Back in 1964 when I was valedictorian of my small Iowa high school class of 47 students, it wasnt the school districts practice for the top student to give a speech. Sometimes, I wonder what I might have said. I was incensed by school officials in Las Vegas, Nev., who cut the microphone of top graduate and straight-A student Brittney McComb when she delivered her valedictory speech June 15.They had prescreened the text of her talk and said the last part would have to go because of the six references to God and two biblical references. Yet, when McComb, one of three valedictorians, gave her speech she felt compelled to communicate from her heart and share her faith. So she let go, and officials turned down the microphone in the middle of her talk to her nearly 400 fellow graduates. As you can expect, that step offended classmates and the audience to jeer. I would have been standing and jeering, too.
My message was all about love and it was all about my personal experience — that is not offensive, the plucky teen said. She said the heart of her message at Foothill High School was that Gods love is so great. Afterwards her classmates swamped McComb with words of support for defying school officials and their wimpish politically correct position to ban religious elements from her speech. Officials didnt care for statments like: … even in the Bible, it says that the name of Jesus will be hated. Later McComb told the Jay Sekulow Live!” radio show, The thing is, it is freedom of speech, so I was upset. She noted that an atheist called a news station to say that McComb should have been allowed to continue to talk and that her microphone should not have been cut.
School officials told the media that it has policies on what valedictorians can and cannot say and students are required to submit the text of planned speeches before they can be delivered. And students are told that any deviation from the script, means the microphone will be cut.
Cant you just see the petty little censor holding a photocopy of her speech in one hand and the other hand squeezing the switch on the sound system? Good, God! Imagine the adrenaline rush that McComb had as she continued to speak anyway, and how this will stick with her and all the students for years to come. One defining moment of courage in the face of censorship.
McComb has been all over the national media in the days since the incident. I went through four years of school at Foothill, and they taught me logic, and they taught me freedom of speech, she told her local newspaper. Gods the biggest part of my life. Just like other valedictorians thank their parents, I wanted to thank my Lord and Savior.
Shame of school officials everywhere who try to pull a stunt like that to prevent anyone from being offended by someones faith. A Muslim valedictorian should be able to effusively thank Allah, an Wiccan free to thank the forces of earth and living things, an atheist whatever. Lets see what powers and rocks these kids boats, what has brought them to this pinnacle of accomplishment. Do we want valedictorian that fit some preconceived mold?
Thankfully, most school districts cut some slack here, I believe. God gets mentioned often at graduations. Those that are heavy-handed here communicate a terrible message. Classmates and the audience are being sold short if the argument is they will get proselytized in a 10-minute address. What do they want? Some propaganda piece on how free enterprise and capitalism brings equal opportunity to all?
McComb said it best: Her audience was wise enough to see was expressing her opinions, not preaching. Incidents like this speak volumes about where this nation might be headed — where oppressive authority has its hands on the controls and governs what we think and say. “Question Authority” is still just about the best bumper sticker out there. Thank God, for all the Brittany McCombs of this world. Speak out and speak often, and keep the faith.
