Students in PA High School dress in flannel; pin Bible verses to students lockers for Anti-Gay Day

a reply to: seagull

I wonder whose kids they were???

Sigh...I know - I got nothin'

Except this:
Jeffco board member apologizes for sharing link to “hate group” on Facebook

Jefferson County school board member Julie Williams said late Friday that she was “sincerely sorry” and that she would remove a link on her personal Facebook page that she shared that encouraged families to keep their students home Friday and “away from perverse indoctrination” of the“homosexual-bisexual-transsexual agenda.”

She was also very involved in this a few months back:

Last fall, Williams gained national notice for suggesting the school district review an advanced high school history course. She wanted to make sure the course was “patriotic.” Her proposal incited weeks worth of student protests.

The board ultimately dropped plans to review the course, but did make changes to how curriculum would be reviewed.

I've no illusions about school board neutrality anymore. This is in my neck of the woods - but, I have to say - most of the rest that article linked is pretty encouraging

a reply to: Spiramirabilis

A school board member, eh?

I wish I could say I was surprised. But I'm not.

My local school board, a few years back, held hearings on banning several books. JK Rowlings Harry Potter series (witchcraft). Mark Twain Huckleberry Finn (racism). Jack London Call of the Wild (violence). Alex Haley Autobiography of Malcolm X (crime).

Those are the ones I remember...there were several others.

So school board stupidity doesn't surprise me in the slightest...

There's the ubiquitous favoritism that school boards perpetuate, as well. Certain families are untouchable, and answer to no one. That's a popular one, too. That goes back to school admin, too.

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I don't know. Why do people fear Muslims? Or Catholics? Or any number of people?

Well with those groups of people, there is exaggerated hyperbole surrounding their actions to feed the fear. With homosexuality, what do they have? I do admit, there is the recent concoction called the "gay agenda" that appears to be attempting to fill that hole, but I think its arguments are rather weak as far as hyperbole goes.

Lack of understanding, I suppose. We tend to fear, or at least look askance, at anything that doesn't conform to "what's supposed to be.".

Which is strange, since no two people are 100% alike.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
These kids have the right to do this as long as they aren't harassing anyone. If the rumor of the "lynch list" is confirmed then it has crossed the line. Unfortunately for the LGBT kids in this school, until that happens, these kids aren't in the wrong legally. Freedom of Speech.

Sadly though, some of these kids were already physical against other LGBT students, which is now being investigated. However, knowing how much schools are ignorant with bullying, I really don't see much being done truthfully, but we'll see.

a reply to: Anyafaj

Keep in mind that schools generally staff from the local populace. What do you think the odds are that a number of the faculty supports the bigoted kids?

originally posted by: Benevolent Heretic
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Yeah, I know... That's the sad part about all this. The school superintendent is even denying that there's any evidence this happened...

In a state that doesn't have anti-discrimination laws for LGBT people, this is the kind of atmosphere we see. That's why people are pushing these anti-discrimination laws. If the state had them, parents of the bullied kids could take it to the state. As it is now, the state (and school) is saying, "It's OK to bully gay kids. They don't have the same rights as the rest of us. But you CANNOT bully someone because of their religion. THAT'S against the law".

As a parent of a child who was bullied just for being Autistic, this is how schools deal with bullying. By pretending it never happened. That, or they victim blame. My daughter used to have to wear adult diapers to school for seizures that made her wet herself. She had the mind of a 3 year old at the time and would tell her 1st grade classmates she was wearing a diaper. Of course, these kids followed her from grade to grade, so they would continue to tease her, until it became physical. 9 times out of 10, the principal got so tired of hearing about it, he just started blaming her for the bullying. And they refused to let me put her in an autistic school because "we know how to handle autism". Bah!

The school's way of dealing with autism was to call me 5 minutes after school started to come pick her up for throwing a crayon. But it was an "official suspension", so therefore it was a missed day. And when she had too many "missed days" they tried removing her from my home and putting her in foster care. I got Family Legal involved and they had her evaluated at the autism school, who asked why she hadn't been there since Kindergarten. They ticked off the public school by enrolling her immediately and the public school had to bus her back and forth, to their dismay. And no more bullying.

a reply to: Anyafaj

I think most of us have experiences with bullying. I moved to West Point, Mississippi earlier in my life and I was made fun of constantly for being smarter than everyone else. It wasn't my fault the school system in that state is in the gutter... I don't even consider myself that far above the national average. The only way to avoid it was to pretend like I was dumb which greatly upset my parents, and it didn't flat out end until we moved to another state.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Anyafaj

Keep in mind that schools generally staff from the local populace. What do you think the odds are that a number of the faculty supports the bigoted kids?

