Secret Service Questions Student on Drawings

[GameMaster]

Originally Posted by cnn.com

PROSSER, Washington (AP) -- Secret Service agents questioned a high school student about anti-war drawings he did for an art class, one of which depicted President Bush's head on a stick.

Another pencil-and-ink drawing portrayed Bush as a devil launching a missile, with a caption reading "End the war -- on terrorism."

The 15-year-old boy's art teacher at Prosser High School turned the drawings over to school administrators, who notified police, who called the Secret Service.

"We involve the police anytime we have a concern," Prosser Superintendent Ray Tolcacher told the Tri-City Herald newspaper.

Secret Service agents interviewed the boy last Friday. The student, who was not arrested, has not been identified.

The school district disciplined him, but district officials refused to say what the punishment was. Tolcacher said the boy was not suspended.

The artwork was apparently part of an assignment to keep a notebook of drawings, according to Kevin Cravens, a friend of the boy's family.

The drawing that drew the most notice showed a man in what appeared to be Middle Eastern-style clothing, holding a rifle. He was also holding a stick with an oversize head of the president on it.

The student said the head was enlarged because it was intended to be an effigy, Cravens said. The caption called for an end to the war in Iraq.

A message left by The Associated Press with an after-hours duty officer with the Secret Service in Washington, D.C., was not immediately returned on Monday.

"If this 15-year-old kid in Prosser is perceived as a threat to the president, then we are living in '1984'," Cravens said.

Tolcacher insisted it was not a freedom of speech issue, but a concern over the depiction of violence.

"From what I saw, [school officials] were right to be concerned," Prosser Police Chief Win Taylor said.

I personally don't think the police and Secret Service needed to be identified. I also don't think the boy should have been disciplined. He's just expressing himself through art, isn't that better than him expressing himself with a weapon? Now it's time for you to consider the following points:

- What do you think about the drawings?
- What would you do if you were the boy?
- Do you agree with the schools actions?
- Have you ever been caught drawing a violent picture, if so, were you punished accordingly?

[Rndm_Perfection]

Hitler was an excellent artist.

And if he had been accepted into the art school... history would've been a lot different.

Hitler's Art

[DimHalo]

interesting point. i have no other comments as of right now

[Neo]

What does 1984 have to do with anything?

[The Germanator]

The book 1984 I'm sure it's reffering to. Not the year.

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by The Germanator

The book 1984 I'm sure it's reffering to. Not the year.

Yeah. Lol. It's referring to a book called "1984" by George Orwell. In this book, Orwell portrays a future (1984 was a "future" at the time he wrote it) in which the government controls everything. Have you ever heard the expression "big brother is watching you", Neo? This expression is derived from the book "1984". "big brother" was kind of like the government, and they watched EVERY move you make. The TV's in your home are two way, and they see you as you see the stuff on your TV.

They monitor everything you do, and they try to subdue you as much as possible. Orwell's novel is a prophetic satire, trying to warn us that if we let technology advance too far and consume us, then we will loose all of our god given freedoms, such as speech.

I for one think it's stupid that the boy was punished. Since when was speaking against the government unpatriotic? That's the most idiotic thing I have ever hard. According to the constitution, the boy was actually being PATRIOTIC. yeah, that's right. He is using his freedoms to speak out. In my opinion, being forced to ALWAYS agree with the government is as good as treason in america.

[Bond]

Originally Posted by Rndm_Perfection

Hitler was an excellent artist.

And if he had been accepted into the art school... history would've been a lot different.

Hitler's Art

Yeah, Hitler sucks as an architect though. Albert Speer is so superior:





If only his talents would have been used for a better cause. His book is quite interesting though, "Inside of the Third Reich." And this is totally off subject...

[Vampyr]

yeah, that was off subject. lol. What does Hitler have to do with anything?

Anywho, Dylflon is right. I also shudder to think things could one day be like they are in 1984. Right now things are going ok...but first a 15 year old with his paintings, and next the entire populus.