Lunatock

Ninth-grader punished for asking Army pilot sensitive question

Associated Press

FARGO - 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.

"He asked a fair, hard-balled question," said Phil's dad, Jon Sannes. "I don't know why he's being punished."

"I felt the question posed was inappropriate at that time and that place," said Peggy Stibbe, assistant principal.

In 1993, Durant flew a Blackhawk in Mogadishu, Somalia. The Army pilot was shot down and captured for 11 days. His story inspired the movie, "Black Hawk Down."

He spoke to more than 500 eighth- and ninth-grade students at the Fargo middle school.

The pilot talked about being shot down and captured, but told students there were details he didn't want to share, Stibbe said.

"He knew for a ninth-grade group he could only take it so far," she said.

At the end of the presentation, Durant opened the floor to student questions. That's when Phil Sannes asked his.

"I just wanted to know," the ninth-grader said. "It was a serious question."

Durant said it was a good question, but he wouldn't answer it.

Jon Sannes said forcing his son to apologize and to miss future assemblies violates his son's right to free speech. A school is supposed to encourage students to think and ask questions, he said.

Jon Sannes said he and his son talk about world news events at home.

"You hear about people being beheaded and tortured during war," he said. "My son just had a question about that."

Stibbe said the school usually schedules only one assembly a year.



Source:
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/12723063.htm

Ray

bonehead

One of the biggest problems in american schools today is that students are punished for asking questions. HELLO! That is what schools are for. The second problem is all the P.C. bull ****. Younger generations should be taught to be respectful of other people, to be able to examine multiple sides if issues and mostly, to be curious and ask questions so they may learn about the world around them.

The Draconion response from the school was inapropriate and if any one should be suspended from future assemblies, it should be the vice principle.

Ray

THL

I would be outraged if this had been my daughter and she had been reprimanded for asking a legitamate question. I am assuming that this was not made into a joke, the kids were not laughing and the student asking the question let it rest after it was not answered.

__________________
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Bulgaroctonus

Sannes' question was legitimate as long as it was not a crude attempt to gain humor from the situation. However, I think that Sannes' could have asked Mr. Durant the question after the presentation. This approach would have answered Sannes' question and saved Mr. Durant the embarrassment the question probably caused.

I think Sannes did not analyze the situation correctly. He should have realized that few men, Mr. Durant included, will ever admit to being raped. Mr. Durant also said there were details he didn't want to share. Sannes should have acted intelligently and realized the issue of rape was probably one of these details.

I disagree with the harshness of the school policy, but some action needed to be taken.

I do not think that penalizing Sannes is a grand interference with the Constitution. After all, Sannes was asking a question of little political, cultural, or strategic importance. Would the world really be better if it knew Mr. Durant had been raped? I think not. Therefore, it is easy to interpret Sannes' question as rude.

Monk

I agree.
A question should be posed with the appropriate sensitivities.
If the boy had queried a rape victim about the methods used on her and said it was a "serious and fair" question, we would be screaming bloody murder.
A question not only enhances our respect but also shouldn't hurt the incumbent.

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THL

Not if that rape victim agreed to speak to a group of people and then opened the floor to questions. The speaker said he did not care to answer and went on - no harm done.

platinum786

what a f**king PC joke, that was a legit question.

Ray

Bulgaroctonus

However, Mr. Durant did not come to Sannes' school to discuss rape. That was not his purpose. In addition, Durant said that there were some areas he did not want to talk about. Sannes question was constitutionally legitimate, but out of place.

Anon

The kid was undoubtedly being a smart ass.

I've no problems with the punishment.

Bluesman

Right there witcha, Sniper. He wanted everybody to snicker and think he was oh-so-shocking. Smart-ass little bastard, and his daddy for defending him gets my contempt, too.

That's not 'free speech', that's ungodly RUDE, and to a veteran and a former POW, too.

__________________
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barrowaj

Exactly. This isn't a freedom of speech issue. He was allowed to ask whatever he wanted to, and he just proved that he was a prick. He should learn to have some respect for his elders.

THL

He went to the school to discuss his experiences. Unless he listed what he did not wish to discuss, how's someone to know?