Morality in schools?

[rock_nog]

Okay, so I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands. Firstly, I should explain that since graduating from college, I decided I would go into teaching, so I got myself a job as a teaching assistant working in a special program for troubled high school students (to pay the bills before I could get around to getting my teaching license and all that, and to get a sample of working in a school). I've been there most of the year, and aside from some of the abuse I have to sometimes take (remember, troubled high school students, so being cussed out regularly is part of the job description), it's been okay.

However, there's one think that bugs me, and that's their attitude toward homosexuality. Just today, a couple of students were talking about how wrong they think being gay is.

It really bothered me, both because I don't believe there's anything wrong with being gay in general and because one of my best friends is gay. However, since they weren't being inappropriate, I could not tell them to stop (they weren't being derogatory or anything, just expressing their opinions). I wanted to say something, but it occurred to me that everyone is entitled to their opinion, as a teaching assistant, if I tried to force my personal opinions on them, that would be an abuse of whatever authority I have. I say personal opinion because honestly, I can't really say that my stance is anything but that. There are no laws against being homophobic, no rules, no nothing, and a lot of people think that being gay is wrong.

So anyway, I was just looking for advice. I think I did the right thing by not forcing my viewpoint on them, but on the other hand, it really does bother me to hear people talk like that (being very openly homophobic, not necessarily the language they use), and these students do it constantly.

[Beldaran]

Well, you can voice reasonable opposition without "forcing your views" on someone. You could just stop them and say something like,

"You know, you are entitled to your opinions about gay people, but I urge you to consider that they are just normal people with a different sexual preference and I hope someday you'll learn to be more tolerant of people that aren't just like you."

I'm pretty sure you're not going to get in trouble with the administration for giving a voice to tolerance.

[mrz84]

I agree with what Beldy said. The same thing happened with some of my claasmates when I was in school back in...whenever.... Anyways, the youth of today (the the general public to be be exact) don't approve of gayness. I just think they aren't open-minded enough. :kitty:

[rock_nog]

It's not my concern about the administration, it's just that I feel I'd be hypocritical if I forced my viewpoints on others, as I'm always going on about how everyone is entitled to their own opinions. You know, trying to be better than the people I disagree with and all that... Who are always trying to force their viewpoints on everyone else. I mean, what does it matter what someone says if they're forced to say it, anyway?

[phattonez]

I agree with what Beldy said. The same thing happened with some of my claasmates when I was in school back in...whenever.... Anyways, the youth of today (the the general public to be be exact) don't approve of gayness. I just think they aren't open-minded enough. :kitty:

From my experience, the general public of the adolescent age is very approving of gayness. They accept them more willingly than you may think. Although the usual "you're gay" joke gets tossed around pretty well.

[rock_nog]

From my experience, the general public of the adolescent age is very approving of gayness. They accept them more willingly than you may think. Although the usual "you're gay" joke gets tossed around pretty well.
In this case, it's definitely not the usual "you're gay" jokes. More of a "I think gay people are just gross and wrong and I'm not gay so I'd never want to be near them." You know, it's just they act like being gay is contagious or something, like associating with gay people will make you gay.

[Beldaran]

So your dilemma is that you don't stand for anything, yet you're confused by your revulsion at other people's behavior.

Well, I think my views are superior to everyone else's and if I had the power I would ruthlessly force my views on everyone. Since my views are those of reason, tolerance, and scientific progress, I think forcing these ideals on people can only make the world a better place, since the only people who disagree with me are narrow minded, would-be oppressors who do nothing but make life worse for everyone else.

Everyone who disagrees with me is meaningless. They could die for all I care. I do not consider it immoral to kill people who disagree with my views.

If you find this reprehensible or contradictory, consider whether you would feel bad about killing a nazi warlord who was murdering innocents for fun. I wouldn't feel bad either.

EDIT: not that I would kill those two kids. :) Only if they attacked me with an army of jack booted fantatics.

[Cloral]

It's not my concern about the administration, it's just that I feel I'd be hypocritical if I forced my viewpoints on others, as I'm always going on about how everyone is entitled to their own opinions. You know, trying to be better than the people I disagree with and all that... Who are always trying to force their viewpoints on everyone else. I mean, what does it matter what someone says if they're forced to say it, anyway?

I have to say that it's great to hear that you're having a personal dilemma with this. I mean, most people have no problem trying to assert their personal stance on others. The fact that you worry about doing this means you really care about what you're doing. I wholeheartedly agree with you on your stance on homosexuality, and I too would be reviled by the sort of attitude the kids are displaying. And in a personal encounter with them I would have no problem telling them how off-base they are. But the problem here is that you are a teacher, and henceforth a representative of the government. And in my mind, the government has no place teaching or legislating morality. It is up to each family to decide the morals and values they wish to pass on to their kids. While I find the 'values' some families try to pass on utterly despicable, I have to respect their rights as Americans to have different values than my own. Because I would expect that if they were in a position of power, they would respect my difference of opinion in the same way. Whether this would actually be true or not I cannot say, but I believe that we have to operate under this assumption or we will never be able to coexist in this country.

That said, you should pay close attention to their behavior. If things move beyond idle statements of 'I believe this is wrong' to statements more along the line of 'homosexuals need to be beaten', then it becomes your responsibility to do something. Otherwise, it could lead to violence. And while that violence may be justified under their messed-up values system, one's values can never justify violating the rights of another. As I like to say, your rights end at the tip of your nose.