Kansas High School Column Advocates Death to Gays

[metta]

Kansas High School Column Advocates Death to Gays


http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_...s_High_School_Column_Advocates_Death_to_Gays/

 

[JOHN B]

Maybe he was just trying to play "devils advocate"...I remember that in high school, people were always trying to stir up controversy in the school student newspaper.

 

[eddielee]

Isn't the Westboro church in Kansas as well ? What's up with the folks in Kansas?

 

[gsdx]

Once again, someone shits on the First Amendment and gets away with it.

 

[LGNTexas]

Westboro Baptist is in Topeka, Kansas. Right-to-Life murderer Scott Roeder murdered Dr. George Tiller while the latter was attending church in Wichita. Just a week ago, Dr. Mila Means, who wanted to open a clinic in Wichita was hit with a lawsuit to cease and desist, plus she couldn't find a landlord who would rent her space, so Kansas has no abortion doctors anymore. Back to the dark alleys and coat hangers!

I guess gays are safe in Kansas only while they are still in their mother's womb. /snark! Right-to-lifers seems to hate healthcare and nutrition for BORN children, love war, guns and the death penalty, so once born, be careful in Kansas!

 

[Rubber Rat]

Silly twats.

 

[opinterph]

Kansas High School Column Advocates Death to Gays

It is perhaps important to recognize that the “column” was an opinion-editorial written by one of the students – teachers or administrators of the school did not write it.

The Student Handbook at Wichita High School East lists the following Values:

We will ...
...engage students in learning through a variety of instructional activities and provide constructive feedback to students on a regular basis.
...respect individual beliefs, ideas and perspectives while teaching students to develop and defend informed opinions using critical thinking skills.
...teach established course objectives and provide evidence of student achievement while addressing individual needs.
...commit to collaborative professional learning with an expectation of continual improvement in instruction.
...provide clear expectations and appropriate consequences in a positive, respectful environment.

Here are a few other excerpts from the Student Handbook:

BEHAVIOR
The staff does take a very aggressive posture in maintaining the safety of all students. We continue to have this as one of our main goals for the coming school year. We will not tolerate any person or persons threatening or intimidating students or staff.

BULLYING
BOE Policy 1464: Pupil Behavior – Regulations Administrative Implemental Procedures, No. 2

USD 259 will not tolerate any type of bullying (physical, cyber, relational aggression) of a pupil by another pupil, employee, or others. Violation of this policy shall result in disciplinary action against any pupil or employee involved.

Bullying is:

Purposeful behavior that intends to cause harm or distress
Is usually repeated over time
Occurs in a relationship where there is an imbalance of power

And it’s nice to see that the school sponsors a Gay Straight Alliance …

East GSA functions as a support group and provides safety and confidentiality to students who are struggling with their sexual identity, whether Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning or Straight (GLBTQS).

In addition to support, East GSA works on educating themselves and the broader school community about sexual orientation and gender identity issues. East GSA may bring in outside speakers to cover a particular topic, such as, GLBTQS history. We will participate in the Day of Silence, a day when participants remain silent all day as a way of acknowledging the silence induced by homophobia in our society, as well as, other GLBTSQ observances.

 

[BearBoi]

If I went to that school, I’d write an article about the University of Georgia’s 1996 study that concluded that homophobes are mostly closet cases, while non-homophobes are not.

http://www.philosophy-religion.org/handouts/homophobia.htm

There is also a great clip about this on YouTube if you want to search for it.

 

[Ninja108]

You know that study is bunk right?

A lot of people who are homophobic are so not because they're closet cases, but because they're just shitty human beings.

^ with this 100%. Yes, there are lawmakers like Roy Ashburn who hate who they are and willing to pass as many anti-gay laws as possible to deny that fact.
But there are some people who truly hate us with every ounce of their being. The murder of David Kato is somethign they wish will happen here, over and over again.

 

[ShihTzuTylenol]

...we're not in Kansas anymore.

 

[tipmyscales86]

Read the small font.

"it ranks at the top of highly debated issues including abortion and interracial relationships."

What is this...the 1960s?

 

[BearBoi]

You know that study is bunk right?

A lot of people who are homophobic are so not because they're closet cases, but because they're just shitty human beings.

This is where I'd normally make a cutting remark about mandatory reading comprehension tests before people are allowed on the internet... but because this is the internet, I don't know if English is your first language or not, so I'll take a softer approach.



