Tuesday, 2 May 2006
By Andy Nevis
An update on the students who were suspended from their public schools last week for wearing anti-homosexuality T-shirts. This comes from The Pacific Justice Institute, which is representing the students:
Sacramento, CA—Several students in Sacramento-area high schools have been suspended for peacefully expressing their religious beliefs. The problem: those beliefs opposed homosexuality, which was being promoted during last week’s Day of Silence.
At Oakmont High School, in the Sacramento suburb of Roseville, several students came to school wearing
t-shirts that read, “Homosexuality is sin. Jesus can set you free.” The students were given an ultimatum to remove their shirts or face disciplinary action. Thirteen students decided to stand firm and were suspended for two days. Kathleen Sirovy, principal of Oakmont High School, justified the school’s actions by stating, “Many kids were upset because their shirts were rude.” The school did not address whether religious students might have been equally offended by pro-homosexual _expression connected with the Day of Silence.
Twelve of the students suspended at Oakmont are represented by Pacific Justice Institute, which has already filed appeals with school district authorities and is considering filing a lawsuit. Kevin Snider, PJI’s Chief Counsel who filed the appeals, stated, “We are committed to providing a vigorous defense of these students’ First Amendment rights.” Other students were also suspended for similar actions at Mira Loma High School in Sacramento and San Juan High School in nearby Citrus Heights.
Even some supporters of the Day of Silence questioned whether school officials were justified in silencing the opposition. Lance Chih, a high school student and co-chair of the Sacramento Regional Gay Straight Alliance, was quoted in the Sacramento Bee as saying, “If they’re stating their own belief that homosexuality is wrong, that’s not promoting hate or violence against us. If I want to promote my civil rights, I can’t tell another group of students that they can’t do it.”
Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, “Tolerance must be a two-way street. Our society cannot afford the suppression of religious viewpoints just because some people disagree with or don’t like those views.”
I disagree was what the students did. They should have found a better, less confruntational way to promote their beliefs. In facts, they probably alienated more students than they convinced.
But that said, I strongly support their right to wear them. It is, if not blatently illegal, extremely unfair that a public school would allow and even encourage students from one side of a political issue to express their views, but suspend students who dare disagree publically.
I wish these students well in their fight.
September 9th, 2006 at 10:16 pm
There are homosexuals in this world. That’s really all there is to know. There always have been homosexuals and there always will be. There is nothing to be done to try to “prevent” homosexuality from occuring. So really… I don’t understand why you “wish these students well in their fight” for their fight is a fruitless one. There’s no way you can stop someone from making a personal decision about how to live his or her own life, and to try to fight it is trying to implement your beliefs on another. To try to create laws denying rights to certain people for how they live their personal life……. I believe that would be called totalitarianism.
Imagine if a kid walked into school wearing a “Judaism is a sin: Jesus can set you free” Would you support that kid in his fight then? He’s only expressing his beliefs, after all. It’s the same deal.
The Day of Silence does support homosexuality, that is true. However, it more importantly promotes tolerance The whole idea of the event is for non-gays to try to step into the shoes of those who are of a different sexual orientation. To meet a day of understanding with such malice in hatred is truly dispicable.
I understand that some people believe that homosexuality is wrong. I’ll admit, I’m not entirely comfortable with it either. Yet, I can understand that other people have the right to live their life the way they choose. The goverment is creeping into areas that it doesn’t belong. Homosexuality will not destroy this nation. Abortion will not destroy the nation. They are personal issues and they rest on individual conciences. I don’t want to be involoved with other peoples lives more than I have to be. For a political party that preaches for a small goverment, these surely are interesting things to be fighting for.
Maybe, if we open our eyes we can see that God made us differently. God gave us the freedom to choose our paths through life. We have a responsibility to live life the best we can be. It’s not the government’s job to dictate what that is.
Thanks for your time.
September 10th, 2006 at 9:09 am
This is a great thing these students have done! I really don’t like the day of silence and I’m glad the kids at my school don’t participate in it. At my old school it was much bigger, and many did participate (with the whole not talking and wearing the tag on their clothes) I feel it was quite disrespectful to teachers and students. These teachers would call on them, and they would just sit there and point at their shirt, it was really ridiculous. Next “day of silence” I am making a shirt like the ones in the story and wearing it. It will be so much fun. I am so sick of people saying that I have to accept gays as “natural” when they clearly aren’t. They choose to run with the devil and karma will catch up to them.
September 10th, 2006 at 9:11 am
Alexandria wrote above if someone would support a shirt that says “Judaism is a sin: Jesus can set you free” Would you support that kid in his fight then? He’s only expressing his beliefs, after all. It’s the same deal.” I would actually, because it’s all or nothing here. If only some students can express themselves, that is wrong, so it has to be all students or none.
September 25th, 2006 at 8:39 am
What amazes me in all of this talk about “civil rights,” “first amendment rights,” and such is that just about everyone is overlooking the health aspects of the homosexual life. It is unimaginable that public schools would be promoting ANY other behavior that directly spreads not just AIDS, but some TWENTY-FIVE other sexually transmitted diseases, and that KILLS many of those who practice it 20 to 40 years before they would ordinarily die. I have even heard recently of “throat gonnorhea.” I can scarcely think of a more disgusting condition.
Certainly the Bible says homosexuality is an abomination. But it is so STARE YOU IN THE FACE OBVIOUS, from a PRACTICAL HEALTH standpoint that homosexuality is a dangerous, deadly practice that I cannot understand why I scarcely hear anyone talking about that particular aspect of things.
It can already be seen that innocent heterosexuals have sickened and died because they contracted AIDS from blood donated by a homosexual. And it can be seen in this country, at least, that the spread of AIDS is occurring mainly among homosexuals, and that the illness reaches unwise heterosexuals who are still stupid enough to practice fornication with “strange flesh.” Who knows but that some other, even more deadly, disgusting disease might not spring up among homosexuals that could affect the entire country and the world? “Pestilence” is certainly something the Bible says will occur in the last days.
December 6th, 2006 at 8:44 pm
To Slatherwater:
You have to be the most ignorant person I have ever encountered. Are you serious? Please read your post thoroughly so I can be sure it is not a mistake on my computer screen. I can’t believe there are people in America this thick-skulled.
Its true, homosexuals are health hazards these days. I understand your point. Those horrible, horrible homosexuals are out to get us! What ever shall we do? A mass of their “strange flesh” is creeping through the land, killing all in its path! We must be rid of them before they are rid of us!
Are you seriously considering that gay people are fundamental health risks to our world?
“…homosexuality is a dangerous, deadly practice…”
Your fallacies are making me nauseous. I have a lesbian friend. GASP! I am putting myself at risk of getting AIDS! She will die of AIDS! Your words allude to the scapegoating preformed by orthodox Islamic and Christian authorities in the late Antiquity and throughout the Middle Ages, that gay people cause plagues and natural disasters. All lies.
(By the way, “throat gonorrhea” is asymptomatic. You wouldn’t know you had it if you did.)
December 9th, 2006 at 6:05 pm
Here’s another “fallacy” for you:
Homosexual men account for almost half of all HIV cases. (Washington Times)
If the homosexual lifestyle is just as “safe” as the heterosexual lifestyle, then why do homosexuals have a disproportionate number of HIV cases?