A Wisconsin middle school teacher has been suspended. Her grave offense against acceptable norms?
[S]chool officials discovered a photo of her with a gun on Facebook.
And what's even worse:
In the photo, Betsy Ramsdale was training a rifle at the camera.
I'm not a fan of such poses. I'm a big believer in Col. Cooper's first and second rules (as well as the third and fourth):
All guns are always loaded!
Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy!
Movie posters with Hollywood stars looking cool as they aim guns at the viewer notwithstanding, that's something we as responsible gun owners need to pay attention to, and to correct when we see it.
Still, according to this report, no harm was done--by Ms. Ramsdale. A friendly word of advice should be all it takes to make sure she understands why what she did was inadvisable. And I mean how she held the gun, not that she posed with it.
I know she's quoted in the story as not being "interested in any controversy," but the controversy--manufactured by public officials--shows people who can deny her a livelihood are interested in her--and letting them get away with it affects all our interests.
Schools superintendent Donald Childs says a concerned staff member brought the photo to the district's attention.
Childs says the use of the photo "appears to be poor judgment" and is unaware of any sinister intent.
So--who's the anonymous snitch? Since when do we want to be a nation that values and makes use of that to ruin people's careers?
And if there's no "sinister intent," who is Donald Childs to take the extraordinary measure of placing an employee on administrative leave, and creating a public record of it?
The sinister intent here is that a person's name and career can be destroyed because they are publicly identified as a gun owner. And you thought the left was opposed to blacklists...
Think about the implications of that, if we allow people to get away with driving us underground with the threat of denying us employment. Think about what it could mean to your livelihood, if someone at your workplace brought your ownership of guns to management's attention--and if hysteria ensued.
Why you might even need to admit to gun ownership on the job application to even be considered for employment...
If you frequent gun blogs, you'll see many of the prominent bloggers use pseudonyms--precisely because they realize the career-limiting results being identified as "gun extremist" can have. Forget that what they advocate is mild, measured...most of them go out of their way to assure those outside the rank of gun owners how peaceable they are.
No matter. The accusation of "gun nut" is enough to press the panic button for the uninformed, which unfortunately, includes most people, thanks to opportunistic political leaders and their media allies. Hey, I don't want him hanging around the workplace--if we look at him cross-eyed, he'll probably go nuts and shoot up the place.
And you note the gunhaters, the violence enablers, don't feel compelled to mask their affiliations. They're presented as "community anti-violence advocates" or some such, and blessed are the peacemakers. Why we'd be proud to have you address our school assembly, our ladies' club...
Welcome to the Bizarro World. But the prejudice exists. We do what we can to change the social norms through our own conduct and through public advocacy, but we also need to realize that we have a very long way to go.
That's why it's up to those of us who no longer fear repercussions to stand up to the bigotry, to expose it for what it is, and to make it known we refuse to submit quietly to it. This is from a letter I wrote anti-gun officials in San Francisco some years back:
You see, I also belong to a group that is forced by social prejudices to keep a low profile—often times to hide my choices and practices lest I suffer disapproval and ultimately, life-threatening persecution by the state.
I am a gun owner and I live a gun owner life style.
I don't know if I was born with a tendency to be this way, or if it was an acquired disposition. All I know is, I don't see why I should be forced to change. Truth be known, I like owning guns, and am happy with who I am. I hope I suffer no repercussions by "coming out of the safe," but I just can't hide the truth any longer.
We gun owners have been living and working among you. Our kids go to school with yours. We may be your doctor, or minister, or your child's teacher. We may even work in city administration, or the courts, or on the police force. And we are sick of being abused for simply being who we are, all because of hoplophobic prejudice and fear. We don't see any reason why we should have to put up with it any more.
I know Ms. Ramsdale just wants this to go away, and I can't say that I blame her. Still, I can't help but wish that she'd reconsider and get mad (she might actually have a First Amendment lawsuit). And instead of docilely surrendering, proudly declare that she's joining with the rest of us who made the decision--consequences be damned--to come out of the gun safe.
