FREE THE READINGTON 29! (These kids have brass ones)

[82Marine89]

Received in an email newsletter...

Thomas Jefferson famously said that "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive." Well, Tommy J would be awfully proud of some two dozen kids in New Jersey today.

It seems the students at Readington Middle School (RMS) in Hunterdon County aren't happy with the short amount of time they get for lunch every day. So in the finest American tradition - think "Boston Tea Party" - some of them came up with a novel way to protest the perceived injustice.

"Some 29 seventh- and eighth-graders at the school banded together during last Thursday's 30-minute lunch period and paid for their $2 lunches with pennies," reports the New Jersey Star-Ledger this morning. "That amounted to 5,800 individual, or 32 pounds, of pennies."

Over 5,000 pennies weighing in at 32 pounds? God bless those kids! Just when you think the American revolutionary spirit of resistance is dead and gone, along they come to renew our hopes. Now for the rest of the story...

In a response worthy of King George himself, school administrators - that would be PUBLIC school administrators - "called using the coins a sign of disrespect to cafeteria personnel and fellow students, and punished the 'Readington 29' with two days of detention."

Outrageous.

But it gets better. Many of the students have refused to back down to the pressure and threats. "On Friday, in a sign of support, students brought their lunch from home and did not participate in RMS' hot lunch program," reports the Star-Ledger. (http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1204522545306280.xml&coll=1) "That protest, students said, could continue into this week."

Under pressure, school officials are starting to retreat. Superintendent Jorden Schiff now says the suspensions will only be enforced if parents specifically ask for them. On the other hand, school officials are also saying that in the coming weeks they will "work with students to harness their zeal and use their organizational skills toward productive activities."

Good grief. What could possibly be more productive than learning about peaceful protest and resistance to government authority? Why, it's as American as baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet!

Actually, it appears the KIDS already have learned a little bit about what it means to be an American. It's the public school ADMINISTRATORS who need a lesson or two in U.S. History and civics.

And News & Views readers are just the ones to teach 'em.

As Sammy Adams proclaimed, "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brushfires in people's minds." You know what to do. Please keep the vulgarities to a minimum. Be as respectful as is humanly possible in this situation. And use small words. Remember, these are PUBLIC school officials.

Superintendent Jordan Schiff
jschiff@readington.k12.nj.us
(908) 534-2195

Readington Principal Catherine Hollinger
chollinger@readington.k12.nj.us
(908) 534-2113

Free the Readington 29!

[LiberalNation]

Our school did that once, everybody brought food instead of buying it from the school but we backed down when they started punishing people. Really pissed em off, it hit the schools pocket book.

[manu1959]

Our school did that once, everybody brought food instead of buying it from the school but we backed down when they started punishing people. Really pissed em off, it hit the schools pocket book.

wait till national health care rolls out and you don't want to buy it......

[Dilloduck]

Our school did that once, everybody brought food instead of buying it from the school but we backed down when they started punishing people. Really pissed em off, it hit the schools pocket book.

you sure showed those taxpayers !!!!!:laugh2:

[82Marine89]

Our school did that once, everybody brought food instead of buying it from the school but we backed down when they started punishing people. Really pissed em off, it hit the schools pocket book.

They punished kids for bringing healthier meals from home?

[LiberalNation]

We weren't allowed to bring food into the school from outiside, have it on us, or in our lockers, longtime rule, so really if you wanted to protest you had to not eat.

I think it's a kentucky state reg. No sweets allowed, or softdrinks, or anything not pre-approved.

[Dilloduck]

We weren't allowed to bring food into the school from outiside, have it on us, or in our lockers, longtime rule, so really if you wanted to protest you had to not eat.

I think it's a kentucky state reg. No sweets allowed, or softdrinks, or anything not pre-approved.

So you hit the tax payers in the wallet ------woooo hoooo you showed them !!!!:laugh2:

[Hobbit]

It's things like this that remind that it's not a public school, it's a GOVERNMENT school. BIG difference.

[Lizabeth]

I am mid 70's alumni from the Readington Middle School. Frankly, I find it quite interesting these children would want a longer lunch period because that would mean they would not be going home as early as they do. They could add another 30 minutes onto the day.

I applaud them for the tenacity, however, with the quotes from histories most famous people have forgotten and these students have discovered that with a protest, no matter how peaceful come consequences. I recall from peaceful Viet Nam war protests of the 60's and 70's people sometimes got arrested. It can be the price you pay for staging a protest. Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, and anyone else you might like to quote, also understood the actions they were taking was treason and subject to death if the Revolution went the other way. Thank god it didn't but again there were consequences to actions.

I also think the detention is also justified. I understand there were several students who were not able to get lunch as a result of this little protest. Those students exercised a right not to participate and should have been able to each lunch. However, they were not able to do that and had no other choices available to them. That would be the reason for serving the detention. And may the solidarity in service of the detention also be a message of the strong commitment to the cause they undertake. If they fail to serve the detention - then the message is that it was just a prank.

It is a shame there were no real adults with intelligence operating the cafeteria either. What idiot actually counted the pennies and held up the line as each student handed in the 200 pennies? After you get the second student paying with pennies, doesn’t the alarm sound, a lightbulb go off and say you say to yourself . . . something is up, just take the money to keep the line moving. These types of protests are not new. How stupid can these people be? Count the pennies later. Apparently, adults in charge held up the line by counting each penny payment and further by being able to identify 29 students. Bank averages indicate that for every 200 pennies, the chances that it might be counted incorrectly only amounts to 7-10 pennies. Give them the maximum shortage of 10 cents per child. That only amounts to $2.90. Okay, bump it up to $3 bucks. Now ask yourself should any student have gone without eating lunch that day? I think we need to look at the teachers, the principal, and the lunch room staff/manager. Apparently, no one can think on their feet and were out smarted by a bunch of 7th & 8th Graders. I think the parents & the school board needs to find out if Slow-wittedness of the adults in charge is a temporary or something more on the line of a terminal condition.

In conclusion-Go Kids! Serve Your Detention and Send another message! But remember you just might get what you asked for! And your parents might pay for it as well in the form of higher salaries to pay the adults an extra 30 minutes each day beyond the contracted school day! Whoopie! Some Lesson in Civics.