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17 Year Old Columnist Fired For Telling The Truth

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kpete Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 02:59 PM
Original message
17 Year Old Columnist Fired For Telling The Truth
Edited on Wed Apr-23-08 03:18 PM by kpete
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
LOCAL HEROES: 17 YEAR OLD COLUMNIST FIRED FOR TELLING THE TRUTH

The following was written by a 17-year-old columnist for the Naperville Sun. Shortly after it appeared, Sagha was fired as a columnist.

MOHAMMA SAGHA, NAPERVILLE SUN, IL - My generation is a unique one, raised amid fears of terrorism and the solidarity of nationalism, ordered to think by media outlets, and refused basic First Amendment rights under the constitution which have been violated by the ironically named Patriot Act. The most important issue facing the future generation, however, is the abnormal patriotism and undue feeling of superiority that we Americans have both internationally and nationally.


The concept of patriotism itself was attacked on September 11th. Sitting in my sixth grade science class, I listened in horror as the school's principal explained the attack on the twin towers. But my horrors would not stop there; as a nation we saw the individuals most responsible for the safety of American citizens hailed as heroes. The President's approval rating rose to 70% and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani became a patriotic model.


It is baffling that instead of being punished, Bush and Giuliani were rewarded. At this critical point Bush had the opportunity to defend the liberty of Americans, pursue those responsible for the attacks and exemplify the founding principles of this nation by promoting power through peace and diplomacy as a means of solving conflicts. Now, though, those who want the troops home are "unpatriotic," the President continues his genocide in Iraq, and our freedoms at home are threatened more than ever.

................................

Neo Conservatives put up a facade of Americanism; they wore pins of the American flag on their suits, put bumper stickers of the American flag on their cars and forced us to believe we had to spread "freedom." However, a true patriot is an intelligent citizen - someone who can investigate the truth and immediately recognize the facts, someone who instead of falsely taking advantage of national pride as a propaganda tool, fights for the liberty and freedom of America - fights to keep us out of entangling alliances and reckless wars.

It is time to speak up. Let us stop being fearful and start defending our wealth, liberty and freedom-all of them are risk and it is incumbent upon us, as a generation, to fight for our freedom.

more at:
http://duggmirror.com/world_news/17_year_old_newspaper_columnist_canned_for_patriotism_column/
http://prorev.com/2008/04/local-heroes-17-year-old-columnist.html
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cui bono Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 03:08 PM
Response to Original message
1. MOHAMMA SAGHA FOR PRESIDENT!!!

What a great piece, no matter what the age of the author.

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hwmnbn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 03:08 PM
Response to Original message
2. She makes more sense in those few paragraphs....
than the rest of the MSM pundits combined. Very insightful, I hope she continues to write and/or blog.
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truebrit71 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 03:08 PM
Response to Original message
3. Not surprising really...
Naperville is hard-core Red and full to the brim of church-going rabid SUV driving rich white folk...

They don't want anything like the truth to disturb their beautiful minds...

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John Kerry VonErich Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 03:16 PM
Response to Original message
4. What was the reasoning for the termination?
I know what was said is the truth, but don't make any conclusions yet.
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kpete Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 03:19 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. more here
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Gidney N Cloyd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 03:20 PM
Response to Original message
6. Here's an interesting take on this by (pro) Trib columnist Eric Zorn:
Basically, the kid's column wasn't exactly his best work but his editor had a responsibility to work with him on it. He didn't. And the kid's fired.

http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2008/04/editor-blows-it.html
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betharina Donating Member (313 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 03:43 PM
Response to Original message
7. Naperville, IL
my brother and his family moved into a house in naperville with a bible passage on the door. i remarked on it and he said that would be the first thing to go...
months later, the plaque remained and him and his family belonged to a crazy huge church and became holier-than-thou christians.
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WildEyedLiberal Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Apr-24-08 01:28 AM
Response to Reply #7
13. Naperville IS Stepford
Ugh, sorry about your brother. Welcome to DU.
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Hydra Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 04:08 PM
Response to Original message
8. Not really surprising
All the stuff America is supposed to be against is now business as usual. Invasions, genocide, torture, puppet gov'ts, domestic spying, politically motivated law enforcement...censorship for the benefit of the Dictators is simply par for the course.
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2008 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 04:17 PM
Response to Original message
9. k&r
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malaise Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 04:21 PM
Response to Original message
10. Bravo young lady
They can't fire either the truth or your integrity. :yourock:
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Canuckistanian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 08:59 PM
Response to Original message
11. If the column was SO offensive, why wasn't it spiked?
Seems awfully petty and vindictive to fire someone AFTER they've written a "controversial" piece.
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ColbertWatcher Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Apr-23-08 09:23 PM
Response to Original message
12. FYI, he's a boy. n/t
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