By Aaron Kesel
Three students at a Greenbrier, Arkansas high school were bizarrely punished with paddles after walking out of school to participate in the national walkout to protest against gun violence, The Hill reported.
According to multiple reports, the three students were given the choice between in-school suspension or corporal punishment, meaning paddling.
A parent of one of the students tweeted about the students’ choices, adding in a follow-up tweet that the students were swatted “two times on the bum with a wooden paddle.”
My kid and two other students walked out of their rural, very conservative, public school for 17 minutes today. They were given two punishment options. They chose corporal punishment. This generation is not playing around. #walkout
— Jerusalem Greer (@JerusalemGreer) March 14, 2018
District superintendent Scott Spainhour confirmed to local NBC affiliate KARK that three students had participated in the nationwide protests against gun violence.
The superintendent stated that students were punished for breaking rules in the school handbook, and not for protesting. Spainhour declined to tell NBC how they were punished.
Paddling is allowed at the school but requires parental approval, according to KARK.
Shockingly, corporal punishment or paddling is allowed in 22 states including Arkansas, according to NPR.
Wylie Greer, one of the students who was punished after walking out for the protest, told the Daily Beast that most students at the school were opposed to the idea of the protest.
Greer stated that after walking out, he and his peers were told they could “either suffer two ‘swats’ from a paddle or two days of in-school suspension.”
“All three of us chose the paddling, with the support of our parents,” Greer said.
“I believe that corporal punishment has no place in schools, even if it wasn’t painful to me. The idea that violence should be used against someone who was protesting violence as a means to discipline them is appalling,” Greer said. “I hope that this is changed, in Greenbrier, and across the country.”
It doesn’t matter whether you are against the gun protests or for the rallies; what truly holds substance is that students were just punished for what they personally believe in. Indoctrination has just hit a new level. Kids are often told to stand up for what they believe in, but taking action against them pushes the nanny state on students, teaching them only to obey. How is it such punishment can be allowed in 2018?
Whether it is installing cameras in school bathrooms in Colorado and elsewhere to “protect students” or paddling them as a disciplinary action for using their First Amendment the right to protest, it’s apparent that schools are becoming more like private prisons than institutions of learning.
Image Credit: Mashable
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post. Support us at Patreon. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Steemit, and BitChute. Ready for solutions? Subscribe to our premium newsletter Counter Markets.
Corporal punishment is not shocking as the author cites, it’s what bad kids need.
I see, so those three kids that stood up for life free from gun threats are bad?
Yes, that is exactly what I’m saying. They are misguided, and are standing for exactly what the NWO is doing, which is bad, let’s spank them.
“Standing for what the NWO is doing”? I wonder what that is? So you’re saying that American children should just accept their deadly fate and die when a crazed individual shoots up their classroom? I bet that there are a lot like you who think that is a very good idea!
Bad parents need what? As a teacher I found educating my students more effective than beating them.
So much for “democracy”; the Republic is dead – “long live the new creatures of peace and justice”.
They were not punished for standing up for what they believe in. They were punished for ditching school.
Another deplorable attempting to defend the indefensible!
Huh? Did you say something? The children were punished for ditching school. Do you actually have a problem with that?
Are you telling me that you actually missed the whole point?
Help me out here Leftie. What, precisely, is your point?
My point is that the right wing, gun lovers who seem to inhabit the lesser states such as Arkansas are dead set against the potential victims actually using their First Amendment rights. The children at this school did not set the timetable for the march, they just knew they had to stand up for themselves when it happened. They weren’t having fun, they were working at saving their own lives! Don’t be such a putz!
Sorry, but I don’t agree with you. No more discussion is needed or desired.
Archie is pretty psycho. “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes”. If the school asked the parents for permission to spank the kids, and also gave the kids a choice, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not spanking children has turned them into evil little brats.
Thank you Rob.
Really? I have two sons who were not smacked every time they disobeyed. Yes, I spared the rod and now they are adults and they know that violent actions against anyone is uncivilized, brutal and anti social. They are both Christian men and although capable of strong action if ever attacked, never use violence against anyone. You might say they protected other children in the schoolyard during their school years, are now graduate engineers and help children and the elderly today as their community duty.
Fine with me.
I have a problem with that. If I smack you around it is assault if I hit a kid it is ok. People are not for hitting. What that school did was to teach the children that violence is the way to handle things and that you are not ok.There is a better way to be with children. I suggest you get yourself a copy of the book” Between Parent And Child” byDr.Haim G.Ginott.
Really? What is the “better way”? Not paddling them has sure created a nightmare … a whole bunch of mindless zombies with no discipline. The ones who can process thought decided to stay in school. Sorry … call me old fashioned if you want to … but these children should not be out protesting. They’re being used by the Leftists to further an agenda that’s gotten really old and tired.
They are no longer kids but are young adults. I agree that many across the country who walked out don’t know how to think having been taught zero tolerance, conformity and obedience in the schools all their lives. But some had done some thinking. And some across the country did not walk out because they believe in the right to keep and bear arms (I agree with these latter). The purpose of education IMO is to teach people *how* to think rather than *what* to think. The three young men here had the gumption to disobey, kudos to them even tho they may not be on my page re. gun rights.
People like you are a part of the problem, not part of the solution. The US has a major problem with gun massacres on a weekly basis. It is beyond acceptable and it is directly related to your ideas, your desire for guns to be a salient part of your violent and dystopian society. You madame are killing your young and you know full well their dead bodies are the price of your love of guns, and you don’t care! Your mental thought processes disgust me.
They ought to ditch school again. For good this time, and attend a school where one is taught how to think. A school where there is a range of opinions that can be discussed intelligently without the threat of a weaponized stick of wood and with teachers who encourage the love of learning. Some students in such a school would have done the walkout and others would not and there might be a discussion forum.
Christ on a crutch! First, I was told by Activistpost readers that students who protested would only do it because the administration sanctioned it and they were indoctrinated.
Now I learn that they are punished for not following their alleged indoctrination
How is it that would land you in prison as an adult (physical assault) is sanctioned in schools? They were punished to teach a lesson: you are supposed to be a drone; stop acting as you are a free agent with rights. The fascists will applaud the school punishments and the fake reason given (17 minutes out of class to protest violence in schools). Genuine patriots will applaud a new generation showing that unlike many adults, they are NOT brainwashed and will use civil disobedience as a tool to effect change because when the laws themselves are criminal (“Everything Hitler did was legal.” MLK), good people must disobey them as a duty and a patriot.
Shame on the fascists who first said these protesters were indoctrinated and now applaud violence on them for not being indoctrinated.
Regressive, backward, deplorable! It’s Arkansas, need I say more?
Hey Archie1954, maybe that what we need more of, instead of that limp wristed punishment that is being used now a days
No. Violence begets violence. For big people to hit small people (children) only teaches that it’s ok for big to bully small and for big countries to conquer smaller countries. Might does not make right. Having said that I’ll add that this doesn’t quite apply in this case as high school students are no longer children but are young adults. But it does apply because for one person to initiate violence against another is wrong.
Time for another walkout to protest the punishment. The only way to fight unreasonable punishment is to do again what you were punished for. I’m a firm believer in defying wrongful punishments.