California Education: Schools Devote May 22 to the Gay Lifestyle?
Harvey Milk
Do you know who Harvey Milk was? If you live in California and you don’t know who he was, you will soon find out.
According to the wording of Bill AB 2567:
“He was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in a major city of the United States. He was assassinated in 1978 at San Francisco’s City Hall by a political rival. Perhaps more than any other modern figure, Harvey Milk’s life and political career embody the rise of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement in California, across the nation, and throughout the world.”
According to a local news report:
“Today (August 7th), the California Assembly passed AB 2567 on a 43 to 26 vote, Democrats for, Republicans against. Earlier this week, AB 2567 passed the California State Senate on a 22-13 vote, Democrats for, Republicans against. AB 2567 now goes to Governor Schwarzenegger, whose position is unknown.”
Per Randy Thomasson, President of Campaign for Children and Families (CCF), a leading California organization allegedly protecting parents’ rights and children’s innocence:
“If signed into law, AB 2567 will mean an official day commemorating homosexuality, bisexuality, and transsexuality in California government schools. This will harm children as young as kindergarten. Every May 22, AB 2567 will positively portray to children homosexual experimentation, homosexual ‘marriages,’ sex-change operations, and anything else that’s ‘in the closet.’ “
The transcript of the AB 2567 continues:
“(y) Harvey Milk’s life and social contributions have left an indelible mark on the history of our nation and hold a special meaning for the people of California.
SEC. 2. Section 37222 of the Education Code is amended to read:
37222. (a) The following days in each year are designated and set apart as days having special significance:
(1) The second Wednesday in May as the Day of the Teacher.
(2) April 21 of each year as John Muir Day.
(3) April 6 of each year as California Poppy Day.
(4) May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day.
(b) On each of the days designated in subdivision (a), all public schools and educational institutions are encouraged to observe those days and to conduct suitable commemorative exercises as follows:
(1) On the Day of the Teacher, exercises commemorating and directing attention to teachers and the teaching profession.
(2) On John Muir Day, exercises stressing the importance that an ecologically sound natural environment plays in the quality of life for all of us, and emphasizing John Muir’s significant contributions to the fostering of that awareness and the indelible mark he left on the State of California.
(3) On California Poppy Day, exercises honoring the California Poppy, including instruction about native plants, particularly the California Poppy, and the economic and aesthetic value of wildflowers; promoting responsible behavior toward our natural resources and a spirit of protection toward them; and emphasizing the value of natural resources and conservation of natural resources.
(4) On Harvey Milk Day, exercises remembering the life of Harvey Milk and recognizing his accomplishments as well as the contributions he made to this state.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the exercises encouraged in this section be integrated into the regular school program, and be conducted by the school or institution within the amount otherwise budgeted for educational programs. [Emphasis added.]“
This bill is a perfect example of how legislation gets passed by combining innocuous, and even worthy, ideas with those that are detrimental to the populous. (I’ll let you decide which items I’m referring to.)
We must remember, though the article states Governor Swartzenegger’s position is unknown, the following California legal precedents should be kept in mind:
- Governor Arnie signed SB 777 into law.
- Homosexual marriages were recently legalized in the state.
- It was recently decided that to legally Homeschool (the choice of most conservative Christian families in California), a parent must have a teaching certificate (NOT required elsewhere in the nation).
I may take lots of criticism for saying so, but I am SO GLAD all my grandchildren are out of California schools.
Where is education going? We already know:
- Almost 70% of America’s eighth-graders do not read at grade level.
- Our 15-year-olds rank 25th in math and 21st in science in global competition.
- Graduation rates have dropped to ONLY 25% in some of our larger urban cities.
Where are the priorities for straightening out our schools?
Disgusted!
Brennan
PLEASE NOTE: In an addendum to the above post: On August 9th, in a unanimous decision, the California Court of Appeal for the Second Appellate District ruled that “California statutes permit home schooling as a species of private school education.” This is a victory for those who want to homeschool their child/children in California.
Filed under: Education News, Wacky Off-Topics
God forbid that one of your children or grandchildren turn out to be gay — not for what it would do to you but for the hell they would go through being related to you. Why is loving and caring for someone else such a bad thing, and what does their gender and your gender have anything to do with it? Milk died because of bigotry and homophobia, not because he did anything to deserve it. For being honest and open and courageous, he should be a role model to everyone, not just gay kids.
Harvey Milk was murdered by a man who wanted revenge for being fired from his job for his political and anti-homosexual beliefs. I would not wish murder on anyone, no matter their sexual orientation, but it appears that Milk WAS able to utilize his position to punish someone who disagreed with HIS beliefs. Unfortunately, that person retaliated in a horrible way, when he was unable to get his job back.
For the record: That man also murdered the mayor of San Francisco, prior to killing Mr. Milk.
Whether Harvey Milk should be a role model to everyone is a matter of personal opinion. Obviously we differ on that.There are many honest, open and courageous individuals in the USA, but we don’t dedicate a day in taxpayer-funded public schools to honor them, or their chosen lifestyles.
I fully expect that many people disagree with my views on this matter. That is one of the things that makes this country still great. I am just as entitled to my opinion as you are to yours. I am also just as entitled to think I am correct, as you do.
Oh my….the stats look appalling!! From where I come from, these type of stats would look totally unacceptable to our government. I am not saying that our government here is superior to any other parts of the world. We have little “choice” as we are resource-scarce nation. We need to develop our only resource - people. So education is key here and every child must receive a minimum level of schooling.
Thank you for your input, Evelyn,
Sooner or later, the average American citizen must realize that our people are our most important resource also.
No matter how wealthy our country is, or how many millionaires and other resources we have, we are headed for trouble if we are raising a generation of youngsters that are not prepared to take stewardship.
That was the point of this article. In spite of the disaster that public education has become in this great country, too many people are focused on their own political agenda, rather than straightening out the mess that public education has become.
I will take abuse for my viewpoints, but that does NOT mean I am incorrect. As you say “education is key”. WHAT we are teaching our children is critically important to the future of this nation.
[...] Title: California Education: Schools Devote May 22 to the Gay Lifestyle? [...]
Wow, what is next?
Adolf Hitler day?
Charles Manson day?
Our schools are going down the drain. School budgets are being cut dramatically and arts and other mind expanding programs are being cut. All this and our state leaders are trying to get a holiday for a man who happened to be gay and hold an office. There have been many people who’ve achieved political offices in difficult circumstances and we don’t have holidays for them. I don’t see what Milk did that makes him deserve a holiday. We have so many better things to worry about and our lawmakers are wasting their time with things that aren’t helping our students. They should be more worried about the future of this country because if students aren’t educated well enough every noble cause will fail because no one will know how to handle them.
Sorry to take so long to approve and respond to comments. My computer had to have an entire System Restore and I’ve been incommunicado for FOUR DAYS!
@Jim - Can’t say I would compare Harvey Milk to Adolph Hitler or Charles Manson (though I am opposed to the lifestyle he championed), I just think this is another part of special interest propaganda that has no place in our schools and that adds to the REAL PROBLEMS in education by diverting funds and attention from EDUCATION ISSUES.
@Julia - I absolutely agree that we need to be more concerned about the future of our students and the disgraceful educational levels in our schools than honoring an individual simply because he championed his sexual orientation. Actually, they are not proposing a holiday, but a day DEVOTED to honoring his lifestyle and his “contributions”.