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From: mahler@mss.UUCP (mahler)
Newsgroups: net.singles,net.politics
Subject: Re: Homosexual teachers- a serious question
Message-ID: <219@mss.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 21-Jul-84 16:02:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: mss.219
Posted: Sat Jul 21 16:02:46 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 24-Jul-84 03:44:36 EDT
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Organization: Mayfield Senior School, Pasadena, Ca
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     While I didn't see the article that started this discussion, the one
quote that I saw from it, and the flavor of a couple of the responses has
me concerned.
     I teach at a high school, and the idea that public pressure should be
just cause for the removal of a teacher is questionalble at best (or at 
least I feel it is questionalble). For one thing, we need to recognize that
the majority (of parents, of teachers, of the public, etc.) has a remarkable
tendency to exhibit sheep herd qualities. This is to say that they can be
easily whipped up into a frenzy without actually examining what they're get-
ting worked up about. All of Germany got worked up during the 30's and 40's,
but would you say that they were right to remove Jewish teachers from the
schools? The public in Tennessee called for the removal of a teacher who
taugh Darwin's theory of the origin of species. Were they right to do this?
I'm not saying that either the state of Tennessee or the Germans didn't have
the legal right to do what they wanted to with their teachers, but I do
question whether they were RIGHT to exercise that right.
     Another point that I would raise, is the question of a parent's
qualifications. I would not suggest that all teachers know what is best for
their students, nor would I say that teachers necessarily know more about
education than parents. I would, however, suggest that an experienced
teacher might have a better idea of what he/she is up to in the classroom,
than a parent who objects to the subject matter, or the methodology of a
class. The reason I raise this point at all, is because I believe that
opening a teachers lifestyle to public scrutiny and approval will lead to
opening their opinions, beliefs, and methods of teaching to the same sort
of scrutiny, and the same sort of threat of removal for holding to ways
not approved of by the majority.
    Lastly (I realize I'm running on a bit here), I think that the question
about the teacher's sexual preference is irrelevant. So long as a teacher
does not flaunt, or try to coerce students into, his/her sexual orientation,
that orientation is nobody's damned business. It is as wrong to glorify
and flaunt hetrosexuality in the classroom as it is to do the same with
homosexuality.
    Okay. I've said enough. Sorry if this was too long winded.


						 Barry A. Long
						 mss!mahler