A Hilo High School teacher who invited longtime Christian peace activist, Jim Albertini, to speak to several classes about public participation in democracy, has been told they will be barred from meeting in the school library unless “the presentation will be strictly informational with zero negative slants” about U.S. military or foreign policy.
The restriction on library use was bluntly stated in an email on Friday from librarian Amy Okuyama to Joseph Watts, the teacher who organized Albertini’s appearance on campus.
Okuyama wrote:
Thank you for this outline of your speaker’s topic and your class objectives. I welcome any speaker in the library for educational purposes. But in this case, the speaker is a “well known activist”, and (I now find out that) the topic is the military. As a “military mom”, I request that the speaker stick to the topic as described here, and not deviate to personal negative opinions/attacks on the military, its actions, or its presence anywhere, with instructions on how students can or should protest the military, etc. in any manner. I can’t opt out of my library and be forced out of my own work site and I won’t be subjected to anti-military speeches as had once occurred w/another speaker in here. My son was deployed at the time and it was extremely upsetting to me; Mr. Dircks said he wouldn’t permit it to happen that way again.
Okuyama’s email, as well as Watts reply, are posted on the website maintained by Malu ‘Aina, an organic farm and “spiritual community” near Hilo founded by Albertini three decades ago.
Okuyama’s position appears contrary to the Department of Education’s “Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” adopted way back in 1974, which guarantees freedom of expression and communication:
Students shall have the right to hear and express publicly, various points of view on subjects without fear of reprisal or penalty.
Watts responded that the teachers would move Albertini’s presentation back into their classrooms if necessary.
It doesn’t appear that Hilo Principal Robert Dircks has yet taken a position on the controversy despite Okuyama’s reference. Hopefully he’ll take steps necessary to assure students have the opportunity to hear dissenting views.
Albertini’s response was straightforward:
My presentations will be critical of the military presence in Hawaii and U.S. wars abroad and I hope to instill critical thinking and questioning in students as well, even of my own presentation. Does speaking out for peace and being critical of government policies constitute “negative viewpoints?” To me, respectful dialogue is an important part of participation in a democracy. I hope I can encourage and motivate students to become responsible, politically engaged citizens, and speak out for justice, peace, and the future of their world. I would suggest that if this is not acceptable in the Hilo H.S. library, we switch the site of my presentations.
Then he added a good question:
I wonder if military recruiters and ROTC instructors have similar difficulties making presentations.
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High Schoolers are very perceptive and can make good decisions and choices which cause them to read “the picture” more effectively more often then their adult counterparts. I worked with them as a Behavioral Health Therapist for years and they were delighted and thankful for the mutual relationship. Get past the librarian Jim and hand them the picture…don’t forget to request their input and perceptions. Hana pono!!
High school principals with ROTC program DEFEND anything military & consider any peace advocates to be inappropriate and “too political” — in my personal experience.
School career counselors think military is a great CAREER. Recruiters lure young people with BENEFITS of joining… not by convincing them to defend U.S. or fight for freedom by giving up their own.
Typical Hawaii-style mentality.
Y’all have been a state since 1959.
Isn’t about time you learn how to be Americans?
Hello Mr. Nonymous,
The Hawaii-Style Mentality I see in most of these posts says participatory democracy is based on critical thinking, and celebrating differing points of view. Maybe Americans such as yourself can learn something from Us’All.
I had to refine my name to distinguish myself from the new Jerry.
Tell the librarian to read her job description.
Calm down and get out of the librarian’s face! Maybe she knows who albertini is. He is a professional protestor who hates the military and presents his far left liberal agenda wherever he wanders, to anyine who will listen. If you are for sending your kids to school to be politically indoctrinated in a captive audience, then goit. But if you insist on wasting your child’s time on this “diversity training”, is it? then you might also insist on equal time by someone at the other side of the political spectrum. If you noticed, Albertini has already assumed the librarian is “obviously so pro-military” (meaning he is anti-military), that she can’t tell right from wrong? This should gived you some idea of his mindset before he even goes in. NO, I would not want him or any of his followere to go near my children and plant their ideas hate. Now, I don’t suppose my comment will make it to the librarian’s desk, but I would hope. I admire her for making a sound decision.
Actually, you can spend a lot of time looking at what Jim Albertini has said or written, and you won’t find any expressions of “hate”, contrary to your assumption.
Checking out their website at http://www.malu-aina.org, there was this set of goals. Again, no expressions of hate.
1. Mourn all victims of violence.
2. Reject war as a solution.
3. Defend civil liberties.
4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Just fyi.
Can’t think much better than that as a human being!
It is not her decision. Shouldn’t she respect the lines of authority and chain of command at her workplace?
Uh none of you went to that school so you don’t know what it’s like. I was in the JROTC program there and graduated, and NO Recruiting presentation was ever allowed in the library during my time as a student there. They were only limited to the JROTC students in the JROTC classroom. [comment edited]
If this man had his way we would all grow gardens and have no military force to protect us from other large threats like China who would LOVE to take over. If parents want their children listening to this guy based off no actual Educational standpoint, than let him speak in a public setting, not in a school. Also have the parents sign letters of consent, outlining this man’s speeches and arguments. The parents need to be informed, because I know of at LEAST 10 Soldiers, Airmen, Guardsmen, and Marines that came out of my ’08 class from Hilo High, whose parents wouldn’t have stood for this crap. JROTC presentations from recruiters are limited to small speeches about benefits and that’s it, and they are limited to the JROTC class. So this guy’s “educational presentation” that is all ONE-SIDED and not educational at all, should be approved by parents, just like recruiter presentations, and should be held only in that classroom, not the library.[comment edited]
It appears the issue has been resolved. I was informed by the Hilo H.S. principal and teacher J. Watts that I will be speaking at Hilo H.S. on March 6th and 8th. Mahalo and aloha to all for expressing your views. It’s all part of critical thinking and the free-speech process.
