<p>Oklahoma</a> high school valedictorian denied diploma for using 'hell' in speech - U.S. News</p>
<p>yikes.</p>
<p>That is about as lame as it gets. Especially in context.</p>
<p>H-E-double.hockey.sticks no way!</p>
<p>My son was told not to use the word “sucks” in his speech. As a matter of fact, the school seriously edited his speech and took all the meat out of it. We backed him when he decided to memorize and give his original speech. People are still complementing him on his speech over a year later!!!</p>
<p>They can’t really keep his diploma for that!</p>
<p>7734 upside down on an old school calculator!!</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>what does a fish say when it swims into a stone wall?</p>
<p>Dam!</p>
<p>Must be a slow day for the “media.” </p>
<p>I am not sure what it more deplorable … the story or the fact that a reporter decided to waste keystrokes on such complete silliness.</p>
<p>It’s not silliness at all. It’s censorship for a silly word that I bet those people that were offended hear in church. Oh and the bible</p>
<p>I guess since the young woman is no longer at the school, they felt they had to do something to send a message … wouldn’t want to feel impotent, would we?! It’s absolutely ridiculous. She earned her diploma. The punishment makes no sense for the “crime.”</p>
<p>I find this story somewhere between pathetic and amusing…</p>
<p>The high school principal still “disciplining” a graduated student…really? </p>
<p>I hope he really enjoyed his moment of exercising petty power over someone who is really no longer subject to him…he can hold that little piece of paper in his desk drawer forever; she has the satisfaction of having achieved valedictorian status, making an excellent speech to her classmates, and never looking back.</p>
<p>The school mascot is…wait for it…the Red Devils. I sense an irony deficiency. :)</p>
<p>The news story includes the line “David Nootbaar said his daughter was inspired by the movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” when she wrote the speech." :eek: Somewhere, a Prague High School English teacher is quietly weeping in frustration. ;)</p>
<p>^^^Need the like button ST!!! LOL</p>
<p>A quick Google search yielded the email address of the principal and superintendent. I know they don’t care what I think, but nontheless, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. Here is the text of my email to both of them: </p>
<p>Mr. Smith and Mr. Martin,
I am appalled at your recent decision to withhold a well-earned diploma from a student for such an obviously petty reason, unless of course, this decision is the forerunner of a new policy to withhold a diploma from EVERY senior who breaks a school rule. If that is not your new policy, then I must ask, in all seriousness: What the heck? I am 100% certain that there were FAR more serious violations of school district rules/policy that resulted in lesser consequences. Why is that? Miss Nootbar, no doubt, should not have used a swear word on a public/school district platform. But what about this offense has caused you to decide that IT is worthy of the most profound punishment when presumably other students in the crowd who’ve used profanity at a school event, or worse–been involved with drugs/alcohol, violence or bullying on school grounds-- WERE presented with their diplomas? This does not make any sense. </p>
<p>Unless of course, you ARE tripping on your power? Or, worse, your Christian morals? If that is the case, I’m fairly certain your actions would definitely FAIL the “What Would Jesus Do?” test. It’s people like you who give the non-believers fuel for their The-trouble-with-Christianity-is-Christians convictions. In this case, I think you are the perfect evidence.</p>
<p>Here is the school’s web site: [Prague</a> Public Schools - Home](<a href=“http://www.prague.k12.ok.us/]Prague”>http://www.prague.k12.ok.us/)</p>
<p>If it is the self-described “home of the Red Devils”, then isn’t it describing it self as H___?</p>
<p>(Oh, and Red Devil mascot on the home page does not look like it is wearing anything… wonder if the school has a dress code…)</p>
<p>I think the entire system of “bad” language is hilarious. When my kid came home in maybe 6th grade saying “Frickin”, I told her I knew the word hiding behind the obvious euphemism. Now on TV, I see commercials that use similarly obvious euphemisms, “shut the front door” being one. Why is it OK to say words that conjure up the exact “forbidden” words but not use the words themselves? It’s stupid. It’s totally form over substance, which is equivalent to saying God doesn’t care what’s in your heart but only whether you say the prayers exactly the way they’re written. Nonsensical. </p>
<p>As for this high school, the word “heck” is an obvious euphemism. Stupidity rampant.</p>
<p>Lergnom: like, like like! </p>
<p>I’ve tried to teach my kids that using swear words is a cop out for saying something more intelligent, but even I will admit that sometimes only a four letter word will do.</p>
<p>I think they should put it on her permanent record, and put her on double-secret probation.</p>
<p>It’s hellarious.</p>
<p>Re: getting the words of the prayer correct;</p>
<p>A monk is rowing a boat past an island and hears a mantra intoned, one of the words mispronounced. “I must correct this.” , he says, and rows to the island. He finds a Sufi mystic reciting a mantra, interrupts him to correct the pronounciation of a particular word. The mystic thanks him and continues reciting his mantra. The monk no sooner begins rowing away, when he hears the word again being mispronounced. " I did what I could.", he thinks.
Next, he is amazed to see the Sufi mystic walking next to the rowboat on the surface of the lake. “Excuse me, " says the mystic, " I seem to have forgotten the pronounciation you taught me.”</p>
<p>I like reserving the big serious profanities for, as scubasue says, when nothing else will do. Using euphemisms, especially those where decades of use has worn off the raw edges, doesn’t trouble me. Darn, dang, gosh, geez, heck, golly, shoot, fudge, dagnabbit, all now sound pretty innocent. I was astounded to learn recently that calling someone a “jerk” has its origins in insulting someone by, uhm, referring to that person using that action on a portion of their body. </p>
<p>It’s totally irrational, but my kids know that I don’t want to hear them using “that sucks” in household conversation…but I’m not bothered at all by “fricken”. Or anything in foreign languages; Yiddish is especially effective.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Somebody, please mail them(school admins) 20 barrels of smelling salts. Sounds like they really need it…</p>