[Chewbacca]

The raised fist is an ultimate passive expression of refusal to bow to an external oppressive. I recall two American olympians were stripped of thier medals for executing the same jesture during the national anthem part of the awards ceremony during the 1968 games I think.

It was made popular by the Black Panthers and other freedom fighters. Recently groups like Public Enemy and Rage against the machine have made this jesture of questioning goverment's authority and justfulness "popular" again, if that word "popular" can apply to nonconforming antidisestablishmentarianism and the questioning of authority in order to make an independant decision instead of following blindly.

I wonder how this simple act of silently saying "No, you will not subject YOUR religious beliefs about MY nation upon me by ritualizing them as a group activity in my PUBLIC school" became so disruptive when it involves standing silent, head bowwed and one fist raise high in the air.

*assumtion*
I bet the teacher confronted the student, demanding he leave the class room or something like that. He refused so the teacher escalted the conflict, getting a rise out of an angry teenager is so easy. Any hoo, I bet the teacher has little respect for this type of free-thinking student in the first place and probably would have never cared to find out where he was coming from.

*end assumtion*

When I moved to Alabama during the tender years of seventh grade, I got paddled for saying "what" to my science teacher instead of "Maam"
I got paddled again the next day for answering one of her questions " yes" instead of "yes Maam" The catch is I had just moved and started school in this new place a week before and nobody told me to say yes Maam or no Maam. Although I now live in Yankeeville (actually redsoxville)I still reply to women of all ages as Maam when appropriate. My wife has burned the habit out of me when refering to her though. [img]smile.gif[/img]