Santorum speech cancellation at Grosse Pointe high school sparks uproar

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Detroit News

Grosse Pointe Farms — An April 24 speech to high school students to be given by former presidential candidate Rick Santorum was canceled by the superintendent of Grosse Pointe Public Schools after he was denied an advanced copy of the speech and learned the former senator had never addressed high school students before.

District spokeswoman Rebecca Fannon said Wednesday that Superintendent Thomas Harwood on Monday canceled the speaking engagement after he spoke to Santorum's office and a representative of Young Americans for Freedom, the student organization that invited Santorum.

Harwood was told he could not preview the speech intended for more than 1,700 students during an assembly at the public high school and that Santorum never spoke before high school students, Fannon said.

Read more: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130410/SCHOOLS/304100417/Santorum-speech-cancellation-Grosse-Pointe-school-sparks-uproar?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

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While the neocon and Wall Street wings of the GOP wish he would go away, Rick continues to be the gift that keeps on giving - for Dems.

[Wait Wut]

1. I only have one problem with this.

I wanna know what was in that damned speech. It had to be interesting if he was afraid to share it beforehand. A little RWNJ indoctrination, perhaps?

[mainstreetonce]

2. Very smart school system

They are certainly entitled to preview the speech.

[PatrynXX]

19. called Faux News brainwashing at an early age

oh I'm sure the date rapes would skyrocket after that.

[onehandle]

3. This is how most people view his ilk. As a potential threat.

I too, would want someone to review the speech of an anti-social, hate-monging, mental case, if my kid went there.

[arcane1]

4. "Young Americans for Freedom"

Sounds like a typical wingnut org to me!

[HERVEPA]

7. They've been around since the 60's and were a big deal then

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Americans_for_Freedom

[randome]

9. And it's probably the same members! Which makes the 'Young' part ironic!

[starroute]

14. YAF spawned any number of long-term conservative troublemakers

For example, their president at the peak of their influence in the late 60s was David A. Keene -- who just recently became president of the NRA.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/david-keene-nra_n_3054658.html

04/10/2013

David Keene, president of the National Rifle Association, expressed pleasure that the new gun control compromise had moved in the NRA's direction -- but he declined to say that it had moved far enough. In fact, he told The Huffington Post that the group remains opposed to any new background check legislation "until" the federal computerized check system is "fixed." . . .

"It appears that Schumer has surrendered on both his goal of imposing universal background checks and on his desire to create a national gun registry," said Keene via email, "but I say that knowing that few have seen the actual language that will result from the Toomey Manchin Schumer compromise."

He added, "We are not in favor of expanding the background check system until the NICS system [National Instant Criminal Background Check System] is fixed, the adjudicated mentally ill are included in the data bases, and there is demonstrable evidence that placing additional burdens and costs on honest gun owners would keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and potential mass shooters.

[mountain grammy]

21. While in college, 1965-1967, I knew a couple of YAF guys. I thought they were kidding

but geez, they weren't. One grew up to be a Congressman representing his right wing district for many years. But he wasn't quite crazy enough and was primaried out by the teabaggers in 2010. hehe. The SDS seemed tame next to these guys.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. They've been around forever. I remember them from college in the '60s.

They were kind of junior John Birchers in those days, all rah rah about Vietnam and going on about the international Communist conspiracy while the rest of us were protesting. They were assholes then and I can't imagine they're any better now.

[freshwest]

30. Gosh, I hated those little fascists since high school. They are brownshirts.

[FightingIrish]

5. I'm sure it was just going to be about man and dogs

How bad can that be? He must be frothing at the mouth.

[lastlib]

20. I think he's frothing at several orifices........

[n2doc]

6. Ricky was gonna go extemporaneous on their asses

No pre-written speech. It would have been glorious to hear!

[Blue Owl]

12. I just KNOW there's a Santorum joke somewhere in there...

[Raine1967]

8. The link you gave has been updated. The speech is back on.

Grosse Pointe Farms — Rick Santorum's speaking engagement at Grosse Pointe South High School is back on, after school officials say they reached a compromise to allow parents to choose whether to send their child to the April 24 event.

Is the guy REALLY that important?

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130410/SCHOOLS/304100417#ixzz2Q5aywT00

[IdaBriggs]

10. My kids would have the day off. nt

[CTyankee]

13. Oh, I can't agree. What a great "teachable moment" this is for a parent!

[IdaBriggs]

16. Life is short - why would I want them listening to a person I have zero respect for?

His extreme viewpoints are terrifying. He doesn't belong in my kids' school.

But to be fair, we don't attend there.

Bringing him, however - a failed candidate with an anti-everybody-I-care-about message, and treating him as if he should be listened to?

Epic Fail.

Spending the day with the kids building memories at the zoo?

Epic Win.

[CTyankee]

18. I was thinking about increasing kids thinking about politics. I don't know about you but

I discussed politics with my kids and they knew exactly where I stood on just about everything I cared about. My kids are VERY committed to progressive ideas as a result, even tho they sometimes rolled their eyes when they saw me with my picket signs.

His ideas don't terrify me. I think kids need to have some good information to push back on the Rick Santorums of the world. A robust political debate is a good learning tool, IMO!

[Raine1967]

15. Santorum allergies? That said

I would have liked it more for parents to actually send a letter saying they WANT the kids to listen to his speach as opposed to asking for permission to not attend.

[IdaBriggs]

17. ^== This. NT

[randome]

11. The more he speaks in public, the better.

[JI7]

24. i think they are worried he will have some anti gay stuff in his speech

him not letting them see the speech before and having never addressed high school students shows concern.

[mountain grammy]

22. He's a racist and a bigot, nuff said.

[tanyev]

23. I've suddenly got the urge to watch Grosse Pointe Blank again.

Great movie.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

25. That's the first thing that popped into my mind.

"Look...Sergeant Pepper. I really need you to shut up about that."

[hrmjustin]

27. I think she has the right to review the speech.

[Turbineguy]

28. Those poor

Young Americans for Freedom. A chance to spread ignorance, lost, perhaps for ever.

[Wolf Frankula]

29. Would You Want a Frothy Mixture of Lube

and fecal matter caused by vigorous buttsecks sliming your High School? Pity the poor janitor who has to wipe THAT up.

Wolf