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Posted on 11/05/2002 5:44:44 AM PST by Lance Romance
Gay bias uproar puts school board on spot
By JEN SANSBURY
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer
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Appeals Monday night on behalf of a popular black youth motivator -- and counterdemands to end harassment of gay students -- underscored DeKalb County schools' ongoing struggle with diversity.
Avondale High football legend Danny Buggs sat quietly in the audience at a school board work session at Avondale Middle School as eight speakers rose to defend him. It was the first public meeting since system officials suspended and reprimanded Buggs for making anti-gay religious remarks recently to a captive audience of about 500 male students at Stone Mountain High.
Kevin Oliveira, a former DeKalb teacher, said he has just finished a documentary film about Buggs called "Attitude of Gratitude." He called Buggs a "man of impeccable integrity" and criticized the condemnation of Buggs and the notion of keeping religion out of schools.
"Two women do not make a child. Two men do not make a child. . . . I'm talking straight biology," he said. "We can talk about Harry Potter and . . . Halloween, but we can't talk about the righteousness of God."
Buggs' supporters were followed by four speakers representing a coalition -- including the ACLU, Enlight Atlanta and the Anti-Defamation League -- that is asking the district to revisit its policy on bullying to address verbal as well as physical force and intimidation.
Audrey Galex, a Shamrock Middle and Oak Grove Elementary parent said the district gave Buggs a "bully pulpit."
"What are you going to do to enforce the harassment policy when it is not enforced when it comes to homophobia?" she asked district officials. "We need to enforce the code of conduct that you made me and my children sign."
Lakeside High teacher Nicole Wilson, who sponsors the school's Gay-Straight Alliance, said she has heard nothing from the superintendent or any board members in response to another recent case of discrimination against homosexuals.
Her club's posters for National Coming Out Day were torn off the walls at the school, although the ones taken down by the principal were hung back up within an hour.
"I think it's time for DeKalb County to make this a top priority for all of our students," Wilson said. "All of our students deserve defending and protecting."
Board Chairman Brad Bryant said he did not know what the district's response should be.
"We have got more work as a school district to try to figure out how to work with all of the different types of diversity we have in DeKalb," he said.
Buggs has worked for the district for 21 years, trying to keep youth out of trouble through motivational speeches and his program, the Winning Circle.
Chike Akua was among several speakers who said the district should be thanking Buggs, not punishing him, for his efforts, which also include taking students on college trips and visiting with incarcerated and homeless students.
"It did not seem he's received the amount of support from the county that is proportionate to what he's done," Akua said. "He is responsible for the transformation of literally thousands of young people in DeKalb County and throughout America."
Doesn't this guy know he can say anythig he wants as long as it's approved by the PC police. Enough already. Yet another reason to vote today.
Keep speaking truth to power.
What do you want to guess would have been the result, if the "Christian Club" had hung posters inviting all to "come unto Christ"?
I would equate lambasting someone as 'homophobic' just because they believe same gender sex to be sin to someone calling a gay person a 'fudgepacker'. If the latter is inappropriate and 'harrassment' so is the other. Funny how the "PC" crowd thinks everything they say is okay, but any statement that disagrees with their views is 'harrassment'.
Make what a top priority? Going homo?
People would have been suspended and kicked out! Probably castigated for exposing the awful lessons that Christ taught!
What is right is wrong. What is up is down.
This man deserves a standing ovation. What a cleansing breath of fresh air!
Anal sex is the most prevalent sex act between homosexual men.
The term might be derogatory--and inaccurate, of course--but it comes much closer to the truth than labeling someone who believes that homosexual acts are grossly sinful a "homophobe."
"Homophobe" would mean "someone who is AFRAID of homosexuals." "Fear" has little to do with it. Someone who is against murder isn't a "Homiphobe," for instance.
Figures. Go, Buggsie! For victory & freedom!!!
Well, a good starting point would be to finally acknowledge that just because something is different, that doesn't necessarily make it right.
"Celebrating" diversity is moronic. Why not go back to the classical idea of celebrating the good? Let the diverse chips fall where they may.
When gay midgets dwarfs vertically-challenged people announce their sexual preference, is it referred to as "Coming Out of the Cupboard?"
Public schools are dead as far as education and maintaining traditional values are concerned.
If you love your child, take him or her out of these meat factories and put them into private schools where education is paramount!!!
Don't have the money, you say? Nonesense! Run your old jalopy until the wheels fall off....Cut your vacations.....Forget designer clothes....budget your everyday expenses. Millions of Americans are doing it...So can you.
Screw the government school system. Many public school teachers are functionally illiterate in their fields...the curriculum is totally PC...the hard sciences are essentially ignored...and there is no discipline in the classrooms.The existing public system exists totally and absolutely for the well-being of the teachers unions and their democratic party lackeys whom they support.
If you love your child, let the "un-natural" folks continue to take over the public school system....Work to re-build America on traditional values.
Good luck!
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