Spate of High School Graduation Issues - It Really has Come to This

A mother in South Carolina was arrested moments after she cheered for her daughter as she walked across the stage to accept her diploma

Text“Are ya’ll serious? Are ya’ll for real? I mean, that’s what I’m thinking in my mind,” Cooper told WPDE in Myrtle Beach. “I didn’t say anything. I was just, like, 'OK, I can’t fight the law.'“

mom arrested for cheering

TextSeniors at St. Charles High School had to take a breathalyzer test at their graduation rehearsal on Friday.

you must take a breathalyzer to graduate

"I will be holding your diploma in the main office," the letter said, "due to the excessive cheering your guests displayed during the roll call."

crowd cheered - no diploma for you

Really? Really? We are that uptight that some cheering for working so darned hard and accomplishing a goal is now a crime? It's over.

ColoradoJens

I've experienced the "if you're happy you must be on drugs" phenomenon first hand.

I came into work smiling. Already that's a problem. Coworkers caught me singing. Good thing that was before "nern eleevan" or I would have been shipped off to Gitmo.

The rest of the day I was getting funny looks. People whispering around me.

Eventually it culminated in a private meeting with the plant manager and a drug test.

After a week of them all running in circles trying to justify what they put me through I ended up with an apology.

Happiness is abnormal in America. If you're happy you're up to something or on something.

Only in the land of the free can "excessive celebration" be cause for action.

Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
I've experienced the "if you're happy you must be on drugs" phenomenon first hand.

I came into work smiling. Already that's a problem. Coworkers caught me singing. Good thing that was before "nern eleevan" or I would have been shipped off to Gitmo.

The rest of the day I was getting funny looks. People whispering around me.

Eventually it culminated in a private meeting with the plant manager and a drug test.

After a week of them all running in circles trying to justify what they put me through I ended up with an apology.

Happiness is abnormal in America. If you're happy you're up to something or on something.

Only in the land of the free can "excessive celebration" be cause for action.

That is funny/sad you say that. I have a "condition" where I smile a lot. When I was younger I was told I have a great smile. When my 9 year old came home from school one day and told me his teacher told his class if someone is smiling a lot it means they are not telling the truth or have something to hide I almost spit the bit. Your case is astonishing it went that far, but I believe it. Now you are suspicious if you are happy. Hmmm. I recently had a friend ask me if things were not going well in my life because I refuse to post on facebook. Where do people come up with this stuff?

CJ

I'm not suprised. You see, the liberals run the schools. And liberals are all about fairness. I mean, what if one student didn't get cheered for, or received "fewer" cheers than another student. That wouldn't be fair, now would it!? So the net result is to punish those who are successful and bring them down to the level of the failures. That way we can all be failures together.

Gotta love the liberal mindset!

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


That's because the system is designed to be harsh and cruel and anyone who seems excessively happy must be taking substances which alter their brain chemistry. Some drugs cause states of excessive relaxation and happiness and we can't have that... such feelings are evil. If you want to take any drugs then it needs to be in the form of lung rotting cancer sticks or liver and brain rotting liquids.

Originally posted by ChaoticOrder
reply to post by thisguyrighthere

 

That's because the system is designed to be harsh and cruel and anyone who seems excessively happy must be taking substances which alter their brain chemistry. Some drugs cause states of excessive relaxation and happiness and we can't have that... such feelings are evil. If you want to take any drugs then it needs to be in the form of lung rotting cancer sticks or liver and brain rotting liquids.

In addition to the legally prescribed pills so many millions now are on.

CJ

This is a common courtesey issue.
Evidently, the woman had been warned about excessive cheering and she did not adhere to the rules.
People were told to abstain from cheering until the recipients had gotten their diplomas. They were told to do so because the school was on limited time and the cheering could've drowned out the other students names, it's called common courtesy.

Nonetheless, it's absurd that the woman was arrested, she should've been escorted out for not obeying the rules, which were put in place for a reason.
Maybe she was warned that she'd be removed and caused a commotion prompting authorities to arrest her as she was being escorted out?
Either way, I don't think that we got the whole story.
That's the news for you

reply to post by kimish


It is a common courtesy issue, you are right. I always shrug my shoulders when people scream and yell in public and make a spectacle of themselves. I can say for certain never once has a person being loud been a memory that lasted more than a day or two. How is this a public safety issue? What rights are people infringin upon when getting overly excited or proud? I realize the schools have some "no cheering" contract - in and of itself absurd; why are the police getting involved?

CJ

reply to post by ColoradoJens


She may have caused a scene. And she may have been told to quiet down a couple of times or face being escorted out.
I think it may have come to a point where she was told a few times and than they escorted her out than she caused a commotion prompting the arrest, but that's just one scenario that popped into my head.
She may have started cheering belligerently for everybody after she had her first warning.

I don't think that we got the whole story.

The schools typically have a "no cheering" ordinance because of time. If they had to wait 10 min. (as an example) after each student for the cheering to subside than graduations may take days to finish.
Also no cheering for courtesy reasons. If they continue on through the cheering, because of time restraints, than the other students names would be drowned out. I wouldn't want that at my childs graduation.