Please, try to stay with me here: this student jackass diskless wonder wrote an article for his school's paper advocating (through selectively chosen Bible verses) that gay people should be killed.

If I were a student of that school, my response would be to write an article about how homophobes are mostly all closet cases, and cite a credited study to back up my points.

Now, if you read between the lines, you will see that I am suggesting the school's GSA strike back by hitting this guy where it hurts; imply (without ever once needing to mention his name) that he is, in fact, a big fat fruit-cake closet Queen. AND spread some truth about one of the root causes (IMO) of homophobia, while they are at it.

Alternatively, they could also write an article mirroring his own, but phrase it to be against Divorce and/or Adultery, and then use quotes from Leviticus commanding adulterers to be put to death. Let's see how far that crap flies.

How many teachers do you think are divorced at that school? Children with divorced parents? Children with a parent who has committed adultery? Ya, you do the math.

The point is we need to stop making this an 'us vs. them' issue, and show 'them' how there is no difference between 'us' and 'them'; we are all human beings, not abstract theory or faceless mob.

 

[Ninja108]

I hope there's a column next week talking about the role of women and blacks. If the bible says its okay, then it's okay.

 

[Simon25]

I don't see what the problem/issue is, the student cited references from the bible to make his case of why people view the issue as not normal, he does not say that’s how it should be. Overall I though the column was very good for a high school student, makes simple valid points on either side. Gay-rights activist are just always looking for something to get upset about, if everyone does not accept us with open and loving arms they get upset for some reason. I’m happy to let people have their beliefs and talk to them about why they believe what they do. Not force them to believe one way or another, which is what is trying to be done here.

 

[frankfrank]

My last Kansas experience with a total stranger happened in 2005, when I was in Pratt, which is definitely deep in the Kansas Bible Belt. (As a side note, it's not that far from Greensburg, which was destroyed a couple years later by that terrible F5 tornado, and in fact I had passed through Greensburg only a little bit earlier, but I hadn't really taken note of the town much or at all.)

I was on the main street downtown, I walked into this place to ask where to find "good food" - I walked into a Christian book store. The conversation went far beyond asking where to eat, and it was more than two hours later when I finally walked back out. At some point I felt comfortable talking about being gay, and the conversation was on that for a good while, and this guy was not trying to preach the sin out of me, or being judgmental or condescending in any way. We had a very good conversation, and the conversation drifted into politics and music and meteorology, travel, computers, etc. The guy didn't seem the least bit bothered being around an openly gay person (and no, he wasn't trying to hit on me, LOL), he was curious how I felt I happened to turn out that way, etc. Fred Phelps came up, and he felt that their message is harmful, coming from a fake God...this guy didn't think that gay people have the seeds of Satan planted in them, etc.

It was a very pleasant conversation in a place I never expected a conversation of its type, and I can't remember for sure, but I think he even hugged me when I was leaving.

This was one of those rare rambling no-destination-in-particular midsummer road trips, which took me as far west as Taos and south-central Colorado. It was basically one of those "pick up a bunch of new Counties" trips. It was rather ironic that, in another part of the trip, I was thwarted from "marking off" CUSTER County in Colorado, because I got waylaid by an even longer conversation with an Indian**, lol.

**yes, Native American, not Asian...though I think if one goes far enough back, "Native Americans" do usually trace back to Asia...I think??

[EDIT: THE PURPOSE OF THIS POST was only to show that there are exceptions to this thinking in Kansas as well.]

 

[fetaby]

So you want to them to shame the kid into submission by calling him gay?

That's the way I read it...



It doesn't matter what the motivation is behind this kid writing the article. Whether it's his own homosexuality bugging him or the influence of intolerant religious principles, either way it's wrong.

By saying the author is gay, you've just legitimized his fears. There really is an us vs. them mentality. Unfortunately we both use the same tactics to fight.

Just an example, if you put black paint into red paint and create a shade, no amount of white paint will ever turn the mixture red again.

You can't equate gays as human if you tarnish the identity of gay by using it as a weapon.

 

[fetaby]

Gay-rights activist are just always looking for something to get upset about, if everyone does not accept us with open and loving arms they get upset for some reason. I’m happy to let people have their beliefs and talk to them about why they believe what they do. Not force them to believe one way or another, which is what is trying to be done here.

Unless you are a gay rights activist, in that case you're just a whiney crybaby looking for something to cry about...

The proper reaction to someone wishing you death is, of course, to allow them their wish. Doesn't matter to me they believe their idea originates from a god.