Posted on 12/23/2004 12:27:36 PM PST by Dan from Michigan
Flag stirs flap at Howell High
Controversy centered over meaning of Diversity Club message
Thursday, December 23, 2004
BY STEPHENIE KOEHN
News Staff Reporter
What is the meaning of a rainbow?
For many who see one during or after a rainstorm, it's a harbinger of good luck or at least a warm and fuzzy feeling. In the form of a flag hanging at Howell High School, however, it has created a controversy between those who see it as an expression of diversity and those who see it as supporting homosexuality.
Confusion over the meaning of the flag, said Howell High School Principal Margaret Hamill, is at the root of the controversy.
The flag, made and hung by the school's 20-member Diversity Club, has some students at the school fuming because it is so closely associated with the gay pride movement.
"Some kids in the school don't accept homosexuality and the flag is an affront to their religious beliefs," said senior Laura Steinberger, the school's student liaison to the Board of Education. Steinberger brought the controversy to the board's attention at a recent meeting.
"It's not a gay pride flag, like most people think, said junior Krista Tarrant, 16, a member of the club.
"It represents diversity as a whole," said junior R.J. Cuthbertson, also 16 and a member of the club. "We put it up to show that everyone is safe here and this is an accepting community."
"It was a decision of the group to hang the flag," said Cathryn Capy, the club's faculty adviser.
The club was formed several years ago to encourage diversity in all its forms, but had no returning members for the 2004-2005 school year, so Cuthbertson said "we basically restarted the club last fall."
"Some students and some members of the community have been a little bit confused by the flag and what it means," Hamill said. As a result of the confusion, she said, club members plan to attach an applique to the flag to clarify the its intention as a statement by the club in support of diversity.
Hamill said she has received several phone calls from parents expressing concern about the flag. She said they seemed less concerned after she explained what it means in the eyes of the students in the club.
Despite efforts to defuse the situation, Steinberger said the controversy still rages at the school. "Everyone has an opinion," she said. "From what I'm hearing, it's running 5-1 against the flag. I've heard rumors about people wanting to bring in paint balls and fire them at the flag, but they're too aware of the security cameras to chance being caught."
"We have to be very careful when we have a symbol that we don't identify just one meaning for it," Hamill said. In the case of the rainbow flag, she said, there is ample historical background. "(The Rev.) Jesse Jackson adopted it for the Rainbow Coalition (that he hoped to forge). I think that squares with our vision for the school. We want our students to be tolerant of others, no matter how they dress, look, learn or worship."
That is not surprising to me, my daughter has been very blessed by having Christian school teachers, I hope God will continue blessing us. I wish the rest of the country could see how much better off children are when they have two parents (male & female) raising them, and spending time with them. I chose this for my children after coming from a single parent household.
Oops forgot to clarify--male AND FEMALE parents. We teachers are actually some of the strongest family advocates you will find. Almost any teacher will tell you that kids that come from involved two-parent households are often the most well-adjusted. AND it does nothing but help if there is at least one parent around when the kids get home (I and many teachers are big fans of stay-at-home moms). That's not to say that all those who come from divorced situations and single-parent homes are not well-adjusted. I congratulate you on your efforts to raise your kids the right way. And I am a BIG BIG fan of involved dads. My dad spent hours helping me with math even though many dads of his generation did not.
I am a male primary grade teacher. Sometimes I am the only male figure that some of the kids see. It is imperative that I try to be the best role model that I can be. I also came from a large family (I am the oldest of 8). While I was not the perfect child, my mother and father did a wonderful job raising all of us. We were all top students, graduated from college, have strong values and families, and are successful in our chosen fields. No, we did not go to Harvard or Yale, but we have turned out pretty good, which is what my mom told me is her greatest wish.
I was blessed to have good role models in my community, family, and church while growing up. I learned something about life from every one of my public school teachers (some were Christian, some were not, but all taught me something and made a difference in my life) and appreciate the things they did for me that made a difference in my life and has helped shape my own teachign philosophy.
Like you, I wish that all of the country could see what a difference involved parents make. Yes, there are some situations that are difficult. The thing is to be involved in some way in a child's life. I would like to add more to that. I wish that everyone who has children could realize what a glorious privilege it is to have them and what a great opportunity it is to raise them. I do not have the privilege of being a father yet after several years of marriage and may never have. But if I do ever get the opportunity, I will try and be the best father ever. I cringe every time I see someone complain about having kids or about something involving their child. I wish that I could even have the opportunity to complain. I also cringe when I see people taking raising children for granted. If you have a child, you are indeed blessed and we should act accordingly. I try to do my best now to make a difference in the lives of the 24 children I have to teach.
Thank you so much for your comments and for being a great parent. I hope God does indeed keep blessing you.
God Bless you too. For what it's worth, my husband and I were married 6 years before we were able to have our first child and seven years later we had our second. It isn't always what we had planned but God did. Thanks for the comments, I am glad to see that there are advocates for traditional families out there.
Reporters sometimes get the facts wrong. I assumed the administrators okayed everything.
I am completely for tolerance. However, church and state need to be separated. Practice religion outside of schools anytime and way you want. Without the separation, then neither will function properly.
The intention of the Founding Fathers was to avoid a state controlled or state sponsored religion. It was never to CENSOR religion. Thanks to activist judges whose main guide is 'precidence' or so called 'social justice' instead of 'original intent', that is what we have today.
Even if it was a "gay pride" flag, it wouldn't be hurting anyone.
Why does a gay pride flag(sanctioned[that's the key word] by administrators) belong in the public schools?
And what would happen if students wanted the Vatican Flag, or Israeli flag(with the Star of David)? Would that have the same cooperation by the administrators? Or would it be shot down. Or I'll go a step further. The Confederate Flag(and no I don't fly one as my ancestors were unionists). I'll gaurantee that would be shot down.
I wanted a good local area arguement going here.
God Bless you too. For what it's worth, my husband and I were married 6 years before we were able to have our first child and seven years later we had our second. It isn't always what we had planned but God did. Thanks for the comments, I am glad to see that there are advocates for traditional families out there.
I have been married for a few years beyond that. I think deep down everyone knows the worth of a traditional family. Even going further, we must be an involved family. I do remember those who also are put into situations (i.e. single-parent) through no fault of their own, but still try to be an involved, supportive parent who teaches kids good values. As a teacher, I make sure that I do praise those parents whom I know make great efforts to become involved and spend time with their children. My loudest praise is for those dads who make such efforts (though we all know deep-down how precious good moms are). Thanks again.
Thanks for trolling through. Remember to gargle with borax after felching to avoid ecoli contamination...
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.