Dear Friend,

In today's edition of InfoQuest*, you'll learn about the pro-life First
Amendment persecution of a student at my alma mater and a shocker about
Harry Potter!

CONTENTS:

(1) Abington Jr. High Persecutes Pro-Life Student

(2) The Vatican Blesses Harry Potter?!

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(1) Abington Jr. High Persecutes Pro-Life Student

Sad to say, but not surprising, my alma mater, Abington Jr. High School, is
in the news for trying to terminate a student's First Amendment right to
wear a pro-life T-shirt!

Luckily, the student's parent took legal action and got the situation
resolved (see article later in this edition!).

It reminded me of my friend, Joe Baker, who began the law suit against my
local school district:

Baker v. Pennridge School District
http://www.rutherford.org/resources/litigation_report.asp

Attorneys for The Rutherford Institute have filed suit in U.S. District
Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on behalf of Joe Baker, a
Pennridge High School senior who was prevented by school officials from
handing out fliers that questioned the curriculum on evolution being taught
at the school. Baker was told he had violated the school's Student
Expression policy because he had not allowed school officials at least two
days to review the material before it was distributed. Institute attorneys
argue that the Student Expression policy is an unconstitutional prior
restraint on free speech and that by enforcing such a policy, school
officials discriminated against Baker by prohibiting the distribution of his
material based on its content.

It seems that Abington has been attacking students rights for some time.
Click here
http://users.netreach.net/InfoQuest/ASH_Dec_2002_Abingtonian.pdf
for a PDF of The December 2002 "Abingtonian;" see page 3. Sadly, Abington
has begun a chapter of the ACLU at the high school. Not a good law
organization to emulate!
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tna/2003/01-27-2003/vo19no02_implausible.htm

The following news should startle you. Don't forget to read below about what
will happen on April 28th, 2003!

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Pro-life shirt equated with swastika
'National day' planned for kids to wear message barred by principal
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=30781
Posted: January 31, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Art Moore

On a school day this spring, thousands of pro-life students across the
country plan to wear a T-shirt that recently was banned by a principal who
equated it with displaying a swastika.

Under the threat of legal action, Neal McCarthy, principal of the public
Abington Jr. High School in Abington, Pa., reversed his decision to ban an
honor student's shirt he deemed to be inappropriate.

The shirt bears the messages, "Abortion is Homicide. You will not silence my
message. You will not mock my God. You will stop killing my generation. Rock
for Life," according to the Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.,
http://www.thomasmore.org/default.cfm
which challenged the school policy.

The producer of the shirt, Rock for Life,
http://www.rockforlife.org/
a project of the American Life League,
http://www.all.org/
has planned a "National Pro-Life T-shirt Day" for April 28.
http://rockforlife.org/special_events/tshirt_day.htm
The group says its goal is "to have every pro-life student in America wear a
pro-life T-shirt to school" on that day.

"You have a constitutional right to free speech in your public school," the
group says on its website. "Exercise that right by making the sanctity of
human life the dominant message in your school on April 28."

'Like a swastika'

Last November, McCarthy told the student wearing the shirt that he must
either cover it or turn it inside out. Edward White, associate counsel of
the Thomas More center, told WND that the student and his mother, who
brought the complaint, did not want to be identified.

The student decided to turn the shirt inside out, but his mother raised the
matter with McCarthy, who told her the message was inappropriate for display
at school.

McCarthy did not return calls to his office by WND.

According to White, the principal said that the pro-life message was the
equivalent of a swastika being displayed on a shirt, which he would not
allow in school. The mother then contacted the Thomas More Law Center.

White sent a four-page letter to school officials on Jan. 22, insisting that
the student had a constitutional right to wear his pro-life clothing and
demanding that the school provide written assurance that he will be
permitted to wear the shirt to school.

The legal group contended that the student's speech did not cause any
substantial and material disruptions to the workings of the school and that
there was no legal basis on which to restrict his speech. It also stated
that the mother and son would have the option of seeking relief in federal
court if the school did not reverse its decision by Jan. 31.

