Katie Sierra suspension controversy

Katie Sierra (born 1986) is an American anarchist and anti-war activist who was controversially suspended from high school in October 2001 for opposing the bombing of Afghanistan.]

Sierra was one of the "heroes" of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dale Maharidge's "Homeland", an examination of the mind-set behind the United States' post-9/11 jingoism and suppression of dissent.cite journal |last=Canfield |first=Kevin |date=2004-08-08 |title=Emblems of a nation of discontent and dissent |journal=San Francisco Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Communications Inc. |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/08/08/RVGAV7V7BB1.DTL |accessdate=2008-03-22 ] Portraying her as an unconventional and "good-hearted kid," Maharidge reported that Sierra took a telemarketing job following the cessation of the controversy: "She was supposed to make two sales a day. The first day, she made five sales, and continued at that rate. When I again talked with her in the winter, she was living in a dorm and attending Marshall University in West Virginia. She was happy and her only complaint was that the classes were too easy."

Beliefs

Sierra identifies as an anarchist-pacifist who is opposed to all violence and advocates "a peaceful revolution". In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, she was taken aback by the wave of "flag-waving", increasing patriotism and "blind, unthinking" advocacy of war on the part of her fellow students, who she believed ignored existing problems such as racism and homophobia. At the time of the controversy, she voiced her belief that people at Sissonville High were permitted to talk about how they felt about certain things, so long as there were others who agreed with them.cite web |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070419221553/http://www.infoshop.org/interviews/katie_sierra.html |archivedate=2007-04-19 |url=http://www.infoshop.org/interviews/katie_sierra.html |title=Infoshop Interviews - Katie Sierra |accessdate=2008-03-22 |work=Infoshop.org ] She denies being anti-American, and that anarchism implies support for terrorism,cite news |first=Michelle |last=Saxton |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050418185905/www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-111anarchy.story?coll=sfla-news-fringe |archivedate=2006-12-06 |title=Student loses bid to form high school anarchy club |url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-111anarchy.story?coll=sfla-news-fringe |work=Associated Press/South Florida Sun-Sentinel |publisher=Tribune Company |date=2001-11-01 |accessdate=2008-03-22 ] countering that it is an anti-authoritarian and non-violent philosophy.epigraph
quote=As like any war I think it's wrong. I don't believe in fighting and last time I checked war is included. I don't know or have an answer for the war, but I do know that killing people is not right. I think our country is just too lazy to think of another solution.
cite =Sierra in interview with Infoshop.org, December 10, 2001

Further reading

*cite book |authorlink=Dale Maharidge |last=Maharidge |first=Dale |title=Homeland |publisher=Seven Stories Press |location=New York |year=2004 |isbn=1583226273

References

External links

* [http://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/sisshigh/ Sissonville High School]
* [http://www.courttv.com/trials/taped/sierra/docs/manifesto1.html Proposed manifesto of Sierra's Anarchist Club]
* [http://www.courttv.com/trials/taped/sierra/docs/flyer.html Image of the Anarchist Club flyer]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070419221553/http://www.infoshop.org/interviews/katie_sierra.html Interview] with Infoshop.org, December 10 2001
* [http://www.archive.org/download/dn2001-1211/dn2001-1211-1_64kb.mp3 Interview] with "Democracy Now!", December 11 2001
*cite news |last=Anicich, Ron | title =Interview With Katie Sierra |work=Please Kill Me | publisher =CKLN-FM |date=December 13, 2001 |url=http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/3977