Mr. Hogan's and my "little chat" (D.R. Walace flyers)

As you know a week ago today is when the flyers were posted by two anonymous hoverboots. Following Molly Boyle's email regarding the fresbees, I emailed both her and Mr. Hogan about being concerned about the flyers being taken down last thrursday. This is our conversation:

Mr. Hogan,
As for a concern for the student body, I would like to raise the issue of the posters of Donald Ray Wallace being taken down, last thursday.
As you know I was a cast member of "Dead Man Walking" and the night before we held a vigil servace for Donald Ray Wallace, a man convicted of killing a family durring a robbary. In the 25 years that he was on death row he had embraced religion, every religion, and changed his life around. (this is no excuse for his crimes, however it should be recongnized.) He was unjustly put to death on Wendsday at 9:00 PM our time. A man that we had met on Sunday afternoon, was going to be at his exicution, as his spiritual advisor. The following day, two members of our cast, as well as the majority of us, thought that the students of Jesuit High should be shown that the issue that we have been reading about in English, talking about in religion, and seeing for the past week in the play "Dead Man Walking" was a real thing, and that it was happening in our society. We believed that the public should be informed of the injustices in our country.
The flyer that was posted, was not a blatent advertisment, pro or con. Rather an informative piece of paper that showed that this was real. To our surprise, the administration quickly ripped them from the walls, as if it was advocating Hitler. The Catholic church is clearly against capital punishment, as a Catholic Private School, I believed that Jesuit would support any action to support the Church. I was deeply disappointed in my school for the first time in my four years here. I found that I was embaressed to be a Jesuit Student, something that has never once crossed my mind. Why these pictures were taken out of the public eye I do not know, however it greatly disturbed me, that my school would go against its fundamental teachings and retract its support of what they were doing in so many classrooms and on stage. I am sorry that Jesuit has become this.

Your Student,
Alexander B. Cole

His response:

Alex,

I don’t know if you are the student whom Mrs. Satterberg spoke to in the Commons last Thursday before school. My understanding of this situation is that no one asked permission to put up the hundreds of flyers that appeared around the school last Thursday. Mrs. Satterberg found Avital and a young man not only putting up flyers, but essentially wallpapering school walls, lockers, bulletin boards, etc. If someone had the sense and courtesy to ask, they would have certainly been allowed to post the pictures of Mr. Wallace; in fact, Mrs. Satterberg granted permission for the students to continue doing so—but within reason (eg, not putting them on every other locker, where some were sure to be ripped down and trampled underfoot).

I am glad that some students have been so engaged by our discussion of capital punishment that they desired to take action and alert the community that an execution had just occurred. Of course, that expression must be balanced with respect for the rest of the community. I was disappointed, upon going to the library that morning, to see that the bulletin board opposite the library was covered with these flyers—including flyers covering student mail, the daily newspaper, letters on the Christian Service board, etc. I took down those flyers that were covering other material that is important to this community, including student’s personal mail..I left those flyers that were not covering other material, which still left at least 20 flyers in this one place alone. What the theory behind covering student mail was, I do not know. I do know that the custodians and school administrators are the ones who end up picking up the flyers left on the ground after the hurried blanketing of the school with hundreds of flyers, some of which barely had enough tape to stay up more than an hour or two.

Part of social and political action is to know your rights and responsibilities, and to advocate in a manner that advances your cause rather than making even those who may be sympathetic oppose your methods. The ends rarely justify “any means necessary.” Over the past few weeks, we have attempted to create a forum for the respectful, civil exchange of ideas on the contentious issue of the death penalty. Posting flyers in strategic locations is a reasonable means to convey one’s point of view. Self-righteously covering other people’s property and community displays is not. It is vandalism, or at the very least, serious disrespect. I am sorry that you were embarrassed to be a Jesuit student. I don’t know what the pronoun in your last sentence refers to. Personally, I am proud of the discussion we have been having, which has been advanced in such a thoughtful manner by the cast and crew of Dead Man Walking.

Paul J. Hogan
Jesuit High School
Academic Vice Principal

My response

I was not the one that posted the flyers and I did not know of the ones over the student e-mail, but from what you say it sounds as if there were a huge number of them left after you and the administration took them down. Following second period, I did not see one single flyer left in the school. My assumption was the they had been removed by the school, for before school had begun there were a number of them in many different loccations. after whitnessing you taken them down then seeing later that none were left I logically assumed that they had all been taken down by the administration. So who indead took down the remaining flyers? Surely pro-death penulty advicates would not be that disrespectful of a memorial of a dead man (for there was no indication of a anti-death penulty voice, rather simple facts). As for the right to put them up. Do the birthday flyers that regualarly circulate have permission of the administration? If so, a birthday is simply a celebration of new life. So wouldn't a deathday flyer be just as appropriate. Perhaps my peers did go a little overboard on the amont and the location of the flyers, however to have them all taken down in such a short time period arouses my suspision, as if jesuit, although on the outside suports the debate, but when it becomes personal (which it should become) the administration destroys the evidence and hides? It was surprising that a large number of the Cast was not aware of the flyers until out meeting that night. Of all the people to recongnise these flyers it would have been our cast, yet many of them saw nothing. Which leads me to believe again that the administration is trying to shelter Jesuit students from the reality of this horrible crime in our society. I don't think I understand what you mean by "any means nessisary" we were simply trying to enlighten others about an event that occured under the guise of Justice. We were not trying to create sympathy in any way, rather teach people that what we are studing is not history, it is the present. As for my last sentence, I meant that I am sorry that Jesuit has become the median for hiding the facts, and not truly believing and acting on what it teaches and supports.

Alexander B. Cole
Jesuit High School
Unsatisfied Student

His response:

Alex,

Did you look at the board opposite the library? Or the bulletin board in the Commons? Or in the PAC?

I find your suggestion that the administration is trying to shelter Jesuit students from the reality of the death penalty mind-boggling. We have spent considerable time and money and people resources and energy on raising awareness of this issue. Just yesterday I was castigated by a parent railing about the Jesuit administration’s “overly-liberal” presentation of this issue.

It seems we should talk. Enough of the email.

Paul J. Hogan
Jesuit High School
Academic Vice Principal

My response:

~agreed, we should talk. If you could be so kind, could you set an appointment? I know quite a number of our cast would also like to talk and be present as well , perhaps we could invite them too? One more e-mail and then lets talk, okay?
~As a matter of fact I did look at both the board accross from the library and the one in the PAC and the PAC one had one flyer and the one across from the Library had two.
~As for Jesuit being "overly-liberal" that seems quite the opposite, yes you have put a great deal of money, time, and support into the topic, however as evidence of the fact that the flyers were unwelcome and unwarented, shows that you [the administration] in some ways has a limit to your own support. When it trys to becomes personal you back down and take the flyers from the wall. That is my point, If you were truely devoted to the cause, you would want these around campus. Perhaps the students who put them up were doing so with out proper care and respect for the grounds, but instead of taking them down and looking as if you are opposed to the act, you should have supported the effort and re-placed them in appropriate areas (which in my mind is everywhere). I don't disregard the effort that you have taken to bring this issue to rise, however you seem afraid of what it truly is.

Am I at fault? Contact me if you want to be part of the discussion.