• news
  • TUESDAY FEBRUARY 22 2005 2:39 AM

Teacher Yanks Chair Out From Under Student For Refusing to Stand During National Anthem

Submitted by Attack_Macaque

Edited by Sean

In an ugly display of hyperjingoistic douchebaggery, Stuart Mantel, a high school teacher and wanna-be drill sergeant in Brick, New Jersey, was recently filmed flying into an unhinged rage when one of his students failed to stand for the national anthem. The episode ended with Mantel yanking a chair out from under the student.

Indymedia.org has a copy of the film here, and it's not pretty:

The class started out that morning with Mantel yelling, "I don't want to hear a sound! Not a sound! Morning exercises will come on, you will stand, you will stand quietly, you will pay attention! Any Questions? ...Now stand up and keep your mouths shut!" Students stood up as the national anthem began playing.

In the middle of the anthem, Mantel walked over to Jay and demanded that he stand up. Jay silently refused, and Mantel yelled again, "Stand up!". Jay then said "I don't have to stand up". To which Mantel insisted "You have to stand." Jay said "No I don't". Mantel then reached over and pulled Jay's chair out from under him. Jay responded to Stuart Mantel's outrageous behavior by asking Mantel, "Are you serious?", to which Mantel yelled, "I am damn well serious."

Incredibly, Mantel remains unpunished for his abusive (and unconstitutional) actions, while the student who filmed the incident was suspended 10 days for "violating the teacher's constitutional rights."

According to the student who filmed the incident, this was not the first time that something like this had happened in Mantel's classroom, and the students decided to bring a camera into their classroom in case Mantel flew off the handle again, so they could have evidence of his behavior. When they presented their evidence to the school's principal, however, they were met with hostility:

"The teacher and school principals wanted him (Mantel) to press charges against us...they tried to blame it on us like it was premeditated, like we did it just to get him on tape, which is false. We knew he was gonna go nuts because he frequently used to," said Corey [the student who filmed the incident].

One of the hallmarks of fascism is hyperbolic patriotism, and another is compulsory patriotism. To see them both displayed in an incident like this is disturbing, but what's even more disturbing is the indifference of school administrators to behavior that is not only clearly inappropriate but also illegal. Worse yet is the possibility that episodes like this may be happening with less fanfare in classrooms all over the country.

Hat tip: PissedOffPollyana @ Daily Kos

  • PERMALINK
  • PRINT
  • Digg This
  • Email To A Friend
 

Previous

PAGE: 

1 ... 

11 | 12 | 13

Next

Comments
EdmundOG

EdmundOG

I'm lost
July 2004

MAR 23, 2005 12:41 PM

Cash said:

Candide said:
But I believe that the kid should have at least stood up to show respect as I do during the pledge of allegiance every day in school.



"Should have" isn't covered by the Constitution. COnstitutional rights don't apply only when the issue is popular with the majority.

I'm reminded of my favorite scene in the movie "My Blue Heaven" starring Steve Martin. Steve Martin plays a gangster in the witness protection program. My favorite scene takes place when Martin's character (Todd Wilkinson) is busted by Assistant DA Stubbs (played by Joan Cusack) for stealing a car.

Wilkinson: Probable Cause....Thomas Jefferson put that in the constitution.

Stubbs: He didn't put in in there for you.

Wilkinson: On the contrary, I'm the exact guy he put it in for. I'm the worst-case scenario of Thomas Jefferson's dream.


What a great movie.

Clidna

Clidna

Canada
January 2005

MAR 25, 2005 09:09 PM

ashmanonar said:

Clidna said:
Patriotic doesn't mean just showing respect to the place where your parents fucked, it's being proud to be a part of the country you live in. There are many things I can't stand about Canada (the government being a major one), but I still am proud of the country itself (ie. how Canadians join together in times of need to try and help others, the soldiers that fought for our freedom, and the fact that I can state my opinion, whatever it may be, and nobody is going to do jack-shit about it). As much as I am less than impressed with the Candian government, I am still damn proud to be Canadian! When I stand for the national anthem, I am not standing for Paul Martin, or any of his cronies in Ottawa; I am standing for such things as I mentioned above.

I don't think we can think about humanity as a whole when so many people can't even think of their country as a whole.



ahh, now i understand. you don't live in this insane asylum of a country.

since certain recent administrations have perverted the whole meaning of "national pride" and "liberty" and "freedom", standing for the pledge or the national anthem doesn't MEAN anything anymore.
if i had something to be proud of in this country, and i have the feeling a lot of people here (not just SG, but in general) feel the same way, i would act on that pride. until then, they can't make me say or do shit.



Fair enough... I admit I probably wouldn't be overly proud to be an American right now. I guess I see things a lot differently than most who have been posting, because I am not looking at this issue as a pride issue, or a legal issue, but mainly a simple respect issue. I am of the opinion that most parents are sorely lacking in teaching basic respect to their children; respect for elders, respect for authority, respect for those who died for your country, respect for anyone in any way, shape, or form, as a matter of fact. Many children do not show respect for anyone or anything these days, unless it's in the form of condescending compliance. It makes me sad, and ill, to be honest.

I would just like to point out to those who may not know, that this area is an area to express one's opinions about whatever topic we may be covering; my opinions are no less important than anyone else's because I am not a lawyer (and even if I was, I would be familiar with Canadian law I'm sure, not American law). Let's have a little respect for each other and lose the condescending tone. Thanks!

*Just a note: this was not directed at any one person in particular, just towards anyone who may look down on the opinions of those who are not completely familiar with the legal ramifications of such topics as we have been discussing.*

[Edited on Mar 26, 2005 by Clidna]

Subrosa

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA
July 2004

MAR 25, 2005 09:22 PM

EdmundOG said:

wolfwood said:
You can't make people stand just because you think they should. It's not the law, and if it were, that would be stupid. Whether the person in question is an asshole or a not is irrelevant. Someone being an asshole does not make it okay for you to trample all over their rights.



Unfound said it best, right on this very page...



school rights are considered the same as a workers rights...

if your teacher told you to report to the principals office... you have to...
if your teacher tells you to do your home work, you have to...
if your techer tells you to stand up in class you have to...

if your boss tells you to something that is not illegal... you have to...



And if you read back to the pages prior, you'll understand why he's actually quite wrong.

Previous

PAGE: 

1 ... 

11 | 12 | 13

Next

featured interviews