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Grex > Agora46 > #131: New York City to open nation's first all-gay public high school in the fall | |
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| 25 new of 241 responses total. |
tod
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response 97 of 241:
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Aug 21 03:52 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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mynxcat
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response 98 of 241:
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Aug 21 15:18 UTC 2003 |
True, bullying is a serious issue in schools, but having a separate
school for every category of students is not the answer. Where is it
going to end? A separate school for the fatties, a separate school for
geeks, a separate school for freaks, a separate school for jocks?
Solve bullying at the core, don't create hide-outs for it
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slynne
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response 99 of 241:
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Aug 21 16:32 UTC 2003 |
What difference does it make. It isnt *really* a seperate school for
gay kids since they allow anyone in. It is, however, a school where
sexuality will be openly discussed. I dont thinkthat is really possible
in main stream schools since so many parents, teachers and fellow
students probably are resistant to the idea.
When I was growing up, their was a special school in Detroit for
immigrant kids. They did this so they could have all the 'English as a
Second Language' classes in one building. And also so these kids
wouldnt feel all alone. Of course they allowed any kid in who wanted in
so it wasnt exactly a special school for foreigners.
I think that as long as the school district allows anyone in the
district into these special schools, there is no problem with them. I
think it makes school districts better when they have lots of choices
for people. More choices is better than fewer choices. This school in
NYC is just another option for folks. If you dont like it, dont send
your kids there.
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mynxcat
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response 100 of 241:
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Aug 21 16:47 UTC 2003 |
The impression I got was this was a school for gays, and they were
contemplating how they would limit admission to it. May have changed
since then, I haven't been keeping close tabs.
If what you say is true in para 1, sure that's a great idea. But
touting it as a "gay school" isn't the right way to do it
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happyboy
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response 101 of 241:
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Aug 21 17:13 UTC 2003 |
they should make all the schools gay.
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gull
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response 102 of 241:
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Aug 21 17:23 UTC 2003 |
"Gaywads, Dorkwads Sign Historic Wad Accord"
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tod
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response 103 of 241:
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Aug 21 17:48 UTC 2003 |
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scott
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response 104 of 241:
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Aug 21 17:53 UTC 2003 |
Homer: The entire steel mill was gay!
Moe: Where you been, Homer? Whole steel industry is gay.
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tpryan
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response 105 of 241:
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Aug 21 18:15 UTC 2003 |
Sure start a school just for geeks, then you will have the geeks
competing with each other to become Big Man on Campus anyway, as they
separate the most attrative, socialily capable, knowledgeable, etc
from the geekiest of the geeks. If you don't think it would happen,
visit any Science Fiction ConVention.
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scott
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response 106 of 241:
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Aug 21 20:54 UTC 2003 |
Hey, I've got a neat idea - instead of starting a school for the population
which suffers from bullying, start a special school for the bullies. Imagine,
a high school which openly emphasizes sports. Plus they could have special
areas of study for these future jocks, like gas station management and such.
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happyboy
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response 107 of 241:
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Aug 21 23:02 UTC 2003 |
in other words you'd like special schools for *most* americans.
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tod
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response 108 of 241:
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Aug 21 23:32 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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novomit
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response 109 of 241:
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Aug 22 11:15 UTC 2003 |
You missed my point. The fact is that school administrators in general don't
give a damn. The guys who used to harass me were reported multiple times and
ignored multiple times. All it did was got them talked to once or twice and
made them madder so I had to defend myself. If they had pushed me farther,
yes, I'd have went to prison, but I was not in a position to defend myself
against five larger guys every day. I think sedning kids to "special schools"
so they can get away from bullying is fooish, but equally foolish and clueless
are those who think that it is not a serious issue. That's kind of like saying
sexual harassment in the workplace is just something ladies should be expected
to put up with.