If TPTB see that you are happy, it means that they still have some work to do.

They still haven't perfected their world in which a boot stomps on your face constantly day after day after day...

reply to post by FortAnthem


Agreed. It seems the boot is getting bigger and heavier all the time. By the way, FA, I was going to post on your short story about women and the workplace but now I can't find it! Great story that had me laughing - also your reply about you and the wife having "hallway sex" or something like that made me spit coffee.

CJ

reply to post by kimish


We may not have gotten the whole story. Since when do people cheer for 10 minutes when the kids are on stage for one? Again, I agree it is irritating. That is about it though. People need to chill out.

CJ

Schools are bad about this.

They create what they call a policy and act as if it is law. You should see the look on my school officials face when they say "its policy" when I reply that, "I have policies also, and my policy says to ignore your policy." Ever see the deer in the headlights look?

reply to post by ColoradoJens


WOW.

When my brother graduated from Florida State University, there were several thousand graduating at the same time, and there were about 14,000 fans in the Civic Center. All the graduating class was warned NOT to do anything to disrupt the already long and tedious ceremony. The ceremony took 3-4 hours. When it was finally his turn to walk across the stage rank and file, shake hands, take a quick photo and move on, instead, he picked up the University President in a giant bear hug, and bounced him a time or two, and then looked out at the crowd, where I was cheering in my overalls and bubba teeth screaming, "Thats me kin rite der!!! Woo Hooo!!"

He still got his Bachelors Degree, and went on to a Masters Degree from the same institution, and he now teaches at a University.

I'm pretty sure if a huge and elite University like Florida State can get through 2 days of graduating ceremonies 3 times per year, then some stupid high school can relax a little for their graduating class.

What a bunch of crap that is. They are just lucky to be out of that hell hole of a high school.

reply to post by getreadyalready


No kidding, getreadyalready. I understand if things get out of hand it causes a delay, but sheesh, these kids just worked their butts off and graduated! I understand it can be annoying, but really? I also find it ironic that these school officials see to it to punish the kids for something they did not do. How is that going to translate for them in the future? Did you read the one where the school is making the kid do twenty hours of community service to get his diploma because other people were cheering? Outstandingly absurd all the way around.

CJ

Well I can see why she would be arrested, not saying it's a good thing but she was told to be quiet.

If they allowed every single graduating kids family to scream and cheer you would never hear a single name called. I remember my graduation and the crowd was told the same thing, save applause and cheers for the end. If they allow the cheering you would be there all day! She couldn't wait til the end? She was being disrespectful to the rest of the graduating class. I know she is proud but so are the other parents and they too would like to hear their kids name called without some over zealous cheering parent ruining it.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


So you have no problem with the police arresting people who cheer their kids at graduation? Wow.

This past weekend I sat next to a mom at my son's lacrosse tournament who screamed at the top of her lungs in a most sad way - mostly at her own kid but it was really inappropriate. At one point she turned and looked at me and said, "I bet you didn't know the loudest mom around would sit next to you." and laughed before screaming more at her child about how lazy he was. Although she made it uncomfortable for several people, I would never have thought she didn't have a right to make an ass out of herself.

CJ

Originally posted by ColoradoJens
reply to post by mblahnikluver

 

So you have no problem with the police arresting people who cheer their kids at graduation? Wow.

CJ

There's got to be more to it than that. If in fact she was arrested for merely cheering, without being disrespectful or causing a scene than I doubt she'd have been arrested because the police would be facing a law suit.

Like I stated earlier, we probably didn't get the entire story. The news is up to something on this. Trying to stir something up.

The example you gave is completely different than that of a high school graduation. This is a once in a lifetime experience, for a child to have his/her name called up on stage at their 1 and only high school graduations, many many lacrosse games are played. Big difference but I get your point, some people are ridiculous.
My father was banned from yelling and screaming at my brothers baseball games but never arrested.

reply to post by kimish


Here is one where 7 people were arrested for cheering.

William Massey, 19, was arrested but said he plans to fight the charge. He said he simply "clapped and gave a little whoop" when his fiancee's name was called. Massey said there were warnings before the ceremony but none that said he could be arrested.

Outright abuse of police power. Why they would go along with this other than generating revenue and meeting quotas I can't say. No one is being hurt. This should not be against the law.

The chief stated the practice of ticketing guests with public disorderly conduct has been in place for three years. He said this has been the most ever to get a ticket. Each person must pay a $262 fine.

"Some people are thankful for a calm graduation," said Cothran

And some want to cheer.

Officers were spread out over the crowd to identify the guests who they felt were disruptive. When asked if someone would be ticketed for simply clapping at a normal level for their graduate, Bentley said, "I don't think so."

What losers.

losers

7 arrested for cheering

CJ

reply to post by ColoradoJens


WOW! Losers is a poor choice of words! lol.
If I were any of those individuals I would definitely be finding myself a good lawyer.
This Country is going down the # hole and it's going down quickly.
It all started, for the most part, with 9-11.

SMH

P.s. thanks for posting that, it sheds a little more light on the OP.