Jun 8, 2012
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A Marine veteran and Academy Award winning film producer said he was barred from speaking to a U.S. government class at a Montana high school because he was “a right-wing conservative.”
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Gerald Molen, who won an Oscar for co-producing Schindler’s List, had been invited to speak to a class of seniors at Ronan High School in Montana. He’s also one of the few conservatives working in Hollywood and is currently making a documentary based on Dinesh D’Souza’s book, “The Roots of Obama’s Rage.”
Molen, who is a popular motivational speaker, said his speech was going to be apolitical. He had planned on reminding students of their individual greatness and opportunities for the future.
But when he showed up at the high school — about 90-minutes
from his home in Bigfork, Mont. – the principal informed Molen that he would not be allowed to address students because he was a “right-wing conservative.” He was told that there had been some calls to the school complaining about the planned speech.
“He said some callers didn’t want kids exposed to that, despite not knowing what my message would be,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “
Molen, who also worked on films like “Jurassic Park,” and “Twister”, wrote a letter in the local newspaper, explaining what happened and expressing is outrage.
“I served three years in the Marine Corps so that others might stand before their peers or even a group of students, but never did I think my voice would be stilled by some mysterious caller(s) on the notion that I might say something they ‘thought’ would not be in the students’ best interests,” he wrote in The Daily Inter Lake.
He said the students were instead “indoctrinated with a sense of fear and mistrust that a fellow Montanan just might stand before them and say something some official school administrator deemed ‘possibly harmful.’”
Molen said he never dreamed that something like that might happen in Montana.
“He apologized for the inconvenience of being canceled and said the decision to cancel was his alone,” Molen wrote. “He was concerned about my presentation. No, he didn’t ask me of the content. No, he didn’t ask to read the speech for any clarification as to content. No, he would not tell me who the complaining party or parties were, nor would he give me any further explanation. Just that there would be no presentation by me that day.”
Andrew Holmlund, the superintendent of the Ronan School District, told Fox News Radio that the decision to cancel Molen’s speech was made by Ronan High School principal Tom Stack. He said the district office was consulted in the matter.
“It was a very unfortunate incident,” Holmlund said. “We don’t treat people that way.
Holmlund said he’s spoken with the principal but declined to comment further.
“It’s regrettable,” he said. “The principal made a decision and that’s not how we treat people.”
Many local residents are furious and some are demanding the school apologize to the Marine veteran and award-winning producer.
“I think it was incredibly rude what the school did,” said State Rep. Joe Read, who lives three blocks from the high school. “The school needs to apologize and they need to invite him back.”
Holmlund said that is certainly a possibility.
“Why would a school dishonor a man who served his country,” resident Chuck Lewis told the Hollywood Reporter. “They should never have censored him like that.”
Molen ended his letter with a question to readers.
“In America today, are our children taught or indoctrinated?”
FOX News Talk
Hmm. I thought education was about hearing all points of view, opinions, and/or facts and drawing your own conclusions. Being only given one side of any debate, story or whatever is indoctrination. This principal is not an educator.
The reason Ronan High School won't allow a different point of view is that the Principle and the nitwit teachers are too stupid to teach another point of view. They are afraid that the students might start thinking for themselves. I would rather be homeless then live California!
This is a teachable moment for these kids. Liberals will not let anyone speak with whom they disagree. Free speech is for them and them alone. All other will be censored and silenced. After the fall, these same people will order the execution of anyone who dissents. It is the way of the Left. Always has been, always will be.
I blame all the Californians moving out to Montana. A real Montanan wouldn't have done this.
Liberals… What are you afraid of? That someone might encourage today's young people to think for themselves, make up there own minds? Are you afraid your "Young Pioneers" style of leftist indoctrination and propaganda might be ignored by thinking people? Liberals are Cowards.
"Liberal" thought doesn't mean liberal anymore. When an ideology can't stand up and hear out differing points of view, it may be because the light of rational thought will destroy those views. Censure is a cowardly act.
This is really simple folks. If the school does not like the views of this person, they don't have to hear them. This is what freedom is all about.
How about everyone get your kids out of those cess-pools called schools. I am a single parent and have my kids in a Private Christian School. I don't have nice things, but my kids go to school and learn. They are not indoctrinated. It is hard, but it can be done.
I cannot understand how people read these stories time and time again and refuse to pull their kids out of that mess. If all the conservative parents pulled their kids out, it would be the single biggest blow to them, because they have based their funding on the amount of kids they have. That is how we can affect change. Plus, the price of private schools would go down as well, because of the increase in the student load.
