Student sues after refusal of anti-abortion club -- dailypress.com

A Colonial Forge High School student is suing Stafford County's public school system for refusing to let her start an anti-abortion club.

[Pro-Life]

Good for you! You go girl! If schools can have gay clubs, then this brave young lady should be able to start a pro-life club. God Bless her!

[Bitner]

I'm pro-choice, but just want to say that the school really messed up here. I would venture to say that most after school clubs have NOTHING to do with the curriculum, and this one should have been allowed provided it followed the rules that all after school clubs must follow.

[B McCormick]

A club that promotes religious-inspired, closed-minded, hate-mongering vitriol has no place in the public school system. If she wants to start such a club, she needs to go through her church, where she'll find much greater support. Maybe the church will help fund a trip to Kinkos to print out huge 40 x 60 posters of bloody fetuses. That, after all, is the key visual rhetoric for these clubs filled with conservative wackos. I wouldn't be suprised if she sues to start an anti-homosexual club next week.

[Dennis S]

B McCormick wrote:

A club that promotes religious-inspired, closed-minded, hate-mongering vitriol has no place in the public school system. If she wants to start such a club, she needs to go through her church, where she'll find much greater support. Maybe the church will help fund a trip to Kinkos to print out huge 40 x 60 posters of bloody fetuses. That, after all, is the key visual rhetoric for these clubs filled with conservative wackos. I wouldn't be suprised if she sues to start an anti-homosexual club next week.

You obviously are on the pro-choice, pro-abortion side of this argument, and also seem to deeply resent people who form their life values on Biblical principles. The girl in tis story can probably give many reasons why abortion is a bad and harmful idea, and there are many reasons that are health-related. What are your reasons for arguing that it is necessary and benefical? Is your animosity of Christian values based on your refusal to subjugate your will to an Almighty God who has clearly set down rules for life in the Bible? I am not trying to say that abortions should be completely illegal, but people who share a Christian belief in the sanctity of human life should not be prevented from advocating their views. Since when are Christians 'haters'? To Christians, all people are children of God and are worthy of His grace. But there are actions and deeds which people do that are against God's word, and should be spoken against. Also, the courts have repeatedly ruled that the use of public school facilities for voluntary religion-based clubs does NOT violate the Constitution. The only thing which is in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution is that, "Congress shall make no law regarding the establishment of religion, or the free exercise thereof." The separation of church and state argument as it partains to the removal of every mention of God from the public schools is a myth.

[Great Thinker]

Kids in school need to focus on learning core skills they need to function in society........like math, grammer, reading, etc. Too many kids are graduating from school without these skills.

I am pro-choice......but I don't have a problem with anti-abortion expressing their opinion.....I just don't think public school should be the platform.

Lets keep the real purpose of school in mind here.

[Elizabeth]

About time those of us on the right(and I might add we are called that for a reason:-)) started to speak up and do the right thing! I applaud her wholeheartedly, and wish her luck.

[Bitner]

Great Thinker wrote:

Kids in school need to focus on learning core skills they need to function in society........like math, grammer, reading, etc. Too many kids are graduating from school without these skills.
I am pro-choice......but I don't have a problem with anti-abortion expressing their opinion.....I just don't think public school should be the platform.
Lets keep the real purpose of school in mind here.

I'd agree with you, except that what we are talking about is an after school club. This does not interfere with the school day. If they are prepared to follow the rules that the other after school clubs follow, then the school had no right to deny them.

[gaw]

I don't even understand pro-gay clubs in high school. Kids that young are not supposed to be having sex so I don't think a school should be condoning the issue. Likewise, I don't think abortion (either side of the fence) should be an issue for kids this age any more than something like a cat house club (in places where those are legal).

What ever happened to the chess club? Our children are growing up too fast these days.

[Joe McNichol]

I'm a staunch anti-abortionist too but give me a break on the flippin lawsuits already! I'm counting the days until my sons can sue me for spanking them when the clock strikes 18 years old. I should be quiet though as big brother’s Social Services might abscond with my kids now aye?

[Mike in Va]

B McCormick wrote:

A club that promotes religious-inspired, closed-minded, hate-mongering vitriol has no place in the public school system. If she wants to start such a club, she needs to go through her church, where she'll find much greater support. Maybe the church will help fund a trip to Kinkos to print out huge 40 x 60 posters of bloody fetuses. That, after all, is the key visual rhetoric for these clubs filled with conservative wackos. I wouldn't be suprised if she sues to start an anti-homosexual club next week.

