I guess I was too indoctrinated by boot camp training to just give up the fight. I thought of leaving as well, and I don't have a problem with those who do leave, but I'm staying. I will help take back this country from the small minded, weak, and terrified, or I will die trying. A law we do need, it to make the Stars and Bars flag illegal to display in any manner. After all, isn't that the moniker (MARK) of losers!

Will look for an address and send them some Kucinich T's, buttons, bumper stickers. And someone in that school needs to teach an emergency history lesson about the confederate flag!

I have lived in Germany for some time but have never been more happy than now that I do. I have long been unable to defend my country's politics abroad and experience more and more embarassing incidents which have no connection with the country in which I grew up. It makes me so sad.

When did peace become a dirty word? I have come to the conclusion that the best way to convince more people that peace is what we need and war should only be an absolute last resort is to re-institute the draft. You would see how fast most of the warmongers who are either draft age or have draft-age children would be propogating peace. It unfortunately seems that if you don't have skin in the game you are willing to sacrifice others and their children.

I would tell the kids (if they hadn't used the annoying "myspace" which prevents contact with nonmembers) to make a new shirt:

"If you're against a peace club in our school, you're in favour of a Columbine shooting."

Two can play the "with us or against us" game.

Go Dr Bill!

This countries youth is lost to fox news-izms and violence, to the impressions of their elders. This is Florida, with the parents wishing they could be cool like the Mayor and his clout. Florida is a wasteland if you have a heart. People making $3.50 an hour, everywhere. But they are black you say, huh bigot?
What is this country coming to? I don't know. My family killed Indians and warred across this country and we landed here in 1620. Mayflower baby. Bunch of Puritan ninnies. Courageous! I can take my families history and rewrite their pride into today, when it need to be made good, when we need to know the difference between good and bad,when we want the same freedoms of religion, when we want it all out of politics, when we want the same freedoms to make a living, not one built on someone elses view of credit, when we need to be able to express ourselves for who we are and when we don't want to have to fall into that old band wagon that doesn't seem to ever be going anywhere. COURAGE KIDS! (Wait till they grow up and you see the same kids in the 'cool' class bagging groceries or in the pen for being some rudeboy!)

My feelings go out to the sponges and leeches of high school and to the rest of society who has to deal with these sh$t brained kids. If only all our schools taught kids to think for themselves. In the fight to be P.C., it seems these teachers lost the ability to teach independent thought. My girlfriends mom teaches in naples, fl where the administration wont stop the kids from fucking and doing drugs in the classrooms on break. The kids lock the teachers out all the time. The administration says its ok to let these kids have the rooms if they so see fit. The parents have too much money and the school is afraid to lose the income. Like lots of $. Florida, the land of fat round bald orange fruits.

These kids have it rough. Like the president said, "Your either with us," (and an idiot, or your without a country to call home.)" Or you can fall to peer pressure and (in these kids shoes) be a bigot.

Peace!

As a former High School Principal for 27 years,I would be quite pleased to see a peace club be part of the activities of the students--the fact that they care to make a statement as a student and a citizen is what education is all about--too often we get our biased opinions from our parents and act them out on their behalf--students can disent and be responsible doing it--those that desecrate the posters and verbally attack dissenters are ignorant and cowardly---school administrators who look for ways to stop students from expressing themselves should not be in education--having worked in urban and surburban high schools during the 60's through 2006 ,I commend students who attempt to think and be responsible----

It is truly sad to see my old high school (Class of '83 go Minutemen) has become this. While always a little conservative, Cocoa Beach had a high number of those pursuing the surfing lifestyle to counter act the older more staid residents.

On another note, since when did wearing a Confederate flag mean supporting the troops? Maybe all the engineers who work at NASA have moved to Cocoa or Merrit Island, becuase their kids used to be the more intelligent and open minded ones when I went.

As to the violent video games, I am not so sure they are contributing to this. I don't like them, but I don't know of any studies that link them to the non-thinking jingoism that these anti-peace students are embracing. I could be wrong though.

Correction. There seems to be some boys in the group but the majority of these young boys are spending most of their time playing violent war video games. They think war is a game thanks to the profitteering video game makers.

The confederate t-shirts were probably given to them by their fathers and grandfathers

What's noteable is that the racism and hatred is beginning at a younger age now. Nooses and confederate t-shirts were usually toted by adults.

And notice how it is mostly an all girls group. Where are all the boys? Playing violent war video games. I hope this receives national attention. I'm sure Amy Goodman will do something on it.

I don't know what has happened to this country? But, it's not the one I was raised in as a child. I am a person who believes wholeheartedly in the freedom of speech. It's one of the basic tenet's of our constitution. It's one of the basic principle's this country was founded on. But, I personally believe a lot of the problem rests with the 'talking heads' who spew hate daily on the radio and television. The pundits who deliberately spread false information. Who no longer have any responsibility to present the truth just lies that advances the Republican agenda. A large segment of our population is being slowly dumbed down by these people. Because they hear a one sided version that is always distorted. These 'talking heads' are slowly poisoning our whole country with hate. Because people listen to this slop and believe every last word of it. They lap it up daily and don't seem to care what it's doing to our society. It's something a lot of them have become addicted to is the hate in the message! I have watched it warp my son's personality to where I no longer know him. I firmly believe these people corrupt more than they inform. I am currently reading a book named 'Republican Noise Machine' by David Brock. In goes into depth about the campaign the Republican Right has been on for the past 30 or more years. It goes all the way back to Goldwater and Nixon. To force the Media from it's center position in reporting honest unbiased news to it's current position in disseminating a highly biased version. Therefore furthering their agenda in turning this into a 'right wing' extension of their sick ideology. The biggest tactic they use is the concocted 'Liberal Bias' in the war on a fair and balanced news media. They scream loud and long about something that has never been there. It's a figment of their sick imaginations. But, if they don't hear a 'right slanted' version they start screaming bias. So now we are all coping with a 'unfair and unbalanced' version of the news that only presents one side the Republican side. It's really sad what these freaks are doing to the country they are supposed to love!