Wake up people and quit saying, "my school isn't bad". They are all bad! They all have the same curriculum and all of them are control by socialist/communists.
Sounds like Montana has become infected with "libsickness". Too bad gutless cowards are now running your local schools.
Book burning next in Montana? Hard to stomach but this guy Tom Stack must be sick.
OK, if this is happening in MONTANA of all places we are further down the sewer then I thought. I thought those fold up there were in fly over country and to conservative for Dumbocrats to even talk to now they are doing this…Nov Can't come soon enough.
"The land of the free"? Just for lefties!
no gay haters allowed its that simple.
I don't understand why he was told to (basically) "go away". Wasn't he invited to speak to the graduating class? WTF
Wait…..you mean to tell me that there are extremist right-wingers that live in Montana and would comment in support of this loser? Well, I am certainly shocked!
"serving your country" doesn't allow you special civil rights. You were too dumb to go to college, that's not my problem.
Shameful but predictable – it's always the so-called liberals who want to suppress opposing views. Very un-American.
Read the article. Seems more like a decision by the principal rather than some coordinated attack by liberals to censor the guy. It certainly was not the best decision nor do I agree with it.
We better clean house this November. These ignorant liberal cowards are ruining this country.
Another devisive article to pit liberals against conservatives. Its so productive I can just feel America returning to properity by all the hatred both groups feel for each other. I'm happy I'm not a hack bound and gagged by either of them. Independent, as in INDEPENDENCE, as in not dependent on a hypocrital political parties!
Reminds me of that time when schools were going to play Obama's speech and some parents complained enough that some schools decided not to show it and other parents went so far as to keep their kids home from school because their kid's school was planning on showing it.
…it was probably Al Franken that called and cried about the conservative movie maker.
“It was a very unfortunate incident,” Holmlund said. “We don’t treat people that way.
Obviously they did, what a silly thing to say.
Heres a novel idea for the principal, ask what he wa going to speak about before banning him. I would expect something so ridiculous from NY or California, but Montana…really?
indoctrinated
indoctrinated
I do not buy this for a second, Montana is a huge stronghold for "conservative" nut bags. I put quotes a round conservative because the crazy right are the only people that refer to themselves as conservative, everyone else calls them CRAZY! This guys is maybe over the top Nazi type, well that would be right up Montana's alley as well.
Kate,your just plain wrong.
John Rolls the state where people get 30 years for pot, go away nut bag
Kate,gee I thought you were the nut bag,interesting.
I do not buy this for a second, Montana is a huge stronghold for "conservative" nut bags. I put quotes a round conservative because the crazy right are the only people that refer to themselves as conservative, everyone else calls them CRAZY! This guys is maybe over the top Nazi type, well that would be right up Montana's alley as well.
Imagine that. A former Marine being discriminated against based on his ideology of God, Country and Corp. Liberals have always had contempt for us. Eleanor Roosevelt thought Marines better left on the Pacific Islands. Hillary Clinton called us, " extremists in checkerboard uniforms." I too have been denied several positions in private and government based on my zeal for our Corp. Semper Fi Mac!
Imagine that. A former Marine being discriminated against based on his ideology of God, Country and Corp. Liberals have always had contempt for us. Eleanor Roosevelt thought Marines better left on the Pacific Islands. Hillary Clinton called us, " extremists in checkerboard uniforms." I too have been denied several positions in private and government based on my zeal for our Corp. Semper Fi Mac!
I'm trying to figure out for the life of me who gave this guy the right to decide what political party might harm these kids? If Americans do not stop this NOW by voting to change the socialist agenda we will see more and more conservatives being censored until no one is allowed to speak unless it is in praise of left wing socialist liberals. I am scared and saddened for my children to grow up in a country when you cannot speak you mind for fear of censorship or retaliation.
I would not want my kid listening to him either. Te principal was being nice, when she said he was a right wing conservative and all children should be protected against this kind of insane thought. The principal did the right thing.
and just what was in his speech, pray tell. Apparently even the Principal did not know. But based upon your comment, I have a feeling you knew what he would talk about. Since the Principal claims it was his decision alone, who were the decision makers that invited him? That is what is more scarey than anything. School should be for the "three 'r's' " as it is. Not all this crap to begin with. That isn't the point, the point is he made a decision alone to decide what is best for all.
and just what was in his speech, pray tell. Apparently even the Principal did not know. But based upon your comment, I have a feeling you knew what he would talk about. Since the Principal claims it was his decision alone, who were the decision makers that invited him? That is what is more scarey than anything. School should be for the "three 'r's' " as it is. Not all this crap to begin with. That isn't the point, the point is he made a decision alone to decide what is best for all.
