"Heather has a Mommy,and a Daddy and another Mommy":
Posted on 10/20/2005 9:48:30 AM PDT by Crackingham
Lexington, Mass. — David and Tonia Parker are asking their neighbors in this liberal town for one consideration: Tolerance. The Parkers believe homosexuality is immoral. So they were appalled when their son brought a picture book home from kindergarten that showed families with same-sex parents. To ensure his "spiritual safety," they demanded the right to pull him out of class whenever homosexuality was discussed. To deny them that right, they say, would be intolerant of their faith.
School administrators offer a different take on tolerance. They say it's their job to expose children to the world's diversity. Supt. Paul B. Ash refuses to whisk the Parkers' son away if a classmate with same-sex parents brings a family photo for show-and-tell, or a lesbian couple volunteers at the Halloween party.
Similar debates have roiled communities across the nation as conservative parents challenge classes, books and after-school activities that they say promote a one-sided view of homosexuality as normal. They have notched victories in several states. But the dispute here has gone further than most.
David Parker has been banned from school property. Ash has been flooded with hate mail from across the country. There have been protests and counter-protests; the local newspaper received so many letters, many condemning the Parkers as bigots that the editor stopped printing them. Ash talks of the school's obligation "to be more than tolerant" to children and parents of all backgrounds. Parker asks: Where's the tolerance for him?
"Real respect, real tolerance, is not pushing your beliefs on other people," Parker said. "What people do in their bedroom, that's their business. What they tell my children in school about these subjects — that's my business."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
word phlogiston
That's too complicated for my first grade vocabulary.:)
They can CERTAINLY be accomodated. The child can be sent on an errand, or sent to the library, or sent to the computer area when/if homosexuality is brought up. Nobody is being asked to "ban" anything. They want their child removed, and this is absolutely lawful.
Do you agree with my comments about what "the job" is?
"How would the government be establishing a religion? And it specifically says Congress shall make no law...
I don't believe it discusses public education, does it?"
Do we really want to make the argument that the government can make rules for things restricting the constitution as long as it's only rules and not laws?
Should some government agency be able to make a rule banning guns or banning religion as long as it's not a law?
You would need laws that were constitutional, right?
I don't agree with you 100%, but this sentence is right on. But being the dumb person I am, I still try to make all the parents of my students happy. :) Most of the time I succeed. I do have a strategy though of trying just a little harder if I know a person is one who might be a little more high-strung than some of the others. Some of them have become my strongest supporters.
"So were public schools violating the Constitution during all those decades that they didn't have this gay-friendly agenda"
You're missing my point. You can't use religion as the basis of public school rules but there are other ways to proceed. For example why are we teaching diversity in kindergarden in the first place? Frankly why are we teaching anything bu academics?
It is unethical, and, I think, unconstitutional.
It's generally the case that most pro-homosexual supporters have "gay" friends...you're almost compelled to defend their "honor" aren't you? Like a gnat drawn to a bug zapper.
Believe it or know it's none of your business whether a parent wants to protect their young children from the brain washing that comes from liberal education's attempt to normalize perversion. If the kid brought home a book that showed families who practiced bestiality I guess that's not "actively promoting" bestiality either given your twisted logic. Of course that doesn't mean that a child is somehow wrong for having bestials for parents...right? And if the bestial parents kept their yard tidy and were good neighbors then I guess by your sub standards as long as you're not harmed by their proximity all's right with the world in your mind.
You can stay away from my kids thank you very much.
Do you agree with my comments about what "the job" is?
100%!!!!!!! And most teachers I know would agree too. To be honest, I don't have any time to get into any of that "other stuff." A teacher who does is not teaching. I barely have enough time to teach the 3 r's and a little bit of scienc usually. I try not to waste a minute.
"They can CERTAINLY be accommodated. The child can be sent on an errand, or sent to the library, or sent to the computer area when/if homosexuality is brought up. Nobody is being asked to "ban" anything. They want their child removed, and this is absolutely lawful."
The problem with that argument is that state law allows them to opt out of sex ed (as I understand it , I could be wrong).
This is diversity training. But again, I would favor simply eliminating diversity training from the curriculum.
"You would need laws that were constitutional, right?"
Actually, we need both laws and government regulations to be consitutional.
I know for a fact that littlejeremiah wouldn't want a book promoting bestiality either. And yes, it is his business.
scienc=science--hey I am still in first grade you know.
Which religion? There are hundreds of religions. There are dozens of types of just Chrisitianity. Do we not teach anything that violate any of them?
Or are you arguing for special treatment for certain religous beliefs?
Well, I agree about the need for the public schools to focus on academics.
However, it is NOT a violation of the 1st Amendment for a school system NOT to promote homosexuality. It's absolutely absurd to suggest that schools must teach kids that homosexuality is wonderful or they'll be imposing religion on the kids.
Which religion? There are hundreds of religions.
That should be THOUSANDS of religions. And there are many branches of even the same religion. In Korea, I was amazed how many branches there are of Bhuddism (note that Korea is a very Christian nation too).
I think I'll stay out of this one:).
"Heather has a Mommy,and a Daddy and another Mommy":
How is it someone else's business whether or not your children are exposed to perversion or not?
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