Day of silence

[SgtMaj]

I was just browsing snopes to kill a few minutes tonight and ran across an interresting one. Rather than get into all the details, I'll just post the link and you can read it.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/silence.asp

Basically it's this upcoming Friday, apparantly several public schools, and many kids will be participating in a day of silence in support of "alternative lifestyles" a.k.a. (gay, lesbian, trangender)...

Meanwhile "family oriented" a.k.a. (religious)... organizations are urging parents to keep their kids out of school that day and are planning their own "day of truth" next monday.

Do either of these really have any place in our public schools?

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Day of silence

Tread lightly on this one folks.

 

[SgtMaj]

Re: Day of silence

I can't help myself... I thought of this HORRIBLE pun and had to share it...

I could go both ways on this issue.

That was so aweful I should apologize, so I'm sorry.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Day of silence

In my opinion schools were created to teach pupils to be good citizens.One part of that is promoting and somehow channeling freedom of thought and expression.
If this action is intended to stuff ideas down one's throat,then it is wrong.If it is just another symbolic small exercise of one group's feelings,then I see nothing wrong with it.
If it is intended to disrupt classes,then it has no place in our schools.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Day of silence

And all this time I thought schools were created to provide pupils with an education.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Day of silence

Tread lightly on this one folks.

One of your best puns ever...

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Day of silence

as a moderator, i'm going to say this lightly. you may as well go ahead and accept it. it is a fact of life. i have and have had many friends that live alternative life styles. i you give them a chance you will find all they want in life is the same things we do. they just have the guts to stand up and say this is me, rather than hide behind some facade.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Day of silence

HMMMMMMM.......

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Day of silence

The trouble with all these "Special Days" that are constantly created in our schools is that the students are a captive audience !!!!
A day teaching tolerance to all people in all walks of life and respecting their choices (as long as legal) would be far better spent in my opinion.

 

[thurps]

Re: Day of silence

Today schools are only there for the students to discuss video games and to text message.

 

[chicknwing]

Re: Day of silence

Hummmm.....think if the schools in my area were participating in this I would have to keep my 3rd grader home that day.

 

[JB]

Re: Day of silence

What kenmyfam said.^

Tolerance is something to be learned. That is education.

 

[newbie4life]

Re: Day of silence

Hummmm.....think if the schools in my area were participating in this I would have to keep my 3rd grader home that day.

In the day that we're in, yes, we should learn tolerance. We don't have to agree with everything that's out there, but rather than teaching hate, it is better to teach tolerance. But, it's a two way street.

I think of the new Ben Stein movie -- 'Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed'. It's basically about the idea of Intelligent Design vs. Darwinism. Stein was recently on Dr. James Dobson (focus on the family), stating that he doesn't want to change the Darwinists -- he just wants them to realize there may be another option. Darwin himself said that his idea was so complex, that he couldn't decide if he was correct with his theory.

My kids are taught in school about Darwinism, just the same way that I was. However, in order to hear (what I call the truth), they have to go to church.

Back to the actual post -- I don't agree with a DOS myself, simply because I don't agree with what is being promoted. Would I keep my kids home from school on that day? I guess I'd have to think that through a little more............

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: Day of silence

And all this time I thought schools were created to provide pupils with an education.

This is something that the kids will use to try and disrupt the class day. The ones participating will go to each class and hand the teacher a note saying they are not going to talk. The teacher will then give them a "0" for the day because they refuse to do the normal class work. This is a great way to take the focus off of why they are at school.Same thing with cell phones.I think it would be great if they could come with a way to keep all of these middle school kids mouths shut.....they talk talk talk talk talk..and dont believe for a second a "day of silence" for any reason is possible..... It is inportant to know that this day is not a SCHOOL SYSTEM MANDATED ACTIVITY. The schools allow it but dont plan it.

 

[QC]

Re: Day of silence

What kenmyfam said.^

Tolerance is something to be learned. That is education.

I agree with these two and rolmops with only one comment to add to the discussion. Tolerance does not mean that ideals are unnecessary, divisive, wrong, or somehow intolerant. Not every lifestyle is equal, this is where I have a hard time. Much of this "education" is designed to promote that there is not better, or best, or ideal. This where kids learn that denouncing violence is bad. Denouncing violence and the perpetrators is heroic, however I am "intolerant" if I do not seek to understand the violence doers reasons for being violent . . .

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Day of silence

I agree with these two and rolmops with only one comment to add to the discussion. Tolerance does not mean that ideals are unnecessary, divisive, wrong, or somehow intolerant. Not every lifestyle is equal, this is where I have a hard time. Much of this "education" is designed to promote that there is not better, or best, or ideal. This where kids learn that denouncing violence is bad. Denouncing violence and the perpetrators is heroic, however I am "intolerant" if I do not seek to understand the violence doers reasons for being violent . . .

I hear ya man, but it needs to be a little dirtier and maybe bring the end in as a riff in the middle.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Day of silence

I hear ya man, but it needs to be a little dirtier and maybe bring the end in as a riff in the middle.

You mean use the coda as a bridge?.....
That's brilliant!.....
I think all of the children should be silent until they are spoken to anyway......

 

[QC]

Re: Day of silence

I hear ya man, but it needs to be a little dirtier and maybe bring the end in as a riff in the middle.

 

[cheburashka]

Re: Day of silence

I think it's a good idea. If you look at who gets harassed most in school, it's usually kids who are gay or lesbian--or suspected of being gay or lesbian. Whether what they do floats your boat or not is a completely different issue from whether you think they deserve to be harassed. Keeping your kids out of school that day seems wrong to me. Almost like you're supporting other kids' right to harass people who are different from them.

I do have to add, however, that kids who take part in the protest should "take their lumps." I've seen a lot of these civil disobedience-style protests, and in many cases the students have the attitude that they shouldn't be made to suffer for standing up for themselves. What good is civil disobedience without penalties? I'm imagining the Boston Tea Party with the British forgiving the Americans, saying "you have a right to your opinion."

I'm kind of bummed that I don't teach on Fridays. My kid goes to school on Friday, but he's too young to participate. If he weren't, I'd suggest that he educate himself about the event and make up his own mind regarding what he wants to do.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Day of silence

From Wikipedia: "The Day of Silence is an annual day of action to protest the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students, and their supporters. Students take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBT students and their supporters."

Well, I don't agree with bullying or harassing anybody or anything.

Maybe the teachers just want a "quiet" day. I know I would.

Much ado about a non-event.