It's not my fault I can't control my behavior.

[vaskidmark]

http://houston.cbslocal.com/2015/06/03/arrest-warrants-issued-to-people-who-cheered-at-high-school-graduation/

Senatobia Municipal School District Superintendent Jay Foster filed “disturbing the peace” charges against four people who yelled at graduation, WREG-TV reports. Miller and Henry Walker were two of the four Senatobia High School graduation ceremony attendees who were asked to leave for cheering on their 18-year-old daughter, Lanarcia Walker, as she crossed the stage.

“He said ‘you did it baby’, waived his towel and went out the door,” Walker said of a brief video showing Henry exiting the ceremony as he cheered.

“When she went across the stage I just called her name out. ‘Lakaydra’. Just like that,” Ursula Miller explained to WREG what she shouted to her niece at the ceremony.

The graduation ceremony was held at Northwest Mississippi Community College, where police said the superintendent asked the crowd not to scream, and to instead hold their applause until every graduate crossed the stage. If unable to do so, cheering individuals were informed they would have to leave the ceremony.

Superintendent Jay Foster filed “disturbing the peace” charges against the people who yelled at the ceremony. Arrest warrants were issued with a possible $500 bond that the family members say is ridiculous. Foster declined to do an on-camera interview with WREG but vowed to maintain order at the school’s graduation ceremonies.

“It’s crazy,” Henry Walker said. “The fact that I might have to bond out of jail, pay court costs, or a $500 fine for expressing my love, it’s ridiculous man. It’s ridiculous…Okay, I can understand they can escort me out of the graduation, but to say they going to put me in jail for it. What else are they allowed to do?”

Linda Walker was also angered by the superintendent’s move, “Why assign papers on someone? We don’t have money for anything like that.”

Let's start out stipulating that Foster is a power-hungry megalomaniac as well as suffering from cranio-rectal inversion.

But the last two paragraphs quoted above?   

stay safe.

[Boomhauer]

Let's start out stipulating that Foster is a power-hungry megalomaniac as well as suffering from cranio-rectal inversion.

Here I am thinking that the man is a hero.

Why?

Because they never just "shout out the name" as they claim in the article. No they scream and shout and yell for a good little while, interrupting the ceremony and drowning out the other graduates names

It was a *expletive deleted*ing zoo at my high school graduation due to idiots like that. Greatly lengthened the ceremony and there was no semblance of dignity.

[Jocassee]

I'm trying to figure out how you get a warrant sworn out on someone just for being noisy at a graduation ceremony. Was there an actual law broken?

[lupinus]

Here I am thinking that the man is a hero.

Why?

Because they never just "shout out the name" as they claim in the article. No they scream and shout and yell for a good little while, interrupting the ceremony and drowning out the other graduates names

It was a *expletive deleted*ing zoo at my high school graduation due to idiots like that. Greatly lengthened the ceremony and there was no semblance of dignity.

This. My wife's college graduation was a *expletive deleted*ing zoo.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

I have been to graduations for folks brought coolers of beer and behaved just like the kind of people who would bring coolers of beer to their kids graduation people act really badly

[De Selby]

I'm trying to figure out how you get a warrant sworn out on someone just for being noisy at a graduation ceremony. Was there an actual law broken?

Disobeying the direct orders of a school or government employee. 

[makattak]

I'm trying to figure out how you get a warrant sworn out on someone just for being noisy at a graduation ceremony. Was there an actual law broken?

The article clearly states it was "disturbing the peace."

I'm with Boomhauer. The ceremonies are being greatly disrupted and not only are other graduates shortchanged, their are stealing other people's time with these shenanigans.

You can express your love somewhere else and in some other way. Can't handle that? Don't go to the graduation.

[De Selby]

The article clearly states it was "disturbing the peace."

I'm with Boomhauer. The ceremonies are being greatly disrupted and not only are other graduates shortchanged, their are stealing other people's time with these shenanigans.

