[saymaListserv] Cookeville School Board meeting

[Steve Livingston]

Not answering for any Friend except myself; others may be moved 
to unite with my observation or offer other thoughts. I think our 
lurker friend asks a very appropriate question for all of us to hold in 
the Light whenever we are called upon to speak the truth of our 
Peace Testimony.

The sitting President of our nation has defined Peace as a political 
issue by identifying himself as a "wartime President" and stating 
that "either you are with us or you are with the terrorists". Any 
attempt to dismiss Peace as a political issue is an exercise in futility; 
it was not up to us to create such a definition, and we are in no 
position to dispute it.

However there is a difference between statements that can be 
construed as political and statements that can be construed as 
partisan, and this is the point upon which the situation actually turns, 
in my opinion. There is absolutely no reason for the school board to 
attempt to prohibit political discourse in the schools, in fact to do so 
would run counter to their mandate to educate our youth, and would 
be a most fundamental and egregious violation of the First 
Amendment to the Constitution.

On the other hand, it is entirely reasonable for the school board to 
be concerned about disseminating materials of a partisan nature in 
the schools, and this is a point upon which we Friends would be led 
by our experience and our testimony of equality to concede. It then 
becomes incumbent upon all involved - including the military 
recruiters - to avoid any language that makes value judgments 
about political parties, rather than burdening the school with making 
value judgments about what constitutes a political statement.

Steve

On 6 Feb 2005 at 9:59, Susan Jeffers wrote:

> "But when he looked at the material, he found it to be "of a political
> nature," he said, and he decided the whole issue should be brought to
> the school board."
> 
> Maybe I missed it here on the SAYMA list, but can anyone tell me
> specifics of what the material consisted of, and what might have been
> construed as "political"?
> 
> Thanks from a lurker,
> 
> Susan Jeffers
> 
> -----------------------------------------------
> EMail: susan at read-the-bible.org
> Peace Church Bible Study Home Page: www.read-the-bible.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Steve Livingston
nc_stereoman at charter.net
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