This should make you wonder

[ladyinred]

Taken from Box turtle bulletin: Tolerance Too “Controversial” For Indiana School District
Jim Burroway
April 23rd, 2007
Who knew that when Megan Chase, a sophomore at Woodlan Junior-Senior High School in northeast Indiana, wrote this Jan. 19 opinion column for the school newspaper, that there would be so much controversy? All she wanted to do was to stand behind a friend who had come out to her:

Would it be so hard to just accept them as human beings who have feelings just like everyone else? Being homosexual doesn’t make a person inhuman, it makes them just a little bit different than the rest of the world. And for living in a society that tells you to always be yourself, it’s a hard price to pay.

Megan Chase didn’t think advocating for the Golden Rule in treating people kindly would be “any big deal.” Neither did her newspaper adviser Amy Sorrell. But these simple words of tolerance have torn an entire community apart. Soon after this column appeared in The Tomahawk, Sorrell was placed on administrative leave and the school district has recommended that she be fired. The school board is expected to vote on her firing on May 1.

At issue is whether Sorrell should have alerted the principal about the upcoming column. She had shown the principal four stories about teen pregnancy, including an editorial advocating teaching safer sex practices over abstinence education because she thought that “was going to cause the stir.” But she didn’t obtain prior clearance for the tolerance article because she didn’t think there would be anything controversial about tolerance.

It’s one thing to believe that gay marriage, adoption rights, and other political arguments to be controversial, but tolerance?

The sad thing about all of this is that right now, a high school sophomore has learned that writing about the Golden Rule can get your teacher fired. And what’s worse is that somewhere in Indiana right now, there is a boy whose just come out to his friend, and as a consequence of his coming out, he has seen his own home town erupt with outrage when someone suggested that they ought to treat him kindly. What kind of message is that to teach our kids?

[u-dog]

Here is the "CORE VALUES" statement of the Woodburn School District:

Family is the strongest influence on the growth and development of an individual.

All people have inherent value.

People are accountable for their choices.

Diversity is a strength.

Mutual integrity, trust and respect are essential for healthy relationships.

Learning is key to survival and advancement of the human race.

A community thrives when its members recognize and value their interdependence.



Let's talk about hypocricy shall we?

[keltic63]

Here is the "CORE VALUES" statement of the Woodburn School District:

Let's talk about hypocricy shall we?


To me, there are a few things that stand out in that statement that make what happened less surprising.

It's interesting that the first statement in the core values is about family. I read that as an indication that there is an influence within the school district that is distinctly fundamentalist. I know that sounds a bit paranoid, but "family" has become such a buzzword because of the way it has been used by the religious right. So reading these values in the light of the current situation, one can see the influence of "Focus on the FAMILY" or FAMILY Research Council." For some reason, when this value statement mentions family, I have the impression they mean a particular "type" of family.

The statement about "choices" could be interpreted as a reflection of their view of gay and lesbian people, but I think that would be harder to prove.

The rest of it....I agree, Hypocrisy.

[Zerbie]

Isn't it horrible? For years now, whenever I see or hear the word "family" I cringe and think, "How can anyone be such a cruel and awful person." And sometimes it turns out, I'm just driving past a "family doctor" or something innocuous like that - and I'm all ready to expect virulent hatred. And it's like, a doctor's office.

They (RR types) should be ashamed of what they've done to this society. In the name of love itself, I can barely endure hearing the words "family" or "God" or "value." :( I expect them to mean hatred.