I find it hard to believe that anyone can fight for the continuation of this fearmongering by the religious extremists going on in this city. They claim it’s “freedom of speech,” but I call it mental terrorism.
Imagine you’re an innocent elementary school student, and it’s your first day in a real school. You have yet to establish any views on politics, religions, etc. Now imagine that you’re approached by someone wearing an anti-Islam shirt, telling you that this group of people will burn forever in hell, as you will if you don’t feel the same way.
Do you honestly think at that stage of your life you were capable of blowing the extremists off as mere crazies? Of course not — your lack of world experience and knowledge would most likely allow them to get into your head, filling your thoughts with mythical fire and endless torture.
Not surprisingly, this is exactly what the extremists count on. They don’t want to comfort you with a loving message of peace but rather scare you senseless until you think how they think, hate how they hate and hate whom they hate. Obviously I’m overjoyed that the School Board of Alachua County took a stand against these child poster boards and kicked them off campus.
Separation of church and state should mean that at a government-funded institution, we can rest assured that there is zero tolerance for any sort of religious fearmongering. Sure, they can claim that it’s their freedom of expression, but there must be a limit.
If this lawsuit goes though, there’s no telling what the extremists could get away with. Opening this Pandora’s box will show every other religious group that it’s OK to use your children as walking billboards to spread hate. Sure, first the government can let the shirts slip through, but what’s next? Do we really have to wait for children to start violent crusades in the name of whatever the hell their parents believe in for us to say enough is enough?
And in response to Howard Simon proclaiming that the shirts are about “[the students’] views on politics, religion and history,” come on. Can someone really be that blatantly ignorant? The students wearing these shirts don’t have a choice in the matter. Their parents, their church and other trusted organizations force their children into wearing the shirts. Can’t he see that a simple, “Honey, by wearing this shirt, you’re going to make God very happy,” will persuade any extremist-raised child?
There is a reason why the government has age limits on so much of today’s society; they recognize that younger children don’t yet have the experience necessary to make sound judgments in almost any scenario.
This goes to say that their views on politics and such are most likely the views forced upon them by their parents.
To spread a cult’s message of hate and intolerance by way of innocent children is one most disgusting acts imaginable.
If the government backs down and allows these groups to wear their “Islam is of the Devil” shirts on elementary school campuses, there’s no stopping them from going a step further next time.
Kevin Olivier is a UF aerospace engineering sophomore.
