Posted on 12/16/2004 10:05:07 AM PST by presidio9
Two parents, shocked at frank talk during a gay and lesbian awareness day at Newton North High, were forced off the property after one parent whipped out a video camera and started taping.
``This does not belong in curriculum,'' said Kim Cariani, who said four police officers and the principal told them they would be charged with trespassing if they did not leave.
``It's against my religion. It's morally wrong and forced in a child's face.''
Each year, some students at Newton North forgo classes during To BGLAD: Transgender, Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Awareness Day with assembly-like sessions including ``Out at the Old Ballgame'' and ``Color Me Queer.'' Students are not required to attend.
Cariani kept her two kids home during the day, but she was curious.
Cariani and another parent, Brian Camenker, were in the audience when adults in a panel discussion talked about being gay. When one man told the students he was attracted to his sister's husband, Cariani said she started to record the ``propaganda, false information and lies.''
The principal demanded Cariani turn over the videotape or leave, Camenker said.
``They took the two of us and pulled us out and gave us one minute to leave and if we came back on the property we would be arrested for trespassing,'' he said.
Tom Mountain, a columnist for the Newton Tab, was also barred from the assembly ``for the safety and security of the children,'' he said he was told.
Newton schools Superintendent Jeff Young said it is a violation of school policy to tape or photograph students without parental permission. Cariani refused to give up the tape, so they were asked to decamp, he said.
The awareness day, held for the past 10 years, is one of several ways the schools highlight diversity, Young said. Students who don't want to go can go to the library or computer lab.
Continue to play the devil's advocate. It's fun.
FMCDH(BITS)
I went to High School in Massachusettes. My last year there they introduced the "rainbow connection". It nevered made the papers but many students were appalled.
So only sychopants of the "gay" agenda can tape any attempts to indoctrinate and recruite kids in school.
Yeah, now it all makes sense.
Still wondering........Why?
A student who participates in a basketball game has no reason to care about being taped. A student who asks a question at an assembly about homosexuality has every reason in the world to fear his question being aired on the Hannity show. A student changing in the locker room is concerned about his own privacy.
The parent was not a neutral observer and the assembly was not a neutral assembly. This is why the principal made an issue out of student consent. It's a real concern.
People are wasting their time trying to make an issue out of a program which is popular in the town (Newton's pretty damn blue) and which parents can opt their kids out of.
Some backstory: Brian Camenker got involved in a state legislative race in my city a few months ago. By all accounts, his style of in-your-face campaigning HURT the conservative who was running and let the liberal waltz right into office. This guy thinks that mailing fliers that say "anal sex" 20 times on them will move voters toward his candidate. These people are less politically astute than Newt Gingrich and Bob Shrum combined. I know full well why the school banned them; they seek publicity for themselves in a way that HURTS the causes we all agree on.
Would your change your mind if massgopguy's assertions that others friendly to the program were taping the event was verifiable?
No, I don't. Do you?
Why do you continue to obfuscate the issue? Why do you support "gay" agenda issues every chance you get while feigning objectivity and fooling no one?
I don't support the gay agenda, whatever that might be.
You wrestle with Mr. Straw Man and never address any of the facts that are brought up, either on this thread or any thread.
Give me a fact and I'll address it.
I understand that you are not in favor of homosexuality. Great. What do you want me to say about that?
Funny, no one ever questioned my taping the Christmas Pageant at my daughter's Grammar School.
I was thinking the same. I've always taken pictures when I've gone on school field trips with my kids.
What if he sucks? I wouldn't want to show up on a bloopers tape.
"I don't support the gay agenda, whatever that might be."
Case closed.
Yeah, we'll protect kids by promoting homosexuality.
What if the student in the locker room doesn't care if his picture ends up on the Internet? No point trading straw men against common sense.
Would your change your mind if massgopguy's assertions that others friendly to the program were taping the event was verifiable?
Well the issue there is that people taping the event that are friendly to the program are likely to have the permission of the students involved. If the students involved, or even just one of them objects to it being taped, it should not be taped, under any circumstance. The rule applies to everyone.
FMCDH(BITS)
If you had a history of forwarding tapes of the pageant to liberal talk show hosts or child molesters, you probably would be banned.
"I don't support the gay agenda, whatever that might be."
Case closed.
What case did you make? You argued that I support the gay agenda. I told you that I don't even know what the gay agenda is. This somehow proves your case?
What you change your mind if it turned out that massgopguy's assertion that others friendly to the program were allowed to tape the event? Would that convince you that this no taping rule is just selectively applied to help the school cover up things that they do not want parents to see?
Hell, I celebrate it!
She obviously expected something to be 'not right' or she wouldn't have brought the camera.
She should have brought a small tape recorder and let it run.
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