What is the student walkout for on 11/29 at Sherwood?

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's a call for a continued bilateral ceasefire. If you interpret that as "pro Palestine," that's not on the students.

For what it is worth, within Israel, calls for a ceasefire are seen as pro-hostage. It's only in the USA that asking for a ceasefire is seen as somehow uniquely pro Palestinian.

If you think the rally will be limited to a single message that reflects a thoughtful foreign policy take, good luck to you.

+1

I’m the pp who provided a summary of how our interfaith home feels about the ongoing/never ending conflict—not because I think my perspective should dictate a student walkout, but rather to preemptively state I’m not blindly pro-Israel and most certainly not anti-Palestine/islamaphobic.

Like this pp said, I’m concerned this will quickly go off the rails and needlessly become an antisemitic rally. Why? Because there are far too many recent videos of such situations online…particularly at schools.

If they just protest the war and promote peace, that would be fine. If they showcase Palestinian and Jewish students hand in hand calling for a ceasefire, awesome! But if they start chanting anything antisemitic, then that’s not okay.

Mcps wouldn’t tolerate anything remotely anti-fill in the blank with any other group.

Wrong. Mcps is totally Anti Asian and has been for decades. In all its policies and it's complete lack of support for the racist stuff that happens to Asian kids everyday. Ask me how I know.

So welcome to the club.

As an Asian American parent I'd just like them to stop encouraging protesting altogether. That's what weekends are for, a long with your church, synagogue, mosque, temple. Unless it's for something school related (gun control anyone?), it's not something that should be school sanctioned.

It's school-related when it affects people who are in school, which world events certainly can do.

I think it would be helpful if people stopped interpreting "MCPS does not forbid" as "MCPS encourages", though.

This. The minute you jump to saying inane things like MCPS is encouraging the walkout is the minute you stop being taken seriously because clearly you are misrepresenting facts

MCPS encourages activism and even had an activism program at Whitman. They give SSL hours for protests. That's encouraging activism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a call for a continued bilateral ceasefire. If you interpret that as "pro Palestine," that's not on the students.

For what it is worth, within Israel, calls for a ceasefire are seen as pro-hostage. It's only in the USA that asking for a ceasefire is seen as somehow uniquely pro Palestinian.

If you think the rally will be limited to a single message that reflects a thoughtful foreign policy take, good luck to you.

+1

I’m the pp who provided a summary of how our interfaith home feels about the ongoing/never ending conflict—not because I think my perspective should dictate a student walkout, but rather to preemptively state I’m not blindly pro-Israel and most certainly not anti-Palestine/islamaphobic.

Like this pp said, I’m concerned this will quickly go off the rails and needlessly become an antisemitic rally. Why? Because there are far too many recent videos of such situations online…particularly at schools.

If they just protest the war and promote peace, that would be fine. If they showcase Palestinian and Jewish students hand in hand calling for a ceasefire, awesome! But if they start chanting anything antisemitic, then that’s not okay.

Mcps wouldn’t tolerate anything remotely anti-fill in the blank with any other group.

Wrong. Mcps is totally Anti Asian and has been for decades. In all its policies and it's complete lack of support for the racist stuff that happens to Asian kids everyday. Ask me how I know.

So welcome to the club.

As an Asian American parent I'd just like them to stop encouraging protesting altogether. That's what weekends are for, a long with your church, synagogue, mosque, temple. Unless it's for something school related (gun control anyone?), it's not something that should be school sanctioned.

Love it. I'm totally against any and all protests....unless it's a political position I agree with. Never change, DCUM

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the school sanctioning this?

Sherwood Community, Prior to our Thankssiving Break, students approached administration to propose a student walkout during Advisory on November 29, 2023. The students were informed of MCPS BOE regulation which permits
students to demonstrate peacetully regarding social and political issues Please note this action is not approved or supported by Sherwood High School or MCPS and students walking out of class will receive an unexcused absence and the MCPS Code of Conduct and Student
Culture of Respect apply to student protests. I have also spoken with walkout organizers and they are well aware of the intensity of opinions on both sides of the current conflict in Gaza and Israel and are avoiding specific phrases and slogans which could be hurtful or derogatory against other members of our
community. It a walkout takes place, proper satety and security measures will be in place. There will not be an Advisory period on Wednesday, November 29th. Staff, students, and families are highly encouraged to have discussions based on our No Place for Hate messaging. This messaging
coincides with our "One Sherwood" Pillars of Civility. Accountability, Rigor, and Engagement.

