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Principal Says Paper Violated School District Policies
12.03.06|knx1070.com

For the second time in two weeks, administrators at Carson High School have pulled the student newspaper because of objections to its contents.

This time, opinion pieces on legalizing marijuana, the benefits of masturbation and sexual freedom for teens were the sources of concern for the school principal, who said the paper needed to carry better writing and alternative viewpoints.

The previous edition of the weekly Trailblazer was withdrawn after publication because of an anonymous article comparing rowdy black students at a fast food restaurant in the Los Angeles suburb to ``a pack of monkeys.''

In an open letter explaining the decision to pull that edition, the principal said the article had "included insensitive and racially derogatory comments, was inflammatory and heightened tensions on campus." And both sides agreed that the issue would be reprinted without the offending piece.

This time, however, the paper's editor-in-chief, Alex De Vera, has threatened to fight.

``I am angry,'' De Vera said. ``These articles are simply opinions. If we have to fight, we will fight.''

Principal Kenneth Keener cited school district policy, which states controversial subjects should be presented in depth and with a variety of viewpoints. Board policy also bans obscenities and any material that advocates breaking any law.

``Even if you are presenting an opinion piece it should include pros and cons,'' Keener said. ``The article about legalizing marijuana doesn't talk about any of the consequences of breaking the law or talk about research that marijuana is a gateway to other drugs.''

The masturbation piece lists slang expressions for what it calls ``America's favorite forbidden pastime.'' The story on sexual freedoms argues that young teens should be able to decide for themselves whether to act on sexual yearnings.

 

Buzzby

Why should an opinion piece include pros and cons? It is one person's position on a topic, not a textbook.

If the subject is legalizing marijuana, rather than using it illegally, why should the essay talk about the consequences of breaking the law?

As for the gateway theory, that piece of nonsense has been debunked over and over again: because marijuana use generally precedes the use of other drugs does not logically imply that marijuana use somehow causes the use of other drugs.

There are two ways that marijuana could be considered a "gateway drug", both due to prohibition. One it that it's illegality puts its distribution into the hands of black market dealers who will sell any drug to anybody. The other is that prohibitionists have demonized marijuana for more than 70 years. When marijuana proves to be innocuous, people assume that they've been lied to about the dangers of other drugs as well and try them.

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Divided Sky

Ha.
I would publish the damn paper anyway, you know.
My friend recieved some consequences the other day because he simply drew the RooR logo on a sheet of paper, it went to the office and everything. Doesnt happen with alcohol logos...

totoro

what a load of doodoo feces. That is a very clear violation of freedom of speech. THe article werent even super provacative or anything, just making a simply, harmless attempt to put things out in the open.

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"Where's the monster in the closet, I cant find the hangman inside his hood, I guess evil don't exist when times are good."- Bright Eyes (Napolean's Hat)

walstmonky

Wow, the schools have really gone to hell. How ignorant. Everyone knows that monkeys travel in a troop.