I agree because it does violete the separation of church & state to have a religion based "club" being sponsered by the public school system & as a Virginia resident,with family in Stafford county I hope the courts throw out this lawsuit on those grounds.

[Johnny13]

Elizabeth wrote:

About time those of us on the right(and I might add we are called that for a reason:-))

Yes there is. It is the side of the room that Royalty sat on in the French parliament back in the 1700s. They were conservative in comparison to the common people who sat on the left side, were considered liberal because of their desire for their government to be a Democracy.

[Bitner]

Mike in Va wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree because it does violete the separation of church & state to have a religion based "club" being sponsered by the public school system & as a Virginia resident,with family in Stafford county I hope the courts throw out this lawsuit on those grounds.

Mike, no after school club is 'sponsored' by the school, it's simply the place they are held. The students do all the work involved with the club, and the only 'school' involvement is a teacher who agrees to be there to see that the rules are followed, and that the kids are safe.

[JayDubya]

You don't have to be religious to oppose murder.

[Lezlie]

This is not a violation of her civil rights: She has all the freedom in the world to organize her club off campus.

Schools are for learning. What a distraction.

[steph]

Bitner wrote:

<quoted text>
Mike, no after school club is 'sponsored' by the school, it's simply the place they are held. The students do all the work involved with the club, and the only 'school' involvement is a teacher who agrees to be there to see that the rules are followed, and that the kids are safe.

i really dont know how i feel about this one. there are plenty of clubs i would not like to see at a public school - youth neo-nazi club, anti-gay club, etc. what if the club subscribed to the idea of a lot of PLM groups that think its ok to terrorize anyone involved in the pro-choice movement? i'm not saying that that is necessarily the case, but considering the history of the PLM, i think its a legitimate concern of the school.

[pbfa]

steph wrote:

<quoted text>
i really dont know how i feel about this one. there are plenty of clubs i would not like to see at a public school - youth neo-nazi club, anti-gay club, etc. what if the club subscribed to the idea of a lot of PLM groups that think its ok to terrorize anyone involved in the pro-choice movement? i'm not saying that that is necessarily the case, but considering the history of the PLM, i think its a legitimate concern of the school.

Good point, steph. With their history of violence, murder, harassment, arson, bombings, dishonesty, etc, I can understand the concern the school may have over opening its doors to the PLM. I tend to lean in the direction of freedom of assembly (even for this kind of agenda), but that's an interesting thought.

[marysaidyes2life]

Lezlie wrote:

This is not a violation of her civil rights: She has all the freedom in the world to organize her club off campus.
Schools are for learning. What a distraction.

there go the pro-choicers that have a problem with someone who wants to choose something other than what they would choose, what a bunch of hypocrites.

[pbfa]

marysaidyes2life wrote:

<quoted text>
there go the pro-choicers that have a problem with someone who wants to choose something other than what they would choose, what a bunch of hypocrites.

Why don't you know that the phrase pro-choice refers to the abortion discussion? Why haven't you seen that the people thoughtfully considering this nutjob kid's request include PC?

I am reminded of Tull's album Thick as a Brick.

[Rachel]

Bitner wrote:

I'm pro-choice, but just want to say that the school really messed up here. I would venture to say that most after school clubs have NOTHING to do with the curriculum, and this one should have been allowed provided it followed the rules that all after school clubs must follow.

I agree, and on the same note, a PC club will probably go hand in hand - and then I wonder what will happen.

You don't think it would become as heated as it is on these threads; do you? I wonder what would happen then? hmmmmmm

[Rachel]

marysaidyes2life wrote:

<quoted text>
there go the pro-choicers that have a problem with someone who wants to choose something other than what they would choose, what a bunch of hypocrites.

You have to remember; tempers would flare. As reasonable as it sounds, what do you think would happen at a school with after school clubs like this?

It may start off o.k., but do you honestly think it would stay 'civil'. These are teenagers, and teenagers can have a tendency to think in the 'now' and not the 'future'.(not all, but some) And before you type that everyone, and not just teenagers have that ability; really think about it. REALLY think about it.

Heat of the moment.......