Anti-gay shirt fight continues :: Bolingbrook Sun :: News

What are the rights of the students and are those rights trumped by the overriding need for a cohesive educational environment?

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I think the matter here is the tone of the shirt...

Telling people not to be gay was the part that did it...

If she was shown the door for the day for just the front part, I'd be defending her like a champ...

But the addition on the back was too much...I fully understand how this disrupts the school...

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

Did the school help promote the "official day of silence"? If they did the girl had every right to protest.

I have been offended by the "taking over" of certain words and phrases by many different groups to the point where a NEW definition is added to the dictionary for them and therefore EVERYBODY has to change their USE of common ENGLISH. Many words are being TAKEN from us in order not to offend some people. I can't find anywhere the right to NOT be offended.

Gay
Lynch/Lynching
HO (mispronunciation of a word)Whore....Hoe.....Ho, ho, ho...."Wagons ho"...Horse; Whoa
Negro/Negroid
White
Nappy
Red
Green
Black
Honky(first of a 2 part phrase ending in tonk)
Queer
Tramp
Hobo
Vagabond
Bum
Homeless
Bastard
Lazy
Stupid
Spastic/Spaz
Homo
Straight
Retarded
Zealot
Christian
Evangelical
Bitch
Naggart(one who nags)
Clan(because in pronunciation it sounds like Klan)
Cult(Mormon?)
Choice(Free?)
Right(in or not in the Bill of)
Wing(left or right)
Noose
Nazi
Socialist
Communist
Regime
Democracy
Republic
Church
State
Village
Welfare
Charity
Free
Monopoly
Idiot
Plantation


Some of these are here for the opposite reason that is they are NOT allowed to be used. Many of these words have actual scientific meanings but "laypeople" took offense. Others are here because of incorrect usage. I bet you could add to this list.

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"Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well. The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly, accurately, creatively and without self delusion---In the long run these are the only people that count."Robert Heinlein

I haven't received the memo that these words are banned in the United States...indeed, many are commonly used.

Now, what is acceptable in a public school and what is allowed in your personal life/space are two very very different things.

you knew that, didn't you?

It's the WAY she protested which is at issue.


Nor can I find how these words are "taken over".
You are free to use the words as you please in your own free speech.

The fact that others don't follow suit is not a real problem.
At best, it's your own issue of "offense" that people don't share your position.

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Jesus Was A Liberal

If a certain course of action makes the mouth-breathers furious, then that’s a good policy. – The Practical Environmentalist

We had this discussion about this girl a while back. The difference between the Day of Silence and what this girl did is very simple: the Day of Silence is meant to show solidarity and support for the plights of others. What this girl did was a blatant attempt at throwing a divisive wrench into what was otherwise a beneficial exercise in tolerance and understanding. Basically, she was being a little bitch about it and hiding her affront behind the free speech shield. Honestly, she shouldn't have even been given the opportunity to remove the shirt and stay; she should have been suspended for three days.

So I guess that there were NO SIGNS promoting the "day of silence" that was promoting the "gay agenda". She only brought her own sign. On a different day. Thus NOT interfering whatsoever. I personally believe that gayism like religion and morals should be VERY careful about its presentation to CHILDREN. In some cultures murder IS ACCEPTABLE. The problem comes from the fact that a SUB-culture insists on being mainstream and in-your-face instead of passive and unobtrusive. Sexuality is a PRIVATE thing NOT public.

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"Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well. The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly, accurately, creatively and without self delusion---In the long run these are the only people that count."Robert Heinlein

You're missing the point.

It's like comparing a message of tolerance to a message of intolerance and condemnation.
Like comparing MLK talking about tolerance to somebody else talking about "white is right".
The two are not equivalent.

A public school is not the place to allow the students to marginalize each other in such a manner.


Ahhh yes.
The comparison of homosexuality to murder.
Why shouldn't I have expected that absurd exaggeration...

Furthermore, this was a HIGH SCHOOL.
You talk of "children", but you ignore the fact that this "child" was 16 or 17.

And finally, I can't help but wonder about somebody who defends a "child" (as you want to put it) actively condemning homosexuality, but then talk about being "very careful about its (gayism) presentation".
Obviously, you want people who want TOLERANCE to be careful, while people who advocate intolerance don't have to be careful, right?


This girl wore a shirt that was "in-your-face".
A day of silence is NOT "in-your-face".
A day of silence is obviously "passive and unobtrusive".

And quite frankly, I think that if you want sexuality to be "private", then you obviously condemn PUBLIC discrimination against gays, right?
Or do you support "in-your-face" issues like our government discriminating against gays, while gays should be "private" and take it without dissent?

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Jesus Was A Liberal

If a certain course of action makes the mouth-breathers furious, then that’s a good policy. – The Practical Environmentalist