Brownback Apology Demand Attempt To Indoctrinate Teen. Where’s The Right?

Why isn’t the Right up in arms over Governor Sam Brownback’s demand that a teen who tweeted her thoughts on him write an apology. The First Amendment works one way?

Teen high school student Emma Sullivan, whose tweet to Republican Governor of Kansas Sam Brownback met with hostility and the demand of an apology from Brownback’s office — delivered via her principal — has announced she is refusing to apologize, citing her First Amendment rights — and adding that any apology would be insincere and untruthful.

“The incident began Nov. 21, when Sullivan attended a Youth in Government program at the state Capitol,” the L.A. Times reports.

At the event, she tweeted: “Just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot.”

In reality, she made no such comment. But in the brave new world of instantaneous electronic communication, that doesn’t matter. The tweet itself was reality enough for Brownback’s staff, which — like most political protectors — routinely monitors the social media whirl.

Staffers contacted the youth program. Word eventually went downhill, and Sullivan was called to the principal’s office.

There, principal Karl R. Krawitz reportedly ordered her to send Brownback a letter of apology and even, Sullivan said to the Associated Press, suggested talking points for the note she was to hand in Monday.

“I’ve decided not to write the letter but I hope this opens the door for average citizens to voice their opinion & to be heard!” Sullivan tweeted.

Brownback, staunchly anti-gay, staunchly anti-women’s rights, well, you get the picture. If the bible were reprinted with the word, “Constitution,” Brownback could die a happy man.

But where is the Right on this?

Why aren’t the folks who scream First Amendment violations of their religious liberties when they hear that Major League Baseball is adding protections for gays into their union contract not standing up for Emma Sullivan?

Why aren’t the Michelle Malkins — who screamed in 2009 that Obama wanted school kids to write letters about how they can achieve their goals — screaming that Brownback is attempting to indoctrinate Emma Sullivan?

Remember? In 2009, just before the school year was to start, the President announced he was going to deliver a speech to all students that would help them focus on learning, and achieving goals. Not his goals, their goals. But that was way too much for Michelle Malkin, and the right wing wing nuts, who screamed that these two sentences:

“Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.”

amounted to socialist indoctrination.

Indeed, Malkin wrote,

“ABC” stands for All Barack’s Children. On September 8, young students across the country will be watching television. Yes, they’ll be parked in front of the boob tube and computer screens watching President Obama’s address on education.

…

The activist tradition of government schools using students as junior lobbyists cannot be ignored. Zealous teacher’s unions have enlisted captive schoolchildren as letter-writers in their campaigns for higher education spending. Out-of-control activists have enlisted their secondary-school charges in pro-illegal immigration protests, gay marriage ceremonies, environmental propaganda stunts, and anti-war events.

 

So, the countdown clock begins, Michelle, and all you right wing wing nuts? Are you going to stand up for Emma Sullivan?

UPDATE: Brownback has apologized. The Right still isn’t off the hook.