SpongeBob Squarepants is one of the popular children's TV characters appearing in a new 'tolerance' video.
Posted on 01/08/2005 7:02:35 AM PST by NYer
In a new video to be distributed to 61,000 schools across the nation, homosexual activists are using popular children's TV characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Barney the dinosaur to surreptitiously indoctrinate young children into their lifestyle, a pro-family activist group charges.
SpongeBob Squarepants is one of the popular children's TV characters appearing in a new 'tolerance' video. |
Based on the 1970s hit song "We Are Family," the video will be distributed to public and private elementary schools nationwide March 11, along with lesson plans for teachers, points out the American Family Association.
The distribution, sponsored by FedEx, will coincide with the video's broadcast March 11 on Nickelodeon, PBS, and the Disney Channel in celebration of the proposed National We Are Family Day.
AFA researcher Ed Vitagliano sees the project as an "open door" to a secondary discussion of homosexuality, noting the the foundation has a "tolerance pledge" on its website that children and others are encouraged to sign, which includes sexual orientation. [Editor's note: This story previously linked to the website of a group that has the same name but no connection to the video. WND regrets the error.]
"While we want everyone to respect other people's beliefs, we do not consider it appropriate for children's television to be used in an effort to indoctrinate children to accept homosexuality," he said.
Vitagliano says the foundation is employing a bait-and-switch approach, with popular children's figures such as Arthur, Dora the Explorer, JoJo, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Big Bird and Bob the Builder.
The objective is to get children to the foundation's website "and there they're given the full pitch about homosexuality," he said.
Video producer Christopher Cerf called the video an "unprecedented event."
"For the first time characters from all of the important kids shows came together to appear in the same video," he said in a November news release. "The producers and performers from each show embraced the spirit and message of this project."
The We Are Family Foundation was founded by singer-songwriter Nile Rodgers, who wrote the hit song recorded in 1979 by Sister Sledge.
The video was financed by a grant from the Toni Mendez Shapiro estate.
"Cooperation and unity are the most important values we can teach children," Rodgers said. "We believe that this is the essential first step to loving thy neighbor."
The We Are Family Foundation says its partners in the production are the Anti-Defamation League, Crown Theatres, Disney Channel, FedEx, Nickelodeon, HIT Entertainment, Nile Rodgers/Sony Publishing/The Bernard Edwards Estate/Warner Chapel, Nelvana, PBS, Scholastic, Sesame Workshop, Toni Mendez Shapiro Estate, and WGBH-TV in Boston.
A Federal Express spokesman said the company is "proud" to provide shipping for the project.
"Promoting diversity is part of our corporate culture at FedEx," said William G. Margaritis, senior vice president, worldwide corporate communications.
Characters appearing in the video are from award-winning shows including "Arthur," "Barney," "Bear in the Big Blue House," "Between the Lions," "Blue's Clues, Bob the Builder," "The Book of Pooh," "Clifford the Big Red Dog," "Dora the Explorer," "Jimmy Neutron," "JoJo's Circus," "Kim Possible," "Lilo & Stitch: The Series," "Little Mermaid," "Madeline," "The Magic School Bus," "The Muppet Show," "The Proud Family," "Rugrats," "Sesame Street," "SpongeBob SquarePants," and "Zoom."
The video also features cameo appearances by entertainers Bill Cosby, Diana Ross and Whoopi Goldberg.
'Love thy neighbor' is one thing. Embracing their lifestyle is quite another.
Catholic Ping - please freepmail me if you want on/off this list
Ping!
OMG! My little grandson loves Sponge Bob. :(
Tolerance is a personal decision that comes from a belief that every person is a treasure. I believe that America's diversity is its strength. I also recognize that ignorance, insensitivity and bigotry can turn that diversity into a source of prejudice and discrimination.
To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own.
Personally I don't see much that's wrong with this. Some might object to mentioning "sexual identity" to young students though. Even Christians should believe in teaching "respect" for others even if you don't agree with them or think they're wrong.
Disgusting.
I emailed this thread to my daughter to give her a heads up.
small note, if it isn't obvious, the second paragraph above is also part of the tolerance pledge and my remarks are in the third paragraph.
FYI ping
Indoctrination is not the same thing as respect. Respect must be earned, eh?
FYI ping
Indoctrinate our children early. Thank goodness for watchdogs like The American Family groups. To stop this horrific attack on our childrens young minds.
These childrens program characters are cute and adorable with innocent sounding names and yet the authors promote garbage.
We need more Republicans and Republican Christians to write more programs and choose cute little characters for TV shows
and shows to send our Children the right message.
Just like the adorable Barney cam on the Whitehouse.gov site.
This isn't about tolerance. There is no inclusion of any view other than the liberal view that perversion and feminazism should be embraced.
Remember liberals screaming about loyalty oaths?
I refuse to sign the Tolerance Pledge. (So stone me.)
"Some might object to mentioning "sexual identity" to young students though."
Yeah I do. I also object to school time being spent on such nonsense. Children can be taught to respect one another during the course of their regular lessons. Any child young enough to really enjoy Sponge Bob or (heavens!) Barney, is far too young to understand the concept of "sexual identity" or even such concepts as "abilities" or "culture".
Some people believe that sodomy is an unacceptible and harmful practice. Why should we respect those that practice and proselytize such behavior?
My complaint is using popular cartoon characters or objects such as candy to manipulate ro entice children.
These tactics have been abused by pedophiles too. No wonder kids today are more confused than any generation before. Kids shouldn't be placed in the middle of a tug of war because no matter who wins the kids end up in the mud.
Nor are chickens the same as goats. How is this "indoctrination"? It's a video which uses children's tv characters to sing "We Are Family" (the Sister Sledge song). The group making the video has a link to a Tolerance Pledge which I copied above. The pledge has the words "sexual identity" in it which from the article above seems to be the only complaint. My reading of the pledge doesn't find the inclusion to be particularly offensive. It's perfectly fine to "respect" someone. Would you, for example, support your kids if they egged the house of or taunted a gay person who lived on your street or in your neighborhood?
We're Here, We're Queer
Remember this?
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