Student charged for disorderly conduct by Elon (University) at Palin rally

[sabra]

Source: Elon U - The Pendulum

When sophomore Andy Milne showed up at Gov. Sarah Palin’s campaign stop in Latham Park on Oct. 16 with Obama flyers in hand, he had no idea that later that day he would wind up in jail or eventually be charged with disorderly conduct by both Elon University and Alamance County.

Milne was arrested for disturbing the peace at the rally and later taken and released from Graham’s Alamance County Jail on a $500 bail. But what came as most surprising to him were the repercussions the school took on him.

His parents were notified by the administration after the occurance and asked to have their son contact them, since it was fall break. After that Milne received a notice of judicial action for disorderly conduct through e-mail.

...

After College Republicans President Nick Ochsner called the police, Milne was arrested for disturbing the peace.

As they normally do with any Elon student, the police brought Milne’s case to the school’s attention, Coordinator for Judicial Affairs Whitney Pack Gregory said.

Gregory said once a report is in the school’s hands, they have to determine if there has been any potential Honor Code violations as defined by Elon’s Student Handbook. With each case that is turned over, judicial affairs then has to decide if they can deem a possible occurrence of a violation.



Read more: http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=1301

[Metta]

1. Looks like fascism in action.

Certainly, it's intimidation and harrassment.

[mnhtnbb]

2. If opposing shirts and signs are allowed at football games, why can't

opposing shirts and signs be allowed at political rallies?

I wish Milne good luck. Fortunately, NC went BLUE and Palin turned out to be the loser.

[MonteLukast]

3. We should anticipate pushback like this

We find our political voices, they ratchet up the pressure in response. Going right after where it hurts the most: our prospects.

That's another thing we need to fix in this country. America didn't use to be a place where "one mistake and you're ruined for life."

You can bet that our opposition will keep on saying a hundred variations of "actions have consequences." Well, for too long our own policies have been turned against us, where the consequences get more and more severe for lesser and lesser crimes.

Let's bring back judgment and discussion-- so that we don't have to choose between political action and our education/livelihoods, anymore! Those like Ochsner count on our fear of losing our prospects, to keep us from protesting and exercising other rights.
And sadly, right now they have the upper hand, for we have very few legal protections against accusations of being "disruptive", subjective and emotional though they often are.

We need some real protection in place, everywhere-- our workplaces and schools especially. We also need some clear guidelines and ability to negotiate, so that our education is not put in jeopardy by any random person who finds us annoying, reporting that we "have a behavioral problem".

It's really sad that this zero-tolerance approach took off in the Clinton years...

[norepubsin08]

4. I agree 100%

BTW that was a neat calico cat you had. I had a wiener dog we brought with us from Germany who lived to be 19 years old. I know how much a great pet can mean to some one.-Mike

[MonteLukast]

8. Glad you liked Pumpkin.

I've got a new pootie now-- a little black and white, named Angie, VERY soft-- but I don't have any pictures right now to upload.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Had never been aware the zero-tolerance approach was part of the Clinton legacy.

Do you have any specific incidents from that era which would bear out this claim? I really don't want to be uninformed about it, and am struggling to remember even one example that confirms any suggestion this was a trend at that time.

Here's a photo of the Elon College Republican president, Nick Ochsner, who went after the wild and unruly free speech advocate Andy Milne.

http://www.elon.edu.nyud.net:8090/images/e-web/academics/communications/connections/gopangienickweb.jpg

[MonteLukast]

7. The law that started this ball rolling was signed October 22, 1994

Where zero tolerance on a federal level officially started: The 1994 Gun-Free Schools Act. It was promoted by Senators Feinstein and Dorgan and signed into law by, yes, President Clinton.

But after that, the fault lies with individual school boards, broadening the implementation of the GFSA to include all manner of disruptive behavior. Parents and educators, for the most part, wholeheartedly cheered on this broadening.

Senators Feinstein and Dorgan intended the original bill to specifically refer to firearms. It was the largely right-wing school boards and scared parents who really got the ball rolling to include, eventually, teenage girls who carry Advil to school and liberal student protestors being reported as "disruptive" by Presidents of the College Republicans.

Young Republicans, and spooked suburban parents susceptible to smooth-talking politicians who promise them everything "for the children". Two groups not known for their sound judgment. Two groups with well-developed and well-known lizard brains.

[Grinchie]

6. They are too lazy to apply the law already on the books

Wither too lazy, or to illiterate to read them.

Instead, they just pass law on top of law, ad infinitem, which causes the legal system to become top heavy and unmanagable.

This Corporate politics/get out of line and you've lost your job mentality is an evil sickness plaguing America today.

[MonteLukast]

9. They're too afraid to challenge scared parents

Everything all fits together, so that everything will have to be taken care of all at once. Parents working too long (or are emotionally sandblasted from un- or under-employment), so they can't spend as much time with their kids. So that function of behavioral control has to be taken over by the schools, everyone is too scared, everyone wants quick decisions, no time or inclination for reflection or judgment, or even getting to know the child individually, which goes a longer way to making the child feel secure than any lockdown ever will.

I tell you, I've sworn off parenthood for many good reasons. It looks like I'll have my hands full even being "Aunt Monte" the wise neighbor lady.
When you can't afford kids or don't want your own, you become part of "the village" helping to raise everyone's kids. Hey, if it makes cocooning parents pay more attention to the broader world, it's fine by me.

[Critters2]

10. Letter I've written Ms. Schmiederer:

Dear Ms. Schmiederer,

I'm a pastor in the United Church of Christ. A friend just e-mailed me an article from the Elon University newspaper, the Pendulum, stating that you are taking disciplinary action against Andy Milne for exercising his free speech rights at a political rally this fall. This disappoints me for a number of reasons.

We, in the United Church of Christ, with which Elon University claims a relationship, take very seriously our right to free speech and to challenge the worldviews of those around us. I would have thought that these values would be central to life on a UCC-related college campus. Apparently I'm wrong.

I've seen the video of the event in question, and it's clear to me that the real misconduct is that of Mr. Ochsner and those following his lead. Their attempts to shout down a dissenting voice with nationalistic cries of "USA! USA!" run counter to EVERYTHING we believe in the UCC. And how you find Mr, Milne, the one small dissenting voice, more annoying than the thug-like behavior of Mr. Ochsner and his ilk, is beside me.

Even if the values of the United Church of Christ were not at issue here, the role of a university is to encourage free speech and inquiry, not to squelch it as Mr. Ochsner is seen doing on the film. You are failing in your role as an institution of higher education by going after Mr. Milne for exercising his rights.

I will be writing UCC leaders in Cleveland about Elon's violations of UCC values, along with other UCC clergy. I will post the video on the UCC forums website, so that members of the United Church of Christ can see the lack of free speech rights on the campus of a UCC-related college.

I understand that Mr Milne is planning to sue you with the help of the ACLU. If he does, you're sure to lose, bringing embarrassment to the college, and I daresay, to the UCC. I hope you will back away from your mistreatment of Mr. Milne, and require the appropriate apologies from Mr. Ochsner.

Grace and peace,

Rev. (mycritters2)

[MonteLukast]

11. Thanks for that letter.

I do hope this case is the start of getting rid of "zero tolerance" and bringing some judgment back into our schools.