AofG Update: "I feel awful, like I was dehumanized." 'Scuse me while I vomit. (Original Post after the jump.)
Original Post 1/24:
So, I'm hearing all types of people bellyaching over the treatment this kid received in school.
"A 17-year-old high school student said he was humiliated when a teacher made him sit on the floor during a midterm exam in his ethnicity class - for wearing a Denver Broncos jersey. The teacher, John Kelly, forced Joshua Vannoy to sit on the floor and take the test Friday - two days before the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Broncos 34-17 in the AFC championship game. Kelly also made other students throw crumpled up paper at Vannoy, whom he called a "stinking Denver fan," Vannoy told The Associated Press on Monday."If he was six years-old, yeah, maybe I could muster up some sympathy. But a 17 year-old getting pissy? About this? Really? The Pussification of America continues in earnest. Depressing.
well, to be fair, being forced to sit on the floor during an exam isn't exactly an ideal situation and can fuck your shit up for the exam. distractions are distractions. i mean, i never took school ultra-seriously, but even i've yelled at a person for tapping their pen during a final. haha during exams isn't exactly the right time to be fooling around with people like that.
other than that, yeah...a little razzin' during playoff time; no biggie. shit...the grief i've gotten over the years as a Bills fan and he's getting pissy over getting a little flack for being a Denver fan? pfff
broken link, by the way. 404'D!
Posted by: brian | January 24, 2006 at 06:13 AM
They should've made him wear a Kordell Stewart jersey.
Posted by: Coop | January 24, 2006 at 07:38 AM
"They should've made him wear a Kordell Stewart jersey."
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Posted by: Jackie | January 24, 2006 at 07:57 AM
I was forced (thrown) to the floor everyday in high school. And only paper was thrown at him?
And this wasn't because of my favorite sports team. If only people didn't like me because my sports team was different. I can change my sports team. However, I can't change being ugly, poor, unathletic, and a general social outcast.
You would think the abuse would stop after high school......but here I am at work...in the basement.
Posted by: M. Butler | January 24, 2006 at 08:44 AM
Who knew the M. in M. Butler stood for Milton?
They shouldn;t have fucked with your stapler, man.
Posted by: puddy | January 24, 2006 at 08:59 AM
Wow, I hope they give the guy a tissue to wipe the tears off of his vagina.
If you're going to wear a pro jersey as a shirt (which, by the way, it's not), then you can fully expect some razzing in your direction by people that don't like the team. It's not like anybody torched the kid's car or anything. They just put him on the floor! What a bitch!
By the way, isn't that what 17 year old kids do? It's not like he's in the corporate world or anything. This is some bullshit!
Posted by: Maine | January 24, 2006 at 09:20 AM
tough crowd. mentally, I was still pretty impressionable and fragile at 17. Something like that would have an impact on most kids that age.
Posted by: bv | January 24, 2006 at 10:32 AM
"I was still pretty impressionable and fragile at 17. Something like that would have an impact on most kids that age."
All the more reason. Humility is a lesson that every kid needs to learn. The question becomes then, what is excessive?" I don't think this even approaches the realm of excessive. To quote Ray Liotta's character in Goodfellas, "The way I see it, everybody takes a beating some time."
Posted by: Coop | January 24, 2006 at 11:31 AM
Has anybody actually read the story? The link doesn't work, but according to what's written above,it was the teacher who made the kid sit in the floor, the teacher who ridiculed him, the teacher who "made" the other students throw paper at him "while he was taking the mid-term exam". Now, if this kid was acting like some kind of jackass before this happened, fine, kick his ass all 'round the room. But if he just showed up for class and the teacher started this shit with no other provocation, fuck that. Teacher needs to get in another line of work. I have a 12 year old boy myself and I'm pretty good at telling him to suck it up and get over it, but if some bozo jackass with a degree from the community college did this shit to my son, I would stomp his sorry ass all the way back to the Dark Ages. Fuck a lawsuit, I wanna do some good ol' fashioned ass kickin'!
Posted by: lattalayne | January 24, 2006 at 11:39 AM
Link is fixed. Thanks for the heads up.
Posted by: Jackie | January 24, 2006 at 11:50 AM
At age 17, your teachers are now legally allowed to bust on your shit in class.
Seriously? If you can't handle being made to sit on a floor and take a test while people throw paper at you by age 17, you will fail as an adult. That's the softest, pussiest "abuse" I've ever heard in my life. The kid should have been laughing through it. I mean, he's 17, for crying out loud.
Posted by: Maine | January 24, 2006 at 12:28 PM
I realize you guys are trying to be tough Americans and all but come on... If I found out a teacher put my kid through this during an exam I would beat his ass...Hell, if I was the 17 year old I would have stood up and kicked the shit out of this supposed Teacher. And if you don't believe me go ask my Vice Principal in high school how well we got along.
Posted by: jbcizool | January 24, 2006 at 12:59 PM
"And if you don't believe me go ask my Vice Principal in high school how well we got along."
Story?
Posted by: Jackie | January 24, 2006 at 01:40 PM
Thanks for fixing the link.
