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Who
is to blame for the pandering politics? Gay
and lesbian organizations, the Valley Family Forum
or local political parties?
I'm
blaming them all.
The
Blue Dog says it's a real shame the local gay and lesbian
community, the Valley Family Forum and Republican
Party membership has decided to politicize the news
regarding the Gay-Straight Alliance at Harrisonburg
High School and use our children as pawns in
this twisted social behavior play-of-the- week
highlight film.
Honestly,
our children deserve better treatment--and our
children attend public school to learn to add and
subtract and read and write, period.
Dr.
Thomas Szasz--the legendary psychiatric
abolitionist--has written, "Permissiveness is
the principle of treating children as if they were
adults; and the tactic of making sure they never
reach that stage."
On
a parental note: The Blue Dog somewhat agrees with
Szasz's statement because this parent believes that
morals and sexuality should be taught at home or the
church. Certainly not by our local, state or federal
government.
The
same can be said of public school-system activities
and clubs. Our children are not property of the
state--and every now and then somebody needs to
remind these advocates on the political right and
the left.
In
addition, the Blue Dog doesn't believe public-school
clubs should segregate our children by religion,
race, ethnicity, or, particularly, sexuality. School
clubs should be allowed to exist only if they are
part of the education curriculum.
The
Blue Dog hopes the gay and lesbian community does
not go the route as other minorities in the past
with their own neighborhoods, style of music, lingo
and houses of worship.
It's a
destructive path.
If
you want equal treatment in society, let's celebrate
differences and find common ground with the social
issues. And
please, for gosh stakes, find a way to stop building
more walls to divide us.
In
a recent e-mail alert dated Nov. 30, Equality
Virginia executive director Dyana Mason said the
parental-consent policy for GSA clubs might prevent
students who need the support from getting it.
Mason
wrote, "Requiring parental consent to join
these and other clubs would discourage participation
by the greatest diversity of students and diminish
the educational and social benefits of these
organizations. ... We know that the school board has
the best interests of the students at heart."
The
e-mail from Mason went on to say, "Nonetheless,
implementing a parental-consent policy could very
well prohibit those students most in need of a peer
group--those suffering from ongoing harassment,
intimidation or depression--from participating in
Gay-Straight Alliances and receiving the educational
and social benefits these clubs provide simply
because they are afraid to discuss their reasons for
joining the club with their parents."
I
disagree with her analysis.
As a parent, I
would endorse the use of consent forms for all
clubs regardless. Not because of the current
controversy with the Harrisonburg High School
Gay-Straight Alliance club, but for the need to be
aware and involved as a caring and loving parent.
By
the way, the Blue Dog feels the same way about the
need for parental notification concerning abortions
for minors. No government entity should allow minors
to make adult decisions because it is our
responsibility and duty as parents to teach life
values.
Furthermore,
minors by law can play school sports, open a bank
account, travel via airlines, receive medical care,
attend school field trips, stay after school, and
ride the school bus without permission from a parent
or guardian. There are probably thousands of other
examples.
Parental
consent is a must, and that's the Blue Dog line in
the sand.
--
January 17, 2005
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