The American right-wing is no different than the right-wing anywhere else. Jingoism, death squads, concentration camps, torture, forced labor -- and the right-wing has dominated politics in this country for most of its history with occasional exceptions -- mainly when the mess they made became too obvious to ignore. As it stands now, it feels like the South won the Civil War, they just had to give up slavery in name only and suffer a few concessions to the notion of human rights.

Make me laugh Joker.

Ever heard of Sweden? Norway? Finland? Apparently not. While those fake western "nationstates" assuredly have their fair share of asocial lunatics pretending to be "representatives of the people", they do, at the least, STILL manage to, among other justifiable measures:

-- provide full medical and health care benefits to all, and no I don´t mean only all "citizens", either.

-- ensure that every individual has an equal opportunity, based on merit rather than criminal association.

-- 0% illiteracy.

-- NO tolerance for substance abuse.

-- NO tolerance for crimes against women.

-- NO tolerance for racism.

-- Full support for every woman´s right to choose what she does with her body.

Not to mention the FACT that at least when it comes to Sweden, provides safety and refuge to over 26,000 innocent victims of Amerikan crimes against humanity to date, and still counting...explain to me, Ace, how many innocent Iraqis did you feed this Thanksgiving? How many innocent Iraqis did you voluntarily take into your home and give refuge to for as long as it takes? Hmmm?

So tell me, "Joker", just which of the above facts can your puny excuse for a nation of informed global citizens match?

Amerika is a fake, and the last to know are those consumers too gorged on their own personal material interests to lift their snouts from the trough long enough to smell the certain scent of approaching retribution for their willing support of the corporate criminals that own them, body and soul.

Oh, by the way, here are some interesting little tidbits you are probably entirely unaware of, being so busy trying to defend the indefensible in the face of the known truths:

-- Amerika has over 45 million who will die on the street due to their not having access to national health insurance.
No worry, just step over them on your way to Starbucks.

-- Amerika has over 12 million functional illiterates. Gee, tell me, Ace, how do they know what to vote for if they can´t even read?

-- Amerika has literally speaking, millions of homeless, the majority of whom are in fact single mothers with children. Thanksgiving anyone?

-- Amerika has to date arranged the mindless slaughter or worse of over 5 million innocent Iraqi peoples. We can start a separate thread about all the other millions of innocents in Latin America, North America, Africa, Palestine, Vietnam...well, you probably just don´t want to hear anymore, right? All for the profits (define that term, won´t you?) of corporate criminals pretending to be ... men?

Somebody mentioned Marines, but except for one, possibly two who can honestly claim the title, I only see.... MORONS.

Finally, in case you haven´t figured it out yet, although at least your senior military cadres certainly have, those 140,000+ willing servants to mass murdering criminals are today´s version of Custer´s little band of cowards; ever tried to WALK from Mosul to Basra while being surrounded every step of the way by those whose children, mothers, fathers, and relatives you helped slaughter?

Can you say Hattin? Study hard.

I will be kind to an extent;

At least you got your name right, and in truth, self awareness is the first step towards enlightenment.

REAL Americans, REAL adherents to such creeds as women and children first, right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, habeus corpus, these truths to be self-evident..., and such other commitments most Amerikans would rather not be reminded of, do NOT pay taxes to criminals, and do NOT take a dimes worth of support of any means from the blood-stained hands of mass murderers. Nor do they even consider returning to the land of their birth, unless it is on the back of an AFV enroute to the only proper battlefield of this, possibly our last, global campaign for justice.

I suggest that the slaves of criminals rise up as one, or just choke yourselves to death, whichever suits your level of awareness best.

There will be no peace until justice is rendered.

Period.

I just loved the first comment by principessaflamenco and the others of its ilk.

principessaflamenco tells us, "I can't wait to get out of this insane country. I do not want my children to be born here or grow up here, where promoting peace is seen as doing something wrong. I'm totally fed up with all the BS I read every day!"

I'd really like to know where principessaflamenco will take the kids so they can grow up in a country that isn't "insane"?

Let's see...so many choices...Germany? Nah, kids there are experiencing a resurgence of Nazism. France? No, the schools are in Islamic chaos. Britain? Skinheads are running rampant. Ireland? No, the tensions still remain as they have for many years. Italy? Maybe, if you can survive in their dour economy. AhHa...Let's take the children to Mexico! Great idea if you can afford the bodyguards to prevent kidnapping by the drug cartels.

Hmm, Egypt? I doubt they would be what you would call safe there. Afghanistan? Africa? Russia? Brazil? Good idea, that Brazil...where they throw teenage girls into men's prisons. Japan? Sure, great idea. Saudi Arabia? Fine, enjoy the burkha and lashings.

Kids have conflicts when they express their ideas. This is how they learn to become responsible adults. It's as true today as it has always been. To make remarks about abandoning this country is the height of foolishness unless and until you can tell us about that utopia you've found. For all the problems we have here, it's still the best spot on the planet to be, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Maybe rather than 'principessaflamenco' you should consider 'chickenlittletheskyisfalling'...it fits nicely.