OK, now that I've gotten to actually read the article, I can tell you two things:
1) The student is in fact a whiny little bitch and if he were my kid I would beat the crap out of him.
2) I still say the teacher is an assclown who should have his teaching license yanked. If he treated my kid that way, I would expect to be getting a call from the principal or the police telling me that my son had been arrested for assaulting his teacher. Then I would bail him out and go buy him some ice cream.
Posted by: lattalayne | January 24, 2006 at 02:19 PM
jbcizool says:
"I realize you guys are trying to be tough Americans and all but come on... "
and then:
"if I was the 17 year old I would have stood up and kicked the shit out of this supposed Teacher."
Okay then. It looks like we're on the same page. We're not saying the student should have just taken it without retaliation. We're just saying he shouldn't have reacted like such a little bitch.
Posted by: Coop | January 24, 2006 at 02:52 PM
My bitch with this was that it was a teacher that did this and he chose to do it during an exam. I think that could affect an exam grade. That being said, maybe the kid should have stood up for himself--told the teacher to fuck off and refused to sit on the floor and be subjected to this BS. That's what I (at least like to think) would have done. Not run to the press.
Oh yea, any bets on how long it'll be before the obligatory lawsuit is filed against the teacher/school? This is America, after all, so I'd expect no less.
Posted by: BlueDevilyn | January 24, 2006 at 02:56 PM
My bitch with this was that it was a teacher that did this and he chose to do it during an exam. I think that could affect an exam grade. That being said, maybe the kid should have stood up for himself--told the teacher to fuck off and refused to sit on the floor and be subjected to this BS. That's what I (at least like to think) would have done. Not run to the press.
Oh yea, any bets on how long it'll be before the obligatory lawsuit is filed against the teacher/school? This is America, after all, so I'd expect no less.
Posted by: BlueDevilyn | January 24, 2006 at 03:05 PM
Blue Devilyn, you are saying exactly what I think. You expect 17 year old kids to act that way, but teachers should be above it.
And, yes, I'm sure somebody is scrambling for a lawyer. And, no, they damned well shouldn't. Just catch the teacher 'round behind the building sometime and beat the crap out of him. That's how we do it in my family...
Posted by: lattalayne | January 24, 2006 at 03:08 PM
"Okay then. It looks like we're on the same page. We're not saying the student should have just taken it without retaliation. We're just saying he shouldn't have reacted like such a little bitch."
I was put in a situation where an "adult" (Vice-Principal) had it in for me and was making my high school life shitty. His last attempt I erupted in his face and we began a pretty nice wrestling match that had to be broken up by security. Luckily I wasn't punished as much as I could have been. My point is: it should never have gotten that far. The teacher is the adult and should not be doing this to a kid. And 17 is a kid. No matter how much you think you know, i wasn't thinking the same at 17 as I am now.
Posted by: jbcizool | January 24, 2006 at 03:47 PM
"No matter how much you think you know, i wasn't thinking the same at 17 as I am now."
Really? You're not still thinking about partying and getting laid?
All kidding aside, I agree with your point that the teacher went too far. At a minimum, he should be suspended. But if you know how teachers unions work, getting rid of him won't be easy. In any event, those kind of shenanigans continue on well after high school, ESPECIALLY in college. And also out in the real world. If he was too young to man up and take his licks, the family should still have stopped the lad from rolling down Pussy Avenue and -- as you pointed out -- given the teacher some bruises to remember. Promoting, or even allowing the whining sets a bad example for the boy (and every other little 17 year old punk).
Posted by: Coop | January 24, 2006 at 04:30 PM
"I have a 12 year old boy myself and I'm pretty good at telling him to suck it up and get over it, but if some bozo jackass with a degree from the community college did this shit to my son, I would stomp his sorry ass all the way back to the Dark Ages." -lattalayne
slow down, chief. degree from community college? show some fucking respect, douche. (b.a. and m.a. here) i work my fuckin' ass off, i coach two sports, i'm the advisor to student government, and i operate the clock for basketball and wrestling matches. and because we have 30 hour days, i have all the time in the world to get this done and not even lose sleep. wait, i don't have thirty hour days. but, with lesson planning and grading (which i get back to students quickly) i only work like i have a 30 hour day.
why do i do it all? cause i love it, and i like the idea that i might make a positive difference in society. but when asshats like you think that "those who teach, can't", i want to find your ilk and put them in my classroom, and see what kind of impact they have. then i want them to sit up until 2 am to grade papers because you know that feedback is only effective if it is timely, than get to work at 7:15 because you need to make yourself available for the students who need extra help.
fuck that noise, dickhead. "oh you don't work summers, so why are you bitching?" um, to make ends meet, my wife and i need to find another job. not every teacher deserves to have their job, but that can be said for any occupation out there. we wonder why people think that kids today have no respect. the apple doesn't fall far from the rotted out tree.[/hatefilledrantdirectedatmotherfuckerswhojustdontunderstand]
i will say this. the teacher is an idiot for putting himself in that position. just plain dumb. but, the kid should have respectfully declined, and if pushed, left the room and reported it. but whining about it suggests only one thing: this isn't the first, or last time he's done this.
