NAPERVILLE IL SCHOOLS EMBRACE HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA
Filed Under MISCELLANEOUS, NEWS OF INTEREST, SECULARComments Off
IFI Media Watch
4/3/2007 7:28:00 PM
By Dan Zanoza
Those who believe public schools should teach children the basics might be concerned over what’s been happening in the west Chicagoland suburb of Naperville during the last few years.
Some believe there is a political agenda being advanced in Naperville schools concerning the issue of homosexuality. Of course, these allegations aren’t new. For the last 30 years, educators have apparently been using America’s public education system to re-educate young people. Quite honestly, liberal social activists admit children must be taught to be more “tolerant” of alternative lifestyles. And what better way to change the thinking of an entire generation than by implementing that change to a captive audience of children who attend the nation’s public schools.
It seems Naperville has decided to take the lead in the assault on traditional values. On Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 the Alliance Defense Fund, filed a lawsuit on behalf of two Neuqua Valley High School students. Allegedly, the Naperville school violated the First Amendment rights of a student who made her opinion known regarding the commemoration of a day meant to encourage so-called “tolerance” towards gay and lesbian students.
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is a conservative, Christian-based litigation group headquartered in Arizona. The ADF alleges Heidi Zamecnik was discriminated against when she wore a T-shirt that read “MY DAY OF SILENCE, STRAIGHT ALLIANCE” on the front and “BE HAPPY, NOT GAY” on the back. Heidi, who wore her shirt to school to counter the message advanced by something called a “National Day of Silence,” was forced to remove the “offensive” clothing, which prompted her lawsuit against the Neuqua School. Homosexual activists have convinced many school districts to recognize this “special” day in the effort to “inform” their charges regarding homosexuality.
Wheaton Warrenville High School District 200 has created more controversy during the current school year. Parents complained to the School District about a series of R-rated movies which are being shown to students. The movies depict explicit sexual activity, nudity, extreme violence and highly provocative language. When parents complained, saying they were not adequately warned about the content of the films, educators again put up a wall of resistance.
“I don’t even know how you’d edit scenes out of these films to make them appropriate for students to view,” Mark Rissman, a parent, told the Illinois Family Institute (IFI). “These movies are very edgy, R-rated movies clearly meant for adult viewing.” Rissman said some of the films scheduled to be shown were definitely inappropriate for such an audience that included very impressionable children.
“We are looking for transparency from school administrators,” Rissman added. “To this point, the process has hardly been transparent and, what I’ve heard so far, leads me to the conclusion being transparent is not a priority of the School District.”
Wheaton Warrenville High School has set up a committee to study the issue and plans are to eventually form a permanent panel whose purpose will be to screen the movies and documentaries to be shown to students in the future.
Rissman was not invited to have a role in the committee studying the problem. Rissman makes some excellent points in his assessment of the situation. Rissman says children would be required to bring a parent with them in order to view R-rated films in private theaters. Yet these same films are being shown to children who may not be emotionally equipped to deal with the subject matter.
“As an adult, I would have a hard time watching some of these films,” said Rissman. “I would hope educators would have demonstrated greater foresight when it comes to how such material might affect young people.”
Rissman also pointed out that if students used some of the language that was prevalent in these movies, they would be suspended or expelled. Unfortunately, Rissman’s arguments make too much sense. Rissman had his 16 year old son opt out of the series, and the youngster sat in the library when theses movies were being shown.
What’s going on at these schools contradicts the message being promoted by social scientists and educators themselves. Often, parents are ridiculed for not being involved in their children’s education. Yet, from the actions illustrated in these stories, parents are encouraged to keep their opinions to themselves regarding how their children are being taught in public schools.
The message is: school administrators and teachers know what’s best for students–even though every young person has a different psychological profile. Certainly, in our modern culture, there are children who may be able to handle such graphic material. In the same sense, there are many children who cannot. Also, it is obviously clear that public schools are participating in the effort to re-educate an entire generation–even though such moral teachings may be in direct conflict with the social and religious views of parents. Did Heidi have the right to voice a differing opinion concerning a controversial issue? According to Neuqua Valley High School, the answer is “no.”
Therefore, a coalition of pro-family groups, including the Illinois Family Institute, is encouraging parents and students to boycott this year’s “Day of Silence” which is scheduled for April 18th.
“If parents disagree with what’s going on regarding the ‘Day of Silence’ they should keep their children home,” said Dave Smith, IFI’s Executive Director. “Perhaps this peaceful demonstration will help draw a line in the proverbial sand. Public schools need to understand many parents do not want the values they’ve spent years instilling in their children undermined when they are at school.”
“The ‘Day of Silence’ is a pro-homosexual propaganda event targeting school children,” said Peter LaBarbera, Director of Americans For Truth (AFT) and Real Civil Rights Illinois. “We are calling on parents to pull their kids out of school on the ‘Day of Silence’ if they determine the school has endorsed this pro-’gay’ event. Schools are for learning the basics–not for social re-engineering. We are tired of the classroom being hijacked to promote an activist agenda that is hostile to Judeo-Christian values.”