These bright young women are wasting their time making gestures about peace in such a dangerous and reactionary setting where they could easily be physically attacked without any support or protection by the school administration. They should use their group - whether sanctioned by the school or not - to study this phenomenon of bullying, fascism and racism in depth at their own school and then put it into a more formal context. These very intelligent young women should do a senior or honors thesis on the prevalence and social features of domestic fascism at Cocoa Beach High School. Get demographic data and devise a survey of the student body. The results are bound to embarrass the spineless principal of Cocoa Beach High and their publication will have far greater impact than putting up peace posters in such a wildly hostile environment.

peaceistruth; Well stated. With all the 'saber rattling' going on in the 'world's only superpower', we as a nation may have to be humbled like the Germans and Japanese were in WW11. Like you and others, I hope it can be averted.

Dennis Kucinich...the Department of Peace President. What a unique idea!

Promoting peace is considered such a sin in America because for a very long time now, war has been virtually a benign "experience" for the majority of Americans, at least since after the Civil War was over. Compare American history to the history of other countries. Compare America's experience during both World Wars to that of Germany, Japan, China, Poland and the Soviet Union. "War is hell", but almost never for the majority of Americans; look closely at how much Americans as a whole "suffered" during the countless little "wars" and "interventions" America was involved in during the Cold War period. For too many armchair warriors, war is a picnic and/or good for business, so lets have us another picnic!

I hope the day never comes, but I believe that war would have to visit our shores in the worst way possible to wake up most Americans to the horrific realities of war. It worked for Germany and Japan, but I pray that day never comes when we have to learn to embrace peace the hard way.

Wow, the same people, most if not all of the american public, that demanded war after 9/11, that supported Bush going to war are now so eager to denounce it, big surprise with democrats though. Since when did anti peace and pro war get associated with pro Bush anyway? No matter who was in Office democrat or rebuplican this country would have gone to war its people demanded it. And i find it sad that people use the death of soldiers for their pro peace propoganda, it's war people, people die they knew that going in, If you thought you weren't going to die you should not have joined. You people also expected this war to last what a year, how unintelligant is that thinking, I knew we would be there for several year god forbid a decade. Is it worth it for the Iraqi people, you better believe it. Those people are so brainwashed by Saddam that were never going to change their we have to wait out till the next generation takes over. What good can come to pulling out? 1 month until another dictator takes over, then what, then we have wasted billions, wasted american lives. I hope you people don't give up on the iraqi people as easy as you have given up on your country. This country is great and even greater is the idea that stands on, it should be spread everyone deserves a chance of democracy.

My 2 cents; Blackwater needs to be fired and taken out of iraq and all employees put on trial for murder and war crimes. The Government needs to stay out tapping my phone lines and tracking my internet information, put all telecomes on trial for invasion of privacy. We need to tell OPEC to go to hell. Start helping the millions of innocent people in Africa.

God Bless America!

I don't know why folks are surprised All you had to do to know how the kids would be treated is to look at the date line. The wonder is that anybody in that God-forsaken town is for peace.

Confederate flags and Nazi swastikas in the South? Hmmm...hundreds of years of incestual breeding in Dixie...my cousins' kinda' cute...I like George W. Bush...even though the Bush Republicans look down on us as white trash, I'm suportin' his agenda even if I'm gettin' screwed in the process. I'm a 150% American.

And to think of all the brave, courageous Southern men who lost life and limb in WW11 fighting fascism.

Thank those Blessed Children in school for doing the right thing and supporting Peace.I love you all!

It is only natural and to be expected that those who support war and repug ideology use swastikas and confederate symbolism. It shows an understanding of the essence of right-wing thought and it is far more honest than mainstream flag-waving.

I see a widening conflict here on this thread. All of a sudden racism and bigotry has been brought in and the classic North-South dividing line has appeared. I'm sure the powers-that-be and the powers-that-were (Lincoln, et al) are enjoying themselves.
I applaud the peace students but we can all effect peace everyday in our life without distracting clothing.
On a Southwest flight yesterday the silly flight attendant (southwest seems to have an abundance of them) brought attention to a few soldiers onboard and prompted us to applaud for "all that they do for us". Not being a good German, I refused to applaud but most of the passengers did, although I sensed some reluctance on their part.
To all those on this thread who think the U.S. Civil War was all about slavery then you've never gotten past your grade school brainwashing. It was a war of aggression, plain and simple with a very Bush-like Lincoln at the helm.Lincoln wrapped himself in the slavery issue in much the same way our present leaders wrap themselves in flags, WOT, right-to-life and all the other BS. Read this if you have time: http://csapartisan.tripod.com/essays/causes/causes.htm. It is but one of many articles on the Civil War. You might also read "The Real Lincoln" and draw your own conclusions.
Of course, most of these same people think Lincoln was a poor barefoot farm boy reading by candlelight. As with most of the "American institutions" that seem to be falling by the wayside in my journey through this culture the Lincoln Memorial is just cold dead stone.

---->8----
#
kelmer November 22nd, 2007 1:40 pm

Baby seals are tortured too–they use a spiked club and often they get skinned alive. Google the videos. But dont try going onto the ice and checking for yourself because Canada–wonderful peaceful Canada, bans video documentation of the seal hunt.

