From: owen@autodesk.com (D. Owen Rowley)
Newsgroups: soc.motss
Subject: Re: Call/Fax/Write Fernandez
Date: 11 Dec 92 19:02:30 GMT

In article <1g5uoqINN9ps@hp-col.col.hp.com>, smithw@col.hp.com (Walter Smith) writes:
> rizzoe@FASECON.ECON.NYU.EDU (Emily Rizzo) writes:
> >Joseph Fernandez, Chancellor of the New York City Board of Education, is
> >taking a lot of heat (and has even received death threats) for his support
> >of the "Children of the Rainbow" curriculum.  This curriculum introduces as
> >early as first grade the concept of tolerance for all families, including
> >gay and lesbian families.
 
> This is something I'm not comfortable with.  
> (the "Children of the Rainbow" curriculum) 

> I don't feel it is appropriate to be reading "Heather has 2 mommies" to a 
> first-grader.  Because of the religious strings that are attached to the
> whole subject, it should *not* be taught in the public schools, especially to
> kids who are so young.  What if it directly contradicts the religious
> upbringing of the parents?  

This argument can be made about a wide spectrum of educational materials.

Are storys about the Thanksgiving feast objectionable to hindus because
they teach their children that eating meat is a suitable way to give thanks
to a God that has no place in their Lives?

Are Storys depicting witches as evil ygly hags objectionable to neo-pagans
and modern wicces ? ( there has actually been one case of a lawsuit along
these lines )

Is Rapunzel offensive to old testament fundamentalists because it depicts
the mixing of flax and straw?

Parents who have objections to the curriculum or teaching materials of the
public school system have the option of sending their children to private
schools. 

I understand that some parents who choose this route feel they should 
get a tax break fro doing so, but I don't agree with that position.
I pay the same taxes that they do, and I don't *use* the school system
either. 

> In talk.religion.misc, there has been a lot of duscussion about boycotting
> Claton Cramer; and as part of that discussion, someoen complained that when
> people are fired for being gay, no one complained.  Well, here's an example
> of where 4 (I believe that is the number) people were fired for refusing to
> force this curriculum.  

> Any thoughts/comments on why it is proper to force such a curriculum, that
> might be objectionable to many of the parents? 

You are using loaded language.

The curricullum needs to be *set*, materials need to be chosen, standards
need to be met. Someone or some organisation needs to be responsible for
these things or else ALL our tax dollars are being wasted in this area.

Was their job to implement the curricullum set by proper
authority, to obtain and distribute materials chosen by proper authority,
to oversee local adherance to the standards set by proper authority? 
If so then refusal to do these things is a firing offense in my opinion.

Now its is well known that fundamentalist christian forses in this country
have embarked on a campaign to get their memebers ellected to the positions
of authority. 

It reallt doesn't matter though, public education in this country couldn't
get any worst, and new educatinal paradigms are on the horizen that will
supplant the mess we have now. Those who insist on giving their children
a *biblically correct* education may want to consider the example of the 
Moslem world. In  the eleventh century the Moslem world was at the pinnacle
of art, literature and science. Then the Crusades happened. Thats when
the marauding armys of unwashed chistendom destroyed.. uh I mean liberated
the holy land. In the process they set the moslem world back a few centurys
in their cultural development .

Now that world is dominated by Islamic fundamentalism

Heres a home work assignment for you.
Look into the current situation vis-a vis the way Moslem children are taught
based on islamic fundamentalism, then tell me if you want your kids being
taught based on biblical fundamentalism.

Of course it shouldn't need to be said that if our school system was run by
the people who object to the current curicullum, and was supplanted by
one set by the fundamentalists, it would be unfair to non-fundamentalists.


LUX ./. owen


--
D. Owen Rowley {uunet,fernwood,sun}!autodesk!owen

  " It will be a cold March 17th that I celebrate the imposition of
	Romes rule, on Pagan Ireland. Erin go ppphhhhhttttttt! "
Newsgroups: soc.motss