As an educator in New Jersey, I find your decision to ban the performance of "The Laramie Project" indefensible and shockingly unenlightened.Your bigoted, partial decision is of the most blatant, undisguised nature; it is an example of homophobia of the most perverse, obvious kind that it is hard to know how you can possibly justify it on the grounds of not wanting to provoke children under whose shallow leadership they, unfortunately, fall.Education, Ms. Davidow, is about inciting children to think, to challenge them to new heights and ideas that they would otherwise fail to achieve. Unfortunately, schools like yours are less about children and more about the so-called administrators who incompetently run them.In the end, this decision, Ms. Davidow, is really about you and the district superintendent, Mr. Pagano. It is too kind to say that you both should seek professional counseling. Your mindless pandering to anti-gay bigots you imagine to exist in the community only underscores the surrealism of your protest.Your utter lack of understanding of the play, its purpose, and the pedagogical value of its performance is dismaying.
I wish you well, but I even more fervently hope and pray that the children under whose administration they unfortunately devolve are relieved of your mind-numbing haplessness.
"...not wanting to provoke children under whose shallow leadership they, unfortunately, fall."
".....the children under whose administration they unfortunately devolve..."
By the time one reaches the middle of those sentences, the "whose" and the "they's" just don't match up.
As for Ms. Davidow's decision: what if she's not an evil, incompetent person in need of counseling; what if she just doesn't agree with you?
The play is probably a marvelously thought-provoking analysis of a horrendous crime - but some people are less than comfortable about raising controversial themes with minors. Some of those people are the minors' parents. Those parents still get to make that call about their kids.
They aren't necessarily anti-gay, any more than someone who doesn't want to discuss open heart surgery over ice cream is anti-medicine. Those who don't believe there's a proper time and place for everything will of course disagree with those who do believe it - but they're just opinions.
Isn't the play partly about what happens when we hate people we happen to disagree with?
by
tim bristol (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 28 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 9:13:29 AM
I suppose if you (meaning you the commentator) don't like the opinion, you (meaning you the comentator) attack the writing.
The "you" I refer to is Ms. Davidow using the singular "you." Although you (meaning you the commentator) might also correctly interpret "you" referring to Davidow and Pagano (that is, the plural "you").
"They" refers to the high school students.
At any rate, the purpose of the letter isn't to add up anything, nor is your difficulty in matching words with their plain meaning a matter of concern to the author. It is clear enough to 99.5% of the audience; that you fail to comprehend is unfortunate.
I never said Davidow was evil; I believe the decision demonstrates administrative and educational incompetence.
What is controversial about a senseless murder? Or do YOU mean that it is controversial to YOU because it addresses a topic which perhaps YOU are uncomfortable with; namely, hate crimes against gay persons.
I do not believe any child is compelled to attend, nor is any parent compelled to force their child to attend, a school play.
Perhaps discussion of open heart surgery is discomforting to YOU while eating ice cream (I'm not sure I understand why), but producing "The Laramie Project" in a high school dramatic production is not, alas, discussing open heart surgery over ice cream: is it?
I don't "hate" davidow or Pagano or anyone else in this sorry incident; I do feel sorry for them, and I feel even more sorry for the students who will suffer as a result of their educational incompetence.
by
Constance Lavender (89 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 diaries, 214 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 11:40:00 AM
I can see you are passionate about the topic but the letter strikes me as being a pointless collection of abuse. What did you hope to achieve by it enlightenment? I have never seen anyone who learned anything worth while by abuse. I doubt that the principal even finished reading your tirrade. You not only wasted you time with the letter to the Principal but I doubt if you gained much worthwhile interest from this posting
There is two old folk wisdom you would be wise to remember You catch more with honey than vinegar. And Softly, softly catchy monkey.
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Andris (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 531 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 9:18:44 PM
You know, I'm not sure I was trying to accomplish anything with this letter other than to express passion. It may be unproductive in terms of this particular incident, but the reality of the matter is that I neither live, teach, nor do I have children attending the Ocean Township schools. Thankfully.
I hear 'ya regarding the sweetness and softy business, but blah.......I must disagree. Sure there is a place for syrupy sweetness and sickening softness.
