Posterphobia

San Leandro. Urban sprawl. Youth gangs. A teacher wins a lawsuit over teaching gay rights. Now they have posters up in each class promoting tolerance. It was believed that a few highly-religious teachers were not going to comply, for that reason. Media hotspot now.

As it turns out, all complied. The prinicipal said she appreciates their beliefs, but it is board policy.

Excuse me? You lose a lawsuit and everyone else has to look at this politically-correct, gay tolerance-promoting poster all day? That's crap. This has nothing to do with gay tolerance. It's all about covering your ass. The kids are still going to throw out insults and verbal abuse.

How about talking to the kids instead of putting up a piece of paper that is supposed to do the job for you. How about having the custodian put them up in every class. That's his job. Or yours. Oh, having each teacher put his/her own poster up is supposed to show that you're tolerant? I think not. Sounds more like a control issue for the prinicipal.

Besides, all you're doing is putting up a blank canvas for kids to mark up when the teacher is out of the room. I'd like to see these posters a month from now. Covered in graffitti. Some probably even torn down.

Personally, in my class, I would verbally-abuse any kid who exhibited any racist or homophobic tendencies. Put the shoe on the other foot. No wait, can't do that. The kid who insulted others would get upset and go the principal on me. No, how about I tell the principal, you want this up in my class, do it yourself. This isn't about the issues. This is damage control.

Where are the posters about suicide assistance? Teen suicides are up and 86% are males. I wouldn't be surprised if the principal said the posters would probably bring that percentage down, considering the possibility that many of the teen deaths are attributed to them being ridiculed based on their sexual preference.

Me? I wouldn't put any poster up. And I would use the premise that it's on principle. It isn't about gay rights or racism. It's not about promoting tolerance. It's damage control, after losing a million dollar judgement on the subject. It's politics, baby. You mean to tell me that if one teacher doesn't put up the poster, some kid is not going to see it, and thus, not become more tolerant of people's life choices? Uh, unless these kids spend the whole day in that one class, I don't think so.

No, no poster for me. Fire me. Wrongful termination. Then you can shell out another million. Then put the damn poster up yourself. (So I can draw a moustache on it)