Students in Mississippi Forbidden From Talking About Obama

My friend Alan sent me this story about how students from this Mississippi community were not to talk about President-Elect Obama in school! Angry parents in several cities called WLBT (newsroom) telling how their kids were threatened with suspension for saying Obama's name or wearing clothing with his name or image. Parents even did so anonymously because they feared retaliation against their kids. The school principal did not answer calls but finally issued a statement blaming particular teachers, not school policy. Teachers read a memo after the election which said:

"Seeing history in the making and being a part of that process is a wonderful thing. Many of you are excited because of this. Others are not. It is absolutely critical that we not use this election as a divisive event. We should respect one another by not saying or doing things in the wrong way that would take away from this historical event and possibly cause a disruption here at school. Celebrations at school that cause disruptions are not acceptable and against the law therefore, this should not occur. Please by mindful of this and respect one another regardless of differences in opinion."

Where is the logic in that statement? The ACLU of MS expressed concern over violation of students' free speech and people experiencing continued restriction of their right to expression were to call (601) 354-3408 or 888-354-ACLU (2258).