Within the next three to five years, our nation will undergo a sea change in its perception of gay rights, including the rights of gay couples to marry. (Southern Baptists & the Homosexual Culture)
What, pray tell, will bring about this sea change when it comes to perceptions of gay rights within our country? What will change the hearts and minds of Americans regarding gay marriage? If you answered, “start with the children,” then you are onto something. And, the younger the better. With the recently enacted SB48 that would require California’s public schools to begin teaching “homosexual history” to students as young as six, this new law:
prohibits any school material or instruction that reflects adversely on homosexuality, bisexuality or transgenderism, and prohibits parents from removing children from classes over offensive material. (see here)
With totalitarian state guidelines which forbid parents to even opt out of having their children taught such blatantly radical propaganda, there is every reason for Christian parents (and those parents who object to the sexual indoctrination of their children) to pull their kids out of the public schools in California. I fully recognize that there are Christian teachers and administrators scattered throughout California’s public schools who are trying their best to fulfill God’s call in their lives. I applaud all such teachers — in California and elsewhere — who have willingly taken on the challenges of the public schools in order to serve as a Christian witness in an increasingly dark world. However, children should not be willingly subjected to such darkness and radical ideas masquerading as “education.”
If parents withdraw their children from public schools in California and other school districts, like New York City (which is trying to include gay marriage curriculum into its classes), then how will children’s perceptions about gay rights be changed? Well, if Lair Scott (no relation as far as I know) of Oak Park, IL has her way, Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie will inspire children (and adults) to embrace gay marriage as the norm in America.
Ms. Scott started an online petition on August 4 which calls for Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie to get married — to one another — in a same-sex wedding to be performed on the long-running show. As one who watched Sesame Street as a young child and who enjoyed the antics of these two best friends — along with the other colorful characters, including Grover, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and the Cookie Monster (but NOT Mr. Snuffleupagus, the Jar Jar Binks of his day) — this petition would be funny if it were not so sad.
In language that would make George Orwell proud, a portion of the online petition states:
We are not asking that Sesame Street do anything crude or disrespectful by allowing Bert & Ernie to marry. It can be done in a tasteful way.
I won’t even try to comment on what is and is not crude about using characters from a popular children’s television program to agitate for gay marriage. Regardless of what your opinion is on gay marriage, the entire spectacle would be tasteless. And, as to being disrespectful, I suppose if you don’t think that using Bert and Ernie in a publicly televised gay marriage on PBS is not crude or tasteless, then you will certainly not see it as disrespectful. Of course, many Americans — even some who may support gay rights and gay marriage — will find a wedding ceremony involving Bert and Ernie as more than a tad unseemly.
However, as of last night, the 3,750 people who have thus far signed the online petition must like the idea of these two men tying the knot. With more publicity, there is no doubt that this number will grow rather quickly. While I vehemently disagree with the purposes of Ms. Scott’s petition, I acknowledge that she has every right to advocate for gay marriage and to try to get Sesame Street to unite Bert and Ernie in matrimony.
Thankfully, unlike California’s public schools which will soon prohibit that which “reflects adversely on homosexuality, bisexuality or transgenderism,” I can still write and speak out against such overt indoctrination. To the Children’s Television Workshop and PBS I say, “Leave Bert and Ernie alone!” Surely there are more appropriate — and less controversial and distasteful — ways of proclaiming a pro-gay marriage message.
Counselor:
I’ve read your article, including the cited article from Catholic Anchor Online, and I have a question relating to the new California law:
In the CAO’s article, they state that the California law ” . . . prohibits parents from removing children from classes over offensive material.” In your post, you echo that the ” . . . state guidelines . . . forbid parents to even opt out . . . .”
As I read that, I was curious as to how such a positive law could be fashioned so as not to be declared blatantly unconstitutional. California’s obviously known for pushing the legal envelope, but that seemed a bit over the top, even for them.
I pulled up the enacted SB 48, available on the California State Legislature’s website. I even read the original bill, as introduced, and followed it through committees and revisions. From what I read, however, I can’t find any language relating to this prohibition. As far as I can see, it appears to be nothing more than a typical California-style law which prohibits textbooks and curricula from including material discriminatory to the LGBT demographic. There is also one provision which broadly dictates that all curricula shall include “a study of the role and contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups . . . .”
I’m curious as to how this new law prohibits parents from removing their children lessons concerning LGBT individuals. (I’ll freely admit that I’m not expert in California law; so perhaps I could be missing something here.)
Zack,
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. As to an “opt out” not being available for parents, it is my understanding that California law allows parents to specifically opt out their children from sex education classes. However, as this curriculum would not be included in the sex education classes, but would be part of a more broad history curriculum, then no opt out option would be affored parents. While I may have practiced law (in Florida), I admittedly am relying upon the interpretation of others regarding this particular opt out problem. I did some brief searching this morning and multiple sites (mostly conservative/religious) all had the same interpretation as to the lack of an opt out provision. I (and they) could well be wrong, but it would not surprise me if parents were not allowed to opt out. Thanks again for stopping by. Have a great day and God bless,
Howell
How about Burt and Ernie start a Bivle Study Group instead?
Ferrell,
It would certainly be a lot preferable to having them get married. But, could you imagine the outcry if Bert, Ernie or any of the characters on Sesame Street said anything remotely positive about Jesus or Christianity? Regardless of how one feels about gay marriage, the idea of Bert and Ernie getting married — and televising it no less — is absurd. Thanks taking the time to read and comment today. God bless,
Howell