How Threatening Is It To Tear Up A Book?

On December 7, 2007, at Parker High School in Janesville, WI, a male student  (probably in 11th grade)  gave a planned presentation  on the writings of Ralph  Waldo Emerson.  The student took out a bible (version unspecified) and began ripping up the bible's pages.

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the student may well have  had a deep and sophisticated understanding of what Emerson was about:

Conformity is the chief Emersonian vice, the opposite or “aversion” of the virtue of “self-reliance.” We conform when we pay unearned respect to clothing and other symbols of status, when we show “the foolish face of praise” or the “forced smile which we put on in company where we do not feel at ease in answer to conversation which does not interest us” (CW2: 32). Emerson criticizes our conformity even to our own past actions-when they no longer fit the needs or aspirations of the present. This is the context in which he states that “a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines” (CW2: 33). There is wise and there is foolish consistency, and it is foolish to be consistent if that interferes with the “main enterprise of the world for splendor, for extent, …the upbuilding of a man” (99).

Not, however, according to the student's school and classmate's parents.

The school:

The Janesville Gazette reports the student was suspended and required to undergo a psychological evaluation before he could return to school.

Parker Principal Dale Carlson says the student was not disciplined just for ripping up the Bible. "There were other behaviors that came to our attention from the classroom."

The classmate's parent:

Paul pulled both his daughters out of Parker 9 days ago. He wants the district to convince him this incident was not a precursor to another school shooting. "This boy has done something that is unbalanced, violent in my opinion. He tore that Bible apart as a effigy for Christians. This was not some kind of a demonstration about free speech, this was in my opinion the words of a sociopath."

Guess Emerson was a sociopath also.   It is probably not a coincidence that the Gideon Bible society was founded in Janesville.

Update 1/1/08:

Joanne Jacobs linked to this post.  Go read the comments over there, but I wanted to repost what I said:

I didn’t really finish my thoughts on the original post –
1. If I’d been the young man’s teacher, I would have hoped to have advanced warning that the presentation might be confrontational or upsetting to some students. I wish we could have heard from the young man in question, or better yet, his teacher as to the "threatening" nature of his behavior.

2. All the reporting has been from the POV of the Jacobson family only  who seem, well, easily offended, but quite good at public opinion manipulation

This article, http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/12751397.html has three accounts claiming to be eyewitnesses (everybody on the Web could really be a dog…).  I've added emphasis

“As a member of the class and a witness to what happened, i’d just like to say this. im outraged, not by what chris did, but by how everyone is reacting. im not surprised drama elle had to make a scene, but wow. Thank “god” praying has been taken out of schools. I look at myself and wonder, what if i was religious, oh what a mess I would be. This is sick, he is a threat to no one, but is instead a well spoken, outgoing, friendly individual. He did what sometimes many of us wish we could do, make a valid point. If only he would have seen all this drama and these outrageous statements”

” As a student that saw the speech personally like Elle. I find her reaction quite over the top. The student talked about here is not a threat what-so-ever. Elle is more of a threat then he is. He expressed his views on both sides and said which side he is, irreligious. He ripped the bible to show that in fact it does not hold him and he will not instantly die or something. He was simply following the guidelines for the speech and received a B on the speech. The student was removed and got the review, and then was allowed back into school. Where people started throwing the idea around that he was going to start a shooting and was unstable is beyond be. Just because he doesn’t believe in god? It is quite frankly ridiculous and for everyone that says he’s ‘attention seeking’, he declined to be interviewed from everyone cause he isn’t seeking ”

“Parker High School Classmate Elle’s actions were over the top. He is not a ’sociopath’ he is a brilliant student that is not a threat what-so-ever. He didn’t threaten any of us in the class when he gave the speach. Just expressed how the people hold to the bible without questioning it and that he didn’t believe it. But the fact that Elle said that he ripped ’sections’ is completely false. he ripped several pages at max. He was not official suspended, just forced to get a evaluation. Thus deemed not a threat allowed to return to school. He is not atheist he is Irreligious. He completed his project/speech with a 20/25. For them to call him a sociopath is outrageous and false.”

Comments

[Joel]

Maybe not the wisest thing to do, but hardly a reason for expelling a student. I think if the principal is going to claim "other reasons" he'd better describe them.