Gee, wonder why.
----8<----

Of course, the fact that that clubs at the seal hunt have been illegal since the late eighties has nothing to do with it, and the videos that people like peta use for fundraising are all over twenty years old. And hey, I hope you don't wear leather shoes because a spiked club is essentially the way they kill cows in slaughterhouses, and if you do wear leather that makes you a hypocrite, since the only difference is that one is done out in public where you could see it. You know, it's funny, but I don't see Paul McCartney out and about protesting how they kill cows, pigs, and chickens now do I? After all, those animals don't make for a good photo-op next to a cute cuddly baby seal whose hunting is banned, and even its parents, whose hunting must be done with a rifle... nor the fact that the vast majority of hunted seals end up on dinner tables along the Newfoundland and Labrador coast, where it is a significant source of protein for the people that live there, both aboriginal and european descended.

But hey, don't let reality or an attempt to find out things for yourself get in the way of a pet rant or anything like that.

I have no idea what to say about this.

Kudos to Citizen1.

The solution to the coming global war is truly simple;

remove the obstacle to peace and human brotherhood at the source.

however, the country with the most weapons per capita has not yet understood the meaning behind the statute.

Elsewise, my beloved kith and kin, you may as well prepare yourselves for far, far worse events than some high school kids complaining because they were socially hounded due to their....fashion statement.

As for the puny attempt to divert canuckchucks entirely correct assessment of the character of the swine pretending to be global citizens, nice try, lackie.

The facts don´t change regarding your crimes against humanity just because you suddenly pretend to "feel" for some seals elsewhere.

S/he who will not defend the truth will eventually be eliminated by it.

Think about that.

you can just see the body language and expressions on american kids today and know how horrible their parents are, the meaness and selfish attitude is all the reason i would not have kids in this society as it was hard enough and still is being an oddball which is what I always feel like, walking backwards while the sheep step together the usa sucks

Check out the documentary "Why We Fight":

http://sonyclassics.com/whywefight/main.html

Militarism has invaded every corner, every nook and cranny of American society.

its great that students are taking time to be creative and they are sticking to their guns by continuing to wear the shirts
BUT peace is a broad statement. it is not a cause or an action, as one of the girls said.
i would think that the hateful students are just trying to be jerks to students who are making a point. they may even be making the point that it is hypocritical to wear peace shirts as a fashion statement without doing anything to go along with it.
anyone touting brainwashing, or bad parenting needs to think about how widespread the abuse is and from how many different fronts. these students are obviously just trying to be jerks in any way possible. its bad, but i dont think its as bad as an entire school of racist, communist, bush lovers

high school politics are real politics- they don't mean anything except who is superior to whom

Proud of War?

That is truly immoral. In fact we have, as a nation, forgotten that Pride is a sin.

andersdl November 21st, 2007 1:14 pm

Supporting the troops is tantamount to supporting the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
========

You got it right man! Let me repeat: supporting our troops means supporting this illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq. Don't sup[port our troop - condemn them and prosecute them. They do have a choice - see Lt. Watada, among others.

The right expose themselves yet again

The right wing intellectuals openly admit that "I love Bush" and the Confederate flag are the opposite of PEACE

Baby seals are tortured too--they use a spiked club and often they get skinned alive. Google the videos. But dont try going onto the ice and checking for yourself because Canada--wonderful peaceful Canada, bans video documentation of the seal hunt.

Gee, wonder why.

Messrs. Cool and Masterson: I just read the article about what is happening in your school, that is, the clearly innocent depiction of peace symbols in their shirts by seven of your female students and the ugly reaction of some of your students -- mostly males, it seems. And, in an educational milieu, what I find troubling is that you have not taken advantage of the opportunity presented to educate your students about respect and consideration for the rights of others, about tolerance for different points of view -- even if they find them offensive. Why don't you have a seminar, a teach-in on the issue of respecting the rights of others, viz., the First Amendment rights of others to express their viewpoints, even by wearing T-shirts with peace symbols. Invite speakers! As educators you should consider taking advantage of this ugly situation to lessen the ignorance of the bully students at your school, no?

As for the "attackers," I am reminded of the words of a wise man who stated: "There is nothing quite a frightening as ignorance in action."

So, gentlemen, quit sitting on your hands and so something, like taking action that will educate about tolerance/intolerance, that will benefit everyone including the ignorant and bully students at your school -- for they're sure giving your school a bad name!

Philip Vargas, Ph.D., J.D.
Korean War veteran
Falls Church, Virginia

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out AOL Money & Finance's list of the hottest products and top money wasters of 2007.

Florida seems to have more than it's share of village idiots. Glad I moved to Canada two years ago. Tijuana is smoking some bad WEED, Mexican rag weed no doubt! The baby seals aren't tortured they smash them over the head. Tijuana needs to go to a good ole slaughterhouse in the USA. There will be found animal torture and abuse.

Red-neck little bastards proudly wearing the confederate flag...the prime symbol of slavery and humanity at its worst. I can only hope they all live long enough to get their chance to join Bush & Cheney's legions of baby-killers in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that their parents get to "be the first one on your block to have your son come home in a box."--Country Joe McDonald

"Missives like this make me think that the US is a nation collectively marching towards its own Stalingrad - or its equivalent."

What stories like this tell me is how deeply divided we are as a nation. I am much more concerned about the large faction in our nation who still support Bush and his policies. For the most part they are both vocal and violent.

they should bring in some army recruiters and you will see how fast attitudes will change when people are given an opportunity to support there beliefs.

