Obama-Aimed Article Stings Sprayberry Newspaper

Chemdude April 26, 2012 at 09:58 pm

To Sprayberry HS - good for you. Stand up for your right to free speach. Those that complain about this April fool's joke need to get a life!!

craig April 26, 2012 at 09:58 pm

This is very offensive and to say that the adminstrator who approved this is unlikely to be punished is showing that you codone this racist behavior! This is the same type of racist behavior the Sanford police department showed. It's obvious your political views clouded common sense. You're suppose to be the adult. I hope you're not getting government tax dollars!

craig April 26, 2012 at 10:00 pm

Georgia's finest!

Ashley Hall April 27, 2012 at 01:00 am

look people get over it. It was meant to be a joke. it was a stupid mistake by the kid and teacher alike but this is going way to far. the same page had an article about Mitt Romney but no one is fretting over that. The kid didn't mean any harm by it.

Sprayberry Parent April 27, 2012 at 03:41 am

Finally a teacher who let's students express themselves. Sorry it offended someone. Maybe a class is needed that will teach people not to be so thin skinned.

Sprayberry Mom April 27, 2012 at 05:09 am

2 of my children have attended Sprayberry High School. Sprayberry is probably the most diverse, least racially biased school in Cobb County. Anyone that is part of the Sprayberry family knows this. This piece was meant to make a mockery of the media and I assume the far-right's ridiculous position on President Obama. I suggest that whomever is giving interviews and getting media attention is using Sprayberry for their own selfish reasons.

missy missyson April 27, 2012 at 08:47 am

I am well aware that it was meant to be a joke however his race should have never came up. Once his race is meantioned it is becomes offensive. My children have graduated from sprayberry too and I have one attending there now.

missy missyson April 27, 2012 at 08:51 am

Once race is involved the joke is no longer a joke.

Anonymous April 27, 2012 at 10:58 am

Joke or not, good for Sprayberry for standing their ground. This is not about racism, this is about the right to free speech. What if our "administration" censored our comments on this article? That would be wrong! As a society, we often forget that free speech is a right not to mess with. Use it or lose it! Ok, so a kid says wouldn't re-elect him b/c "he is black". Isn't that a large reason why he was elected in the first place? According to the many comments I heard while standing in a LONG line while waiting to vote, it surely was. If we don't protect and defend our rights, we might as well elect a communist (I'll leave that part for others...) I often get "offended" at the bias of the media and their antagonistic style...but it is a right, so we have to have our priorities straight. This being said, if it were my child that chose skin color as a reason for voting, we would have a serious discussion. As a parent, teaching our children about racisim is a parental duty...Good for Sprayberry!! GO FREEDOM!!! Remember, this is America we a a FREE nation and I pray to God (yes, I said "God") that we keep it that way!

Pathetic April 27, 2012 at 12:31 pm

I graduated from Sprayberry, along with my two brothers. This is not an example of freedom of speech. This is just an introduction to racism. The supporters of this are the same ones that email racist jokes at the workplace and say, "It's just a joke".

ohio April 27, 2012 at 01:45 pm

This is not about free speech. Did you even read the article? They posted a picture of President Obama looking like sambo, which is not the image that any black should be portrayed as, let alone the President of the United States. We should be teaching our children about the things that bring us together, not negative images that continue to break us a apart. This was a very sad and hurtful article and not even a little bit funny. If someone calls me the N word and then says "just joking" its a joke at my expense, not funny.

Jesse Howard April 28, 2012 at 03:26 am

For those of you who are in "DE-LIE-AL" this is racism and "it was meant as an April FOOL'S joke.....APRIL FOOL'S WAS APRIL FIRST, NOT APRIL TWENTY-FOURTH. THE WRITER OF THE ARTICLE CALLED PRESIDENT OBAMA A "MONKEY" AFTER GETTING CRITICISM FROM FELLOW STUDENTS. REASON NUMBER 1 WAS HE IS BLACK.....OH WAIT PRESIDENT OBAMA IS REALLY BLACK. I NOTICED THE SCHOOL ARTICLE THAT CRITICIZES GOVERNOR ROMNEY NEVER REFERRED TO HIM AS A "CRACKER".

Cindy Henry April 28, 2012 at 12:37 pm

I am thinking these students learned this type of journalism from watching the current administration's behavior and to much cnbc. Freedom of speach is not just for some, being ridiculed for that freedom is apparently.

