Posted on 04/12/2005 2:59:58 PM PDT by DBeers
Teach Respect?
Well, soon schools will be taking another well deserved break from academics and plunge headlong into political advocacy. Yes, Virginia there is a Day of Silence and it is coming to a school near you.
The DOS is an advocacy day sponsored by the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. According to GLSEN’s website, the DOS will occur on April 13 and involve 4,000 schools and 450,000 students and teachers. During the school day, those participating will refuse to speak, even during class. Students hand out cards calling attention to what GLSEN calls “the bias and harassment experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and their allies.”
This year, beginning of the same day as the DOS, GLSEN is launching a new campaign called Teach Respect. According to GLSEN’s news release, “The Teach Respect campaign seeks to educate, inform and inspire Americans to address the serious problems of anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment that affects ALL students – gay and straight alike – in our nation’s schools.”
I agree with putting an end to name-calling, bullying and harassment. On the DOS, I will be in a public high school speaking against bullying. My favorite moral philosopher taught that we should treat others the way we want to be treated. So I have no problem with ending the harassment of anyone.
However, if GLSEN wants to teach respect, members of the organization should show respect. In a 2000 speech, GLSEN’s Executive Director, Kevin Jennings had this to say about those he considers to be his adversaries:
"We have to quit being afraid of the religious right. We also have to quit -- ... I'm trying to find a way to say this. I'm trying not to say, '[F---] 'em! which is what I want to say, because I don't care what they think! Drop dead!" (Marble Collegiate Church, New York City, March 20, 2000).
Maybe Mr. Jennings had a bad day but to my knowledge he has not apologized for these remarks (GLSEN refused to respond to my inquiries concerning the speech). This is not an isolated event. During the 2004 National Education Association convention, I witnessed similar displays from GLSEN members and their allies. I do not see how this rhetoric teaches respect.
If GLSEN and allies want to end name calling in schools, then they should first stop name calling. However, I do not think the DOS and the coming Teach Respect campaign is primarily about harassment. If so, there are a number of more effective means to achieve that end. These events are about persuasion. They are efforts to change attitudes and beliefs concerning homosexuality cloaked in rhetoric concerning safety. To wit, GLSEN’s guidebook regarding activism on the DOS reads:
“But the Day of Silence Project is about more than being silent for a day. It’s about raising awareness around LGBT issues, making a visible personal commitment to justice and equality, and, potentially, organizing a larger campaign to promote safety and respect in your school and community. The Day of Silence enables participants to show, in a highly visible way, everyone they encounter, that they support LGBT rights.”
This is political activism, pure and simple. Agree with gay rights or not, let’s understand this clearly: the purpose of the DOS is to advance a civil rights agenda in the public schools.
While many parents are not keen on the public schools being used as a tool in any political movement, I suspect some will support the DOS because they think it will prevent harassment. However, no evidence of any benefit exists. In fact, GLSEN is aware that there are no data suggesting that such activism prevents bullying. I have asked GLSEN for the evidence supporting training programs including sexual orientation and they have had the integrity to admit that there is none.
Attempting to “re-educate” students concerning homosexuality may confuse and stigmatize traditional teachers, parents and kids, but it will do little if anything to prevent bullies from finding kids who appear weak and vulnerable. Do we really think that the reason bullies attack kids with large ears or smart kids or obese kids is because bullies believe the wrong things about ear size, intelligence or obesity? I believe GLSEN’s approach is misguided and insulting to those who have traditional views of sexuality.
A significant problem with the DOS is that the effort to change the beliefs of the masses moves the focus away from where research shows it should be – on the perpetrator. Victims need assistance and support to be sure but the key to solve the problems or disrespect and harassment in schools is to intervene with bullies. I suggest that the first “teach respect” intervention should be with GLSEN.