"Too often public school officials forget that the First Amendment protects
student pro-life messages," White said. "We are pleased that the school has
quickly corrected its mistake and has acknowledged our client's First
Amendment right to wear the pro-life T-shirt to school."

White said a school might have a legitimate objection if a T-shirt caused a
significant disruption. He notes there have been instances in which a
Confederate flag shirt led to ongoing fist fights. But in the many cases of
pro-life T-shirts he has handled, he is not aware of any that have caused a
disruption. The complaint often has originated with an administrator who
happens to come across it after the student has been wearing the shirt to
school for some time.

Though some complaints come from students, most are tolerant, he said.

"You're going to have kids who say, 'Great, where can I get one?'" said
White. "Others will disagree, but even the ones who disagree will
acknowledge the right to wear the shirt - 'I may not like his message, but I
want the same right to wear my message.'"

Rock for Life assistant director Sara McKalips told WND that she did not
consider the Abington Jr. High School student's T-shirt, produced by her
group, to be provocative.

"A swastika is a symbol of hate and discrimination," she said, "and this
T-shirt is sharing a message of truth and life."

White said he finds pro-life kids often are singled out by administrators,
while kids wearing shirts displaying messages from shock rockers such as
Marilyn Manson, or Playboy bunny T-shirts, "usually get a pass."

White said his group was contacted last year by about 25 or 30 families who
had a student confronted by school officials for a pro-life T-shirt. The
students usually are "good kids," he said, such as the honor student at
Abington Jr. High.

"We've always had success once we explain the student's constitutional
rights," said White.

Some parents don't want to pursue the case because the student is afraid of
a backlash.

"But when students are supported by the parents, we go forward," White said.
"We've had parents who were pro-choice stand behind their pro-life kids."

Letter in hand

Rock for Life's McKalips said she expects opposition to the "National
Pro-life T-Shirt Day," which her group plans to make an annual event. The
organization will make available to the students a letter produced by the
Thomas More Law Center that outlines their First Amendment rights.

She said her group has received a good response from students and from
schools, mostly Catholic, that want to participate in the event.

Rock for Life's 90 local chapters throughout the country are contacting
public schools, she said, and encouraging the principals to support the
students who participate.

Many members of the Rock for Life chapters volunteer at local Crisis
Pregnancy Clinics, she added.

Brian Burch, a spokesman for Thomas More, said he thinks opposition to the
pro-life T-shirt day will be minimal.

"I would hope that schools are aware that the pro-life message is protected
by the First Amendment just like any other message," he said. "These shirts
are worn by thousands of kids, and, for the most part, I don't think people
have a problem.

IQ* Note:
Take part in the Monday, April 28, 2003 Pro-Life T-Shirt Day!
http://rockforlife.org/special_events/tshirt_day.htm
I bought two T-shirts; one navy and one black!

Learn the TRUTH about Abortion HERE:
http://users.netreach.net/InfoQuest/abortion.htm

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(2) The Vatican Blesses Harry Potter?!

http://www.agapepress.org
(February 4, 2003)
...The Vatican is giving "thumbs up" to Harry Potter. Rev. Don Peter
Fleetwood has told a Vatican news conference that the novels'
good-versus-evil plotlines are "imbued with Christian morals." Fleetwood, a
member of the Pontifical Council for Culture, was responding to questions
following the release of a Vatican document on the New Age movement. He was
asked whether the magic embraced by Harry Potter and his pals at the
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a problem for Catholics. Some
Christians condemn the series for glamorizing magic and the occult. But
Fleetwood said he does not think there is anyone "who grew up without
fairies, magic, and angels in their imaginary world." In his view, "they
aren't bad" or "anti-Christian."

IQ* Note: WHAT??!!! Harry Potter "imbued with Christian morals"? What a
LIE!! Learn the truth about the Harry Potter series here:
http://users.netreach.net/InfoQuest/occult.htm