CALLING BUSH 'HITLER' IS A NO-NO IN CO HIGH SCHOOL

[Guest guest]

Calling Bush 'Hitler' Is A

No-No In CO High School

Patriot Act Violations Mount Across Country

 

 

By Greg Szymanski

3-4-6

 

 

As the Patriot Act flew threw the U.S. Senate Thursday by a lopsided

vote of 89-10, the fascist screws of a militaristic, thought-

controlled society were tightening down in a Colorado high school.

The story received high profile news coverage, as major networks told

how an Aurora, Colorado, high school teacher was suspended by the

local school district for telling geography students President Bush

reminded him and was acting like the Nazi leader Adolph Hitler.

Attempts to contact teacher Overland High School social studies

teacher Jay Bennish went unanswered, but his Denver attorney, David

Lane, is expected today to file a federal law suit to protect the

embattled teacher's first amendment rights.

The incident is another indication of the lock down of free thought

taking place in America as even he slightest condemnation of

President Bush and his policies is now getting severe retribution

with Bennish getting suspended from teaching for supposedly violating

school district policies.

Bennish, whose comments were recorded by a student, said he received

threats after making the anti-Bush statements which led to him being

placed on administrative leave Wednesday while Cherry Creek School

District officials investigate, according to district spokeswoman

Tustin Amole. The investigation is expected to continue into next

week, according to school officials.

Besides being suspended, Lane, his attorney, said Bennish was not

permitted to talk to the news media, but has told him privately he

was attempting to get students " think critically ... don't just

follow hook, line and sinker everything everybody tells you. "

Lane also is known for representing the rights of University of

Colorado at Boulder professor Ward Churchill.

As the Bennish case drew national attention, more than 150 students

at Overland High School staged a walk-out Thursday in support of

Bennish's right to criticize Bush, the students claiming free thought

should not be stifled by administrative policies.

Bennish's comments in class the day after Bush's Jan. 31 State of the

Union address have generated national attention and prompted a

discussion of what's appropriate in the classroom.

Lane said Bennish has been devastated by the school district's

handling of the case, but case law has shown high school teachers

have much less freedom to express their opnions than do their

counterparts at the university level.

In fact, a 1991federal court case ruled K-12th

grade teachers do not have an express constitutional right to

academic freedom, saying as agents of the school district officials

have the right to decide and control the content of speech used in

the classroom concerning controversial subjects.

The Bennish case adds another mark against free speech, as

illustrated by these other documented cases of free speech abuses:

High School Class Discussion Leads to Terrorist Task Force

Interrogation of

Two Teens.

Oakland High School teacher Larry Felson has bitter memories about

a " dark

day " back in May 2003 when Terrorist Task Force agents barged into

school and

interrogated two innocent high school students.

They had no warrant, no probable cause. But yet agents held students

for

hours without legal counsel, without parents or teachers present.

They held

students based on remarks the teens made criticizing President Bush

in a classroom

discussion about the Iraq War.

The teacher in charge of the discussion thought the statements were

a " direct

threat " , calling the task force into action. But other teachers

emphatically

said the teacher " rushed to judgment " over 911 paranoia.

They said what is even more disturbing is that a climate now exists

were a

situation as " fundamental to free expression as a classroom

discussion " can

result in such fascist-type actions.

" When one student asked agents if they had the right to remain

silent, I

remember them responding: 'You don't have any legal rights, we own

you,' " Felsen

recalled.

Teacher Cassie Lopez, also stunned by the " Gestapo-like activity, "

said the

teachers union, parents and others who tried to get an official

explanation

have been stonewalled, essentially given nothing more than a general

response:

" necessary for national security concerns. "

Terrorist Task Force Mistakes University of Buffalo Professor's Art

Project

for Biological Weapons Laboratory

University of Buffalo art Professor Steven Kurtz also has bad

memories about a " dark day " last May when terrorist task force agents

barged into his home, confiscated his belongings and held him for two

days without legal counsel.

The reasons turned out to be bizarre and frivolous, but not before

subpoenas were issued to three friends and a grand jury probe

initiated in June to see if the peaceable art professor violated

Section 175 of the U.S. Biological Weapons Act.

Of course, the illegal search and seizure, as well as illegal

detainment of the professor, was justified by overreaction prompted

by 911 paranoia made possible by The Patriot Act. As it turned out,

agents mistakenly thought the professor's art project was a bio-

weapons lab, but even after realizing the mistake, continued the

investigation under the guise of national security.