Warren Throckmorton, PhD is Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of College Counseling at Grove City College (PA). Dr. Throckmorton’s columns have been published in over 60 newspapers. He is the producer of I Do Exist a documentary concerning sexual orientation change. He can be reached via his website at www.drthrockmorton.com.
Send Feedback To Warren Throckmorton
Visit Warren Throckmorton's Website
ping.
I like the muslim attitude on this.
Tolerate? Sure.
Respect???? NEVER!
Tolerate? Sure.
I don't even do that
Two queer men decide to have a baby. They mix their sperm,
then had a surrogate mother artificially inseminated. When
the baby is born, they rush to the hospital. Two dozen babies
are in the ward and 23 of them are crying and screaming. But
one, over in the corner, is silent and smiling serenely !!!
A nurse comes by, and much to the queer guys' delight, she
points out that the one and only silent, happy child as theirs.
"Isn't this just absolutely wonderful?" Dennis says to Bobby.
"All these unhappy screaming children... but ours is silent and
soooooo happy."
The nurse says, "Oh, sure he's silent and happy now, but just watch
what happens when we pull the pacifier out of his arse." !!!
Homosexual Agenda - More on the odious "Day of Silence". It's amazing what the public screwels have become. Anyone who still keeps their kid(s) in government indoctrination centers better check up and see what kind of political/social agenda is going on there.
So many parents think that "their" school fine and dandy, not like the ones they read about on FR. If the "Day of Silence" isn't at your school yet, it's probably coming soon.
Let DirtyHarryY2K and me know if you want on/off this pinglist.
Any school board which allows this must be voted out of office.
Every principal who supports or allows this should be replaced.
Any teacher who pushes the pervert agenda should be fired immediately
Student who "participate" are not learning and should stay home that day.
DOS should replace the lost revenue. I would never allow any child of mine to attend school on such a day.
Go ahead, deviants. I dare you. Try making it a crime to keep my child home that day. I dare you.
Respect is earned, not taught. I think Saddam has finally learned that lesson.
Dittos your remarks re the indoctrination camps aka public schools. If either the NEA or AFT are involved in any manner in a school. then it won't be long till that school becomes a fully functioning indoctrination camp.
Government schools are vortexes of evil. I call them "slaughterhouses" because they slaughter the spirit and finger intelligence of children. The peer influence of children raised as secular hedonists is also terrible. Children need to be protected from bad influences until their convictions are firm enough to take the onslaught.
Spending most of every day away from parents, in the company of those with a completely opposing world view, is very, very dangerous.
Any family with two parents can homeschool. One can stay home, and one can work. Or even take turns, if they both need to work. Homeschooling is so much easier than when I did it; it was mostly illegal then. Now there are all kinds of homestudy organizations and cirricula.
(BTW, sorry I haven't pung out all the articles you pinged me to. I've been very busy the last few days and trying to make up today...)
Homosexual “Day of Silence” Tomorrow in Govt. Schools
The Homosexualists' Plan for Public Schools
Additional resources:
COUNTERACTIVISM! of School Gay 'Tolerance' Activism "Day Of Silence" WEDS 4/13 - FLYER DOWNLOAD
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076476/posts?page=262#262
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076476/posts?page=287#287
See also:
Bump
I'll probably purchase another 10 as gifts to interested local leaders. I plan on scheduling sessions where interested parties can view the video and perhaps help schedule other sessions in places with large capacities (halls, churches, etc).
It's time to get more proactive in getting the truth out...
Did you also email him the link to your Homosexual Agenda: Categorical Index of Links (Revision 1.1) thread? Perhaps he'd consider posting the link on his site.
I'm tempted to create a password protected web interface so others can update the database as well. That would save me a lot of time in both getting help from others, and in using the web interface myself.
Check out the links on posts 13 as well as the article, if you haven't seen this one yet.
The info at the various links will keep you going for a long, long time. Plus there's so much you can copy or print out to give to others so they can be aware of the dangers to their children too.
BTTT
BTTT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.