English teacher suspended for assigning article

Doug wrote:

http://www.myjournalcourier.com/news/article-24294-suspended-teacher.html

 Southwestern High School English teacher has been suspended after reports he had students in his classes to read an article about homsexuality in the animal kingdom.

Dan Delong of Carlinville acknowledged his suspension but declined to comment further until he spoke with his union representative.

Delong is said to have allowed students to read the article "The Gay Animal Kingdom" from the June 7, 2006, edition of Seed magazine. Seed magazine is a science and culture publication.

 

The horror!!!

This is ridiculous. I personally view human homosexual behaviour as being morally wrong, yet even I can't see anything wrong with what this teacher has done. As far as I can tell, he was presenting scientific facts. Of course it might be legitimate to ask how this knowledge could be applied in service to our fellow man. Some might say it has no significance for us at all and is just a waste of time, while others may view it as evidence that homosexual behaviour among humans is perfectly normal. Yet others might argue that just because animals can do it doesn't mean we can do it. I'd even have nothing wrong with the teacher sharing his views on this as long as he does not impose them and allows the pupils to share their views openly. To try to sensor science out of fear that it might give wrong ideas is not a solution. If a person believes that human homosexual behaviour is morally wrong, it's not up to him to sensor any science that might appear to counter his views. Besides, morality and science are two distinct things. They do overlap to the degree that we can apply sience to good or evil ends, but they are still two different things, and so those who disagree with homosexuality should accept the scientific facts and argue their case on moral or other grounds, and not try to sensor science.

Catchfire wrote:

Quote:

I personally view human homosexual behaviour as being morally wrong...

Um, then what are you doing on this website?

I'm not allowed to share ideas? I have ideas that are more in line with the left, and some that are more in line with the right, and some along the middle. So I guess by that token I should be banned from any political website, be it left or right, unless I misunderstood you of course.

I ought to point out too that my views on homosexual behaviour have no bearing on my views of homosexuals as persons deserving of respect. But of course if your view is that only the purest of left ideologues are allowed to share ideas here, then just how strict ought the standard to be? To what degree do we allow for the free flow of ideas?

Well, here's a start: homosexual "behaviour" is inextricable from "homosexuals as persons." And here's another: it's not an "idea" that homosexual behaviour is "morally wrong." It's homophobia and it's not allowed on babble. I'd suggest that if you have any more "ideas" like that one, you keep them to yourself.