7 People arrested FOR CHEERING: Welcome to Amerika
Whew this is getting ridiculous!
When school officials in Rock Hill, South Carolina, tell graduation ceremony crowds to hold their applause until the end, they mean it — Police arrested seven people after they were accused of loud cheering during the ceremonies.
Six people at Fort Mill High School's graduation were charged Saturday and a seventh at the graduation for York Comprehensive High School was charged Friday with disorderly conduct, authorities said. Police said the seven yelled after students' names were called.
"I just thought they were going to escort me out," Jonathan Orr told The Herald of Rock Hill. "I had no idea they were going to put andcuffs on me and take me to jail."
Orr, 21, spent two hours in jail after he was arrested when he yelled for his cousin at York's commencement at the Winthrop University Coliseum.
Rock Hill police began patrolling commencements several years ago at the request of school districts who complained of increasing disruption. Those attending graduations are told they can be prosecuted for bad behavior and letters are sent home with students, said Rock Hill police spokesman Lt. Jerry Waldrop.
All the cases, except for one that includes a resisting arrest charge, will be handled in city court and are punishable by a maximum of 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Orr said he thinks people should be allowed to cheer.
"For some people, it might be the only member of their family to graduate high school, and it was like a funeral in there," Orr said.
William Massey, 19, was arrested but said he plans to fight the charge. He said he simply "clapped and gave a little whoop" when his fiancee's name was called. Massey said there were warnings before the ceremony but none that said he could be arrested.
He said not everyone who cheered was arrested.
"There's a lot more people that did it than six or seven," said Massey, who graduated from Fort Mill last year.
Fort Mill Principal Dee Christopher says school officials don't ask that offenders be arrested but that he plans to keep a police presence at future graduation ceremonies.
"We think it's important for every graduate's name to be heard and for every person in the arena to be able to see that student cross the stage. ... That's why we have disruptive guests removed," he said.
Last year in Galesburg, Illinois, five students were denied diplomas from the city's lone public high school after enthusiastic friends or family members cheered for them during commencement. Students could get their diplomas after completing eight hours of public service for the school district.
output
another side of the coin
Wait a minute,
I and my wife attended 3 college graduations in May.
In each case, the audience was asked clearly to hold your applause or cheering until everyone had walked across the stage.
It was made clear that this was so all the graduates names could be heard
as they were read out and this was done at a very fast clip, so it was really important that the crowd complied.
At each event this request was ignored multiple times. It disrupted the proceedings and seemed to imply an "in your face" attitude by those who chose to diregard the request. At the University of South Carolina's ceremony the cheers and shouts almost all came from one small group of frat boys.
So, for a school to try to enforce a reasonable request is not as onerous as it might sound on first pass.
the reader
the reader IS UNABLE to pause between names *IF* support for a student is shown?
I see no reason for police involvement in a NON-CRIME.
Just because some muckity-muck asks for silence, it in no way reduces, nullifies, or trumps ones' God-given First Amendment Right.
Is there a Federal, State or County statute that requires silence at this event?
I'm glad the crazy nuts in Boston had that "in your face" attitude during the original Tea Party.
As a society we're becoming less tolerant of others - not more.
My in-laws hooted and hollered when thier son graduated High School... it was a release of pent-up energy due to him being dyslexic. (IMO, he had issues with school because of the inabilities of the school, but that's another argument)
I know several folks that have become successful 'despite' seeing letters in reverse order.
Anyway, should my FIL (former Airborne in 'Nam, RIP) have been arrested?
Sure, that makes sense...
I see your point... but do you think it was right to arrest them for it? Don't you think being asked to leave the ceremony is punishment enough?
I mean these are people who cheered for a family member for accomplishing something. Sure, maybe they broke a rule. So ask them to leave. Don't take them to jail.
Exactly.If someone breaks a
Exactly.
If someone breaks a silly rule, and cheers for their family member, you ask them to leave. If they refuse to leave, then they get escorted out by police.
You don't turn them into a criminal, fine them $1000 and throw them in jail for up to 30 days.
Total Bull
This is such total bull that I had to do a google to verify it was not a fake article.
This is outrageous!
We pay educators and policemen to arrest us for cheering at graduations?
It would seem there is only so much more the people can take from the government before real revolution happens?
http://www.foxnews.com/st...
The Onion?
Seriously, this article reads like something out of the Onion. It's so ridiculously frightening that it could pass for dark humor. The scariest part is that it's NOT a joke!
Hint:
Don't send your kids to government school. They control what goes on there, and you check your rights at the door (yes, even if you are a parent or a relative or a friend).
The government schools are already "Second Amendment Free Zones"; what makes you think they would respect any of your other Constitutional rights?
To quote Homer Simpson:
DOH!
Let's Reign! (Rev. 5:10)
Jury Nullification - Tell everyone you know.