The fact is that gay people are victims of senseless violence on a regular basis in this country and that is reason enough to me for everyone to be passionate.
Let's remember, it's not words that killed Mathew Shepperd...it was brutal violence targeting him because he was gay.
My goodness, if we need to censor our "passions" ----essentially intolerance of words and feelings---in order to tolerate violence, direct harm to limb and life of another human being, than I agree that we're in need of a critique of pure tolerance. Everything has limits....I don't think capturing my feelings honestly is an equivalent disservice to the banning of the play.
Nevertheless, I appreciate your sugar and syrup as a political strategy. I'm not a politician, I'm not strategizing as an interest group or advocate, I'm simply statying my opinion, however, forcefully.
There are groups that are using different tactics: like Garden State Equality. Good for them. It's their professed aim, not mine. I simply commented.
I determined a long time ago that I'm not going to ague about the issue of "homosexuality" as abnormal, unnatural, indecent, deviant, a lifestyle, etc. Homosexuality is non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned, and I have yet to see any scientific evidence or to hear any persuasive argument to change my mind, although I am still listening.
Anyway, what is your opinion on the banning of the play? You never take a stand; sugar and spice till the bitter end....
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Constance Lavender (89 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 diaries, 214 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 10:14:03 PM
BTW, regarding the suggestion f professional counseling; I do believe that is an appropriate suggestion.
I believe there is a pathology that underlies homophobia and that it is an issue that may be addressed if the person acts on their pathology: in this case the banning of the play.
by
Constance Lavender (89 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 diaries, 214 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 10:19:05 PM
There are some commentators on this site who contribute, really, nothing, but resort to the same sort of "tactics" that I've seen over and over....
They selectively take quotes out of context, resort to attacks, and refuse to argue on the merits of the idea or argument....
They have the right to do so, and I do thank and appreciate everyone who participates on Opednews and I defend their right to do so. As for me, I intend to call them on it...hhmmm, is that pure tolerance?
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Constance Lavender (89 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 diaries, 214 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 10:27:05 PM
it's always homosexuality, always tolerance of opinions, always diatribes, always passion, my goodness, if society spent as much passion on heterosexuality as we do on homosexuality perhaps there'd be no need to "defend marriage" or to deny people rights....but homosexuality is always an opinion, just a thought, just some abstract soccer ball to kick around....always, always, always.....
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Constance Lavender (89 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 diaries, 214 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 10:32:23 PM
....homosexuals can't control themselves anyway; they're so passionate; that's why we can't have them in foxholes or the whole army would turn into a first rate whorehouse because homosexuals, after all, can't control themselves....
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Constance Lavender (89 articles, 0 quicklinks, 84 diaries, 214 comments)
on Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 10:35:27 PM
The main reason I quit teaching was coming to the realization that we have created a system where only the paranoid and fearful can become "school management". It's become like a science project where your not allowed to light the bunsen burner. If you DO have courage then sooner rather than later you will be fired. How can EDUCATION take place in a vacuum.
by
davy (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 240 comments)
on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 2:35:33 AM
I would say that the event described is the example of ' shielding from the truth'. In this country we somehow create a double- hypocricy situation when we shield our children from the truth of life not because we love them but because we love ourselves. Children, exposed to the truth can challenge us, our status- quo and we are afraid of that. That has been all along not only in the US but here it reaches the ugliest of forms because people here are eager to exercise power and they do not want to restrain themselves on anything. Maybe the proper way was not to make plays but to strictly and openly tell the students about horrible consequences of the discrimination and bigotry in any form and demonstrate that on the history and on the methodology of inflicting the hate. Yes, I can come out to the class and inflict hate toward any individual student. One such example would ne enough. I remember in one movie ' The Equalizer' the protagonist took the gang of teenagers from the street and brought them to the morgue to see what death meant. That'sa what we have to show: what it means to be dead. Tough? Not on kids but on on us.
by
Mark Sashine (53 articles, 19 quicklinks, 250 diaries, 3574 comments)
on Wednesday, August 8, 2007 at 9:32:20 AM
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