Response to board request for police protection

In August, I, as Chair of the Hot Springs County chapter of Moms for Liberty, approached the Hot Springs County School District with an offer to provide copies of the U.S. Constitution for distribution to our eighth graders on Constitution Day, September 17th. The pocket Constitutions are provided gratis by the 917 Society, a non-profit educational organization.

The offer was turned down, for reasons that varied over time, such as: The booklets contain a QR code. It does. And the problem is?

The booklets contain an oath. Guilty as charged. Article II, Section 1, the oath of office of the President.

The QR code “… directed students to politically motivated areas…”. Nope. https://e-book.to/The-USConstitution/

Go see for yourself.

I applied to address the board at the October 17 meeting. I wanted to lay out the facts and ask the board how we could do this better next year. I was told the day before that I would be on the agenda.

Two hours before the meeting, Sheriff Kraushaar knocked on my door. He informed me that the school district had asked for police protection during the meeting. He further informed me that if I wore my mini-revolver belt buckle, which I call my First Amendment Special, that I would not be allowed to speak. In the 25 years I have lived in this county, that is the first time it has ever been questioned.

After he left, I was livid. I felt insulted, demeaned, and threatened. I decided I could not go to the meeting.

It is my opinion that both my constitutionally protected right to freedom of speech (both wearing the revolver and what I might say to the school board), and my constitutionally protected right to petition for redress of grievances have been pretty well frosted.

Charles Curley