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04/23/2008
Is there any excuse for anti-gay action?
So we know that social conservatives are encouraging parents to keep their kids home from school on Friday in protest of the anti-bullying, pro-acceptance Day of SIlence. But in doing so, are they performing the very un-Christianlike disservice of giving parents inaccurate information as to how the absence might affect their child's record?
Here is what "pro-family" attorney Matt Staver has to say to One News Now:
[Staver] argues that schools cannot legally threaten or punish students who do not want to participate in the celebration of homosexuality. "Clearly they can stay home from school," he continues. "They don't have to go to school and they can't be punished [for doing that]."
But here's the thing: While many schools are accommodating and supportive of the day, it is not a school-sponsored event in which anyone is required to participate. It is a day of peaceful demonstration organized by a national organization, and the students who choose to engage are making their own decision to express their support. So those who choose to stay home on this day are not responding to any break in normal school policy, the likes of which might constitute an exception to normal absence policy. They are instead responding to an average school day in which some students are, on their own accord, choosing to express their beliefs through a vow of silence. And so just like they would on any other normal school day, students very well might receive an unexcused absence if they choose to stay home!
Mr. Staver makes it sound as if schools would be acting outside the boundaries of the law if they gave an unexcused absence to a perfectly healthy student who chose to stay home and watch "Everybody Loves Raymond" reruns rather than go to class. In doing so, he is deliberately leading parents down the wrong path! Absence policies are typically set by local school boards, and exceptions for religious observances are sometimes excused on a case by case basis. So some parents might be able to push the issue and win. But not only is it not a clear-cut scenario with a blanket "excused" policy, it's actually a situation in which the stay-at-home kids will have the considerable burden of proving that their truancy is an acceptable case of religious objection (just like the gay kids offended by the following week's "Day of Truth" would have the burden of justifying their absence)!
What next, Matt -- Gonna declare Friday to be national "Lie and Say Your Great Grandmother Died" Day?
Law protects student opposition to 'Day of Silence' [ONN]
Your thoughts
Their side get's to call-in "Christian" and they say we're the sick and diseased ones? Ironically it will just go to show what a complete day of non-violence non-harrassment and non-bullying looks like and will only prove our point if they keep all of their kids home.
Posted by: Daimeon | Apr 23, 2008 1:49:57 PM
Yeah Staver, what's next on the roster for you? You've already published a book claiming that "Having a homosexual parent(s) appears to increase the risk of incest with a parent by a factor of about 50." -- and then cite P. Cameron and K. Cameron by name.
No where to go but up from there, or were you planning on surprising us?
Posted by: Emproph | Apr 23, 2008 2:01:48 PM
"Clearly they can stay home from school," he continues. "They don't have to go to school and they can't be punished [for doing that]."
Uh, yes they can be punished!
If one of those kids who walks out also happens to be one of those dweebs who expects to get that "perfect attendance since 1st grade" award at his/her graduation - they won't be getting it.
Walking out of class and going home counts as an absence - at least at my school, it worked that way LOL.
Posted by: | Apr 23, 2008 3:33:16 PM
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