I would just like to point out the following:
There has been enormous debate and activism regarding books within the curriculum that contain LGBTQ characters. Many community members, notably from various backgrounds but primarily Muslim, have requested the ability to opt their children out of reading these books because it is in conflict with their religious or personal values. It has been the position of MCPS Central office and the BOE that families may not opt their children out of reading these books, because the act of opting out is not neutral: it causes actual harm to the LGBTQ students who are made to feel “othered” or vulnerable if their fellow students opt out of reading books with characters that reflect who they are. Why, then, is it not the position of MCPS that a walk out on this topic might not leave certain students feeling very “othered” when their classmates walk out and take a particular position with regard to this conflict? Do we only protect certain students or groups based on a liberal hierarchy of perceived suffering? I hope that the school has support in place for the students who this walk out may harm or leave feeling unsafe.

Yes. It's called the pyramid of oppression, a concept born of intersectional critical theory. But relax everyone. I have it on good authority that cRt iS oNlY tAuGhT iN LaW sChOoL.

Or, and I'm just throwing this out there, there aren't any first amendment issues with not letting kids opt out of reading the required books, and there are when it comes to potentially prohibiting this demonstration. And the school may very well have supports in place as the PP asks - I really don't know.

But by all means, go on with your rant. It adds so very much to the conversation.

How does that relate to what I said? Also, can you try rewriting it without the double negatives? I can't tell if I agree with you or not.

[Anonymous]

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Any protest, about any topic, has the potential for someone to use a slogan that someone could interpret as hate speech.

Which is why "hate speech" is protected by the first amendment.

However, PP has a point that MCPS can implement their own viewpoint-neutral policies for students while on school grounds. If I was these students, I'd protest right after school, and across the street from school so it's not on school property.

Not only can MCPS implement their own viewpoint-neutral policies for students while on school grounds, they actually have done so.

Also, where exactly do you think the Sherwood students should protest?

after school? before school?

That's when. The question was where.

Across the street, off school property.

Exactly. I completely oppose what their doing (protesting for Hamas) but I completely support their right to do it as long as it doesn't disrupt the school day. But that's the whole point of protesting....to disrupt....to give yourself some good Instagram material. Protesting across the street at 2:35 doesn't carry the same level of woke street cred.

How do you know they don't have relatives who were killed by the Israelis?

What?

What is confusing to you? it's organized by the Muslim students, correct? How do you know some of these kids don't have relatives in Gaza who were killed?

What's confusing is how that relates to "I completely support their right to do it as long as it doesn't disrupt the school day. But that's the whole point of protesting....to disrupt....to give yourself some good Instagram material. Protesting across the street at 2:35 doesn't carry the same level of woke street cred."

That has nothing to do with the question I asked you which is why do you equate any support for Palestinians with support for Hamas?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a call for a continued bilateral ceasefire. If you interpret that as "pro Palestine," that's not on the students.

For what it is worth, within Israel, calls for a ceasefire are seen as pro-hostage. It's only in the USA that asking for a ceasefire is seen as somehow uniquely pro Palestinian.

If you think the rally will be limited to a single message that reflects a thoughtful foreign policy take, good luck to you.

+1

I’m the pp who provided a summary of how our interfaith home feels about the ongoing/never ending conflict—not because I think my perspective should dictate a student walkout, but rather to preemptively state I’m not blindly pro-Israel and most certainly not anti-Palestine/islamaphobic.

Like this pp said, I’m concerned this will quickly go off the rails and needlessly become an antisemitic rally. Why? Because there are far too many recent videos of such situations online…particularly at schools.

If they just protest the war and promote peace, that would be fine. If they showcase Palestinian and Jewish students hand in hand calling for a ceasefire, awesome! But if they start chanting anything antisemitic, then that’s not okay.

Mcps wouldn’t tolerate anything remotely anti-fill in the blank with any other group.

Wrong. Mcps is totally Anti Asian and has been for decades. In all its policies and it's complete lack of support for the racist stuff that happens to Asian kids everyday. Ask me how I know.

So welcome to the club.

As an Asian American parent I'd just like them to stop encouraging protesting altogether. That's what weekends are for, a long with your church, synagogue, mosque, temple. Unless it's for something school related (gun control anyone?), it's not something that should be school sanctioned.

I had heard FCPS is anti-Asian because their race-blind, which mainly selects Asians for TJ, unfairly discriminates, but I hadn't heard this about MCPS.

