Teen Refuses to Apologize to Kansas Governor: Admirable or Stubborn?

by SodaHead News Posted 2011/11/28 14:00:00

Related Topics: Emma Sullivan, Sam Brownback, Governor, Tweet, Twitter, Social Media, Freedom Of Speech, School, Restaurant, Associated Press, Apology, AP, Kansas, Apologize

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891 votes
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	Admirable	726 votes	81%
	Stubborn	165 votes	19%

Emma Sullivan didn't think Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback would see her derisive tweet, but someone on his staff did. Now she's at the center of a real-life dispute with the governor. According to The Associated Press, Brownback's office contacted the school about the tweet, and the principal immediately ordered Sullivan to write an apology.

Sullivan refused.

Last week, the 18-year-old Shawnee Mission East senior tweeted, "Just made mean comments at gov. brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot." Though she says she was joking about the "in person" part, she's not joking anymore. She told AP, "I would do it again ... I think it would be interesting to have a dialogue with [Brownback.] I don't know if he would do it or not though. And I don't know that he would listen to what I have to say."

+44

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Rebel Uke 2011/11/28 05:52:14

Admirable

+36
since when do people have to apologize for free speech?
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joe mauro 2011/11/30 06:11:27

Admirable

+5
apologizing to any politician is a joke

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☮ Ron ☮ Paul ☮ 2012! ☮ 2011/11/30 04:50:08

Admirable

+4
Personally, I feel Brown Back is gaining too much negative attention by his actions. Laugh it off and know that it's a tweet among billions of tweets.

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Merhabi Daham 2011/11/30 04:29:17

Admirable

+2
That's free speech bitches! Oh and by the way...i'd hit that. Just saying.

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wtw 2011/11/30 04:19:48

Admirable

+2
I stand with her

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Nam Era Vet #1 DNA TLC 2011/11/30 03:45:57

Admirable

+3
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback on Monday apologized for his staff's response to an 18-year-old student's tweet about him.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.c...

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ASithLordsPoet/angelpoet17/ 2011/11/30 03:36:51

Admirable

+2
she just place her own opinion rock on!

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TD 2011/11/30 03:31:15

Admirable

+2
I respect people who don't apologize, I hate when people go back on what they say. That is why I hate Tiger Woods I would have admired him if he had stood by what he had done. I can't believe the governor cares this much we have people crashing planes into buildings the governor needs to learn the prioritys.

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mark 2011/11/30 03:23:02

Admirable

+1
If the governer and his staff had been smart , they would have never said a word about it and just taken care of the people's business. Why would a politician want a public fight with a teenager? Duh!

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A Lionheart 2011/11/30 02:41:58

Admirable

+3
How petty that this governor would let the tweet of a High School girl get to him like that. That he would actually call her High School principle, seriously.

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ShortyDoWop 2011/11/30 02:38:08

Admirable

+2
maybe he should listen, most teens aren't as dull as society would make then out to be, i for one at that age and now am politically strong monded and in tune

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carlton999 2011/11/30 02:34:10

Admirable

+2
If the Gov wants her to apologize he should ask her in person and talk to her face to face.

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Chase Martin 2011/11/30 02:06:15

Stubborn

Disrespectful. She only did it for attention.

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Turings... to Chase M... 2011/11/30 11:20:52

And he lowered himself to her level by responding. That's got to be the lamest trap ever set for a politician, and he jumped right into it. Tells a lot more about him than her. lol

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ProudPr... to Chase M... 2011/11/30 17:04:24

+1
Before Brownback made an issue of it she had a total of 22 twitter followers. Now she has over 5,000. She didn't do it for attention.

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Chase M... to ProudPr... 2011/11/30 21:25:32

I don't get it, were you being sarcastic? She got those followers by refusing to apologize.

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ProudPr... to Chase M... 2011/11/30 21:31:37

+1
No, she got those followers because, due to Brownback's staff's overreaction and pressure on the school to suppress her first amendment rights, the story made the newspapers. If Brownback had ignored it as he should have we would not be talking about it now.

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Greg 2011/11/30 01:59:51

Admirable

+1
That's her opinion and she has a right to it.

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Eliot Loney 2011/11/30 01:56:44

Admirable

+1
I will say what I want and if you don`t like it deal with it.

