Ninth-grader punished for asking Army pilot sensitive question

The Associated Press - Friday, September 23, 2005
FARGO, N.D.

http://www.in-forum.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D8CPVDM80

A ninth-grader here has been banned from his school's assemblies after asking a sensitive question to a U.S. Army pilot.

Phil Sannes also had to apologize to speaker Michael Durant after he asked the "Black Hawk Down" helicopter pilot on Thursday whether he had been raped during his capture by hostile forces in Somalia.

Seriously, you think this service man was at their school fairly portraying the horror of war- or just attempting to masturbate the children into believeing it's "fun" to fight our wars?


PB

What is your reaction to Discovery Junior High’s decision to punish a student for asking a sensitive question at a school assembly?

RC
09/24 09:20 a.m. How many Discovery Jr Hi students are reading this topic here? How many students were at the assembly, but did not hear the question or understand it at the time, but know now? Word gets around. How many from the areas other Jr Hi's? How about Elementary schools. I can imagine the kids deemed too young by some to handle the subject, flocking here just to enlighten themselves. I'm sure they know how to use google. If the school thought the question was inappropriate, pull the offending student aside later and tell him, one on one. Then drop it. Why does this country always seem to have to use some kind of punishment as a learning tool? It has been my experience that all that does is spark rebellion and disrespect. There are other, better ways. As a single parent, I raised my kids with the idea that I would trust them till I had reason not to. A simple question or word to the wise was all that was needed. They met that responsibility from a young age and they turned out fine. The school administration needs to learn that lesson.

jean
09/24 09:15 a.m. i don't think the kid should be punnished. kids need to know the realities. maybe if the dialog was opened up we could prevent people like ortner from having such easy access to kids. We need to educate our youth about the sick things that go on in life.

Gloria S
09/24 09:14 a.m. The issue is not free speech, like his father claims, it's about respect. Why do you and the TV stations give an issue like this so much ink? You're just encouraging that kid to continue to act this way. I would have rather seen a story about the Air Museum & that beautiful B-17.

offensive
09/24 09:14 a.m. From the quotes in the article, it sounds like his father doesn't understand how to instill compassion and a sense of human decency into his son. The question was inappropriate and showed no respect to the speaker. The speaker had said there were details he was unwilling to share. The boy should have "heard" that and respected the speaker's wishes.

Military Child
09/24 09:13 a.m. I agree with the comments pertaining to there not being enough information regarding the intnet in which the question was asked. Further, I would want to know if this kid is a smart alec or simply has an inqusitive nature. Evidently this boy's father (who knows him better than us) thinks the latter. Let's not judge the parenting skills of others unless we have perfect children ourselves. I think we should let Mr. Durant decide whether or not he was truly offended. As for the rest of us, as you watch an evening of television with your children write down how many sexual references and inuendos are made in an evening. Are you being entertained or turning the channel? Don't be so surprised when our children ask such questions.

<Lots more>

http://www.in-forum.com/talk/index.cfm?id=1760

this doesn't seem right to me. Unless the kid was trying to be silly or taunting the pilot (which it seems that he wasn't), I fail to see how this warrants official punishment from the school. I'm not saying the pilot had to answer the question, but maybe it's a good idea for these kids to know that war isn't all peaches and cream, especially if you are captured.

Having taught them.

I'll bet the school thought he was just trying to be annoying. The kid is probably not too unhappy about getting out of assemblies. They're usually very boring.

he asked the question respectfully and didn't push it when the pilot didn't feel comfortable answering it. Why did they have to disrepect the student then? I think the principal was embarrassed and felt the need to do something to make herself look and feel better.

male rape is never talked about and the kid was curious. I say he had a lot of guts for asking.

Making him apologize for it is wrong. This is how to squash the learning of a child. :banghead:

don't question kid or you'll be punished.

just training the next generation of good citizens; this time, they'll make sure the people just sit down, shut up, and buy whatever's being sold to them.