem to think. It's scary that with one breath, they will vehemently defend this kid ... and with another, they'll call for Dzhokar Tsarnaev to be stripped of his rights.

 

[Grayfox]

Reading it the teacher nearly started the "riot" by screaming like a twit.

There is a difference to yelling fire in a cinema or bomb on a plane to wearing a shirt.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Reading it the teacher nearly started the "riot" by screaming like a twit.

There is a difference to yelling fire in a cinema or bomb on a plane to wearing a shirt.

Indeed, unfortunately many people can't tell the difference or use common sense to distinguish between the two.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Reading it the teacher nearly started the "riot" by screaming like a twit.

The article only says that the teacher "raised his voice". Not shouted or screamed. If that's enough to start a riot, then I must have started hundreds of them, since I regularly have to raise my voice to quiet down a noisy classroom.

 

[Johnnypenso]

It's pretty obvious to me that the teacher is the problem in this case and the kid's lawyer has no problem submitting the videotaped evidence in court to prove it. Hopefully we eventually get to see the videotape posted up on Youtube so we can see what a total idiot this teacher was.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

It's pretty obvious to me that the teacher is the problem in this case and the kid's lawyer has no problem submitting the videotaped evidence in court to prove it.

And he also probably has no problem embellishing the events to favour his client. For all you know, the teacher asked the kid to turn his shirt inside out, and the kid said no. The teacher raised his voice slightly, to reinforce the idea that the kid needed to do as he was asked. At this point, the other students sensed the opportunity to cause trouble, and started chanting.

You've decided that the kid did nothing wrong because he was defending his rights. You've then assumed that because of this, the version of events presented by the lawyer has to be truly representative of the situation and that he is absolutely not presenting his client in the most favourable way possible.