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What’s Wrong with the Harvey Milk High School? (Cathryn Crawford)
Washington Dispatch ^ | September 12, 2003 | Cathryn Crawford

Posted on 09/12/2003 9:02:44 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds

I grew up thinking that segregation was over, done with, a thing of the past, but apparently I was mistaken. It seems that we have a new form of segregation here in the United States. The Harvey Milk High School in New York City underwent 3.2 million dollars in renovations this summer and has opened now as the first ever taxpayer funded school for gays and lesbians. It’s been around for twenty years as an “alternative program”, but now it’s an official public school, and it’s expected to have 170 students by September 2004.

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks it’s a wonderful idea, which is not surprising coming from someone who once said that he “…couldn’t understand why anyone would carry a gun; guns kill people…” His take on Harvey Milk: "It lets them (gays and lesbians) get an education without having to worry. It solves a discipline problem. And from a pedagogical point of view, this administration — and previous administrations — have thought it was a good idea and we'll continue with that."

It’s an interesting perspective. Here we have a school that is founded and based solely on the basis of the student’s sexual orientation. There is no pretense of academics playing a role in who is admitted – you simply have to be a gay, lesbian, transgender – in other words, you have to be something other than a homophobic (because you know, we all are) straight person.

The reasoning behind the school is that many gay and lesbians are made fun of and ridiculed for their lifestyle choices – and I’m sure that’s true. Just like I was made fun of because I wore different colored socks every day to school when I was in high school. That was a lifestyle choice, too, and I didn’t ask for a school where I would only be with other people who were colorblind. That seems ridiculous. Somehow, however, people don’t find this idea ridiculous – despite the fact that this is a public school which is allowing segregation based strictly on one aspect of the student’s life – an aspect that has nothing to do with education. It smells putridly of racial segregation – and members of both sides, blacks and whites, supported that segregation, just as gays and lesbians and straights support this segregation.

My question is –what is next? Will New York next create individual public schools based on things like religion or race in order to keep kids from being made fun of? Are we going to see all Christian or all Muslim or all Hispanic schools? It’s a distinct possibility, because our government has a nature that is ravenously hungry for power. When you give it an inch, as the saying goes, it takes a mile. If you set a precedent that says that it’s all right to segregate children for their sexual orientation, it is going to inevitably lead to other things, because that is the very nature of our government. That’s why there are limits and laws – that’s why we have a Constitution. If we allow this to happen in this one small school in New York City – if we allow the government to fund segregation yet again – we are taking the first step backwards on a long road that we were beginning to near the end of. Is it worth it?

Cathryn Crawford is a student at the University of Texas. She can be reached with comment at feedback@washingtondispatch.com.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: blueoyster; hmhs; homosexualagenda
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Cathryn Crawford's latest!!
1 posted on 09/12/2003 9:02:44 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds
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To: ValenB4; Scenic Sounds; Sir Gawain; gcruse; geedee; DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet; Chad Fairbanks; ...
Ping for Cathryn Crawford's latest column!
2 posted on 09/12/2003 9:04:53 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds ("Don't mind people grinnin' in your face." - Son House)
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To: Scenic Sounds
My question is –what is next?

Child Welfare officials removing kids from your house because you refuse to sacrifice them to the Diversity Gods...that could be next.

3 posted on 09/12/2003 9:06:31 AM PDT by GSWarrior
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To: Scenic Sounds
There is no pretense of academics playing a role in who is admitted – you simply have to be a gay, lesbian, transgender

So what is the entrance test?
I mean, how does one "prove" that they meet this requirement?
How can we be sure that someone is not lying just to get in?
Never mind, I don't really want to know...

4 posted on 09/12/2003 9:10:57 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: GSWarrior
Child Welfare officials removing kids from your house because you refuse to sacrifice them to the Diversity Gods...that could be next.

Well, I guess there is some reason to be hopeful in that there is a limit to the number of kids that the government can afford to take on. ;-)

5 posted on 09/12/2003 9:12:39 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds ("Don't mind people grinnin' in your face." - Son House)
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To: Scenic Sounds
This is the sort of asinine thing you get when a society buys into the special rights for CHOSEN sexual proclivities. The city of New York should be cut off from federal funds until they cease wasting money creating special rights and special education programs for persons who have chosen to identify their 'minority' status by their chosen sexual proclivities. Imagine what an insult this is to actual special students! Liberalism will destroy this nation if the democrats are allowed to continue imprinting their brand of socialist societal engineering upon the U.S.
6 posted on 09/12/2003 9:13:50 AM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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To: Scenic Sounds; Cathryn Crawford
BUMP for Cathryn Crawford!

