PC at School - Where Are the Grownups?

August 31, 2007

 

You really have to wonder sometimes about the judgment of some of those in charge of educating our children. Not all of them, mind you. Most of the teachers I know are great people. Most care very much about their jobs and the children they teach and they do it out of a love for teaching. However, several different stories recently actually point to a common problem across the country.

 

Take the case of the Evesham school district just outside of Philadelphia. The school board there voted 7-1 to stop showing third graders a so-called educational video that includes depictions of families headed by same-sex couples. This vote came after a committee of so-called scholars and educators recommended keeping the video in the curriculum but showing it to fourth graders. The board ultimately voted to do away with the video altogether but gay activists are threatening a lawsuit. Of course. The strange part is a survey of the parents found them split down the middle on the issue. How can you think that indoctrinating 8-year-olds is a good idea?

 

Then there's the story of the valedictorian in Colorado who had her high school diploma held as ransom until she apologized for daring to mention Jesus Christ from the stage of her graduation. That was last year. Now she's suing. Not for money but to prevent the school district from doing that to anyone else. They actually said she was being ‘immature' when she mentioned Jesus. Imagine that.

 

Then there are the brain trusts from Virginia Tech. After a report critical of their handling of the April 16 shooting spree, school officials acknowledged that minor mistakes may have been made but they don't see what in the world they could've done to stop the killings. Oh, no? How about allowing law-abiding citizens to arm themselves on campus, for starters. I'm not talking about some beer-swigging freshman. You have to be 21 to obtain a carry permit. I'm talking about upperclassmen or graduate students or professors, if they can find one that doesn't have a signed Michael Moore poster on his wall. In fact, I talked with an ex-Marine who was in the same building as the shootings. He had a carry permit but was not allowed to carry his weapon into the classroom. Imagine if that guy had been allowed to stop the shootings.

 

Oh, but the school administrators still don't see the logic in having someone protect people from a nutcase with a gun. All they see is the evil gun. Well, some families of the victims see liability and they're willing to push the issue until somebody loses their job.

 

So, what do all these stories have in common? Other than a lack of common sense they all share an infestation of political correctness. You see, political correctness is not only damaging to young minds and damaging to First Amendment rights. It's downright deadly.

 

Too many education systems have been infiltrated by left-wing ideologues who think they're saving the country when they're actually destroying it. Time was when kids went to school to learn the subjects that would help propel them through life. Now some educators feel it's their mission in life to equip these kids with the virus of left-leaning political thinking in hopes that their little charges will spread this nonsense wherever they go, like a crop duster spraying ebola.

 

We're still the grownups. We're still in charge. Timidity breeds submission. It's up to us as parents to take back control of our children's education. These educators, after all, work for us. Don't let them forget it.