and he did the right thing
I will disagree, he did the absolute wrong thing. Children are to be taught all views to encourage them the ability to learn to think for themselves. He took his own personal views/beliefs and foisted them upon that school and children. As a parent, I want my child to learn that there are differing view points and it is important children learn critical thinking. To foist ones belief only creates an environment of one thought only. And unless you want your children or this country to be lemmings to recite only what they are told as opposed to the ability to learn to think for themselves, it is definitely the wrong thing. I want my child to learn to think for himself, to question, to come to his own conclussions. Not be a follower. That is what will differentiate between a future leader and a future follower, their ability to look at all and reach their own conclussion.
Saying he did the right thing, because it is what you believe doesn't make it right anymore than my saying he is wrong makes me correct. However, I would rather fall on the side of potential error that be short sighted and learn something.
This is nothing more than communiisim at work in our school systems. The indoctrination of our youth is almost complete.
Reading this as a public school teacher, I am highly discouraged. I am as "right-wing" as they come, even for my conservative state of Oklahoma. But heaven forbid, if our liberal president who cannot stand was to speak at my school….I would let him speak. Not because he's the president, but because he's a person with a story that CAN inspire some students. No. The principal lost a chance for his student body to grow and learn. What a disgrace to our field. Bad principals seems to be one of the main problems in education now a days…
Wow, what a wasted opportunity.
That is what our education turns out now. Tyrannical PC morons. This principal should be fired. Sheer incompetence and a misunderstanding of what an education is. the principal is a left wing lunatic.
All these people need to pony up 59,000 pages of their emails, like Palin did, then we'll see who is still standing.
How ironic that the principal is himself blindly and hypocritically the epitome of what he opposes, an ignorant and self-righteous deluded hypocritical bigot, i.e. a mindless, lawless, fascist, historically and Biblically illiterate, looney tunes liberal (unlike the informed, rich, old, classical variety) clearly incapable or rational thought, and indoctrinating his students to be the same; God forbid if he has any kids of his own he's brainwashing to be that way. Like Monica's boyfriend, a '60s kid who shouted "Question Authority!" while burning the universities but after taking control of them now shout "Don't you dare question MY Authority!" Lunatic lawless, fascist hypocrites.
Sort of what I was trying to say to Kate Gallagher, you put is more succinctly, thanks!
This Politically Correct Crap has gone too far. Where is the intestinal fortitude we used to have. 300 years ago the Mayflower wouldn't have sailed. Anyone who came to the new world would never been able to form a More Perfect Union and we sure wouldn't have our Declaration and Constitution, at least as we know them. The Tea Party is becoming stronger, but we need to make examples of these useful idiots in the mean time. Then we need to take on the Trial Lawyers and enact laws wherein if you sue and lose or if you sue and then back out, you pick up all the legal expense for all parties. All this takes is guts and to come together as a strong group of Americans who won't take it anymore!
I am shocked and amazed at the level of BIGOTRY Mr. Stack has shown. He should not be part of my Montana school system.
I find it disturbing that a conservative Oscar winning producer cannot speak at a high school graduation.Apparently Tom Stack does not believe in values and absolute morals.Tom Stack will pay.
I find it disturbing that a conservative Oscar winning producer cannot speak at a high school graduation.Apparently Tom Stack does not believe in values and absolute morals.Tom Stack will pay.
“He apologized for the inconvenience of being canceled and said the decision to cancel was his (the principal's) alone. He was concerned about my presentation. No, he didn’t ask me of the content. No, he didn’t ask to read the speech for any clarification as to content. No, he would not tell me who the complaining party or parties were, nor would he give me any further explanation. Just that there would be no presentation by me that day.”.
So, don't bother READING what he's got to say, don't ASK him to clarify what he's got to say. Don't even TELL him who the complaining parties are, don't TELL him anything. Just cancel his presentation outright–AFTER he's traveled all that distance to get there.
That's NOT how you treat anyone, regardless of political beliefs.
Fire the Principal and I can't believe that the people of Montana are that closed minded that they could not let their children decide for themselves. I don't even know my country anymore…..
Fire the Principal and I can't believe that the people of Montana are that closed minded that they could not let their children decide for themselves. I don't even know my country anymore…..
Indoctrinated……….
Indoctrinated……….
Howard Aubrey, you sir are an idiot in every sense of the word! You are the commie lib who needs to brush up on history!