MCPS thought there were too many Asians in the magnet program so it changed the way it selects students for the program and there are now 40% fewer Asians in the program. Sounds like racism to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Any protest, about any topic, has the potential for someone to use a slogan that someone could interpret as hate speech.

Which is why "hate speech" is protected by the first amendment.

However, PP has a point that MCPS can implement their own viewpoint-neutral policies for students while on school grounds. If I was these students, I'd protest right after school, and across the street from school so it's not on school property.

Not only can MCPS implement their own viewpoint-neutral policies for students while on school grounds, they actually have done so.

Also, where exactly do you think the Sherwood students should protest?

after school? before school?

That's when. The question was where.

Across the street, off school property.

Exactly. I completely oppose what their doing (protesting for Hamas) but I completely support their right to do it as long as it doesn't disrupt the school day. But that's the whole point of protesting....to disrupt....to give yourself some good Instagram material. Protesting across the street at 2:35 doesn't carry the same level of woke street cred.

How do you know they don't have relatives who were killed by the Israelis?

What?

What is confusing to you? it's organized by the Muslim students, correct? How do you know some of these kids don't have relatives in Gaza who were killed?

What's confusing is how that relates to "I completely support their right to do it as long as it doesn't disrupt the school day. But that's the whole point of protesting....to disrupt....to give yourself some good Instagram material. Protesting across the street at 2:35 doesn't carry the same level of woke street cred."

That has nothing to do with the question I asked you which is why do you equate any support for Palestinians with support for Hamas?

Oh, sure. Just like we blamed all of Germany for the Nazis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was in HS, all the smokers would smoke across the street from school. What they were doing was not illegal (smoking was allowed from age 16), but against school policy to smoke on school grounds. They never got in trouble because school policy did not apply to what you do off school grounds.

Actually it can.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_v._Frederick

Morse v Frederick applied to speech about illegal drug use, during a school event:

"One scholar noted that "by its plain language, Morse's holding is narrow in that it expressly applies only to student speech promoting illegal drug use."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received a letter from the school about the planned student walkout—which neglects to say what it is for. It’s related to Israel/Gaza, but it doesn’t say what the goal of the walkout is.

Peace?

Taking sides? If so, which side?

Anyone know?

I just got it and checked on Instagram. It’s put on by the Muslim student association. So yes, they are taking And it’s pro Palestine. Interesting that there is no walk out when all of the hostages were taken and hundreds of people slaughtered by Hamas.

Was there a walkout when Israel was unilaterally declared a state with the inhabitants of the land kicked out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was in HS, all the smokers would smoke across the street from school. What they were doing was not illegal (smoking was allowed from age 16), but against school policy to smoke on school grounds. They never got in trouble because school policy did not apply to what you do off school grounds.

Actually it can.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_v._Frederick

Morse v Frederick applied to speech about illegal drug use, during a school event:

"One scholar noted that "by its plain language, Morse's holding is narrow in that it expressly applies only to student speech promoting illegal drug use."

The legal solution is to stop sanctioning any student walkouts. You want to walkout? Fine. Unexecused absence and you can't make up any tests. It was inevitable that the activism policy would lead to divisive walkouts that interfered with education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received a letter from the school about the planned student walkout—which neglects to say what it is for. It’s related to Israel/Gaza, but it doesn’t say what the goal of the walkout is.

Peace?

Taking sides? If so, which side?

Anyone know?

I just got it and checked on Instagram. It’s put on by the Muslim student association. So yes, they are taking And it’s pro Palestine. Interesting that there is no walk out when all of the hostages were taken and hundreds of people slaughtered by Hamas.

That’s what I suspected.

As a parent of a Jewish student, this is disappointing.

FTR, I’m our home, our stance is this:

All terrorism is bad.

Hamas is a terror group that attacked innocent civilians.

Innocent Palestinians are now suffering thanks to Hamas—and historically have suffered since Israel and Palestinians can’t seem to get along (despite years of attempts to negotiate).

It’s all terrible. And there’s no end in sight.

I’d rather see civil discourse on peacemaking than what looks like a pointless juvenile stunt that inevitably will prompt something negative.

The IDF dropping thousands of bombs killing over 10,000 people (many of whom are children) may be considered terrorism by anyone in Gaza whose home was blown up...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was in HS, all the smokers would smoke across the street from school. What they were doing was not illegal (smoking was allowed from age 16), but against school policy to smoke on school grounds. They never got in trouble because school policy did not apply to what you do off school grounds.

