Well, if you live in New Jersey, this is what your school dollars buy you - yearbooks filled with pictures of kids kissing, and school administrators deciding which pictures of kids kissing are appropriate or not.
One student bought a page in the yearbook for $150, and filled it with pictures of him and his boyfriend (yes, they're gay). One of those pictures were of the two of them kissing. Newark Superintendent of Schools decided it was inappropriate, and had the offending picture (only one) blacked out with magic markers.
Now, a few thoughts. First, if you don't want your kids being exposed to homosexual lifestyles, why are they still enrolled in New Jersey schools? Obviously, they support homosexuality - only one kissing picture was blacked out, and the couple was known and open as a homosexual couple.
Second, if you think government has no place in discriminating against homosexual couples (only their picture was blacked out - other heterosexual kissing pics remained intact), why are your kids still in New Jersey schools? Apparently, they apply capricious and indecipherable criteria when figuring out what goes in and stays out of their yearbooks.
Third, if you think school is the wrong place for kids to be exposed to, supported in, and given a place to explore their sexual natures, why are your kids still in New Jersey schools? Openly homosexual couples, heterosexual kissing pictures in the yearbook - are your kids learning the
three 'R's, or are they learning how to breed?
Fourth, is anyone disturbed that kids can buy pages in the yearbook for $150? I was never able to do that - student photographers took candid pictures throughout the year, which were selected and used to fill in the normal club and other pictures. I can see that offering spaces for sale to students would help defeat the popularity issues that crop up, but I think it just discriminates against both the unpopular and the poor.
I don't care which argument jives with you - pick one, and get your kids out of public schools.
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5 comments:
If there was ever an example of a case where a discrimination suit should be filed, and QUICKLY, this is it!
Someone with some spine should get a court order handed down, requiring the Newark School District to have all copies of the yearbook reprinted without their homophobic defacing, and hand-distributed to all students who purchased the book, since the school year has ended.
Why can't people in this country get what "non-discrimination" means?
Hello! It's hardly the point that 18-year-old "kids" are shown expressing affection for each other in a yearbook. It's the fact that uptight adults like yourself find only gay kissing to be "illicit." The students don't. And it's their yearbook. And last year, the State Supreme Court of NJ found that the state has no compelling interest in treating gay people differently than others. Your smug posting is really just a chance for you to moralize and to hysterically refer to 18-year-olds as kids (whom I'm betting you'd consider "adult" if they wanted to fight for you overseas or if they were charged with a violent crime, right?) For you to defend Bolden's actions betrays the fact that "Liberty in America" isn't really your aim, unless everyone holds exactly the same beliefs you do. There's no way you'll publish this comment and I don't care anyway since I'll never read your insipid words again. Happy Gay Pride!
OK, let me address the two comments so far - from the top down. But first...
Let's make it clear - what was done to these people is abominable and should not have happened. Apparently that was not clear.
First, I don't think a discrimination lawsuit should be filed at all. By doing so, you tacitly approve the authority the public school system has over these students. I think they should have no such power, and therefore, the proper solution is to abolish public schooling and it's one-size-fits-all way of handling the differences between people.
As for web master, I didn't find the picture out of line or illicit at all. I was making a point that, no matter what your beliefs around homsexuality, diversity, or public displays of affection between minors, public schools are the problem. Did you even read the post? I think Bolden should be out of a job and Newark schools, as with every other public school system in the U.S., should be abolished. As for the rest of your diatribe, read some of the previous posts I have: all I want is for everyone to live as they see fit without anyone else - you me, or an elected or appointed official - telling us how that should be done. Anything less than the total and complete abolishment of government control over our lives is unacceptable.
OMG that is so complete crap. If the page is bought then they should be able to put ALMOSt any pictures on it. OK if heterosexual couples can have pictures of them kissing homosexual couples can.
OK, so someone else I've confused. I've no problem with anyone doing anything on their property, as long as it doesn't interfere with my ability to do the same. If you want to buy a page in a yearbook and post a picture of you and your homosexual partner kissing, be my guest - it doesn't affect me. Want to post a picture of you kissing your heterosexual partner, your pet, a goat dressed in a nurses uniform, go for it - it still doesn't affect me.
My entry was not about homosexuality, it was about public schools exercising inappropriate control of your children. If you feel strongly one way or the other, remove your kids from public schools - break the power they have over them.
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