Check out the latest from other Gun Rights Examiners: Austin: Children safest population group around guns (Part 1) Charlotte: ‘A new day’ for Eric Holder; for you, it’s back to ‘92 Cleveland: Can you effectively defend your beliefs?
DC: Virginia Senate passes restaurant carry, rejects private gun sales ban Denver: Who could know? Los Angeles: Showing cause is against the sovereign. Follow-up. Milwaukee: Time to change our attitude about guns St. Louis: 'Imagining gun control in America': Why the idea is imaginary, Part III
Comments
Wow. Yes, pointing it at the camera was a bad idea. But I think you are right, David, she might have a 1st Amendment case here.
That's what I was going to recommend: a 1A lawsuit. But it seems when it comes to the Bill of Rights, especially the 2A, a lot of judges won't even let the Constitution in their courtrooms.
The only social group left in America against which "hate" speech is allowed is gun-owners.
All hail the "tolerant" LEFT.
"Think about the implications of that, if we allow people to get away with driving us underground with the threat of denying us employment. Think about what it could mean to your livelihood, if someone at your workplace brought your ownership of guns to management's attention--and if hysteria ensued."
When Ohio first passed concealed carry and newspapers began publishing the list of people who obtained a CHL, one of our local anti-gun organizations (Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence) advocated using those lists for employment and housing screening. I know of at least one person whose landlord refused to renew his lease because he saw the tenant's name on the list.
Denying people a home or livelihood for exercising a Constitutionally protected right? How can anyone support such extremism? If someone circulated a list of known Christians and advocated that same treatment, people would go nuts.
Feel free to contact the school administration here:
http: // www. beaverdam. k12. wi.us/ bd/dist-admin
You'll need to remove the spaces I put in there. No URL's allowed in the comments it seems.
Mr Donald Childs contact info is the 1st on the list.
I hope she decides to "lawyer up" and take these folks to the cleaners.
David, there's a blog that has plenty of photos of the rules being broken.
idiotswithguns.blogspot.com
I blog anonymously, well, to some extent. The all knowing all snooping government and their internet arm, google, know who I am. I do it for some of the reasons you mention here. I've seen first hand the "tolerant left" in action.
The busy bodies spend more time with their nose in your hind quarters then a dog meeting another on the street. Look at Joe the plumber and the witch hunt against him. Had he been on a CCW list they probably would have detained him anytime Obama visited Ohio, it's not just gun owners.
This teacher needs to drag the school district into court ASAP. Demand to confront her nameless faceless persecutor, as she has the right to do. Then she needs to go find a sympathetic lawgiver to write up a bill with her name in the title followed by ANTI-DISCRIMINATION against constitutionally guaranteed rights law.
It's OUR government too. We don't tolerate a bully in school, we damn well don't tolerate them in the government!
Pretty soon people are going to have to describe the kind of underwear we wear on an application. I tend to agree, even as a non-gun owner, this woman was singled out because she owned a gun. People tend to think we have can grasp the totality of someones exsistence based on a picture. I guess that is the reality in this image-first-image-only society. Sort of like Michael Phelps. One picture can somehow cause an entire nation to reconsider their view on a person.
Feel free to contact the school administration here:
http: // www. beaverdam. k12. wi.us/ bd/dist-admin
You'll need to remove the spaces I put in there. No URL's allowed in the comments it seems.
Mr Donald Childs contact info is the 1st on the list.
I hope she decides to "lawyer up" and take these folks to the cleaners.
If you thought Obama being named gun salesman of the year was a hoot. NRA membership processing is being delayed because of the surge in NRA memberships because of Obama gun control expectations. So, the NRA can also name Obama salesman of the year for gun-rights organization memberships.
Hey, it's no surprise that the cry of "gun nut" is always a dismissive one, with nothing but PSH to back it up. It's just another manifestation of a long-held legal precept:
- If the law is on your side, argue the law.
- If the facts are on your side, argue the facts.
- If neither the law nor the facts are on your side, assassinate the character of the witness.