Actually it can.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_v._Frederick

Morse v Frederick applied to speech about illegal drug use, during a school event:

"One scholar noted that "by its plain language, Morse's holding is narrow in that it expressly applies only to student speech promoting illegal drug use."

The legal solution is to stop sanctioning any student walkouts. You want to walkout? Fine. Unexecused absence and you can't make up any tests. It was inevitable that the activism policy would lead to divisive walkouts that interfered with education.

Exactly. But MCPS loves student activism so there's no chance this is going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received a letter from the school about the planned student walkout—which neglects to say what it is for. It’s related to Israel/Gaza, but it doesn’t say what the goal of the walkout is.

Peace?

Taking sides? If so, which side?

Anyone know?

I just got it and checked on Instagram. It’s put on by the Muslim student association. So yes, they are taking And it’s pro Palestine. Interesting that there is no walk out when all of the hostages were taken and hundreds of people slaughtered by Hamas.

That’s what I suspected.

As a parent of a Jewish student, this is disappointing.

FTR, I’m our home, our stance is this:

All terrorism is bad.

Hamas is a terror group that attacked innocent civilians.

Innocent Palestinians are now suffering thanks to Hamas—and historically have suffered since Israel and Palestinians can’t seem to get along (despite years of attempts to negotiate).

It’s all terrible. And there’s no end in sight.

I’d rather see civil discourse on peacemaking than what looks like a pointless juvenile stunt that inevitably will prompt something negative.

Innocent Israelis are also suffering. Let's not forget them in this. They have endured tens of thousands of rockets being fired at them over the last 20+ years, terrorism, and now this horrific slaughter and hostage situation. Both sides are suffering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD's school did the same. I am very proud of them for standing against genocide and ethnic cleansing. This generation is very different from mine. When we were growing up, we learned that Israel always existed (magically, I guess) and was being attacked for nothing.

This generation has a wealth of information at their fingertips and can get more nuanced views of the situation. I am glad to see the kids take the lead here.

I hope that they will see a free Palestine in their lifetimes.

+1,000,000. The kids are alright!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received a letter from the school about the planned student walkout—which neglects to say what it is for. It’s related to Israel/Gaza, but it doesn’t say what the goal of the walkout is.

Peace?

Taking sides? If so, which side?

Anyone know?

I just got it and checked on Instagram. It’s put on by the Muslim student association. So yes, they are taking And it’s pro Palestine. Interesting that there is no walk out when all of the hostages were taken and hundreds of people slaughtered by Hamas.

That’s what I suspected.

As a parent of a Jewish student, this is disappointing.

FTR, I’m our home, our stance is this:

All terrorism is bad.

Hamas is a terror group that attacked innocent civilians.

Innocent Palestinians are now suffering thanks to Hamas—and historically have suffered since Israel and Palestinians can’t seem to get along (despite years of attempts to negotiate).

It’s all terrible. And there’s no end in sight.

I’d rather see civil discourse on peacemaking than what looks like a pointless juvenile stunt that inevitably will prompt something negative.

Innocent Israelis are also suffering. Let's not forget them in this. They have endured tens of thousands of rockets being fired at them over the last 20+ years, terrorism, and now this horrific slaughter and hostage situation. Both sides are suffering.

Both sides are suffering but to try to make the suffering sound as if it’s equal is incredibly laughable. What’s happening on the Gaza Strip is millions of times worse than what anyone can even comprehend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just received a letter from the school about the planned student walkout—which neglects to say what it is for. It’s related to Israel/Gaza, but it doesn’t say what the goal of the walkout is.

Peace?

Taking sides? If so, which side?

Anyone know?

I just got it and checked on Instagram. It’s put on by the Muslim student association. So yes, they are taking And it’s pro Palestine. Interesting that there is no walk out when all of the hostages were taken and hundreds of people slaughtered by Hamas.

That’s what I suspected.

As a parent of a Jewish student, this is disappointing.

FTR, I’m our home, our stance is this:

All terrorism is bad.

Hamas is a terror group that attacked innocent civilians.

Innocent Palestinians are now suffering thanks to Hamas—and historically have suffered since Israel and Palestinians can’t seem to get along (despite years of attempts to negotiate).

It’s all terrible. And there’s no end in sight.

I’d rather see civil discourse on peacemaking than what looks like a pointless juvenile stunt that inevitably will prompt something negative.

The IDF dropping thousands of bombs killing over 10,000 people (many of whom are children) may be considered terrorism by anyone in Gaza whose home was blown up...

Even the Pope called it terrorism. Of course it is. Disguised as “self defense.”