Makes perfect semse to me:

The same scum that supported slavery and the Rebels (who in and of themselves were traitors, and of course LOSERS)and white power are the same types that support pretendent Bushit and his war of Nazi aggression in Iraq. You know, the double-digit IQ folks. The easily misled, controlled by fear.

You know

Typical Amerikans:

Dumber than dogshit and twice as mean and fat as a piggie

I too want out of this country. It is not the place my father was decorated for defending in WWII, not the place one of my uncles died for in the same war, on and on---Every day I feel more sick at the vicious, vapid, vulgar and face-stuffing American pigs all around me, from the media to the mall-rats who'd run over a child to buy the latest thing on the fucking TV. A country that INVESTS IN STUPIDITY AND VIOLENCE is going to fall, and fall hard---and I'm just as sick of my college students, who wouldn't lift a finger to think for themselves about anything. As passive and stupid as genuine sheep....As an historian I wrote a brief article about "Thanksgiving" and the aftermath---meaning, that within 18 months the wonderful "Pilgrims" had ambushed and slaughtered about a dozen Native people who had been mouthing off at them for stealing their food etc. And did one single media outlet to whom I sent it publish it? Fuck, no! They feature different ways to stuff yourself till you burst....PEOPLE WHO'D RATHER DIE THAN CHANGE GET THEIR WISH!

Sorry, but I have to break with my own earlier made promise not to comment any more.
Because I am subscribed to the National Security Archive (NGO) and I received just now
their latest publication about the intended nuclear 'Overkill' on behalf of the USA versus
anybody, here specifically Russia and China.
Wait, You have to go and take a look at the picture #1 of the 'Nuclear Vault',
"Security Guard"
I was screaming when I saw that picture.
Because it says in BOLD letters:

HEADQUARTERS STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND
PEACE IS OUR PROFESSION

http://tinyurl.com/2yubpw

Well I wonder what happened to the US Army in the time after
1959? If Peace was ever the profession of the military, how come those little fcks are allowed to walk around with confederate shirts on school campus harassing young women
students that wear Peace Shirts. Doesn't that make the girls as professional as the Strategic Air Command?
I told You this country is not only full of it, the US is the global leader in hypocrisy.
Shame, Shame, Shame,
Shame on You
If You Don't Love War too!

One more thing. Just one. As I am listening to coast to coast am radio with George Noree right now . The amount of Military commercials is plainly disgusting.
But I guess that's what the Americans can do best. Going to war.
Let me forget my loving kindness default settings and wish all those who love to kill to die as painful as those who were killed for absolutely no other reason than greed.
To keep the SUV's of the parents of those dangerously moronic
'confederate' students on the street, 'supporting our troops'.
What utter BS.
Here some alternatives to confederate shirts:
Support War!
Torture is good!
Nuke Iran!
Nuke the planet - but not US!
Muslims Are Fascists!
Shut Up Or Die!
Amurikka To Amurikkans!
Bush - Greatest President Of All Times!
Cheney - Love And Peace For The Middle East!
If Gas is 8 Dollar a gallon I buy a Hummer out of spite!
Stop Abortion - Let them starve to death!
Freedom for US - The Freedom To Kill, Pollute And Exploit
Blackwater - Shoot Don't Ask.

All this is so disturbing. Maybe a lnice Gamma Ray tan will bring peace back to this planet.

Missives like this make me think that the US is a nation collectively marching towards its own Stalingrad - or its equivalent. I not generalising or running down your country, but it seems that a strong aversion therapy could be the only way to MAKE the far right grow up at last.

When they've actually seen what war is like (definitely NOT as they probably play it on some puerile video game!), the people wearing the confederate shirts would NEVER want to put on a uniform - EVER AGAIN.

When you're driving down the highway and you see someone fixing a flat tire, you don't tie a ribbon to your own car, you don't put a magnetic sticker on your car that says I support tire changers, you pull over and help.

In that sense, anyone who says "I support the troops" or "I support the war" should pull over and help. If they really want to support the troops, they should enlist in the Army. The Army is raising the maximum age of enlistment to 42, they're lowering the educational and legal requirements also. And if anyone's really so opposed to peace, the Army has plenty of room for them.

Well said, Canuckchuck.

To all the above that suggest military enlistment for those opposing the peace activists, all you're doing is sending more angry frightened youths to a foreign country to continue the belitlement and murder of citizens.
And to those who think that this war is being waged by teens who were conned into enlistment, check the average age of KIA. This is not a war of regular army/navy/marine soldiers, it is being fought with the national guard and reserve soldiers who for the most part are older.
Supporting Troops means supporting the war, praying for their safe return would be more approiate.

I keep wanting to believe that things will get better after bush is out of office, but it seems that an entire generation has been infected by the spirit of greed, indifference, imperialism, militarism, and all-consuming arrogance. We are all f**cked.

Golddogs - Have you seen "WAR" (Ken Burns series)?
I don't see it as de-sensitizing, but some computer games certainly are. "War" shows exactly how horrific war is - always.
And how futile.

I hope the kids in Florida keep strong, and realise that it IS a political statment they're making and feel proud.

I make a point of wearing a peace sign in my lapel or as a necklace whenever I go out.

Today I wore my "Impeach Cheney?" cap to the grocery store (in Southside Virginia). Most people ignored it, but one elderly woman stopped in her tracks and stared at it. As I moved from the eggs section to the biscuits section she stood there, moving her head with a blank, non-comprehending stare focused on my cap until I had moved some distance away. She never said a word, but it was clear that she had been exposed to something she couldn't even begin to fathom.

