Freedomain Radio

 

Dear Stefbot, I need your help

Hey Stef. My name is [x], I'm 12 years old and I'm in 6th grade. Ive watched a lot of your videos and I agree with you on a lot of things. I don't agree with the government. Ive been watching/reading a lot of Libertarian/Anarchist material for about a year now I've been having some issues at school. Here is the story.

We are assigned to write a persuasive essay. I decided to write mine about the legalization of drugs. I asked my teacher if I would get in trouble if I wrote about it, and he told me that he had to ask my assistant principal his opinion on drugs in order for my essay to be acceptable. This was yesterday. But today I was sitting in class minding my own business when I was pulled out of class by the counselor. He told me to get my backpack and go to the health office. I was really confused and I asked why I was being pulled out of class. He just shook his head and told me to go. When I got to the nurse, she told me to breathe on her. So I did and she said that she smelled "it" on me and that she smelled it on my friends too. By then I knew they were accusing me of doing drugs. Earlier that day me and my friends were sitting behind "the dog" which is a wall with out school logo on it. She said that she called them in too and that she knew "what we were doing behind the wall". Funny that later when I asked them if she called them in, they said no. Anyways, she was yelling at me,calling me a liar, and when I said I was confused and I don't know why this is happening to me she replied with her nose in the air "I wonder why your confused". Me being me, I argued and fought back.I would never do drugs, but I do believe that other people have the right to choose what they put in their body and should not go to prison. I wanted to know, is that what I should have done? Ive been having a lot of problems at school not just because of my view on drugs, but for a number of things that I believe. 

When I got home from school, I told my brother what happened to me and he was furious. Later that night when my mom got home from work I told her what happened and she was going to call the school. Shes telling me its okay to have an opinion, but to keep it to myself and fly under the radar. I know she doesn't want to see me get in trouble but I believe very strongly about freedom and I want to defend my beliefs. I admire your opinion and think your very smart and I would love your advice. Thank you so much for your time. :)

Amazing kid!

That's sad. Teachers are the worst. The kid sounds very smart. I wish there was something I could do.

Wow, that is really heartbreaking. It's absolutely terrible that those immature thugs are given authority over such a brilliant young man.

I really hope we hear more from him later on. 

Mikhail:

Hearing stuff like this just breaks my heart. Teachers... ugh.

It's awful, I see this kind of brutality and bullying every Wednesday when I go to the school where I volunteer as a "big brother", I'll take a picutre of one of the signs they put up just to illustrate... it might as well be a pink floyd video.

Wow, what a horrid situation for the kid to be in - but what a well written e-mail! And great reply too Stef!

Stef, if you could pass along how heart breaking I think his experiences are, and how sorry I am that he's forced to endure this situation for now, I'd really appreciate it. I hope he feels welcome to stop by the boards and join in the conversation, someone with his caliber of intelligence and integrity would be very welcome!

Yes, I saw this earlier.. The first half of this video illustrates the point about unecessary discipline I felt..And neglectful parents too for that matter..

If you know you are giving in....

Its so wonderfull to see that much clarity, care and interest in such a young person.

And so sad to see it crushed by people caught up in their own misguided ideas.

Keeping a low profile might be a good idea.

At least a great story came out of it. And who knows what else will follow.

Martin

that kind of bullying is just sickening.

I wish i could send him all my sympathies, school really sucks, particularly when the teachers are bullies.

What an utterly amazing person, at just 12 years old. I feel so sorry for the situation he is in, hopefully his parents might take this as a reason to move him to a private school if its at all possible, I hate to think the effects of a public school on a mind like this one. This does give me so much hope for the future though.

I know this would only make matters worse, but the thought popped into my mind that maybe what he ought to try, instead of an essay on drug legalization for his class, is to write a persuasive presentation that he could present to his parents, on why they'd be better off pulling him out of that hell hole.

I am unbelievably disgusted by the behavior of these "teachers," on so many levels.  If they truly suspected him of doing drugs, how was that at all the way to handle the situation?

xelent:

Yes, I saw this earlier.. The first half of this video illustrates the point about unecessary discipline I felt..And neglectful parents too for that matter..

Because if you aren't on time you have failed at life...