> >
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/Opinion/Editorial
> > HARD LESSONS FROM POETRY CLASS: SPEECH IS FREE UNLESS IT'S CRITICAL
> > >
> > >The Daytona Beach News-Journal 15 May 2004
> > > By BILL HILL
> >
> > *Hill is a retired News-Journal reporter.
> >
> > Bill Nevins, a New Mexico high school teacher and personal friend,
was
> fired
> > last year and classes in poetry and the poetry club at Rio
> > Rancho High School were permanently terminated. It had nothing to do
with
> > obscenity, but it had everything to do with extremist politics.
> > The "Slam Team" was a group of teenage poets who asked Nevins to
serve
as
> > faculty adviser to their club. The teens, mostly shy youngsters,
were
> taught
> > to read their poetry aloud and before audiences. Rio Rancho High
School
> gave
> > the Slam Team access to the school's closed-circuit television once
a
week
> > and the poets thrived.
> > In March 2003, a teenage girl named Courtney presented one of
her
> poems
> > before an audience at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Albuquerque, then
read
> the
> > poem live on the school's closed-circuit television channel. A
school
> > military liaison and the high school principal accused the girl of
being
> > "un-American" because she criticized the war in Iraq and the Bush
> > administration's failure to give substance to its "No child left
behind"
> > education policy.
> > The girl's mother, also a teacher, was ordered by the principal to
destroy
> > the child's poetry. The mother refused and may lose her job.
> > Bill Nevins was suspended for not censoring the poetry of his
students.
> > Remember, there is no obscenity to be found in any of the poetry. He
was
> > later fired by the principal. After firing Nevins and terminating
the
> > teaching and reading of poetry in the school, the principal and the
> military
> > liaison read a poem of their own as they raised the flag outside the
> school.
> > When the principal had the flag at full staff, he applauded the
action
> he'd
> > taken in concert with the military liaison.
> > Then to all students and faculty who did not share his political
opinions,
> > the principal shouted: "Shut your faces." What a wonderful lesson he
gave
> > those 3,000 students at the largest public high school in New
Mexico.
In
> > his mind, only certain opinions are to be allowed.
> > But more was to come. Posters done by art students were ordered torn
down,
> > even though none was termed obscene. Some were satirical,
> > implicating a national policy that had led us into war. Art teachers
who
> > refused to rip down the posters on display in their classrooms were
not
> > given contracts to return to the school in this current school year.
> > The message is plain. Critical thinking, questioning of public
policies
> and
> > freedom of speech are not to be allowed to anyone who does not
> > share the thinking of the school principal.
> > The teachers union has been joined in a legal action against the
school
by
> > the National Writers Union, headquartered in New York City. NWU's
at-large
> > representative Samantha Clark lives and works in Albuquerque. The
> American
> > Civil Liberties Union has become the legal arm of the lawsuit
pending in
> > federal court.
> > Meanwhile, Nevins applied for a teaching post in another school and
was
> > offered the job but he can't go to work until Rio Rancho's principal
> > sends the new school Nevins' credentials. The principal has refused
to
do
> > so, and that adds yet another issue to the lawsuit, which is
awaiting a
> > trial date.
> > While students are denied poetry readings, poetry clubs and classes
in
> > poetry, Nevins works elsewhere and writes his own poetry.
> > Writers and editors who have spent years translating essays, films,
poems,
> > scientific articles and books by Iranian, North Korean and Sudanese
> authors
> > have been warned not to do so by the U.S. Treasury Department under
> penalty
> > of fine and imprisonment. Publishers and film producers are not
allowed
to
> > edit works authored by writers in those nations. The Bush
administration
> > contends doing so has the effect of trading with the enemy, despite
a
1988
> > law that exempts published materials from sanction under trade
rules.
> > Robert Bovenschulte, president of the American Chemical Society, is
> > challenging the rule interpretation by violating it to edit into
English
> > several scientific papers from Iran.
> > Are book burnings next?
> >
> > PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY
> >
> > A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is
> > legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy)
> > >--
> >
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