The subtle differences between citizens and subjects.

What exactly was the schools reasoning for wanting the original videos removed?

Also – kudos on the liberal use of Prodigy in the beginning.

He starts the video with an insulting reference to the teacher. Later, near the end of the video, the teacher is shown, and is voiced (I believe) by the teacher himself (there was a vague reference to this in the article). Then the kid proceeds to kill the teacher by blowing him up with laser beams from his eyes. So, I have to assume from the limited information provided, that the teacher was aware of the content of this video and was cool with it.

However, I can see how viewing this out of context would cause other people to be concerned. Any video that enacts a student killing a teacher would be disturbing, and I find it strange that the teacher was okay with this and thought it appropriate. I’m not saying the kid was wrong and the administrators were right. I can’t judge that. But viewing the video before I read the article, I was laughing right up to the point where the teacher gets killed. And then I went, “Oh.” It made sense (sort of) after I read the article. But many of the crucial details are fuzzy. I’m not taking a stance on this – just pointing out that it’s not as clear-cut as many seem to think.

I know this isn’t in the tone of many of the “F*** the system!” comments that have been posted so far, and I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad for their righteous indignation. I’m sure I’ll get flamed. It sounds like the administration probably formed their opinion based on too little information. I refuse to do the same.

In case you don’t get that reference: floaters indicate the presence of fat and/or hot air.

I know this isn’t in the tone of many of the “F*** the system!” comments that have been posted so far, and I’m not trying to make anyone feel bad for their righteous indignation. I’m sure I’ll get flamed. It sounds like the administration probably formed their opinion based on too little information. I refuse to do the same.

Well, I won’t flame you. I thought it was a thoughtful well-considered comment.

The only possible way I can see the school having legal authority to do this is if the student surreptitiously recorded the teacher then used that for content in the video. That, however, seems pretty unlikely. To all appearances this looks like a school’s administrators trying to dictate the private life of a student in a way that infringes on the rights of the student and his parents (if he still a minor). To his parents this is basically saying, “Either cede your parental authority to the school or your child looses his education.” They have at least as much reason to be t’d off as Jack.

Oh…and fuck the system! :D

At least the part of it that thinks it’s power is whatever it wants.

bcktt_mrtyn@drhm.d.n.c

and the email I just sent him:

Dear Mr Beckett,

On reading the web blog BoingBoing (www.boingboing.net) this morning I hear of your school boards decision to suspend a student for posting videos he created on YouTube.

I speak of Jack Christie, a grade 12 student at Donald A. Wilson Secondary School in Whitby, Ontario.

I am shocked and dismayed at this approach to education, and the lessons this sort of behaviour is giving to the pupils in your charge. I had a much higher opinion of the Canadian education system and Canadians in general. I work, here in Australia, in education where we believe in encouraging student creativity and in asserting their moral and legal rights to engage in open criticism of all aspects of our society, and the commonly held “Australianism” of opposing authoritarian pomposity and self-importance wherever it appears – it is clear your school board does not follow this approach, and has a sadly limited vocabulary in defining its own “moral tone”.

Shame on you.

Regards etc.

the Durham District School Board called the cops on this kid???
why are they so scared of this kid that they feel the police should be involved???

a quick check of the Canadian Criminal Code…
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/
… reveals a section on “OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER” which has laws against piracy and duelling but not much at all about kids with a questionable sense of humour.

someone please give Jack an entrance scholarship the animation school of his choice.

I can understand that sometimes schools need to be concerned about what students do outside of school. If a teacher notices drug problems, or signs of abuse, then the school should get involved. This is not one of those times. I don;t understand how the school officials think they could possibly have the authority to demand that a private citizen remove legally produced and uploaded material from the internet. His student status is irrelevant. The school doesn’t own the content. It wasn’t made with school resources or as part of a school assignment.

And shake my head in wonder and pity at the mentality of the unutterable douche bags who are trying hard to stifle such creativity.

#MakesPowerSign#

Ummm… Yes, asshat, it does, actually.

oh and his rebuttal was to the school board, not to the student council supporting him.

Also, I’d just like to say that as a high school teacher myself, I am TERRIBLY impressed by the administration at his school. Since they are taking the time to address young Mr. Christie’s videos, I can only assume that they have already effectively eliminated the bullying, petty cruelty, and low-level hazing that one sees so often in the high school arena. The positive moral tone of the school must be truly astounding.

And censorship forced upon students’ personal art is obviously supportive of the positive moral tone of the school.

Schools are obviously oppressive institutions. Thanks for the reminder!

BUT why did you have to kill the puppet????what ever did it do to you…

Based on his repeated references to his ‘films’ and quivering tone of righteous teenage indignation (with appropriately gleeful jackassery), I think Jack Christie is going to be just fine, folks. After all, he’s getting ‘hundreds more hits’ now.

Getting worked up over this is like getting mad at the principal in “Rock’n'Roll High School”.