# Liberal Tolerance on parade at a local middle school... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 13, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547 "2008-11-13T16:27:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/1 "2008-11-13T16:27:58Z")
[Here](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-13-nov13,0,2881384.column) is an interesting story about a 14-year-old girl, and the reaction she got when she wore a t-shirt that said “McCain Girl” to school one day. She wore it as an experiment, as she knew that most of her fellow students were Obama supporters. Let’s just say that the response was not pretty. She was told that she was stupid and should die for supporting McCain. One person even said she should be burned with her shirt on. The one positive reaction she got was whispered in a corner, away from the other students. A teacher told her that she “wasn’t going to judge” but that she was “surprised” that the girl was supporting McCain. Oh, sure, Teach…that doesn’t sound judgemental, not at all! That teacher later admitted she was embarrassed by what she said, when she found out the girl was writing everything down, and was planning on handing it is as an extra-credit report in one of her classes. Hmmm…pretty interesting that a teacher apparently feels free to say things to students that she would be embarrassed by if the rest of the world heard it. Kind of scary if you ask me. I’m not even feeling like ranting, because I think the article speaks for itself. Good for this student, though…she seems like a pretty smart and tough cookie! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/2 "2008-11-13T16:33:27Z")
Because, of course, middle schoolers are totally representative of the population at large. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/3 "2008-11-13T16:34:23Z")
That’s not liberalism - it’s just garden variety partisanship. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/4 "2008-11-13T16:35:31Z")
So if this happened to some liberal kid at a school in Oklahoma, that would be OK? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/5 "2008-11-13T16:36:53Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > So if this happened to some liberal kid at a school in Oklahoma, that would be OK? Who said it was OK? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/6 "2008-11-13T16:37:08Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > So if this happened to some liberal kid at a school in Oklahoma, that would be OK? Did either of the prior posters say this was OK? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/7 "2008-11-13T16:37:32Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > So if this happened to some liberal kid at a school in Oklahoma, that would be OK? Who said it was okay? It’s got nothing to do with “liberal tolerance”, that’s all. If you’re Pitting schoolkids for acting like dipshits, fine, but see if you can find a smaller brush. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/8 "2008-11-13T16:37:47Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > So if this happened to some liberal kid at a school in Oklahoma, that would be OK? It’s not OK either way. But it’s also not that surprising. You’ve been to middle school, right? Edit: neat, quad-post! ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/9 "2008-11-13T16:38:14Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Who said it was OK? It’s just garden-variety partisanship, right? No big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Khan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3ab097/32.png) [@Khan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/10 "2008-11-13T16:39:16Z")
What’s so shocking to me about this article is that the vast majority of junior high school students normally accept differences among their peers with the utmost compassion. I’m disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/11 "2008-11-13T16:39:26Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > It’s just garden-variety partisanship, right? No big deal. Do you want people to get outraged at every story of middle schoolers acting like dicks and bullying someone for being different? Because it happens a lot, and I’m not sure I have that much outrage in me. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/12 "2008-11-13T16:39:33Z")
It’s all self-reported by a child, so I’m dubious off the bat. Also, it’s all about reactions of children, not “liberals.” Also, she was trolling. Also, we don’t know how many kids (if any) gave her any negative reactions. I suspect the vast majority were probably indifferent. Also, let a kid wear an Obama shirt to school in rural Alabama and see what happens. It’s not a liberal/conservative thing, it’s a junior high school thing. Also, there’s nothing wrong with what the teacher said. I see nothing judgemental about being “surprised” that a normally good kid would try to troll her classmates. It’s not a political judgement, it’s a response to unexpected behavior. Also, fuck McCain. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/13 "2008-11-13T16:39:57Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Do you want people to get outraged at every story of middle schoolers acting like dicks and bullying someone for being different? Because it happens a lot, and I’m not sure I have that much outrage in me. Certainly I’d prefer it if the teachers weren’t in on it. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/14 "2008-11-13T16:40:29Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > So if this happened to some liberal kid at a school in Oklahoma, that would be OK? Can we please not do this? It pisses me off when the right wingers use this sort of line and I don’t think it’s any better the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/15 "2008-11-13T16:40:35Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > So if this happened to some liberal kid at a school in Oklahoma, that would be OK? What “happened” to her? Kids didn’t like her shirt? Boo hoo. Welcome to junior high school. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/16 "2008-11-13T16:41:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It’s all self-reported by a child, so I’m dubious off the bat. Also, it’s all about reactions of children, not “liberals.” Also, she was trolling. Also, we don’t know how many kids (if any) gave her any negative reactions. I suspect the vast majority were probably indifferent. Also, let a kid wear an Obama shirt to school in rural Alabama and see what happens. It’s not a liberal/conservative thing, it’s a high school thing. > > Also, there’s nothing wrong with what the teacher said. I see nothing judgemental about being “surprised” that a normally good kid would try to troll her classmates. It’s not a political judgement, it’s a response to unexpected behavior. > > Also, fuck McCain. The teacher didn’t know what she was doing at the time. The teacher wasn’t surprised she was “trolling” (which is not what she was doing, BTW), she was surprised the girl supported McCain. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/17 "2008-11-13T16:42:18Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > It’s just garden-variety partisanship, right? No big deal. What’s your point? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/18 "2008-11-13T16:42:40Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > Certainly I’d prefer it if the teachers weren’t in on it. There is no allegation that the teachers were “in on it.” ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/19 "2008-11-13T16:43:10Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > Certainly I’d prefer it if the teachers weren’t in on it. The article mentions _a teacher_, singular, not _teachers_. Yes, her reaction was inappropriate, though. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547/20 "2008-11-13T16:44:15Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#): > > Certainly I’d prefer it if the teachers weren’t in on it. Sure, I’d love it if all middle school teachers were models of objectivity and reason. While we’re wishing for stuff, I’d also love it if they could teach science and math at a halfway comprehensible level, too. I’m not holding my breath for either one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tolerance-on-parade-at-a-local-middle-school/472547.md?page=2)