Is it me, or is this map amusing? Growing up a Hoosier, I think it is.
Highlight the next line down if you want to know what the question was, but the humor comes from not knowing the question.
The Question was which college football quarterback will be most successful in the NFL? (Blue = Sam Bradford, Red = Jimmy Clausen, Green = Colt McCoy) Source: ESPN.com
- End of spoiler section
I will be ranting incoherently for the next few paragraphs. Please feel free to ignore, but damnit, I've got a right to say what I think, just like that student.
As a devotee of the tremendous communicative powers of the internet, it never fails to amaze me how (presumably) otherwise sensible people see speech on the internet and somehow think it's not speech.
Honestly, would a principal suspend an honors student who was sitting around with their friends bad-mouthing a teacher at the local Steak-n-Shake? (Frighteningly for student's rights, that answer is too often yes)... but I'd generally think that suspension would be revoked with a public apology as soon as the kid's attorney rang up the school to let them know they were about to be sued... but because the opinion was expressed on Facebook instead of the time-honored non-electronic forum... somehow the Principal and school board think they can get away with infringing on this student's free speech.
Bless the ACLU. They may periodically take up some ridiculous cases... but I'm certainly happy some one's got her back.
Yeah, I know I'm not the most impartial observer, but please people. It's not like it was an afterthought. It's the FIRST amendment, the first enumerated Freedom of the people. Whether it's a newspaper, a streetcorner, facebook, or on the sidewalk in front of the teacher's home... Americans have the right to freely express themselves through speech. What kind of example is being set? Why did this girl have to go to Federal Court to express herself as she saw fit? (Bless the Courts, too, while we're at it... imperfect as they may be.) GRRRR!!!!!!
I feel like heading over to the Freedom museum at the Trib Tower. Maybe Stephen Colbert will sell me some First Amendment body wash... maybe I should market it.