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slynne
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response 110 of 241:
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Aug 22 11:53 UTC 2003 |
Ok, so the administration talked to the kids? What else were they
supposed to do? Spank them? There arent easy answers, unfortunately. I
dont think anyone should have to put up with bullying but I have to
wonder how much can really be done, especially when most high school
bullying is verbal and therefore not especially noticed by
administration. Maybe the victims could be encouraged to learn how to
make friends since bullies usually pick on the loners.
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novomit
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response 111 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:07 UTC 2003 |
The administration I would hope would have done the same thing as an employer
would do if someone reported criminal behaviour in the workplace. The point
is, if the administration doesn't stop it, the kids might have to do it on
their own. I found a way to stop the bullying on my own. It was a dangerous
route to take, but at that point, I could think of nothing else to do. And
trust me, the administration won't stop it. Unless you have lots of money,
anyway.
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gull
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response 112 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:08 UTC 2003 |
Re #106:
> Imagine, a high school which openly emphasizes sports.
That would be every existing high school in the country.
Re #110: It's not noticed because no one pays attention. There's an
attitude that "boys will be boys" and bullying is to be expected. You
even see that here, with people saying that it prepares kids for "the
real world." If an adult beats up another adult out on the street,
they're likely to get arrested. If a school kid beats another school
kid, they *might* get a brief talking to, and possibly a day of
after-school detention, depending on how important they are to the
football team.
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novomit
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response 113 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:12 UTC 2003 |
Exactly. If the same exact thing happened to an adult, it would be a crime.
But if it happens to a kid it is all "playing" and not to be taken seriously.
It certainly does teach you about the real world. So does getting a gun stuck
in your face. Is that what you are suggesting our schools should be like?
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tod
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response 114 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:12 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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tod
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response 115 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:13 UTC 2003 |
This response has been erased.
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novomit
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response 116 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:14 UTC 2003 |
Its not always fighting, but the threat of violence. It rarely gets to the
point of fighting . . . how can one guy fight a whole gang of other people?
And most of the time at my Junior High, a blind eye was turned to almost
anything.
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novomit
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response 117 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:16 UTC 2003 |
I just mentioned it because it was something that I did to defend myself. I
don't like guns, and I certainly wouldn't have thought of using one had I any
other option. But you have to defend yourself. No one else will.
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slynne
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response 118 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:23 UTC 2003 |
you do know that pulling a gun on these other kids is way worse than
anything they were doing to you, right? Verbal threats are wrong, it's
true but what do you expect the school administrators to do when you go
tell them that you have been verbally threatened? I would expect them
to talk to the boys, which they *did*.
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novomit
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response 119 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:27 UTC 2003 |
If you have been harassed and threatened with violence, and occasionally hit
or abused by people for an extended period of time, you wouldn't think that
it was so reasonable. Suppose there were a group of people where you worked
who were continually harassing you, and you knew that they were totally free
to continue in any way that they chose. You reported them and they were told
to stop and then the aggression increased. At what point do you say "enough
is enough"? Like the poster above said, if you stick up for yourself you are
in trouble, if you don't then just learn to enjoy the abuse I guess. Why not
"talk" to rapists and tell them not to do any such naughty things again? It
doesn't work.
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gull
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response 120 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:50 UTC 2003 |
I never pulled a gun on someone, but I sure fantasized about it a lot.
I would have been sorely tempted if I'd actually had access to a handgun.
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novomit
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response 121 of 241:
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Aug 22 13:57 UTC 2003 |
Yeah, I phantasised about if a good bit as well. I actually started carrying
the thing about a week before the incident. I guess it made me feel a bit
safer than before, since it would sort of equalise the force if it came
necessary to use it. But I didn't think I had the balls to actually do it.
Then when this guy and some of his buddies came and pushed me down and started
harassing me again, I didn't think, I just reached in my bag and pointed it.
It was a dumb thing to do and obviously wrong, but when you're 14 and nobody
listens to you when you tell them you are being attacked, harassed and
intimidated daily, your options are limited. BTW, the leader of this little
"gang" that made a habit of kicking my butt in junior high is now in prison
for first degree murder himself. Don't tell me that these guys weren't serious
when they threatened people . . . they were.
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