NORTHPORT, New York (AP) -- Two high school seniors picked quotations from Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" to appear under their high school yearbook pictures, prompting school officials to apologize.
The quotes were picked by Christopher Koulermos and Philip Compton, both 18. Koulermos' read "Strength lies not in defense, but in attack." Compton chose "The great masses of people ... will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one."
"It's our responsibility and we failed miserably," said Northport High School principal Irene McLaughlin. "The fact that the book went out in the form it did was a grave mistake on our part."
McLaughlin and superintendent William Brosnan said the yearbook's student staff and its adviser, teacher Robert Runyan, saw the quotations before they were published.
The district plans to send a written apology to parents this week. School officials would not comment on whether they would discipline the two seniors or Runyan.
Officials also are discussing with the yearbook's publishing company either reprinting the section in question or offering special tape to people who want to cover the quotes.
Compton's father, Steven, said that his son meant no harm in picking the quote. "I guess he didn't seriously consider the source; he was more interested in the quote," he said. "He's a child."
Northport is located about 47 miles east of New York City.
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Anonymous2006-06-13 13:30
This is dumb. Nobody should apologize for what appeared in the book. Nobody failed anything. If anything, these kids are probably much more aware of their quotes than they let on. (Though blatant stupidity would be a reasonable explaination.) So what if it's a quote from Hitler? It's a very apt and unfortunately relevant quote in this day and age.
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Anonymous2006-06-13 14:02
Free speech is great! (as long as you don't say something we don't like).
These people are just going bananas over the fact that, "zOMG they quoted Hilter." If the quotes had come from anyone else no one would care.
In anycase, this thread should segway into all Hilter quotes and Nothing but Hitler quotes.
"What good fortune for governments that people do not think."
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Anonymous2006-06-13 14:20
Close enough:
The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders...tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.
~Herman Goering
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Anonymous2006-06-13 14:44
The great strength of the totalitarian state is that it forces those who fear it to imitate it.
- Hitler
Seriously folks, whats the difference between a Hitler quote and a Churchill quote? Both men were great leaders of their respective countries, and both have said things that were very moving/motivating/quote-worthy. Furthermore, both men fought for an ideal that they believed in.
The difference, is that people dont like Hitler. Why? Because the history books use bs words like "evil" to describe him. What does "evil" mean? "They beleive in somthing we dont, and the god we dreamed up loves us so we are good, therefore, anyone who doesnt think like us is evil.
Who says I am not under the special protection of God?
- Hitler
What the school is doing is stupid. It wasnt even a rascist quote EX: "BURN THE JEWDEN"
But what more can you expect from an organisation( Public education) largely populated by whiney liberals?
This doesnt even fall into the realm of "oh noes we mite get sewd guyz"
I consider myself a moderate, but people who want to cleanse the world of history, ideology, gender, race, and nationality, in order to make happy-happy-lets-get-high-land really piss me off.
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Anonymous2006-06-13 14:59
This is blatant discrimination against nazis! I will not tolerate this fascist shit!!
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Anonymous2006-06-13 16:46
New York sucks anyway. Niggers, too dense spaces, too much traffic, "liberals"(those ban crazy ones) and other not so nice things. Better if we just nuked it off the map.
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Anonymous2006-06-13 16:53
Who the fuck finds quotes regarding socio-political mantra offensive? I can imagine the quotes chosen as possibly being spoken by any number of famous politians and military leaders, I even agree with "The great masses of people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one."
Hitler did some many terrible things during his time as fuhrer, it doesn't make everything he says condemnable, and agreeing with some of his ideas does not make you nazi.
Most worrying is the "...dozens of angry calls from parents who found the quotations offensive", and who, perhaps, know Mein Kampf well enough to recognise them.
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Anonymous2006-06-13 17:26
am I the only one who noticed the part about the special tape?
that's some hilarious stuff
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Anonymous2006-06-13 17:40
FUCK NO, AMERICA IS TURNING INTO EUROPE NOW? KILL THOSE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FOR APOLOGIZING!
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Anonymous2006-06-13 17:41
Poor, poor, POOR Americans (I'm now referring to the 0,6 % of the god damned US inhabitants that have got anything left inside their heads).
HOW IS IT FUCKING POSSIBLE TO BE THAT FUCKING STUPID? IT IS UN-FUCKING-COMPREHENSIBLE! I JUST DON'T FUCKING GET IT! HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU BE OFFENDED BY THIS? I MEAN, COME THE FUCK ON! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU SHOULD ALL JUST GO DIE, THAT WILL SURELY SAVE MANY A BRAIN CELL BY PREVENTING PEOPLE (ME INCLUDED) GETTING PISSED OFF BECAUSE YOU'RE SO FUCKING GOD DAMNED STUPID.
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Anonymous2006-06-13 17:42
Just because Hitler said that stuff doesn't make it automatically wrong. Stupid fucks.
>>5
The winner writes the history books.
Therefor, the loser is always the bad guy.
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Anonymous2006-06-13 19:08
>>16
That's true. Didn't hear people whining about Stalin before start of cold war and don't hear people complaining much about Mao although he killed people more than whole WW2 did.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy