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http://www.examiner.com/a-1328137~S...g_ant_illegal_immigration_sign_to_school.html
Student hurt after taking ant-illegal immigration sign to school
Apr 8, 2008 5:12 PM (15 hrs ago) By PAUL J. WEBER, AP
DALLAS (Map, News) - A teenager who took a sign reading "If you love our nation, stop illegal immigration" to school said she was hurt after being swarmed by angry classmates, and administrators said Tuesday they have suspended three students involved in the scuffle.
"It's disappointing that it happened," Athens school district superintendent Fred Hayes said. "It does not surprise me with the political nature of this issue."
Melanie Bowers, 13, brought the sign to Athens Middle School on Friday as part of a class project on political activism. Each child was assigned to pick an issue and prepare a poster supporting a position.
Hayes said she was showing the sign in the hallway when a group of students tried wresting it away.
J.R. Bowers, the girl's father, said Melanie suffered scratch marks along her neck, face and arms. He said she also had a swollen jaw.
Bowers said as many as 20 students surrounded his daughter in the hallway, and Hayes said others may have hurled verbal insults. The poster was ultimately destroyed by other students.
"She was like a zebra on her arm," Bowers said of the bruises. "She believes they were intentionally trying to hurt her."
The three students given in-school suspension are Hispanic, Hayes said. Bowers is white. Although the school has video surveillance, Hayes said the incident occurred in a blind spot out of camera range but no punches were thrown.
Hayes said that since local media first reported the story in Athens, a city of 12,000 about 70 miles south of Dallas, the district has received e-mails from far away.
He said some messages are prefaced with sympathy for Bowers, but go on to say that the other students "are American citizens just like I am, and just like you are."
"Some of these people are irrational in some of the e-mails that they've been sending me about these young people," Hayes said.
Nearly 50 percent of students in the Athens school district are white and about 34 percent are Hispanic, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Hayes said the class project was not appropriate for middle school students. He said the immigration issue has become so politicized and polarizing that "it's much more than illegal now. It just becomes sinister and evil."
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I don't know where to start on this one. At the risk of looking like a bot who can't write or organize his own posts, here's a few points:
1.) The superintendent said that the issue of illegal immigration has become sinister and evil. But apparently the thugs who beat up a 13-year-old girl are not, in his eyes. Who did the issue beat up?
2.) He got messages saying the thugs "are American citizens just like I am, and like you are". Excuse me? I'm not someone who will beat up a 13-year-old girl because I disagree with a sign she is carrying for a school assignment. Those thugs are not like me at all, and I doubt they're like the superintendent either. BTW, the girl's sign was opposing ILLEGAL immigration, not American citizens.
3.) The super said there were no punches thrown, though it's not specified how he knew this since the incident took place out of range of the school's surveillance cameras. Uh-huh. Maybe the girl had a swollen jaw from chewing too much bubble gum. Yeah, that must be it.
4.) The super said the incident didn't surprise him due to the political nature of the issue. Ummm, political issues don't beat people up. Spoiled brats and other thugs who believe they can get away with anything and who like bullying and intimidating girls, beat people up. How about letting the kids learn about the political issues, while punishing the thugs until they lose their desire to beat people up?
Student hurt after taking ant-illegal immigration sign to school
Apr 8, 2008 5:12 PM (15 hrs ago) By PAUL J. WEBER, AP
DALLAS (Map, News) - A teenager who took a sign reading "If you love our nation, stop illegal immigration" to school said she was hurt after being swarmed by angry classmates, and administrators said Tuesday they have suspended three students involved in the scuffle.
"It's disappointing that it happened," Athens school district superintendent Fred Hayes said. "It does not surprise me with the political nature of this issue."
Melanie Bowers, 13, brought the sign to Athens Middle School on Friday as part of a class project on political activism. Each child was assigned to pick an issue and prepare a poster supporting a position.
Hayes said she was showing the sign in the hallway when a group of students tried wresting it away.
J.R. Bowers, the girl's father, said Melanie suffered scratch marks along her neck, face and arms. He said she also had a swollen jaw.
Bowers said as many as 20 students surrounded his daughter in the hallway, and Hayes said others may have hurled verbal insults. The poster was ultimately destroyed by other students.
"She was like a zebra on her arm," Bowers said of the bruises. "She believes they were intentionally trying to hurt her."
The three students given in-school suspension are Hispanic, Hayes said. Bowers is white. Although the school has video surveillance, Hayes said the incident occurred in a blind spot out of camera range but no punches were thrown.
Hayes said that since local media first reported the story in Athens, a city of 12,000 about 70 miles south of Dallas, the district has received e-mails from far away.
He said some messages are prefaced with sympathy for Bowers, but go on to say that the other students "are American citizens just like I am, and just like you are."
"Some of these people are irrational in some of the e-mails that they've been sending me about these young people," Hayes said.
Nearly 50 percent of students in the Athens school district are white and about 34 percent are Hispanic, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Hayes said the class project was not appropriate for middle school students. He said the immigration issue has become so politicized and polarizing that "it's much more than illegal now. It just becomes sinister and evil."
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I don't know where to start on this one. At the risk of looking like a bot who can't write or organize his own posts, here's a few points:
1.) The superintendent said that the issue of illegal immigration has become sinister and evil. But apparently the thugs who beat up a 13-year-old girl are not, in his eyes. Who did the issue beat up?
2.) He got messages saying the thugs "are American citizens just like I am, and like you are". Excuse me? I'm not someone who will beat up a 13-year-old girl because I disagree with a sign she is carrying for a school assignment. Those thugs are not like me at all, and I doubt they're like the superintendent either. BTW, the girl's sign was opposing ILLEGAL immigration, not American citizens.
3.) The super said there were no punches thrown, though it's not specified how he knew this since the incident took place out of range of the school's surveillance cameras. Uh-huh. Maybe the girl had a swollen jaw from chewing too much bubble gum. Yeah, that must be it.
4.) The super said the incident didn't surprise him due to the political nature of the issue. Ummm, political issues don't beat people up. Spoiled brats and other thugs who believe they can get away with anything and who like bullying and intimidating girls, beat people up. How about letting the kids learn about the political issues, while punishing the thugs until they lose their desire to beat people up?
so they are not racists for beating up a 13 year old white girl(20 to one) for doing a assinged project...and for the record the perps ruined their own lives...get a grip wm!