"Almost anything you do (to help humanity) will seem insignificant, but it's very important that you do it."
Mahatma Gandhi

Power to the Peaceful!

Thank you Cocoa Beach girls and boys .

I would expect this sort of thing in Florida, per capita they have one of the highest rates of brainwashed bonehead repuglicans. I like the confederate flag as a symbol of supporting the troops, what a f***ing moron came up with that? the confederates were traitors to the republic!

The other day on NPR I heard a show named Your Billion Dollar President, a lame show. Anyway they had a couple of hard core repug voters on and asked them their choice of candidates and most important issues. One woman said she supported Huckabee, but would vote for any repug over a dim, becuase if a dim gets elected then in the next 10 years the USA will be run by islamo-facists, and marriage will be banned. Are all repuglican voters this stupid?

with violent video games with names like "Call of Duty" pushed on these boys a few years back its no wonder they grin with a knife in their teeth.

and Public TV desensitizing the sheeple with great shows like Ken Burns- "WAR"

I smell an election coming on......

This just further proves that people (that's being generous as they are really vermin) that support bush are nazi's, racists, war mongers, and just plain retarded. Darwin was correct, and these vermin prove that they are the lower form of life.

Where were all of these kids when entertainers got booed off of the stage because they expressed anti-war sentiments.
Right after 9-11 we did not see a lot of this.
I am not opposing it but people have to stand up for their belifs whether it is popular or not.

Three things:

1) Those who are loud & proud about supporting Bush/Cheney and his war have exactly two choices when confronted with reason and sanity: admit they were wrong, or get louder. Teenage males with bad role models simply don't have the cognitive capacity to do the former.

2) Supporting the troops is NOT equivalent to supporting the war, and apparently not many people remember the 70s on this. "The troops" is not some monolithic war machine; they are human beings, most of whom got sucked into military service at the tender age of 17 by lying military recruiters who promised them a way out of the ghetto (or off the farm). We have GOT to support the troops - by which I mean BRING THEM HOME - or we will LOSE this ideological battle.

3) As Bishop Desmond Tutu said to the soldiers who stormed his church before apartheid ended, "Come on over to the winning side." The side of peace IS the winning side - or we all die. Stand strong, peaceniks of Cocoa Beach - you are on the RIGHT SIDE of history.

While the dark side cannot be eradicated from human nature, the dark side CAN and SHOULD be eradicated from public policy. The power and responsibility to do so are always in the hands of the people. Start by shifting individual exchange/association away from the power centers.

You've got to be taught to hate and fear,
You've got to be taught from year to year
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear.
You have to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
of people whose eyes are oddly made
and people whose skin is a different shade:
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late
before you are six, or seven, or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught.

And this just in from the Financial Times (www.ft.com): "Eight thousand American sailors and airmen will spend a lonely Thanksgiving on the South China Sea on Thursday after the Chinese government unexpectedly denied the USS Kitty Hawk access to Hong Kong port".

This country, under this appalling regime and the political cowards we unfortunately elected into Congress, is not worth protecting anymore. And like many of the comments above, many have already left this place and many more will leave.

As to these kids' (Skylar) wearing the yellow ribbons, I wouldn't be too hard on them. We're not talking about levels of political consciousness that are capable of parsing out that "support the troops" means support the war. They were doing the best they could to defend themselves from something in their youthful inexperience they couldn't forsee - the virulence of Southern macho-boy misogyny; just for advocating, however innocently, the decent notion of "peace."

As catjo aptly pointed out: where the hell are the adults? If there's one trait all school administrators seem to share, it's cowardice. So cowered of controversy are they that they're too paralyzed to intervene to stop mob abuse on the campus they're supposedly in charge of. That was the first thought that occurred to me, catjo - a real Lord of the Flies phenomena at Cocoa Beach High, thanks to the administration's abdication. Reminds me of Jena.

O roe: Thanks--I'm on it!

Brilliant this is a great example of the whole.

To these kids peace is just something to have in common with your friends, a superficial way to identify, As it is (I would argue) with a lot of the pro-peacer's. as well as with the pro war camp.

If you believe that it's the other guy that has to change then your energy is gets spent trying to change someone else …. in reality you have no control over what goes on in someone else's head.

It is also a nice trick to keep yourself from having to acknowledge the ways in which you promote war, lifestyle wise. And we all do, there is no way around that, but we act like its ok because we have to… its NOT ok, but we still have to, but only to the degree that we will not change our life's.

I live about 30 miles south of Cocoa Beach and I am delighted to find that there are young people around here that have the guts and decency to wear peace shirts. It ain't easy being liberal, progressive or anti-war around here.

However, Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High sophomores Lydia Pace and Joseph Marianetti said the Confederate shirts they wear express support for the troops in Iraq, and nothing more. Joseph said the shirts have nothing to do with racism.

Oh, cripes, of course not.

And would someone please explain the logic of using the symbol of a bunch of traitorous traffickers in human flesh to show "support of the troops in Iraq"? Evidently it doesn't matter what hell you do anymore as long as you can call it "supporting the troops". Hell, I guess I could go down to the local mall, pull my pants down and take a dump in the Food Court to show my support for the troops! Whee!