I hope that they are still alive. China is not a threat to us….
Capt. Paul Chappell (US Military Academy at West Point, class of ’02) is an Iraq War combat vet. Perhaps Hilo HS would add his book, “The End of War” to their collection. Capt. Chappell clearly shows that questioning the government on military and foreign policy decisions made in our name is not anti-military, but the fundamental responsibility of all citizens. http://www.paulkchappell.com/
Indeed you are correct, we citizens have a responsibility to question our governments actions, particularly sense they have caused so many deaths!
Jim was INVITED by a teacher to speak at Hilo High School.
On Jan 17, he was also invited by UHH to give a presentation (with speaker Col. Ann Wright from Honolulu,) about drones and depleted uranium pollution (on Pohakoloa Training Base).
I think it is disturbing to read comments from a few people who want to slander and villainize a good person who is doing their duty to speak about the truth.
It’s distressing that the principal gives in to the squeeky wheels, and obstructs students from hearing both sides of the story.
“if talking about peace and non-violence is “going to disrupt the school,” we are in deep trouble as a society. It says to me we have too much war and violence. There are Jr. ROTC programs and military recruiters in our schools. It’s time to make some room for peace and non-violence.”
Jim Albertini was honored by Pax Christi USA as the 2010 Teacher of Peace, awarded to one individual annually in the U.S.
In 2012, the Interfaith Alliance Hawaii presented Jim Albertini and his Malu Aina organization its award for “Encouraging Non-violent Civic Participation”
It seems to me that many people here are forgetting the lessons of history. Before World War II the United States was very isolationist. England was begging us to get into the war in Europe but we said no, no, it’s Europe’s problem, we don’t want to get involved. Japan had invaded China and Korea and was expanding out into the pacific islands. We said, not our fight, we don’t want war. But you know what? Someone had forgotten to cc the other guys on the memo. We all know how that turned out.
I fully agree that war is not something which should entered into lightly and that it should be an option of last resort. Going to war is, in effect, an admission of failure. However, when the barbarians are storming the gates, it is stupid to think that you can lean over the wall and say: Hey guys we really don’t want to fight, lets talk about this.
Without a decision by the Principal, we have to think of whether the teacher has any legitimate power over the librarian’s space. Remember that the librarian isn’t proposing to ban the visitor from the school, just from the library. The teacher who invited the speaker is a school official with ownership of her own classroom, while the librarian is a school official with ownership of the library.
They should have equal power, as they serve similar roles in being conveyers of knowledge. I’d say that if the librarian has an objection to it being held in the library, that should be respected, and the event can be held in the classroom (or gym, or elsewhere the teacher can gain support).
Similar to how some teachers allow eating in their class and others do not, some librarians have certain rules and others do not, it’s part of their legitimate power to decide what can happen in their particular space and they should be protected from colleague’s attempts to intrude upon their particular space.
I’m a HHS grad (1960) and I find this outrageous.
Ms Okuyama should be drummed out of the ALA.
As other posters have said, her position mocks the core values of librarianship.
Ryu, “ownership” has nothing to do with it. The library is a shared resource for the entire school. If there’s any space in any school that needs to be entirely free and open to everything, it’s the library.
The strongest nation on earth is not powerful and secure enough among its citizenry to allow freedom of speech? Concerned parents are certainly secure enough in the nuturing they have provided to their children to feel safe and secure with them listening to all sides of issues? What is there to be afraid of? Will our children come home from the talk as born-again conscientious objectors? Will they all announce plans to join a jihad somewhere?
It happened in the phony McCarthy era, it happened during Vietnam and it happens now when people’s patriotism is questioned because of what and who they might and might not listen to.
Many believe that your choice of political party will determine whether you are a patriot and even whether or not the Lord will take you to heaven. What is next? Restrictions on what TV shows are patriotic, which clothing is patriotic, which restaurants and what products. This is really sort of sick, yet I have lived long enough to see the one subject that makes people who claim to be strong shake in their boots: Peace. I say, be strong enough in the reality of the world to look forward to higher ideals. That builds strength. War is meaningless horror without the hope of peace and peace is a hollow dream without the strength to sustain it. But BOTH concepts have a place in conversations.
America is going down the drain, in part due to the fact we are becoming totally unable to discuss and solve issues. Just watch the crisis-makers in Washington screw us around again on the budget deadline.
I just got this email from Principal Dircks:
Thank you for your message regarding Mr. James Albertini who was scheduled to speak at Hilo High School on March 6th and 8th as part of a classroom lecture. The event has been cancelled due to the volume of concerns raised by a number of community members, which included a threat to our operations.
As educators we have an obligation to expose our students to a variety of college and career ready curriculum and activities in order for them to compete within a global society. Mr. Albertini is a controversial individual and it was planned to have another guest speaker to counter his views about the military in Hawaii, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by the military, and the roles, rights, and responsibilities as citizens.
The Department of Education allows the use of public school facilities for general public use/access, however it is the principal who makes the final decision for use. If the requested activities interfere with normal school operations, the principal may reject the request.
Again I appreciate your input into this matter and understanding.
R. Dircks
Principal
Hilo High School
—-
I doubt that Harry Chuck and Lawrence Capellas — the two principals I had as a HHS student — would have caved. I suppose it’s possible, but I doubt it.
In any case, let’s hope some action is taken against the librarian.
I’m pretty much in Albertini’s camp, but I’d be yelling and screaming if the same thing happened to a right-wind militarist.
Free speech applies to everybody, like it or not.
In this case, I’m really ashamed of my alma mater.