You can express your love somewhere else and in some other way. Can't handle that? Don't go to the graduation.

Yeah but criminal penalty for bad manners?  Maybe they should have charges for people who answer cell phones in movies, or who chew with their mouths open in restaurants. 

Obedience to instruction isn't a civic virtue so important that it should be backed by criminal sanction in every case.

[Doggy Daddy]

I think their problem was atmosphere.  They had the ceremonies in the gymnasium, but didn't take down the basketball hoops. 

[Boomhauer]

Yeah but criminal penalty for bad manners?  Maybe they should have charges for people who answer cell phones in movies, or who chew with their mouths open in restaurants. 

Obedience to instruction isn't a civic virtue so important that it should be backed by criminal sanction in every case.

Well it's no longer socially acceptable in this society of pussies to beat the *expletive deleted*it out of such *expletive deleted*ing tards so instead we have to resort is letting the courts handle it.

[makattak]

Yeah but criminal penalty for bad manners?  Maybe they should have charges for people who answer cell phones in movies, or who chew with their mouths open in restaurants.  

Obedience to instruction isn't a civic virtue so important that it should be backed by criminal sanction in every case.

Yes. Those were requirements laid on people for attendance of the event. They decided that they'd scream for their "baby" and then leave so they didn't have to sit through the other people being honored.

Clearly, getting booted was an insufficient incentive to follow the rules. Maybe a threat of a fine will help next year's gradation ceremony.

(If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.)

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Yup

[brimic]

People act like animals at a high school graduation, of all places?

To quote Vince Lombardi:
 "For Christ sake, act like you've been there before..."

[De Selby]

Yes. Those were requirements laid on people for attendance of the event. They decided that they'd scream for their "baby" and then leave so they didn't have to sit through the other people being honored.

Clearly, getting booted was an insufficient incentive to follow the rules. Maybe a threat of a fine will help next year's gradation ceremony.

(If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.)

So it's now a crime not to comply with conditions of a school event???

You people sit and drop your jaws at statism.  Yet it's clearly not so far from your hearts.  

I'm sure you'll all be up in arms to defend the TSA when the next person who disobeys clear conditions of being in an airport objects to hand rape, or refuses to step forward at the agent's command.  After all, those are RULES that we all know about before going!

[makattak]

So it's now a crime not to comply with conditions of a school event???

You people sit and drop your jaws at statism.  Yet it's clearly not so far from your hearts. 

I'm sure you'll all be up in arms to defend the TSA when the next person who disobeys clear conditions of being in an airport objects to hand rape, or refuses to step forward at the agent's command.  After all, those are RULES that we all know about before going!

If your failing to comply constitutes disturbing the peace, yes.

Further, I am a firm federalist. I believe that the government that governs best governs as closely to the people as possible. This is being handled with local ordinances, by local officials. If the individuals wish to be in a locality that encourages these outbursts, they are free to move there.

And, you'll note in that argument, there is no support for a TSA imposed from a distant and heedless federal government.

[dogmush]

So it's now a crime not to comply with conditions of a school event???

You act as if you've never heard of a disturbing the peace charge.  You can get a (usually misdemeanor) Disturbing the Peace charge for being a *expletive deleted*che in all kinds of places.  Bars, Sporting Events, Shopping Malls.  Like any law on the books it can be misused (OC is legal, but Officer Friendly doesn't like it) or it can be used to add a little teeth to social conventions that are being ignored (No one wants to here your Karaoke anymore, or a graduation is a formal, dignified event).  This is neither new, nor horrible statism.  WTF?

I'm sure you'll all be up in arms to defend the TSA when the next person who disobeys clear conditions of being in an airport objects to hand rape, or refuses to step forward at the agent's command.

This herring, it is Red.  For if what you get charged with for *expletive deleted*ing with the TSA was as mild as a misdemeanor DtP, I'd bet so many folks would do it we'd effectivly shut down the child molesters.

