A group of students at a suburban Minnesota high school are asking for help.
These students - strongly against the war in Iraq - asked for and received permission in Dec. to set-up a counter-recruitment table in response to an on-campus military recruitment table being staffed at their school.
On Dec. 8, more than 230 of their Bloomington Kennedy classmates signed the group's petition demanding that military recruiters not be allowed on campus.
Today's issue after the fold>>
Both the military recruiters and the anti-war group received permission to staff their tables again today (Feb. 23). But the anti-war student club was suddenly told that they could not set-up their table.
For weeks now we have been planning to set up an anti-war information table today (February 23), when the military recruiters are scheduled to table at Kennedy High. We had obtained permission and reserved a table. But Tuesday morning (yesterday) our Principal got a visit to his office by representatives from the American Legion. They told him that unless he stopped us from tabling, they would stop donating money to Bloomington Public Schools. Our principal also got a call from the District Superintendent, who had also met with the American Legion, who also instructed him to shut down our club, Youth Against War and Racism.
This is absolutely insane. What kind of lessons are we teaching our kids about the right of free speech?
I don't know anyone in the school district, and I don't know if any of the teachers or parents are supporting these kids, but they deserve to know that there are many of us out here who appreciate what they are doing.
Here is what the students are asking people to do:
Call the Bloomington Schools Superintendent, Gary Prest (952-681-6402) and Kennedy High Principal Ronald Simmons (952-681-5050). Call right now and urge them to respect our free speech rights and to stand up against the American Legion's blackmail of our school district.
And here is the contact information for the student club:
Take five minutes today and make a call to help them out. They need to know that they are not alone.