Woah!
What a surprise! Let me reassure You, this Country is in State of Dissolve. Filth, corruption, stupidity and a hypocrisy that makes every human being with brain puke. Then again this is just another example of the brainlessness that surrounds a on a daily basis. Just tune in into NPR. Here You can witness the total brainwashing or blackmailing of the editors. The bias towards fascist repiglicans is disgusting. It's all about the repiglicans. These bastards that went to war against the will of the world, killing hundred of thousands of INNOCENT humans for plain greed. But in NPR everything is just great. Iraq has turned into a paradise already. I counted the stories about repiglicans versus democrats and it seems to me that NPR believes it needs to support repiglicans over dems because the first are just misunderstood in their delusion. The military is glorified to a degree that I just wish that the Americans get what they deserve. A war on their own territory. Pearl Harbor wasn't even US territory in the sense that Hawai'i was unrightfully overthrown and occupied. Like the Hawaiian Palestine.
Maybe after that one there will be no more idiotic repiglicans left (hopefully) and wearing a peace shirt will be
celebrated.
Well we are allowed to dream, right?
For everybody carryring confederate Paraphernalia there should be a gallow. What about Afro-Americans? Do they have an opinion about people showing the Flag of their slave drivers? If I would be of descent of somebody that has been exploited to death by those fascist confederates slave drivers You know what I would do.
America - No More Comment.

seanmartain,

I have a t-shirt that says the same thing, but has Sitting Bull, Black Kettle, Chief Joseph, and Crazy Horse on it. I wear it in public all the time and anger people. One time, a man challenged me. I tested him about his knowledge of the history of indigenous peoples in this country. Not surprisingly, he knew very little about it. And he realized he was on shaky ground and outmatched. Instead of reducing him to nothing, I contextualized the history for him. The light bulb went on. He said no one had really ever explained it to him in such a way where he could make connections. He now understands.

Fletchermoone - Yes! Just what I was thinking. Bush supporters, and how can that child say "Confederate shirts they wear express support for the troops in Iraq"?

The rhetoric that Bush/Rove have started: don't support the war and you don't support the troops; has evolved to our kids to be against peace and wear a confederate shirts.

Wow! Well you can see where his 30% approval rating is coming from.

Pardon, spelling

Forgot, Celebrity, go to thomas.gov, choose Representatives on middle left column, look up Kucinich, takes you right there or phne his office wich will be there as well. Leave your message with the person that answers Dennis phone and he will get the message.

For anyone contemplating a break for the Canadian border I would suggest doing it now rather than later. With the low levels of unemployment(lots of cash jobs) it should be possible to go underground easily enough. If you get caught by some zealot and are about to be kicked out, claim refugee status. Then get a legal work permit while refugee status claim is reviewed, if it gets rejected go underground(you already have the experience) again. This could take place over a period of years by then the entire system will either be overwhelmed or there will be no need to flee.

Where are the ADULTS! At least there were no adults in Lord of the Flies. Here there supposedly are adults, but apparently they are not interested in being involved. Shame on the school teachers and administrators for not dealing with this issue. You are facilitating the generation of goons and bullies we will have to live with in the future.

I dashed off emails supplied by a previous poster, thank you. It is disturbing to see that what we presume is an institute for education is actually the halls of shame. To allow the hate-shirts to be worn without a word mentioned, but the young girls with simple signs of PEACE are demonized by a school body, the courage of 10 boys to block the young girls way through the halls. Took 10, huh? Cowards. The usual, you support peace, it means you hate the troops.
Comments such as those from andersdl never cease to amaze me. If it were that simple, the old saying 'What if they had a war and nobody came'. Apparently they have never been in the military, never been threatened by the military and have not had the opportunity to have you ass dragged off by the military. Always the easyist way to take, blame the victim.

I had a similar experience at a major western university. I put a T-shirt design on my office door showing Geronimo and his bodyguards, with the legend "HOMELAND SECURITY - FIGHTING TERRORISM SINCE 1492" and had nasty things written on it, then had it ripped off the door later. No tolerance for dissent - noted by Alexis de Tocqueville in the 1830's. The only solace one can have is that the country will spend itself (defense spending, of course) into nothingness, then be taken over by our creditors. If Ronald Reagan had the "wisdom" to defense-spend the Soviet Union into dissolution, OK. As usual, we didn't learn the lesson, but Osama bin Laden has and is getting us to follow the history of the Soviet Union. The United States was created by murder, prevarication and theft and will end the same way, guns blazing!

Wow! Swastikas and WP shit eh? That stuff does seem to go along with the crap from the WH , WTO, Federal Reserve, Trilateral Commission, Bilderbergs, etc what a bunch of dupes!

I know it's tough to love those buggers, but sombody's got to to love 'em (I'm sure Jesus wouldn't). How 'bout three nights in stocks in a public park? What century are we in? Where do these children come from?

This is the USA?

Afraid so, Sunshine.

It's been like this for quite awhile. It's getting like this everywhere no point running away best is to band together for protection and fight back. Get organized and "Don't let the bastards get you down".

The simplest thing to do is to offer these clowns enlistment forms while holding out a pen for them. (They can be downloaded from the internet.) I haven't seen anything yet that shuts up these stupid asses faster. I ask them when was the last time in US history that a president was loosing two wars at the same time. If they believe what they say, then they can get their chick shit asses over to help!

Heard a great radio show on how and why "Peace" is considered a dirty word by allot of people. Oh sure, most folks will pay lip service to "peace on earth" but there are still many who equate the very symbol for, or the concept of peace-making as wait, wait....you won't believe this. " Those dirty hippies back in the 60's who all practiced free love, did drugs, and flashed the peace sign." That's what the idea of promoting peace conjures.