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Charles R. Anderson 2011/11/30 01:47:13

Stubborn

+1
Which is not to say she should apologize, but only that I cannot say she is admirable unless she states her disagreements with Gov. Brownback in a rational way. Indeed, saying someone is bad without saying for what reason is actually rather bad.

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rand 2011/11/30 01:44:35

Admirable

+4
Only idiots think forced apologies have any meaning. Brownback should consider dismissing the staff member that made this an issue and the school district should dismiss the sycophantic principal.

Given the rebellious nature of teens, this will only encourage derisive remarks and only
the punitive self-righteous would fail to understand this.

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WGN 2011/11/30 01:22:35

Admirable

She tells it like it is. It is all well and good for the GOP to talk about personal freedoms and support of the constitution, but when it comes to real life, you get to see where they really stand.
"Do as I say and not as I do."0- the motto of the GOP.
Emma should never apologize and having the principal of her school "ordering" her to apologize is totally out of his/her job function.
The principal is just as bad as the governor.

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Moose to WGN 2011/11/30 08:53:11
Brother Bo 2011/11/30 01:00:04

Admirable

+6
Can you say "First Amendment"?

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««zamboni»»Hellsoldier-BN0 2011/11/30 00:51:45

Admirable

+4
Never be afraid to speak... Never.

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Amy.[: 2011/11/30 00:41:23 (edited)

Admirable

+2
sure. i dont think it was nessecary to say he sucks dick but whatever lmao.

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Shonyce 2011/11/30 00:28:39

Admirable

+2
i guess if she wants to tweet what she wants she can. its not like shes burning the dude to death on a wooden pole, guys. lol >_<

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Jensenmk 2011/11/29 23:43:59

Stubborn

+3
Another imature and uncouth member of our society who feels that they don't have any personal responsibility for their actions.

Yes, there is a right to free speach, but there is also consequences to some actions.

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WGN to Jensenmk 2011/11/30 01:23:39

+1
And exactly what did she do that was not legal, that she has to have consequences from?

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Chase M... to WGN 2011/11/30 02:07:59

I do not think Jensenmk said that what she did was illegal. Even legal things have bad consequences, I am sure you can come up with these on your own . . .

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WGN to Chase M... 2011/11/30 03:20:01

And again I ask, what are her consequences?
I don't believe that there are any for what she did.

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Jensenmk to WGN 2011/11/30 11:15:18

+1
What does legal have to do with it? Social media has allowed people to be immature while maintaining a sense of anonymousness(sic), and therefore no responsibility.

Pair that with an inability to articulate comprehensive thought and reliance on namecalling and you have the (now) typical 20-30 something.

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WGN to Jensenmk 2011/11/30 13:28:19

And her consequences are...?
You are still avoiding providing an answer. Dp you actually have one?

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Jensenmk to WGN 2011/11/30 17:26:40

So far her only consequences (from where I sit) have been a lot of publicity and perhaps some scolding. If any learning has occured on what more proper behavior and what appropriate courtesy looks like, then perhaps she has learned a life leason.

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WGN to Jensenmk 2011/11/30 18:28:20

And that is a "bad" consequence?
And just what do you consider her "improper" behavior?

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LOU to Jensenmk 2011/11/30 01:23:44

+1
Another Nazi trying to block free speech.

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Chase M... to LOU 2011/11/30 02:08:30

How? Or are you just commenting to comment?

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Jensenmk to LOU 2011/11/30 11:16:37

Oh, so free speech only apllies to the speech you like?!?

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LOU to Jensenmk 2011/11/30 12:34:00

That is my point. This kid has a right to speak out. You call her uncouth for having a voice. Well take a look at all the trash the right says about Obama. Now that is uncouth.

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Jensenmk to LOU 2011/11/30 13:21:28

Again, you only want to allow opinions you agree with.

As far as Obama, the 'trash' we speak is offensive to you; as if we are all supposed to ignore the truth?? If he really is a native born citizen (and therefore actually eligible for the position), he wouldn't hide his original birth certificate, college transcripts, and other documents that show that he ISN'T; let alone his incriminating statements in his books.

So I guess you progressives are right; how can we hold a young, ignorant disciple accountable for irresponsible talk about a member of the opposition, when we (you) don't hold the man holding the most powerful elected office in the world responsible for his?

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LOU to Jensenmk 2011/11/30 19:40:42

911 was a set up to invade the middle east for the sake of oil controll over the world. So what is your point?

To answer your question when will you hold Bush responsible for war crimes?

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