Cobb County Superintendent Cares More About Football than Decorum, Students’ First Amendment Rights
Chris Ragsdale was blunt with what will happen if Cobb County students exercise their peaceful First Amendment Rights by protesting before football games.
“Their asses would be benched,” the school superintendent was quoted as saying by The AJC.
Ain’t nuthin sacred anymore? Kids wantin’ to voice their opinions during our Friday night traditions?
What’s most upsetting about this (other than, you know, a school district willing to violate Constitutional rights, a chief executive having no decorum, being openly antagonistic toward students almost assuredly damaging his credibility with the kids…) is that having engaged, concerned citizens should be a top priority for any school district.
Ragsdale should be saying: Cobb County educates our schoolchildren in the long, storied American tradition of peaceful protest. I am proud and honored that our students are taking those lessons to heed and peacefully expressing their opinions as enshrined in our Constitution as a beacon of greatness for the world. We welcome the free expression of ideas and beliefs, as would any noteworthy educational system, so long as it doesn’t impinge on other students.
But instead, he cares more about a football game and having to see his charges voice their concerns about the world.
Shameful.
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I’m pretty liberal but I am conflicted on this. I mean, when you are on the football team you are essentially joining a club, and you agree to abide by the rules of that club. Break the rules, face the consequences.
On the other hand, you don’t want to force all players to, say, pray to Jesus, or Allah for that matter.
So I don’t know.
Yes, there are rules but you can’t have a government trying to overrule the Constitution. I mean, you can, but it won’t work out well for you.
I found some stuff from the ACLU which sounds like you could kneel (or express yourself otherwise) during the Pledge of Allegiance, or some other function of the whole school, but that doesn’t address voluntary extra-curricular activities. “Benching” might be an appropriate response, but they certainly couldn’t actually discipline anyone for it or suspend them. Maybe they need a written policy, because if they don’t it’s just too arbitrary.
Having said all that, I think Ragsdale is being a putz.
I’m 100% with the Ragsdale and so is the NBA – Sec H/P2 – “Players, coaches and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the National Anthem.” – http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/1314-nba-rule-book.pdf
Football is a team sport thus requiring a collection of athletes willing to sometimes sacrifice individual goals for overall team cohesion and success. If they want to stage a protest, find another way.
Also on a side note, Ragsdale is doing his job to prevent what could turn into a less than savory situation if other teammates decide to take action. Kudos to the super for stepping up, NFL commish Goodell can take a lesson from this common sense decision.
lol. A private organization has the same standards as a government.
Please tell me you’re trolling.
So ed, you good with a player donning a rebel flag shirt instead of his football jersey as a form of protest? Or maybe a BLM shirt?
Telling a high school football player to stand for the anthem is in perfect alignment with other rules meant to maintain order within a government school system. Example from Cobb County – http://www.cobbk12.org/northcobb/dress%20code.pdf
– Clothing or ornamentation, which advertises alcohol or substances that are illegal for, minors, or which displays suggestive phrases, designs, markings, or profanities are also prohibited.
– Clothing that displays weapons, violence, gang affiliations, or other logos that cause dissension are not permitted.
lol.
mic drop (since we’re down to mindless cliché replies).
I’m loling that you completely missed the point of the entire post. And you keep whiffing
If schools can drug test student-athletes then a school school system should be able to regulate other player behavior, particularly behavior that occurs during or before a game.
Not allowing constitutional rights is the same as enforcing the law. Right.
School personnel (unless they are police officers) are administrative officials. You won’t go to jail for a silent protest. My drug testing reference is to show that school folks can regulate behavior. If an athlete yelled and screamed unnecessarily on the sideline the coach could kick him off the team. A silent protest could be similarly distracting and/or disrespectful.
Additionally, sports are a voluntary school activity, not an activity mandated by government.
There are so many red herrings in this comment, we could start a canning factory.
So football is a team sport, but it is run by adults. So tell me, if the coaching staff were Muslim, would you support them kneeling to their God? Because that is exactly what Christian coaches are enforcing: THEIR religious and nationalistic positions on kids who may or MAY NOT agree with their dictates.
Perhaps you are right. Coaches are moral leaders and should be put in controlling our children’s actions and thoughts. Hell, Jerry Sandusky had the same ultimate control over his charges. That worked out just swell.
*eyeroll*
So the irony of this post coming right after the one regarding Hice, Free Speech, and churchs is pretty obvious to everyone else right…
Cant wait to see which posters exhibit actual consistency.
This issue is now the next losing battle in the GOPs culture war. Instead of addressing legitimate concerns and standing by a citizens right to protest the right will instead make this an issue about who is more patriotic. Of course it will be them…jingoism goes hand in hand with fear as their favored tactic.
i may find myself in a unique position in this argument bc i have always felt that kneeling was an act of respect. it’s an act of humility by nature. even Zod agrees.
You lost me at:
“long, storied American tradition of peaceful protest”
Now you want the School Superintendent to lie.