It's also known by other names, such as "waving the bloody shirt". As others have said here better than I could, this form of bigotry seems to be perfectly acceptable today, but only if the target group is "gun nut".
With apologies to Jeff Cooper, from whom I first heard the phrase, some people have just made up their mind on the matter and do not want to be confused with reality. If I have managed to make their blacklist, I must be doing something right.
That state solidly votes democrat so it goess with the scumpond.
As far as aiming at the camera, a camera with a timer can be a safe way of doing such.
Nevertheless, this is the code of conduct for parasites. If a person wants to be one they got to give something up.
In the liberal world of our school system she is forced to let this drop. I think you have it right, if she fights they will fire her for some cause and word would get out and she would have to find a new line of work. . . love the lefts idea of equality
After sending my regards to the pinheads who would trash this woman (to no effect as I do not pay tribute in that jurisdiction) I will find a pic of me to post up at 'People of the Gun'...take your best shot boss.
Outstanding article as always. The examiner has shown some wisdom in attracting skilled writers.
here is donald childs phone number at
the school district
Im sure he would like to have a discussion re what the district teaches about the 1st amendment
1-920-885-7470 ext.1111
If the image was taken via a mirror, would that be a violation of rule 2? It would not be the first mirror to be broken.
All we need now is a story of an administrator who was sacked because of something s/he posted on a website. Then we'd have students, teachers and administrators who were ostracized because of the content of an unrelated, personal website.
At that point, some of the Nobel laureates who demanded harsh consequences might rethink their positions.
Ah, the Sawders Effect.
I know someone who was 19 years old and sent back to prison (he was on parole and he had been in for burglary) when police saw a picture of him holding a gun. I'm not equating someone on parole with a school teacher's face book photo, but I thought it seemed a bit crazy. The idea of a teacher being dismissed for a photo of her holding a gun is ridiculous. It's not like she did something illegal.
You have got to be kidding me. This is one of the dumbest things I have heard in awhile. Unfortunately, I have learned to expect this given the state of our nation right now. I wish the teachers of my children would take a conceal carry course and carry in the classroom. That way the first responder to any misconduct within the school is armed and can protect my children if the need arises. This beats sitting around and ringing your hands until the second responders show up four to five minutes latter to find several unprotected kids hurt.
"Karen Harper - Birmingham Progressive Politics Exa: I know someone who was 19 years old and sent back to prison (he was on parole and he had been in for burglary) when police saw a picture of him holding a gun. I'm not equating someone on parole with a school teacher's face book photo, but I thought it seemed a bit crazy. The idea of a teacher being dismissed for a photo of her holding a gun is ridiculous. It's not like she did something illegal."
No, she did nothing illegal, but your friend did. It is against the law for a felon to even touch, much less own, a gun or ammunition.
This lady was railroaded. I hope she suea the school district for every penny they have. I would want my daughter's teachers know how to use a firearm. I've visited some public schools I wouldn't work in unless I was armed.
Kevin, as much as I'd like to see the school sued out of existence, we the taxpayers would be the only ones to suffer. Would it not contribute to a much better learning experience if we could end the superintendent's career in education instead?
What a crock! We need to start a fund to help this patriot in having the superintendent and any other of these gutless commies removed from the public dole. To Dan White: Great comments. You know me; I'm the guy that had the "Pistol Packin' Picnic" in a Toledo city park on April 9, 2005. Great work you guys did with Clyde. Kudos.
To deter employers from viewing social networking pages, employees might post on their pages professor.htmlterms of service under which employers agree to scram. This idea should not be taken as legal advice, just a topic for public discussion. Details: hack-igations.blogspot.com/2007/11/privacy-advocates-such-as-nyu-professor.html --Ben
I know this woman personally. This is TOTALLY taken out of context. Her husband wanted her to know how to defend herself. She shared this new life experience with others and now she is being railroaded! Please stick up for her. She is a quite, very moral teacher unlike many that are out there today. Keep up the good work in not letting them take away our 2nd AND our 1st Ammendment rights!
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