Just because some of us are damned-near perfect (we're called Torontonians) doesn't mean the WHOLE country is.
Alberta's done gone and passed a stupid law allowing parents to pull their kids from classes when sex, religion, or sexual orientation discussions come up. The parents must be notified, and then they can opt to have their children taken out of the discussion.
This is a clause in a bill that brings gay rights under the umbrella of Alberta's Human Rights code.
The argument on the pro side is that this allows parents to have greater say in their children's education.
The arguement on the side that makes any damned sense is that a bunch of uneducated, homophobic, bigoted morons are scared their kids are going to be turned gay.
Let's cover the 3 topics.
Sex - Okay, so you don't want your kids to be involved in discussions of sex. Because they're too young? Guess what? "You show me yours and I'll show you mine" has been around forever. And you sure as hell aren't going to teach your kids about sex until they already know more than you've built up the guts to talk about. Hell, you'll probably teach 'em wrong. Sexual education doesn't lead to promiscuity, earlier sex, or more babies. It actually leads to the opposite. But then, we still live in a society where sex is somehow far, far worse than violence.
Religion - Please go lobotomize yourself now. Oh, you already did? That explains that. What possible discussion of religion would you pull your kids from? Are you terrified they'll LEARN about one? Or maybe they'll learn about one you don't follow? I went to Catholic school from senior kindergarten up to my last year of high school - 14 years. I don't consider myself Catholic, despite receiving all those big ol' sacraments that one does. The BEST religion classes we took were those that covered OTHER religions. They were fair, honest, and actually interesting. You know what? Everyone believes the same shit, it's just in the practical side of the worship where they differ. Hell, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all worship the same God, yet they've been killing each other in his name for millenia. But hey, it'd be terrible if your kids learned something like TOLERANCE and UNDERSTANDING.
Sexual Orientation - Ah, here's the rub. This is the ONLY FUCKING REASON this law is here. Can't you hear it? "Sex, religion, and *mumblemumble*sexualorientation*mumblecough*". Yup, can't have your kids learn about the gays. Much better you sit in your slack-jawed, drooling way and tell 'em how gays is an abomination and ain't not good. How gays wanting to get married somehow invalidates your pathetic and unhappy marriage. Because damn, if they came home talking about how being gay isn't really a big deal at all, you'd have to beat 'em until they were straight.
And the whole thing is such an obvious start to a slippery slope. What if you're talking about something else and the class discussion moves into one of these topics? Is teacher going to cut it off there because a parent might sue? Will teachers be even MORE controlled and boring because they fear the parents?
You don't want your kids learning what's being taught in the school? HOME SCHOOL THEM INTO PERVETED UNSOCIALIZED FREAKS like every other paranoid parent out there who can't admit that they're woefully underqualified to handle their childrens' education. Parents already HAVE a say in their kids' education. They have a HUGE say. The problem is that most are TOO FUCKING LAZY to take advantage of this and take an active role in it. You get to see their homework, you get to have a dinnetime discussion of what they covered (but of course, letting them grab a slice of pizza and run up to their room isn't conducive to that), and you can bloody well set up an appointment with their teachers whenever you damn well please. But fuck that! You'd actually have to TALK to your kids and show an IOTA of intelligent thought. Nope, much easier to legislate that you have to get a note sent home letting you know that the clitoris, Hinduism, or Prop 8 is going to be discussed next week so you can send Billy to the library for 30 minutes, which will mark him as the kid with the crazy parents.
Could you imagine Kat teaching with that law in place?
Nice job Alberta. You've elected morons like everyone else.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
A Little Canadian Idiocy For a Change
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5 comments:
I'm a bit surprised by your position on this one. I agree that the law was probably inacted to allow parents to sheild their kids from the HORRORS of homosexuality. But while that part is a tad f'ed up from a socially liberal perspective (i.e., my perspective), I am still all for choice. I don't see any reason why a parent cannot choose how their child is educated. After all, it is the parent's role as decision-maker and, well, parent. I'd rather have that choice in the hands of the parents than in the government or school district.
Jordan - the choice has ALWAYS been the parents. This law isn't about giving them choice, it's about giving them the right to sue. The teachers are arguing that this shouldn't be a provincial law that's buried in the bill of rights, but under the board's own policies... oh, which it ALREADY IS. There's nothing stopping any parent from asking the teacher at the start of the year for a lesson plan. But parents are lazy fucks who would rather the onus be put on the teachers to inform them than on them to ASK.
This idiocy has me (and everyone else I work with) foaming at the mouth.
And Jordan, you have no idea just how many parents who are all too happy to pass off far too many aspects of their child's rearing to someone else, ie teachers. Had a mom tell me just the other day that it was MY job to teach her child manners and social responsibility, because she's "too busy".
I like this blog, especially the casual swearing.
Nelson - thanks. I hate having perfectly good words go unused.
The casual swearing also makes yours the most entertaining finance-based blog on my roll.
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