Oregon School's Zero Tolerance Dishonors War Vets

In January, I reported on a Kuwaiti student at Foothill's College in California, who received a failing grade on his final exam for objecting to the following question on the test:

Analyze the U.S. Constitution...and show how its formulation excluded the majority of people living in America at that time, and how it was dominated by America's elite interests.

The young man, whose family was tortured when Saddam Hussein's troops invaded his country in 1990 was later told by the professor that his views are "irrational" and he was "naive for believing in the greatness of this country ...America is not God's gift to the world.... You need regular psychotherapy."

You can bet I had some sharp words to share with the President of Foothill's College via email:President Bernadine Chuck Fong: fongbernadine@foothill.edu.

Here We Go Again

Just in case there is one person remaining in this country who hasn't yet seen through the idiocy and blatant liberal censorship of political correctness in our nations schools and universities, here's another example:

At Dick McKay High School in Salem Oregon, Social Studies teacher Rick Costa displays photographs of McKay graduates at work. Shea Riecke, a freshman in Mr. Costa's class brought in a photograph of her brother Bill, a decorated Marine Corps veteran who has completed two tours of duty in Iraq and anticipates a third this summer. Bill, a McKay grad and four year letterman on the Royal Scotsmen football team was shown posing with his fellow Marines in Iraq, carrying their weapons.

School Principal Cynthia Richardson (email address: richardson_cynthia@salkeiz.k12.or.us) objected to the photo on the grounds of the school's zero tolerance policy for weapons, even though the policy does not prohibit photographs of weapons. Connie Riecke, mother of student Shea and Corporal Riecke, , is a poster at a blog named Marine Corps Moms. The story got out from there, even reaching Rush Limbaugh's radio audience.

The school had initially offered to digitally alter the photo and remove the weapons. The Riecke family thought this would be dishonest and wanted students to know the serious and deadly nature of war. The school then claimed their objection was NOT to the weapons but the gentleman shown in the left of the photograph who was not wearing a shirt and had "tattoos."

Now the school has permitted another photo of Corporal Riecke, still with his weapon, but also posing with an Iraqi boy and no shirtless Marines with tattoos are visible.

What gives here?

When first questioned by KATU Television in Salem, Principal Richardson asks: "What message am I sending to my students if I post that picture?" In a later interview Ms. Richardson claims to be "a very strong advocate of the military" and denies that her initial decision was based on any political correctness.

I decided to answer Richardson's original question and emailed her the following:

Principal Richardson:

I'm heartened to learn from subsequent KATU reports that you are "a very strong advocate of the military" and that your decision to disallow the earlier photo of Corporal Riecke was not based on political correctness.

You're quoted in the earlier KATU report as saying: "What message am I sending to my students if I post that picture." I'd like to answer that if I may:

I need not remind you that the brave and willing sacrifice of men and women willing to bear arms is the foundation for our nation's freedom and the prosperity we currently enjoy. I'm sure I also do not need to remind you, an African-American ,of the sacrifice during our nation's civil war that allowed President Lincoln to free the slaves.

The message your students need to understand here is that the freedom they enjoy is not easy to maintain. Graduates of McKay, such as Corporal Riecke, are doing dangerous, serious and often very unpleasant work to assure your students will have brighter futures in a more peaceful world.

Without the brave service of men like Bill Riecke the horror of September 11 might be a more frequent occurrence in the lives of your students.

That is the message they should be receiving. Unfortunately, your actions have created confusion where clarity is most needed.

Michael Miller
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina