Teen tweeter won't apologize to Kan. governor

[proud2BlibKansan]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Kansas teenager who wrote a disparaging tweet about Gov. Sam Brownback is rejecting her high school principal's demand that she apologize.

Emma Sullivan told The Associated Press on Sunday that she's not sorry and an apology letter wouldn't be sincere.

The Shawnee Mission East senior was in Topeka last week when she sent a tweet from the back of a crowd of students listening to Brownback. It read: "Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person."

She actually made no such comment. But Brownback's office saw her post, and she was called into the principal's office. Her apology is due Monday.

more . . . http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_KANSAS_GOVERNOR_TWEET?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-27-18-07-26

[LeftofObama]

1. Good for her!

Stand your ground, Emma!

[Posteritatis]

2. Good. (nt)

[Downwinder]

3. She is not sorry, she meant to make that man cry.

[AsahinaKimi]

68. She would be my hero if she did

And every other politician who sucked. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could just tweet something and make them all feel guilty and remorseful?

[Downwinder]

74. I keep wondering if #heblowsalot would have the same

response if the tweet had come from a 200+ lb. male football player.

To me there is a very sexual nature in his response.

He reminds me of the Texas spanking Judge.

[tblue]

4. I've got mixed feelings about this.

I am all for the First Amendment. But because it's such a young person, I'd be concerned that she's learning the wrong lesson from this instead of how to get through life using judgment and courtesy.

Let's say when she's an adult and she posts this about her boss or her neighbor. Of course she can say what she wants and post what she wants, but she will have to accept the consequences, too.

I wouldn't want my kid to post things like that and I would be mortified if he did. In fact, at his school they drill into the students to be careful what they post online because it can never really be erased and could impact their future.

[Warren Stupidity]

6. The state using its power to coerce speech is an abomination.

There aren't two sides to this. This has nothing at all to do with 'learning the wrong lesson', this has to do with the abuse of authority used to violate the fundamental rights of a quite powerless individual.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. amen

I'm embarrassed to be a tax payer in this state and this school district. I'd be even more embarrassed if Emma went ahead and apologized.

[Lorien]

54. Well said. nt

[joeglow3]

7. The permancy of it is what concerns me

While I was orignally ecstatic at her morals, I began to think about how she may be screwing herself in the workforce for years to come.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. I are very concerned about permancy too

if only I haz sum.

[Xtraneous]

71. So would the fact that she was coerced into lying...

... to be a part of the workforce you must be a dishonest slave. What a lesson.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

9. Is she not allowed to make public comments about her elected officials?

They're supposed to be accountable to the public. If they can't stand the heat..................:shrug:

[Fool Count]

10. I am also concerned about her posting made-up stuff on the Internet.

It would be one thing if she actually told Brownback that he sucked and posted it on Twitter, but lying about it to make herself
look more brave than she really is is all other thing entirely. If anything, she should apologize to all the people who read he post
for misleading them. Not that Brownback's handling of this episode wasn't outrageous in its own right. But honesty is the lesson
which cannot be taught too often to our youths. Mass media are already dominated by self-aggrandizing fantasists. Do we want
to encourage more of it?

[Warren Stupidity]

15. Oh so now she's a self aggrandizing fantasist

and a tweet to her, what two-dozen followers?, constitutes 'mass media'.

Seriously?

Again the circular firing squad lines up to shoot our own in defense of something or other, giving the actual outrage here, the massive abuse of authority and the violation of an individual's rights by the state, a hall pass.

[Fool Count]

20. Did she or did she not lie about telling Brownback personally that he sucked?

What am I missing here? Should we be lionizing a liar just because she thinks that Brownback sucks?

[Warren Stupidity]

21. what? It was a tweet, not an act of journalism

do you understand what twitter is?

But keep it up. Yes the real issue here is did Emma Sullivan tell Brownback to his face that he sucked or did she just fantasize to her 8 friends on twitter that she told Brownback he sucked? Yes we must get to the bottom of this before Making Shit Up and Posting It on Twitter goes viral! My god, we ought to have a law!

[Downwinder]

23. I don't know, I was not there. Were you?

[LanternWaste]

70. You're conflating...

"What am I missing here?"

It appears you're conflating 'mass media' and 'circle of friends'.

Additionally, I don't think anyone is crediting her for fantasizing (although I realize that that particular implication makes for much more dramatic ad copy), but rather crediting her for not relinquishing a civil right in the face of bureaucrats and politicians.

The two are wholly separate things, the one not being predicated on the other...

:shrug:

[noiretextatique]

she said the comment was in reference to a joke between herself and a friend

:eyes: and that's beside the point anyway. the issue here is someone employed by the governor thought a tweet by a teenager required a call to the her principal's office, and the principal tried to make her write a letter of apology. she had the good sense to refuse, and the school board agreed with her. "lionizing a liar"...that's a LOT melodramatic, not to mention incorrect.

[noiretextatique]

75. dupe

[Lorien]

55. Oh good grief

that has you "concerned"? Not the squelching of first amendment rights in The People's House?

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. Her boss and her neighbor aren't government officials

I think she understands the difference. :)

[Arkansas Granny]

18. I'm all for the First Amendment, too. I think she would learn the wrong lesson

if she had to apologize for exercising her First Amendment rights.

[lbrtbell]

22. You should be more mortified by the school's actions

They have NO business intervening. If it doesn't violate Twitter's terms of service, the teen has nothing to apologize for.

[surrealAmerican]

25. I thought she was 18.

That's not so young. Legally she's responsible for her own actions. To apologize or not needs to be her decision.

[Posteritatis]

45. If she was twelve the state and the school would still have zero business demanding apologies. (nt)

[tabasco]

26. We must teach our young people to SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY!

Not.

[freshwest]

41. That's the whole point of this, isn't it? We'll see if the 1st amendment sputters to a halt Monday.

[Hosnon]

29. As long as she understands WHY she doesn't have to apologize to the Governor.

He is a part of the government and thus covered by the 1st; her future bosses will not be (unless she works for the government).

[fishwax]

35. I think coercing an apology teaches the wrong lesson n/t

[MADem]

39. I think she should write an apology letter that goes something like this.

]I am indeed, very sorry that my personal opinion was troubling to you. I hope you understand that I was simply expressing myself, as is my Constitutional right. I might have expressed my point of view in better fashion, but I did not expect, and was quite surprised to learn, that your staff takes the "Every Little Sparrow" approach to internet commentary, down to monitoring the tweets of children as a matter of routine.

Again, I hope that your feelings about my personal opinions will dull with time.

Yours sincerely....

[csziggy]

47. +1000 Excellent suggestion!

[PAMod]

48. Perfect. n/t

[tavalon]

49. OMG!

That is the greatest non apology letter I've ever seen. I think we need a book. Would you please write it?

[MADem]

52. I can't take all credit for it. It's what the GOP does all the time, when

they say racist and sexist shit, so the model is theirs (how amusing to turn it on them). "So sorry that you don't agree with me" or "I apologize for not saying what you want to hear." They often do it with massive amounts of smug and self-satisfied snark.

I tried to un-snark my effort and be a bit more direct without any kowtowing or cringing--speak the truth, and all that; it's usually easier, and you never get caught in a lie when you do that!

Barney Frank could probably write circles around that little effort--his "Excuse me for speaking while you were interrupting me" is probably one of the greatest one-liners of the 20th AND 21st centuries--he's got a vicious and quick wit, and really good timing, too.

I just don't like the attempt to bully this young woman. If they'd left her to her own devices, she might have come to a conclusion on her own that she was perhaps a bit harsh on the dork; but by trying to force her to "apologize, or else!" they are pushing her into a corner. That guarantees that anything she says would be insincere.

She's welcome to take my draft if she'd like, and gussy it up any way she sees fit!

[Posteritatis]

42. "I'm all for the First Amendment, but..." Heh. (nt)

[WinkyDink]

61. EXACTLY. It's just so darn...pesky, is it not? What will the EMPLOYERS think?!

[guitar man]

46. She's not posting about a boss or a neighbor

Shes 18, old enough to vote and she's speaking her mind about an elected official. If that in some way " damages" her, then we need to change this damned country...

[ZombieHorde]

50. There may be some wisdom in your position, but I think her parents should be the ones

to talk to her about it. Not the school or Governor.

[WinkyDink]

60. ARE YOU FRICKIN' SERIOUS???

[noiretextatique]

76. free speech isn't just for adults

this site was created because bush sucked so much.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. hey Jimmy Fallon: this is what spine looks like.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Good for her

The governor using state resources to monitor comments on Twitter seems wildly inappropriate but then contacting this girl's school principal and having the principal demand that she write an apology letter to the Governor is downright creepy. Both the Governor and this principal need to brush up on the Constitution, starting with the First Amendment and leave this girl alone. What she said was constitutionally protected speech that she should in no way, shape, or form have to apologize for. If the governor is concerned about one of his constituents thinking that he sucks, maybe he should try to figure out why instead of trying to see this girl admonished for engaging in her free speech rights. :shrug:

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. LOVE that young lady! I'm glad she's standing on her principles. K&R!

