Boy punished for T-shirt with gun image

LANCASTER, Pa. - "The family of a middle school student who was given detention for wearing a T-shirt bearing the image of a gun has filed a federal freedom of speech lawsuit against the school district.

Donald Miller III, 14, went to Penn Manor High School in December wearing a T-shirt he said was intended to honor his uncle, a U.S. Army soldier fighting in Iraq.

The shirt bears the image of a military sidearm and on the front pocket says "Volunteer Homeland Security." On the back, over another image of the weapon, are the words "Special issue Resident Lifetime License — United States Terrorist Hunting Permit — Permit No. 91101 — Gun Owner — No Bag Limit."

...Now that right there...that IS funny, hoss...

"Officials at the Millersville school told him to turn his shirt inside out. When Miller refused, he got two days of detention.

His parents, Donald and Tina Miller of Holtwood, have accused the Penn Manor School District in a lawsuit of violating their son's First Amendment rights with a "vague Orwellian policy" that stifles both patriotism and free speech.

But an attorney for the school district said school must create a safe environment for students in the post-Columbine era, and bringing even the image of a gun to school violates the district's policy.

"There's a much higher level of sensitivity these days," Penn Manor attorney Kevin French said. "But it's based on reality."

Any teacher, or school system for that matter, that would take such offense at a picture on a shirt should have it license revoked, period.

If the kid was wearing something too grungy for school then handle it that way, but to turn these kids into hysterical jello bags is something else. I'm afraid that an entire generation is being set up for a lifetime of therapy because the school systems are teaching them to take offense at every turn, and this is not cool.

We can't very well take away a certain genders right to vote nor force them to participate in living amidst dwellers of the real, scary old world as opposed to the fantasy lands they spend most of their time in, so we'll just have to be prepared for an influx of useless kids.

But enough is enough. This hug-the-planet deal has gone on for far too long and I wish there were more affordable private schools available that allowed their staff to TEACH and not PREACH kumbaya'isms.