Simply put, Kurtz is an artist dedicated to education, peace and

freedom of expression, everything the Bush Administration

diametrically opposes despite its false public image.

Otherwise, how can any sense be made out of what happened to the

professor on the morning of May 11, 2004, the day he called

paramedics to revive his wife from a heart attack. His wife died the

same morning and it was officially found unrelated to anything

involving his art project and the terrorist task force.

And a story such as this reveals how things can spin totally out of

control when confusing events mix with overly broad governmental

powers.

Paramedics, who arrived to revive Mrs. Kurtz, noticed laboratory

equipment used in his artwork. Upon suspicion, they called agents

who, within hours, rifled through his house, seized his books,

personal papers, computer and art work, which to date has not been

returned.

Kurtz is well-known in his progressive art community and a member of

the Critical Art Ensemble, a group dedicated to exploring the

intersections between art, technology, radical politics and critical

theory.

His art, displayed nationwide, often involves blending biological and

agricultural issues. For example, in 2002 one of his exhibits

called " Molecular Invasion " portrayed an exhibit against genetically

modified crops with a life-like display of small soy, corn and canola

plants growing under large incubator lamps.

One of his other exhibits, trying to raise public awareness against

plant and food contamination, allows viewers the chance to see

bacteria growing in petri dishes.

" It's a complete fishing expedition,' said his Buffalo lawyer, Paul

Cambria. " When they came to his house the FBI found equipment used

for extracting and amplifying DNA and three types of bacteria, all

used in his art work.

" He is obviously not somebody trying to make a weapon and the

equipment seized by agents can be found in any university biology lab

as standard equipment. Everything taken in the house has been already

exhibited in public. "

Two of the Kurt's artist friends served subpoenas, also members of

the internationally-acclaimed Art Ensemble, could not explain why the

government has pursued this case so strongly.

" It was shocking that the investigation was ever launched, " said

Beatriz da Costa, one of the artist's subpoenaed. " It just shows how

vulnerable the Patriot Act has made freedom of speech in this

country. Our art is intended for peace by raising awareness to

possible environmental contaminants in our food. "

Member of the Art Ensemble suggest the only possible reason for this

type of government harassment is its hidden agenda to silence their

message displayed through their artwork.

The equipment seized by the FBI consisted of Kurt's latest project,

consisting of a mobile DNA extraction laboratory to test store-bought

food for possible contamination by genetically modified grains and

organisms.

University officials said this equipment is used in school labs, even

found in some high school science departments.

The FBI this week was unavailable for comment.

Teen Webmaster Jailed for 1 Year Under Patriot Act Now Released.

A young Los Angeles webmaster made headlines two years ago when he

was arrested for operating what the government called an anarchistic

website called " Raise Your Fist. "

Legal observers said Sherman Austin, 18, may have been entrapped by

Terrorist Task Force agents in order to shut down his website. He was

considered one of the first casualties of the Patriot Act, his

residence raided and ransacked after issuance of a flimsy warrant

filled with political accusations.

Sherman was tagged an enemy combatant for his website activities,

which turned out to be nothing more than what the government thought

to be a radical political agenda.

In this case, the government was able to use the overly broad Patriot

Act to stop Austin's activities. Innocuous objects such as iced tea

bottles and toy cars were described in legal proceedings by FBI

agents as terrorist devices.

Added to the questionable charges was the fact that elementary bomb

making information was posted on his server, although court documents

show it was not posted by Sherman but by an Orange County teen who

was not charged in the crime.

In order to get a stiff sentence, the Prosecution applied sentencing

standards under the Terrorism Enhancement Clauses, meaning that

Sherman was looking at a mandatory 20 year sentence unless he pled

down to a 1 year sentence with three years probation.

Sherman is presently in Los Angeles on probation under terms

forbidding him from using a cell phone, computer, or other digital

devices. Needless to say, his website has been permanently removed

from cyberspace.

Terms of his probation also forbid him from associating with any

anarchist groups who the government maintains " advocate violence as a

means of disrupting order and achieving social, economic and

political change. "

Critics said in light of the above travesty of justice the only thing

that needs to be changed after reading Austin's case is the Patriot

Act itself, not Austin's behavior.

 

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