Valedictorian Rips Up Speech And Recites Lord's Prayer

[Incorruptible]

A valedictorian in South Carolina ripped up his pre-approved speech and then delivered the Lord's prayer.

He did this to protest prayers being taken out at graduation ceremonies.

The Washington Times reported Wednesday that the student’s act was to protest the Pickens County School District’s decision to no longer include prayer at graduation ceremonies. Officials said the decision was made after the district was barraged with complaints by atheist groups, Christian News reported.

“Originally, they were only supposed to take away prayer in the school district before meetings — [but then] they blew it way out of proportion, taking prayers out of anything,” Mr. Costner told The Blaze, noting that teachers aren’t even allowed to participate in invocation events before school.

The student wasn't punished and received mostly positive attention.

“I didn’t know what kind of response I was going to have,” he told TheBlaze. “I was tearing up on stage. I was overwhelmed on the stage. I did not expect a response of that magnitude.”

This student should have the right to make this speech because he should have free speech and the school didn't endorse him but did the opposite. What he did was a good example of civil disobedience and free speech.

Do you think he did the right thing making his speech and should he be punished for it? Is the speech protected under free speech?


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/6/i-was-tearing-stage-valedictorian-recounts-ripping/

 

[glenn1]

How would they punish him? Repossess his diploma? Put a notation in his "permanent record"?

 

[CrackRabbit]

A valedictorian in South Carolina ripped up his pre-approved speech and then delivered the Lord's prayer.

He did this to protest prayers being taken out at graduation ceremonies.





The student wasn't punished and received mostly positive attention.




This student should have the right to make this speech because he should have free speech and the school didn't endorse him but did the opposite. What he did was a good example of civil disobedience and free speech.

Do you think he did the right thing making his speech and should he be punished for it? Is the speech protected under free speech?


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/6/i-was-tearing-stage-valedictorian-recounts-ripping/

The quoted post is a troll post.
Do not respond further to the troll or his posts.
Thank you.


You were warned. Bye, bye for awhile.
admin allisolm

 

[brandonb]

Good for him! It's rare when people stand up for their convictions. It's much easier to be a sheep.

 

[moonbogg]

Not possible to care less.

 

[Matt1970]

I was shooting sillystring at my graduation. I don't think I was even paying attention to the speeches.

 

[Mani]

A valedictorian in South Carolina ripped up his pre-approved speech and then delivered the Lord's prayer.

He did this to protest prayers being taken out at graduation ceremonies.





The student wasn't punished and received mostly positive attention.




This student should have the right to make this speech because he should have free speech and the school didn't endorse him but did the opposite. What he did was a good example of civil disobedience and free speech.

Do you think he did the right thing making his speech and should he be punished for it? Is the speech protected under free speech?


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/6/i-was-tearing-stage-valedictorian-recounts-ripping/

Somehow I doubt you would be supporting the student's "right to free speech" if he were Muslim and recited a prayer to Allah instead.

 

[Genx87]

I was shooting sillystring at my graduation. I don't think I was even paying attention to the speeches.

Beach balls for us.

 

[fskimospy]

How would they punish him? Repossess his diploma? Put a notation in his "permanent record"?

They could just decline to grant the diploma if they wanted to. I'm not saying that's a good idea, but it has happened before for similar things.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Good for him! It's rare when people stand up for their convictions. It's much easier to be a sheep.

he's just a different kind of sheep

 

[Incorruptible]

How would they punish him? Repossess his diploma? Put a notation in his "permanent record"?

They could refuse to grant him his diploma. He did nothing wrong. I am not suggesting that he be punished but other people have been punished for similar things though and I think they might have punished him if this happened somewhere else.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I'd high five this kid if he had just read the damn speech, was humble about his personal convictions, and moved on. It's fucking high school. get over it. Seriously, the Lord's prayer? Might as well just throw some hailmary's up there too..

 

[ch33zw1z]

I was shooting sillystring at my graduation. I don't think I was even paying attention to the speeches.

Right, since when has HS graduation become such a somber event? It's a time for celebration, not listening to some asshat valedictorian push his personal agenda on everyone.

 

[zanejohnson]

i was HAMMMERED drunk at my graduation lol...

 

[Phanuel]

Beach balls for us.

Blow up doll, tortillas, and some beach balls.

 

[Incorruptible]

Right, since when has HS graduation become such a somber event? It's a time for celebration, not listening to some asshat valedictorian push his personal agenda on everyone.

He wasn't pushing an agenda and he got mostly positive responses.

 

[ch33zw1z]

He wasn't pushing an agenda and he got mostly positive responses.

 

[thraashman]

I was shooting sillystring at my graduation. I don't think I was even paying attention to the speeches.

Beach balls for us.

Damn, apparently my graduation had a bunch of boring people. Nothing interesting happened. I vaguely remember the valedictorian quoting the Green Day song Time of Your Life because it came out that year and it was in everything graduation related in the US.

 

[HomerJS]

A valedictorian in South Carolina ripped up his pre-approved speech and then delivered the Lord's prayer.

He did this to protest prayers being taken out at graduation ceremonies.





The student wasn't punished and received mostly positive attention.




This student should have the right to make this speech because he should have free speech and the school didn't endorse him but did the opposite. What he did was a good example of civil disobedience and free speech.

Do you think he did the right thing making his speech and should he be punished for it? Is the speech protected under free speech?


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jun/6/i-was-tearing-stage-valedictorian-recounts-ripping/

Thank goodness the kid wasn't Muslim and recited a Muslim prayer, you would be foaming at the mouth...Sharia...Sharia!

 

[her209]

Maybe an athiest Valedictorian will rip up their speech and start reading a passage from Darwin's Origin of Species book to protest the introduction of creationism into Bio class.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Good for him! It's rare when people stand up for their convictions. It's much easier to be a sheep.

Lamb of God?

 

[CrackRabbit]

They could refuse to grant him his diploma. He did nothing wrong. I am not suggesting that he be punished but other people have been punished for similar things though and I think they might have punished him if this happened somewhere else.

The quoted post is a troll post.
Do not respond further to the troll or his posts.
Thank you.

 

[CrackRabbit]

He wasn't pushing an agenda and he got mostly positive responses.

The quoted post is a troll post.
Do not respond further to the troll or his posts.
Thank you.

 

[Xecuter]

Somehow I doubt you would be supporting the student's "right to free speech" if he were Muslim and recited a prayer to Allah instead.

/thread

 

[thraashman]

Maybe an athiest Valedictorian will rip up their speech and start reading a passage from Darwin's Origin of Species book to protest the introduction of creationism into Bio class.

It would be his right. I think a lot of people praising this kid are failing to realize how separation of church and state work. The school can not lead a prayer during a graduation ceremony. It is a school function and a prayer led by school officials violates the entire premise behind separation of church and state (public school only obviously). This kid however is welcome to pray in his seat, in the stands, during his speech, whatever. Even being valedictorian doesn't make him an official of the school and thus an official of the state, it's just an honor bestowed upon him. His speech is perfectly welcome to contain religious references if he chooses.

Notice how it talks about him ripping up his pre-approved speech but it nowhere mentions him ever trying to get a version with the prayer approved to begin with. It probably would have been. The only thing schools would generally disallow would be profanity or verbal attacks on the school or students, they may also disallow speech with a clear political agenda as a graduation speech is no place for such a thing.