Posted by: ryan | January 24, 2006 at 08:29 PM
Oh, Ryan, please un-bunch your panties. You just launched a personal attack against me, who you do not know. Are you the teacher in this story? Do you treat your students in this manner? If not, well, I guess I wasn't talking about you, was I? You, however, knowing absolutely nothing about me, go off on the above little tirade. Directed at me.
So let me tell you a little about me. You seemed to assume that I was a guy? Wrong, Ryan. I am a divorced, single mother. I work 54 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, minus 2 weeks vacation and a week sick time. I while away all my free time doing all my own home cleaning and maintainance and spending time with my son. I have no company retirement plan, only an IRA stock portfolio that I put together on my own. I guess you probably only have that state retirement package to look forward to, huh? Must be pretty tough for you. So, I'm so sorry that you and your poor wife have to work some in the summer. That must be such a hardship for the two of you.
I am a product of the South Carolina educational system. We had a saying about that system while I was in school. It was "Thank God for Mississippi." I had teachers who slept through class, teachers who left class soon after it started and then didn't return until just before the bell. There were backwards, uneducated people instructing kids, because that was all thay could get in rural South Carolina.
You are either very naive, stupid, or just a liar if you want to try to tell the world that there are not plenty of under-qualified, under-educated, burnt out and disinterested teachers employed around this country right now. You may be an exception, but don't get all lathered up when somebody points out that they do exist.I had plenty of them myself. My son has already had a couple of his own.
So, Ryan, next time you get all worked up and want to start making personal attacks against somebody you know nothing about, maybe you just need to count slowly to ten and get over it. Go sharpen some pencils or something.
Posted by: lattalayne | January 25, 2006 at 07:03 AM
Great vibe in here. This is a personal favorite: "Go sharpen some pencils or something."
Go get your shine box!
Posted by: Coop | January 25, 2006 at 07:36 AM
lattalyne,
first, yes it was personal. why? because you wrote it. while i can't excuse my language and name-calling, and for that i want to sincerely apologize, i want to point out a couple of things.
1. nowhere in my rambling diatribe did i make the assumption you were a man. would it have been better if i called you a "bitch"? your point on the issue is irrelevant.
2. i of course know that you weren't talking about me, but your logic is faulty. unless you know the degree held by the teacher in question, the phrase "some bozo jackass with degree from a community college" is just as presumptive as my supposed presumptions about you. would it be okay if it was someone with a doctorate in education? you call me out for that, but you don't even see it in your own writing?
2b. thus, within that context, you were ascribing a particular representation to teachers. so, when i read that comment, after long day and night of working (by the way, while i don't have the tremendous responsibility of raising a child as a single parent, and my father was one, i don't have a maid, chef, or personal shopper) my lack of sleep contributed to my vituperative response. but, the message remains the same: since i am a teacher, i am damn-well going to take offense to that.
3. i did make the point that there are teachers who don't deserve their jobs. you might have missed it.
4. the point i was making about summer employment is something you missed. i wasn't going for sympathy, i was pointing out another misperception about teachers having summers off. in having these conversations before, that is generally the first argument of the uninformed. i jumped the gun. but don't be petty about the subject.
have a nice day!
Posted by: ryan | January 25, 2006 at 08:41 AM
Ryan: I see your points, and appreciate your position. I was guilty of making too broad of a generalization and you were guilty of being overly sensitive to that generalization. We both need to get over it and try to do better.
I'm sure you are one of those who does a good job in your teaching and who gives a damn about it. Unfortunately my personal experience in school didn't bring me in contact with more than two or three teachers such as yourself. I hope that you can understand that my personal opinions are based entirely on what I experienced first-hand. It's not just some concept or theory that I pulled out of thin air. It's what I actually witnessed.
Have a good day, Ryan. Teach them young 'uns well. We're all counting on you...
Posted by: lattalayne | January 25, 2006 at 09:20 AM
This would have never happened if he wore Elways old orange jersey.
Posted by: UC | January 25, 2006 at 03:11 PM
And don't you have to have at least a BA to teach. So the whole Community College degree thing is bullshit.
Posted by: jbcizool | January 25, 2006 at 03:30 PM
And don't you have to have at least a BA to teach. So the whole Community College degree thing is bullshit.
Posted by: jbcizool | January 25, 2006 at 03:30 PM
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Actually, jb, I don't even have to go to a community college. And I can have a BA in most anything and get a job as a teacher. I know a couple of people right now with exactly zero college credits in education who are teaching middle school math. They're good guys and I imagine they do a good job, but they were never trained for the jobs they hold.
And for that matter, I can get myself a genuine degree in education from an accredit university without leaving the comfort of my own home. Try Googling "education degree program". And trust me, the public school system is so desperate for teachers, you'd be welcomed with open arms with one of those degrees. So, yes, I was exagerating when I said "community college". I should have said "online degree". Sorry...
Posted by: lattalayne | January 26, 2006 at 10:20 AM
It's true. A friend of mine got a full ride to the University of Phoenix on a basketball scholarship. There he got his teaching degree and now teaches online math, as well as coaches an online basketball team. He's very dedicated.
Posted by: Coop | January 26, 2006 at 12:57 PM