Google Jury Nullification
http://www.fija.org
Power trippers
Are going to rule every step you take in the "Land of the Free". The pindick principle never meant for people to get arrested but he will continue on his perverse course because he enjoys his pin dick power of keeping tight 1930's Germany style order and control. The pin dick cops are in hog heaven. We cannot compete with them. We the People pose no threat. We are spineless, especially since our political system and propoganda machine has already spun out control. Saving this country was tried desperately hard in the 60's, am I wrong? We are doomed, but I will still go by Ron Paul's teaching and blindly hope for a resurrection of this disgrace.
In summary, there is no check on authority in this country and the U.S. Constitution is out to sea at this moment.
I hear ya and I was
I hear ya and I was there,,but this time we are not taking NO for an answer. THIS time we win and win big. There is too much at stake here for politically active Americans to change it this time. There are SO many organizations that are against all this crap. They never found out about RP or he would have won in a landslide. Take heart. We are changing it. The defamers or deframers of the Constitution are going DOOOOOOOWWWWNNnnnnnnnn.
How could all those freedom
loving organizations not know
about Ron Paul?
Perhaps out of the ashes the
Perhaps out of the ashes the Phoenix will rise... I can't look my children in the eye without saying I tried.
if they don't go to trial
if they don't go to trial over this they deserve what they get. don't bitch about it then bend over. either you stand up or shut up
touche
touche
Boycott the
graduation let the school send the diploma home. Graduation is a dog and pony show anyway. Peace
neither of my children
neither of my children attended their grad ceremonies (now 26 and 20). I did not urge nor discourage them. When I talk to kids about going to their graduation commencements most go because it's important to their parents and family sends monetary gifts. A high school diploma is such a joke.
that sounds
Fortune Favors the Bold
nearly identical to a similar story that happened some time ago. When the kids were denied their diplomas for family members cheering.
lol so sent-home notices now
lol so sent-home notices now trump constitutional rights to umm... pass wind through your vocal cords.
next step is to bound and gag all attendees in the audience to assure absolute silence.
and the dictators of history laugh just a little louder from their graves.
Tyranny
is never fun.
twelve years of learning the
twelve years of learning the same thing, twelve years (and more to come) of paying taxes to the school system and parents and friends cant send out congratulatory whoop and clap? Because a persons name needs to be heard? Political correctness has infiltrated the American way of life with a crushing blow.
That's just CRAZY!!!
Why can't they give people a brief moment for applause?? How fast are they reading the names anyway?????
If you are a Nevada delegate or know of anyone who is, visit this website!!
http://nevadagopconventio...
Historic moment at Washington State Convention can be seen at minute 4!!
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
Hey daughter4liberty are you
Hey daughter4liberty are you planning on attending the NV GOP convention?
No, I'm not planning on it...
I'm just trying to help get the word out.
If you are a Nevada delegate or know of anyone who is, visit this website!!
http://nevadagopconventio...
Historic moment at Washington State Convention can be seen at minute 4!!
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
Too bad my husband and I
Too bad my husband and I decided we're going to go today. Would have loved to see another fellow Washingtonian
Would be cool though... :-)
Send my regards/regrets to Nevada! ;-) I honestly hadn't even thought of it till you mentioned it. Don't know that I could go if I wanted to...
Make sure they do it right down there! You're from Washington, you know how it's done!!! ;-) Maybe you could stop in Yakima and bring them some Ron Paul water -- if you're driving that is!
If you are a Nevada delegate or know of anyone who is, visit this website!!
http://nevadagopconventio...
Historic moment at Washington State Convention can be seen at minute 4!!
http://www.youtube.com/wa...
Congratulations Seniors!
Welcome to the real world!
(Where you can be arrested for exercising your 1st amendment rights.)
Isn't our lousy sub-standard
Isn't our lousy sub-standard education enough, do they have to turn it into a complete circus for the rest of the world to see, too?
______________________
*** God bless Ron Paul ***
* Ron Paul For President *
Ridiculous
Graduation ceremonies have just become ridiculous in recent years. Good use of tax payer dollars patrolling a graduation ceremony.
I'll make a mental note to commit my next robbery during the local school's graduation because all the cops will be there! Its like causing a diversion, but the school and police do it for you. What a joke.
School lock down is just as bad. There is no security so when you sneak onto the property they arrest you and charge you with trespassing. The school my girlfriend teaches at has senior graduation a week before the rest of the school finishes. A few seniors were arrested this week for dumping a case of bouncy balls in a stairwell. What they did was harmless, but because they had graduated they weren't allowed on school property unless they were signed in through the office and had a reason to be there.
School shootings will happen, no matter how "secure" you try and make it appear. People can still sneak in the building and its pretty hard to charge a mass murder with trespassing after they commit suicide.
In the end, this is all just to get us used to seeing police around all the time as well as be forced through checkpoints as we migrate to a police state.