So recently a girl here in Kansas tweeted the following while visiting the governor:
“Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot."
In what was viewed as overkill by most, the governor’s office contacted the group organizing the trip and the girl was eventually called into the principal’s office at her school.
Just recently the Governor apologized by saying, “"My staff over-reacted to this tweet, and for that I apologize." The girl to date has not apologized. Much the opposite. She is enjoying the fifteen minutes of fame afforded her by the governor.
I have no doubt the governor’s staff was reacting to this tweet because is was politically offensive. But the thing that has struck me is how only the governor and his staff’s actions are being questioned.
This girl is being held out as courageous and heroic. What she is is immature, rude, and disrespectful. I care not about the politics here. What I do care about is the fact that we as a society would tell this girl that her actions are appropriate, even laudable. Is it good to insult one who has welcomed you into their domain? It is proper to insult one behind their back believing they will never see it? Is it praiseworthy to insult one who is in authority over you? Such things used to be, regardless of one’s political viewpoint, viewed as shameful. That is because they are.
In America, we often act as if freedom of speech sanctifies all speech. It does not. Rude speech while permitted is still shameful. The governor’s staff probably should not have went on a political witch-hunt after this girl, but her parents and principle rightly should have taken her aside and disciplined her for such rude speech.
