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June 13, 2006
Quoting Adolf
CNN has an article online about the furore over yearbook photos accompanied by quotes from Adolf Hitler. The quotes used were:
1. "Strength lies not in defense, but in attack."
2. "The great masses of people ... will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one."
The quotes themselves are comparatively innocuous, so one must presume that their source is the reason for the uproar. There is even talk of disciplinary action against the students. Leaving aside my own feelings about Hitler (though, to avoid having anyone think that what I am about to say represents some sort of closet endoresement of him or his policies, let me just summarize them as follows: I am satisfied with the conclusion of WWII), what kind of a civics lesson is this? You have a right to free speech...just don't trample anyone's sensibilities?
Posted by dag at June 13, 2006 1:55 PM
Comments
I responded on my blog:
http://justinsomnia.org/2006/06/this-is-news-of-the-weird-right/
Posted by: Justin at June 13, 2006 3:48 PM
One interesting aspect of this is that the sentiments of the two quotes are not exactly original. Just today I was reading an article about Huey Long, the Ol'Kingfish himself, which offered a quote of his along the lines of 1.
Posted by: dag at June 13, 2006 10:10 PM
I guess I should add that technically the school has a right to do what it can to expunge the offending quotes: they "own" the yearbook and as such can control its content. I just think it sent a strange message.
Justin, its a good thing you didn't try your recent free speech battle in high school: I'm not sure that teachers or administrators would have seen the point (or have the guts to support you even if they did).
At the same time, I can't blame the school: they are in a hopeless position in our society these days.
Posted by: dag at June 13, 2006 10:15 PM
To add fuel to the fire, check this out:
http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=F3Y320YCIZC4CCRBAE0CFEY?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=12540348
Posted by: The Good Rabbi at June 15, 2006 9:30 AM