Kentucky fried freedom of speech!

[jack_babalon]

When I was growing up one little fact was constantly bombarded and drilled into my head by my teachers & peers. We had to beat the Reds and win the Cold War because if we didn't, if lady liberty faltered or if our brave fighting men & women were to ever fail in their eternal vigilance- then we would live like those poor godless commie sons of bitches- constantly in fear of some invisible authority hovering over us. I was to be thankful that I lived in a country that gauranteed me freedom of speech, that allowed me to express my opinions without fear of reprisal, that allowed me to worship as I chose, that allowed me to decide what I would be and not be when I grew up. I was damn lucky not to live in the USS of R and I shouldn't even dream of laying one single doubt on my country, because questioning my country would mean questioning the very concept of freedom itself.
So what the hell happened?
Does freedom mean only choosing between commodity A or commodity B? Can one person out there seriously tell me that our founding fathers intended for children to be arrested for the content of what they write in a private journal?
Imagine the story your going to read below in a different frame. Imagine if someone told you this was Saddam Hussien's Iraq where this happened or Ben Laden's Afghanistan? You'd say "Thank god we did something to change all that despite those liberal wacko's who protested the War".

I got this from Deza:

CLARK COUNTY
Student Arrested For Terroristic Threatening Says Incident A Misunderstanding
A George Rogers Clark High School junior arrested Tuesday for making terrorist threats told LEX 18 News Thursday that the "writings" that got him arrested are being taken out of context.
Winchester police say William Poole, 18, was taken into custody Tuesday morning. Investigators say they discovered materials at Poole's home that outline possible acts of violence aimed at students, teachers, and police.
Poole told LEX 18 that the whole incident is a big misunderstanding. He claims that what his grandparents found in his journal and turned into police was a short story he wrote for English class.
"My story is based on fiction," said Poole, who faces a second-degree felony terrorist threatening charge. "It's a fake story. I made it up. I've been working on one of my short stories, (and) the short story they found was about zombies. Yes, it did say a high school. It was about a high school over ran by zombies."
Even so, police say the nature of the story makes it a felony. "Anytime you make any threat or possess matter involving a school or function it's a felony in the state of Kentucky," said Winchester Police detective Steven Caudill.
Poole disputes that he was threatening anyone.
"It didn't mention nobody who lives in Clark County, didn't mention (George Rogers Clark High School), didn't mention no principal or cops, nothing,"
said Poole. "Half the people at high school know me. They know I'm not that stupid, that crazy."
On Thursday, a judge raised Poole's bond from one to five thousand dollars after prosecutors requested it, citing the seriousness of the charge.
Poole is being held at the Clark County Detention Center.

http://www.wlextv.com/global/story.asp?s=2989614&ClientType=Printable
Okay one more time in case you missed it ...

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I am so fucking glad not to be a kid in highschool anymore!
I gotta stop now. I realize i'm just preaching to the converted.

Comments

[catwalk.livejournal.com]

zombies... zombies, goddammit!
i... it... that's... it's...

well, i suppose that's one way to control my speech;
do something so fucking ignorant that i can't even form a complete sentence.