I have no doubt of it. I posted a while back about the female officer that shot the man who was cuffed and faced down here in PA nearby. She was charged with his murder and unbelievably she had a LOT of supporters. She tried claiming she was in fear of her life. I'm learning just how backwoods some of these places can be. Hell, my new apartment complex is ostracizing me right now because I use a retractable dog leash of all stupid things. You would not believe the stupid crap they make up about me, or my dog. I have a tiny shy dog, yet they act like I own a Rottweiler. You'd think I have body lice they way they turn away or move away anytime I come out of the building. I live near 5 year olds. It's insane! I've never seen anything like it. I've been doing a little social experiment by switching leashes around here and there, some with interesting results.

Thread

a reply to: Anyafaj

I'm confused. What's so bad about a retractable leash?

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Anyafaj

I think most of us have experiences with bullying. I moved to West Point, Mississippi earlier in my life and I was made fun of constantly for being smarter than everyone else. It wasn't my fault the school system in that state is in the gutter... I don't even consider myself that far above the national average. The only way to avoid it was to pretend like I was dumb which greatly upset my parents, and it didn't flat out end until we moved to another state.

I did that in 6th grade. I was the smartest kid in the room. And I was dealing with being raped and stalked at the same time. I purposely failed the first time because to my way of thinking the bullies would graduate and they would leave me alone. It didn't dawn on me the new kids would bully me. So I saw in class and did absolutely nothing. Unless it dealt with reading or spelling. Then I did it. Come exam time at the end of the year, I got the highest grade in the class. But I was still dealing with my trauma so I failed on purpose again. We then moved from California to NY and my aunt, who was my mother figure got ahold of me and gave me a talking to. She knew what was going on, even though my dad didn't. She told me I was only hurting myself and knock it off, in essence. Once again, I sailed through, this time I passed with flying colors. Her response, "Well you damn well better, you had enough practice at it!" LOL Oh how I miss her. She passed away in 1983 of an aneurysm when I was 13. One minute she was standing in front of me asking for her migraine medicine, the next my stepmother was doing chest compression and her friend was doing mouth to mouth. I couldn't move I was in shock. It is still and image that won't leave me. Now and then when I need her advice, I smell her cigarette smoke near me. I don't smoke.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Anyafaj

I'm confused. What's so bad about a retractable leash?

They're trying to claim I'm tripping people, yet my dog is scared to go up to people, and I keep her retracted near me, so I'd love to know how I'm tripping people. Whatever. Bunch of 5 yr old babies. There are two picnic tables outside. The new game is if I sit at one, they must immediately gather their things from the other and leave as fast as they can and go to the benches by the lobby. If I sit at the lobby, someone must announce, loudly I might add, "She needs to make up her damn mind where she wants to be sitting!" Now mind you these are public property for tenants, of which I am, and visitors of tenants to enjoy. But they want to be babies, let them be babies. I keep my dog away from people, unless it's people who want my dog to come up to them, then and only then, do I unlock the retractable leash to let her free enough to go up to them, but hey, I'm tripping people. It's the grown up form of bullying.

a reply to: Anyafaj

Ah I see, the judgmental busybody syndrome. I really loathe busybodies. I had some neighbors of mine threaten to call the SPCA on my dog because I had let him out to go to the bathroom at 2 in the morning in 20 degree weather. They said their rationale was that I had been leaving the dog outside all night in the cold, which wasn't even remotely true. I was furious with them.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
a reply to: Anyafaj

Ah I see, the judgmental busybody syndrome. I really loathe busybodies. I had some neighbors of mine threaten to call the SPCA on my dog because I had let him out to go to the bathroom at 2 in the morning in 20 degree weather. They said their rationale was that I had been leaving the dog outside all night in the cold, which wasn't even remotely true. I was furious with them.

Yup, so you see what I'm going through. One of them started screaming in my face the other day. I stayed calm the whole time, even when she was poking her finger in my face. (Ugh, I HATE that!) But I stayed calm. Never raised my voice once. She tried claiming they never left the picnic table, and I was lying, even when I told her I had witnesses, "Oh well maybe I did, don't talk to me, don't ever talk to me again!" Not a problem toots! A neighbor here and I we call this place the mental institution. We just sadly got locked up with the rest of them. LOL

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

Very possible.

2nd

originally posted by: Klassified
Good thing we now have laws against the church dusting off the torture devices, so they can cleanse the gays of their demons, and save their souls. Praise the lord!

You mean.....the catholic church. On reflection it looks like a bunch of gay and pedophile priests torturing strait reformers and what not.

originally posted by: Logarock

originally posted by: Klassified
Good thing we now have laws against the church dusting off the torture devices, so they can cleanse the gays of their demons, and save their souls. Praise the lord!

You mean.....the catholic church. On reflection it looks like a bunch of gay and pedophile priests torturing strait reformers and what not.

LOL! Touche'

a reply to: Klassified

LOL....oh yea.

a reply to: Logarock
Alright. Maybe not so funny, but the way you wrote it struck me funny at the time. I definitely need to go to bed.

a reply to: Anyafaj

BRAVO ! About Time the " Other Side" gets a Taste of their Own Medicine ............

a reply to: Zanti Misfit

So their day went off with no issue, but these guys wanted to go around targeting people individually.

Seems only one side made if physical and pushed any sort of beliefs.