Kirk April 28, 2012 at 08:23 pm

The current administration probably considers the article as a threat and has most likely placed Sprayberry on an enemy of the State list. Those involved will be sent to a re-education camp by Homeland Security. Their assets will be seized and redistributed among those supporting the administration. Just a satirical joke. No apology for this one.

John April 30, 2012 at 01:18 pm

Hey Cindy...did you by chance mean MSNBC...CNBC is a business news channel.

Georgia April 30, 2012 at 03:13 pm

So saying he is black is a reason not to vote for him is okay! Really!

Georgia April 30, 2012 at 03:26 pm

Are you the parent of one the students that wrote the racist article? How could anyone not racist defend the student article!

Georgia April 30, 2012 at 03:47 pm

Defending the article is as bad as the student or students who wrote it! Freedom of speech is always a blessing but if your hidden agenda in the article is hate, racism and your personal political views that's wrong and cheap to all readers! Your words speak loudly what's in your heart!

Jill May 4, 2012 at 10:36 am

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! even though you have the right speech their are limts to it. Really should not matter the race it should matter if he is HELPING the countrey. I think those student SHOULD be punished because this VERY RUDE "joke" about Obama was racist and exremly innaporite.

Anonymous June 3, 2012 at 05:59 pm

I happen to know the teacher of the students who submitted this article and I can say without a doubt the agenda behind this was anything but racist. It was 100% satire. So what if the April Fool's article doesn't go to print ON 4/1? The paper prints when it prints. It was clear that it was for April Fools. People have become too "offended" by anything that doesn't suit their own agenda and need to understand that freedom of speech or not, not everything is going to suit YOU. Get over it. I'm not pro-Obama, but certainly do not agree with suspending students, firing teachers, administration or any other party just because someone is offended by an article in a school newspaper- or a national newspaper.
Jill- who are YOU to say it's a VERY RUDE joke about Obama? Do you think this was the worst thing ever printed about him? Jesse- Don't you think Obama doesn't know he's black? Why is it not racist when Mitt is called "too white for Hispanics"? Georgia- What is your basis to say there is racism and hate behind this article? Do you know these people? Have you talked to them? Why don't you investigate first, accuse later. Ohio- Why is this a joke at YOUR expense? Are you running the country and up for re-election? Stop judging and being SOOOO offended before you get the information. Not everything is as it seems. And before you reply to say that I'm judging you, that's not what I am doing here. I'm trying to get you to stop and think before over-reacting.

Messej June 4, 2012 at 04:09 am

free speech does not mean you can say WHATEVER YOU WANT because there are types of speech that are NOT covered under free speech. This article qualifies as hate speech because the presidents race is demeaned and he is called names that defame his character and reputation...i.e "nazi" THERE ARE ALSO CERTAIN ZONES NOT COVERED UNDER FREE SPEECH SUCH AS GOVERMENTAL INSTITUTIONS AND MILITARY BASES WHICH SANCTION THE VALIDITY OF EVERYTHING THAT PERTAINS TO THE GOVERNMENT. Just because there is ONE SINGLE comical statement about the president's dog CLOAKED AROUND HATE SPEECH does not make this "newspaper" protected speech BECAUSE THE FIGHTING WORDS MUST PASS MY SCRUTINY AND THE MILLIONS OF OTHERS [students included] WHO FIND THIS TOTALLY OFFENSIVE.

Messej June 4, 2012 at 04:11 am

free speech does not mean you can say WHATEVER YOU WANT because there are types of speech that are NOT covered under free speech. This article qualifies as hate speech because the presidents race is demeaned and he is called names that defame his character and reputation...i.e "nazi" THERE ARE ALSO CERTAIN ZONES NOT COVERED UNDER FREE SPEECH SUCH AS GOVERMENTAL INSTITUTIONS AND MILITARY BASES WHICH SANCTION THE VALIDITY OF EVERYTHING THAT PERTAINS TO THE GOVERNMENT. Just because there is ONE SINGLE comical statement about the president's dog CLOAKED AROUND HATE SPEECH does not make this "newspaper" protected speech BECAUSE THE FIGHTING WORDS MUST PASS MY SCRUTINY AND THE MILLIONS OF OTHERS [students included] WHO FIND THIS TOTALLY OFFENSIVE.