Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Once again, I think it's presumptive to say that they canceled the entire prom just to deny access to a gay student. I think it's easy to ignore the liability issues involved in a situation this if you are outside the situation, but when you are immediately involved, like the school board, the issues of potential violence at the prom, and the resultant liability have a profound resonance. School boards members are elected to their positions to consider just these kinds of issues. Not just if it's fair not to allow lesbian couples to attend prom, but the possibility that the prom will be disrupted, not by the lesbian couple, but by homophobic responses to the lesbian couple. The school board is charged with protecting our children. If they didn't think about possible repercussions, then they would be negligent. Please understand, I'm not defending the discrimination that is integral to this mess, but I think that if we're choosing sides, then we should at least do so thoughtfully, and try to inform ourselves. This isn't just a matter of philosophy, this is real life, and so some pragmatism is involved.
It is also presumptive on your behalf to assume the students share the concerns as the school board. How do you know the students will react violently? How does the school board know the students will riot? Thus far there has been no reported threats by students to boycott or riot had the student been allowed to attend. We can't assume the students share the exact thoughts of the school board. The students may be Evangelical but may also not place as much concern with the attendance of their gay classmate as the school board. How do you know the school board isn't being patronizing? I agree we should be take all into consideration but we shouldn't leap to conclusions when there is no evidence to justify that conclusion.
I can tell you that I'm sure they did have a plan to deal with incidental violence occurring. That's the whole business with chaperones and maintenance being on hand. Many schools also have a police officer or two hired as security. But it's different when in a situation like this you have a focus for the violence. And the school board members have to take that into consideration.
There's no evidence of "a situation." There's no factual basis of violence between straight and gay factions at the school. You're creating a completely fictional situation and then trying to use it to rationalize a homophobic and discriminatory decision by a bigoted school board.
What a bs answer. The school board is trying to cancel the prom because they are a bunch of bigots. Occam's Razor.
How many large public gatherings have you ever organized, rhinestone?
Because I've done quite a few. And I can tell you that the decision to cancel an event goes beyond bigotry. School board members are elected to think about much more than their own prejudices. Why don't you call some of your own local school board members and ask what's involved with putting together an event like a prom for students, and ensuring their safety and well-being? What happens if violence breaks out and students are injured? Your local school board members will likely be happy to share with you the numerous concerns they have when planning events such as these.
How many large public gatherings have you ever organized, rhinestone? Because I've done quite a few. And I can tell you that the decision to cancel an event goes beyond bigotry. School board members are elected to think about much more than their own prejudices. Why don't you call some of your own local school board members and ask what's involved with putting together an event like a prom for students, and ensuring their safety and well-being? What happens if violence breaks out and students are injured? Your local school board members will likely be happy to share with you the numerous concerns they have when planning events such as these.
May I ask what makes you think the school board's decision to cancel prom was based on safety and not discrimination. There is overwhelming evidence to suggest the latter so I'm curious what led you to your thinking aside from personal experience organizing public gatherings?
There's no evidence of "a situation." There's no factual basis of violence between straight and gay factions at the school. You're creating a completely fictional situation and then trying to use it to rationalize a homophobic and discriminatory decision by a bigoted school board.
No, I'm not. The fact that the school had an existing policy against same-sex couples attending the prom indicates that there was homophobic tension in the community. Nothing fictional about that. The fact that the school is located in the bible belt, and that some churches in the bible belt actually preach against homosexuality. Nothing fictional about that. The school doesn't have to consider how probable it might be that something should happen. The school board members have to consider whether it's possible, and what the best steps are to eliminating that possibility. That's their job.
And I've already stated that I think the policy was ridiculous, and I fully support this girl's right to attend the prom. I'm not trying to rationalize anything. I'm trying to draw people's attention to what other things the school board members might have been thinking about. Because it is the job of the school board to think about EVERYTHING that could affect a child's safety at a school-sponsored event.
You keep talking about Christians under attack. I'd suggest the Christians under attack are this lesbian couple who have been mistreated by the school.
where have i used the phrase christians under attack?
How many large public gatherings have you ever organized, rhinestone?
Because I've done quite a few. And I can tell you that the decision to cancel an event goes beyond bigotry. School board members are elected to think about much more than their own prejudices. Why don't you call some of your own local school board members and ask what's involved with putting together an event like a prom for students, and ensuring their safety and well-being? What happens if violence breaks out and students are injured? Your local school board members will likely be happy to share with you the numerous concerns they have when planning events such as these.
Sorry won't wash. The board was willing to have the prom until a lesbian couple wanted to come. There's zero factual basis for the assertion that such a changed alters the security situation at the prom.
You're allowed to have you own opinion. You're not allowed to have your own facts.
Please define what the problem was/is, as you see it, and explain why it was/is a problem in the first place.
You ducked this question at least once, but it has to be answered before you can play the "there's no discrimination because there's no prom for anyone" card.
ACLU filed threatened a suit against the policy that you must bring a member of the opposite sex to a prom.
School board saw the problem. they had two choice to correct the problem. Change the policy or have no prom. With no prom the policy has no substance. No prom no discrimination.
It is there right to solve the issue how they choose
where have i used the phrase christians under attack?
Post # 168.
You didn't say "christians under attack", but you did say "go after...with hatred". Same thing.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