[Yavin4]

14. Awww. Did The Mean Girl Make The Governor Cry??

Awww, poor widdle Gov. Brownback. He got his widdle feewings hurt.

[etherealtruth]

16. I hope she is not pressured in to changing her mind

Sam Brownback sucks! (just can't help myself)

This young woman expressed her feelings about an elected official ... my understanding is that we have this right.

[izquierdista]

19. How about the standard Repub apology?

"I'm sorry if you might have taken offense at the patently obvious stuff I said."


-- in other words, no apology at all.

[Dawson Leery]

24. File a lawsuit against the Principal and Brownback.

[dems_rightnow]

27. What's the possible cause of action against Brownback?

That's just odd.

[proud2BlibKansan]

33. Infringing on her free speech rights

Telling on her was intimidation.

[dems_rightnow]

34. Utter nonsense.

Are you saying that the Governor doesn't have a First Amendment right to make a factual statement?

[proud2BlibKansan]

36. The governor is not allowed to intimidate her for what she said

He is the government in this case. By notifying her school, he was infringing on her free speech rights.

It's the same as if Obama would have sent the IRS to audit Joe Wilson the day after he shouted "YOU LIE!" That's intimidation.

[WinkyDink]

64. Are you saying a state GOVERNOR should even CARE about what a teen says about him?!?!

I've heard of thin skin, but never of one so transparent!

[rustydog]

28. Her apology: " Sir, I'm sorry you SUCK."

[treestar]

30. Do schools look at the students' twitter and FB?

just seems wrong. That's parental supervision, not school.

[proud2BlibKansan]

37. Wouldn't surprise me if they did.

I agree it's wrong. But I'm sure there are schools out there that do look at Twitter and FB pages.

[Posteritatis]

43. A lot of schools, maybe most by now, claim the right to police those. (nt)

[southernyankeebelle]

31. Good for her. It is a free speech issue.

[Downwinder]

32. This might encourage her to go to Law School.

Or into Politics.

[Mendocino]

38. Don't back down.

not now, not ever!

[backscatter712]

40. GOOD!!! Fuck Governor Brokeback!

[Lucky Luciano]

44. I'll stand with Emma. nt

[donheld]

51. Nor should she.

[octothorpe]

53. Why does the school think they have any right to demand such things?

It would be one thing if she created a website hosted on school servers, or used some other school provided forum, but they shouldn't have any say in what she posts on her own twitter. And if they did have such rights, why would they demand she keep her opinions to herself?

[proud2BlibKansan]

58. We think the governor's office pressured the school district

:shrug:

[WinkyDink]

62. Because school administrators too often have inflated egos and are martinets.

[friendly_iconoclast]

56. Good on her! K&R

[Enthusiast]

57. The Governor of Kansas sucks............nt

[WinkyDink]

59. The principal needs to STHU & GTHO of this young person's RIGHTS. SHE IS A CITIZEN, NOT A "STUDENT."

OMG. I had a couple run-ins* with h.s. principals as a senior, and let me tell you, this one would be met not just by my father but also by my lawyer.

Called into the office for what I did on non-school property and/or time? Oh, yes; that WOULD be a legal confrontation the next day IN that principal's office.

*Outcomes: 1. Involved teacher was gone the following year; 2. Said principal backed down from his threat.

[Contrary1]

63. Ms. Sullivan must issue her meaningless apology immediately!

It's the Republican way, and the only kind they ever issue themselves.

"I apologize to Gov. Brownback if he was offended when I told him he sucked."

See how easy it is?

[WinkyDink]

65. I'd rather she "apologize" in a Michael Corleone style: "My offer is nothing."

[chrisa]

66. Her crime, in the Republicans' eyes, was having an opinion while being female.

And for that, grown men must bully a teenager into submission. It's the Republican way.

[JBoy]

67. LOL. "Her apology is due Monday". My dog ate my apology!

[NeedleCast]

69. GOP Still Attacking Free Speech. Nothing New Here

Good on Emma for standing up for her rights. Forced apologies are just the sort of thing I'd expect from the right. How the hell do Brownback's social media goons have any right to create a situation where the school is involved in this anyway?

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

72. Her apology should be: "I'm sorry for the people of Kansas that you are in office"

This girl should stand her ground. What the hell kind of lesson does the school and her parents want to teach her for expressing a political opinion if she doesn't feel apologetic? Of course if she didn't mean it and she generally likes Brownback, then I could understand why it would be a good idea to teach her to not let her feelings rule her thinking. But if she meant every word she said, forcing her to go against expressing her honest political judgement would teach her the wrong lesson.

[mckara]

73. Brownback = Neanderthal

My apologies to any offended Neanderthals.