Now there's a major distortion still resting in one part of the collective consciousness of our country, that needs to be addressed. Just think when flashing someone the peace sign, or wearing a t-shirt with the word, conjures up, not peace, but a surge of hateful bile. Many people haven't yet permitted themselves to imagine peace. How sad for us all.

It looks like women, young and old, are leading the national peace movement; Code Pink, Ragging Grannies, Cindy Sheehan, and now these young women. Maybe there is hope for this planet yet.

deang
I wish the rest of the world would unite to oppose us and destroy US right-wingers, including the young fascists discussed here. And I do mean wipe them out. Peaceful means do not work with right-wing Americans.

Funny,
the solution you propose sounds like something a right-wing extremist would do. I thought the idea was no more violence. (Unless of course it serves your purpose?)

What a sad place this country has become.

Anyone else bothered by this:

"She said all students have the opportunity to form clubs and organizations on campus, but those wishing to do so must identify a sponsor and bring their written proposal to the principal outlining what the proposed group's purpose and goals are."

Apparently, only state-approved free speech is allowed on campus. Illegally organizing amongst themselves without official sponsorship will not be tolerated!

Good grief -- get me out of this handbasket!

General Eisenhower must be spinning in his grave silently screaming, "Beware of the military-industrial-political complex!" The patient is sick; it's soul is dead; it's credit card is leveraged to the hilt; the only thing that it can feel good about is it's bloated, bullying military machine (military humans included).

Dark ages here we come!

Three cheers for the peace students!!!

Do you all think these peace kids would be expelled if they wore their peace shirts and congregated near the cafeteria? Yet, the kids wearing the Confederate Flag get exposure and no punishment. I bet they would get a pass too if they hung nooses outside of the school!

I applaud the peace students' courage. They are making a new world even as they are subjected to hate and ignorance from others. They are taking responsibility while others abdicate it. I take heart from their example which puts character before conformity, compassion before conquest. It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness, and that is what they are doing. They are the best teachers that school has.

it would be nice to see some military people who have served in iraq coming to speak to these kids who think a confederate flag denotes support for the troops and people promoting peace are traitors. i'm sure most of the soldiers in irag would be on the side of the 'peace-niks'. these anti-peace kids must have very fugged-up parents.

>"People tore them down and drew swastikas and 'white power' stuff on them,"
>'I Love America, Because America Loves War'

It pains me to share the same atmosphere with this type.

Yesterday there was an article asking why youhts are not as active as they used to be. I think this article provides the answer. It's not the reaction of the students that makes youth weary, it's the endorsement of those reactions by the "system" (in this case the school administration).

If a symbolic peace gesture can bring such a (condoned) wrath, then the youths learn to tone it down. Eventually, when they hit college (as yesterday's article suggests), their "activism" has already been rendered hollow and ineffective.

Formal education has always been a tool for social conditioning. The problem now is the content and end goal of that conditioning. And those who oppose in youth will be forced to conform by adulthood.

Perhaps the students will lead this country towards peace. My life was radically changed when three students during the civil rights were murdered...And Andrew Goodman still hurts the soul with his loving mother recently moving to the next world, another tower of strength. To the parents and students be steady in your love for peace but be aware of the crazies in this so-called democracy. In mourning for America …

The most interesting part of the article? "People just turned on us like that," she [Skylar] said. Hmmm. All of a sudden ... This happened in Florida. And that would be JEB bush's state. And this happpened in a high school. And we know from recent CD articles what organization is doing the hard sell on high school students hard [that'd be the military for those who haven't kept up]. All of a sudden - when they've been wearing t-shirts every week for months - 10 boys yell at them.

Is anyone else out there connecting the dots?

We know who and what is behind this. The military-corporate media-congressional-industrial complex. They paid good money [your tax dollars] to those kids to be anti-peace.

To the girls: YOU RULE! Those boys DROOL! Please don't give up - it's going to get harder, but things will change. The world needs you now more than ever.

I took a look at the local (?) press website (don't know which one, it had a space for people to post arguements about the story anyhow) One arguement really caught my eye, it asked how people who claim to support the troops could use a confederate battle flag to show suppport for the us army in Iraq. He/she pointed out that the confederate flag was the symbol under which us citizens fought against the us government troops in the 1860s.

I would also like to know how many of the kids who support this war with such disagreeable ways are committed to joining the army in Iraq. A few, all or none of the warmongers? Judging by the posts at that other website, they're all striving to become proper republicans and urge others to go where they shall not.

What I find disturbing about the whole thing is that, rather than being harassed for specific political viewpoints - the pro-peace students are being harassed for simply being "unfashionable". And, the pro-peace students, to their discredit, are largely conceding by defending their actioins as not a political statement, but just as just a retro-hippie-era fashon statement.

This is typical of today's US. Because most young people in the country have been raised in a violently sadistic right-wing environment, this is what the future looks like here in Reaganland. I wish the rest of the world would unite to oppose us and destroy US right-wingers, including the young fascists discussed here. And I do mean wipe them out. Peaceful means do not work with right-wing Americans.

I have taken Steve Wallerstein up on his invitation to e-mail the principal and vice-principal (their e-mail addresses can be found in his comment) and sent this message:

(P.S. Be creative/Send your own fun message!)

To Whom It May Concern:

This is happening on your watch. Do you think Jesus, Prince of Peace, would approve of your standing by while hate flows forth like lava from hell?