[De Selby]

Disturbing the peace gets used for all sorts of legal things, like arresting people who legally carry guns.

It isn't license for some authority to randomly decide what is and isn't criminal, based on their etiquette standards.  Using criminal sanction to back up rules of politeness is pretty much as statist as it gets.

[De Selby]

If your failing to comply constitutes disturbing the peace, yes.

Further, I am a firm federalist. I believe that the government that governs best governs as closely to the people as possible. This is being handled with local ordinances, by local officials. If the individuals wish to be in a locality that encourages these outbursts, they are free to move there.

And, you'll note in that argument, there is no support for a TSA imposed from a distant and heedless federal government.

I suppose you're all for local regulation of your income, guns, and house too?  See how that works out for you - me, I think being able to pass through two towns without going from law abiding to criminal just because of the travel is a good thing.

[vaskidmark]

While I usually do not condone more unruly behavior as the response to unruly behavior, it would have been heartwarming for the rest of those attending the graduation to publicly shame those idjits.  Do it to the point that their baby runs out, tears streaming down her face, convinced she can never appear in public again.

Since going that route would just delay the ceremony, perhaps the shaming could be saved for afterwards when they are caught up with in the parking lot.

stay safe.

[vaskidmark]

I suppose you're all for local regulation of your income, guns, and house too?  See how that works out for you - me, I think being able to pass through two towns without going from law abiding to criminal just because of the travel is a good thing.

Instead of debating the role of government and the use of the police power to control social behavior, would you honor us with a suggestion of what the appropriate response would have been?

This should not devolve into a discussion of the coercive force of government, which will only serve to distance the conversation from the issues of personal control and accountability.  ("I aint gots the money to pay the fine so don't put it on me.  But if someone has the money, go ahead and fine the daylights out of them" seems to be the argument the unruly folks put forth.  Let's keep focused on that.)

stay safe.

[Brad Johnson]

Arrest warrent for a minor civil infraction? Doubtful. Arrest warrant because they said "Up Yours" and refused to pay a ticket they were issued for said infraction? Much more likely.

They did mention being escorted out. It's no stretch at all to believe they were issued a ticket, especially given they were specifically warned to not disrupt the ceremony. Then they just "kinda forgot to mention" that tidbit when talking to the press.

There's a lot here we're not being told.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

So it's now a crime not to comply with conditions of a school event???

You people sit and drop your jaws at statism.  Yet it's clearly not so far from your hearts.  

I'm sure you'll all be up in arms to defend the TSA when the next person who disobeys clear conditions of being in an airport objects to hand rape, or refuses to step forward at the agent's command.  After all, those are RULES that we all know about before going!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yunSRfnsVck

Funny how the guy that doesn't mind the government using force to take money to pay for socialized healthcare gets all up in arms about TEH FREEDOMZ!!!!

[makattak]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yunSRfnsVck

Funny how the guy that doesn't mind the government using force to take money to pay for socialized healthcare gets all up in arms about TEH FREEDOMZ!!!!

In De Selby's defense here, he hasn't said he's opposed to the imposition of the fine... ok, never mind, point out his hypocrisy.

BUT, in his defense, that statement that you referenced is just pointing out what he believes to be is hypocrisy.

[HankB]

CRIMINAL charges for cheering at a school function? Why, that's as crazy as making it a criminal offense to sit the wrong way on a subway train.

Some unelected bureaucrats seem to think that lording it over students isn't enough - they want parents to obey them as well, and make criminals of those who don't.

Immediate REMOVAL from the ceremony is the appropriate reaction. Arrest and prosecution (unless they refuse to leave)? Uh-uh.

Maybe we need to bring back the custom of tarring and feathering bureaucrats who get too big for their britches . . .

[brimic]

IIRC, with haven't graduated from anything in the last 20 years... You generally don't get your actual diploma- just the diploma cover, on graduation day, but the diploma is mailed later..
Fine the miscreants' families, and don't issue diploma until all fines and fees are paid in full.

Problem solved.