Hope you kicked the flu bug's little behind this week CC.
7 posted on 09/12/2003 9:15:54 AM PDT by Rabid Dog
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To: Scenic Sounds; dighton; aculeus
What’s Wrong with the Harvey Milk High School?

They took Twinkies off the menu?


8 posted on 09/12/2003 9:18:18 AM PDT by general_re (SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Sarcasm Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks To Your Health.)
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To: Izzy Dunne
So what is the entrance test? I mean, how does one "prove" that they meet this requirement?
How can we be sure that someone is not lying just to get in?
Never mind, I don't really want to know...

I don't know, but I should think that maybe just being tempted is enough. ;-)

9 posted on 09/12/2003 9:18:48 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds ("Don't mind people grinnin' in your face." - Son House)
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To: Scenic Sounds
Cathryn wore socks to high school?
10 posted on 09/12/2003 9:18:58 AM PDT by RJCogburn ("I want a man with grit."..................Mattie Ross of near Dardenelle in Yell County)
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To: Scenic Sounds
Another terrific Cathryn column.

I'm, shall we say, height challenged, and had trouble with the bullies for that. So, do shorties like me get our own high school? (I don't carry a grudge. When I go to class reunions most of the bullies are digging ditches.)

I heard this school justified on the basis that "gay youth" in NYC allegedly graduate at below 50% but this school graduates above 90%. Never mind whether the statistics are accurate. The point is the same thing could be said for most NYC students, who would love the chance to attend a college prep academy, but the anti-school-choice crowd won't let 'em. So why do the gays get special privileges? Never mind, I know . . .

11 posted on 09/12/2003 9:19:32 AM PDT by colorado tanker (USA - taking out the world's trash since 1776)
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To: Scenic Sounds
Ahh... who's listening to her anyway.

This is just the bold new world of “diversity” and we should embrace it! Sometimes we need to be more exclusive for certain “cultures” than others. It's all a part of the grand scheme of things. You know... like making sodomy a virtue and vilifying the 10 Commandments. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!

/sarcasm

12 posted on 09/12/2003 9:22:55 AM PDT by johnny7 (... 'scuse me, I gotta puke.)
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To: Scenic Sounds
NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks it’s a wonderful idea: "[F]rom a pedagogical point of view, it [is] a good idea...."

[sarcasm]
Bloomberg continued, "And from a pedophilic point of view, it a great idea! The school has been flooded with job applications from the members of NAMBLA. Yes, these little kids are really going to have their education pounded into them!"
[/sarcasm]

13 posted on 09/12/2003 9:23:19 AM PDT by SpyGuy
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To: MHGinTN
Well, I tend to agree. I think the better idea would be to make sure that all kids are protected and feel safe in schools. How can kids learn anything if they feel unsafe?
14 posted on 09/12/2003 9:28:56 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds ("Don't mind people grinnin' in your face." - Son House)
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To: RJCogburn; Cathryn Crawford
Cathryn wore socks to high school?

Well, I should certainly hope so. A girl who flaunts her ankles is just asking for trouble!! ;-)

15 posted on 09/12/2003 9:31:20 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds ("Don't mind people grinnin' in your face." - Son House)
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To: Scenic Sounds
If I claim to be a lesbian trapped in a man's body can I get in ???
16 posted on 09/12/2003 9:39:10 AM PDT by LetsRok
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To: Izzy Dunne
So what is the entrance test?
I mean, how does one "prove" that they meet this requirement?

They go to the school nurse-proctologist.

17 posted on 09/12/2003 9:39:37 AM PDT by Blue Screen of Death
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To: LetsRok
If I claim to be a lesbian trapped in a man's body can I get in ???

I don't think you'll have any problem so long as you're willing to go to the prom with a straight woman who is trapped in a man's body. ;-)

18 posted on 09/12/2003 9:40:43 AM PDT by Scenic Sounds ("Don't mind people grinnin' in your face." - Son House)
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To: Scenic Sounds
Are we going to see all Christian or all Muslim or all Hispanic schools?

There already are private Christian schools. A public Christian school is an impossibility, when the government believes that the separation of church and state is a valid argument for removing prayer from the schools.

19 posted on 09/12/2003 9:47:29 AM PDT by Pan_Yans Wife ("Life isn't fair. It's fairer than death, is all.")
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To: Scenic Sounds
I'll bet their football team sucks! OTOH, their girls basketball team can lick any other team in the city.
20 posted on 09/12/2003 9:50:44 AM PDT by whereasandsoforth (tagged for migratory purposes only)
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