I'll Take My Chances With the Bully
The federal government, under the guise of fighting bullies, is proposing requiring teachers to spy on their students' facebook pages on a daily basis. Any student who expresses an unacceptable viewpoint would then have to be punished. Schools that do not comply would be subject to being sued.
Under these rules, a christian student who makes note of the fact that the Bible condemns homosexuality would be punished as a bully for expressing a bigoted viewpoint. This places the teacher and the school as anti-christ warriors tasked with the job of destroying the freedom of speech of anyone who isn't on board with the hard line, liberal hatred of religion.
The small minded nature of the rules would put Christian teachers in the position of having to punish their Christian students for taking a Christian position on a moral issue.
The rules would not stop real bullies from being bullies. It would simply drive them off the internet, back to more traditional methods of whispering campaigns or direct confrontation. The real bullies would escape punishment. Only students who are expressing a sincerely held view would be punished, meaning the real problem would go unresolved and the government would become the biggest bully in the school, aiming its unwelcome force directly at anyone who isn't willing to comply with the edicts of a bigoted, anti-christian taskmaster.
A bully might be able to say mean things to or about their victim, but by and large it doesn't go beyond that. Bullies who engage in violence are subject to criminal sanctions, making them reluctant to go to that level. Bullies who cross that line under current laws risk winding up in a world of hurt. The new rules would do little to nothing to enhance the current ability of schools to address the problem.
By contrast, the schools would now become much worse than any bully. The anti-religion zeal of the new rules would put the schools in the position of being able to destroy a Christian student's ability to get into a decent college, damaging their entire future.
Bullies often face peer pressure to cut it out. Often, other students will prevail on a bully to back off. With the weight of the federal government pushing teachers to become spies and snitches, there would be little anyone could do to back the schools off of their own students. Personally, I'd like to toss the new rules and take my chances with the bullies.
Under these rules, a christian student who makes note of the fact that the Bible condemns homosexuality would be punished as a bully for expressing a bigoted viewpoint. This places the teacher and the school as anti-christ warriors tasked with the job of destroying the freedom of speech of anyone who isn't on board with the hard line, liberal hatred of religion.
The small minded nature of the rules would put Christian teachers in the position of having to punish their Christian students for taking a Christian position on a moral issue.
The rules would not stop real bullies from being bullies. It would simply drive them off the internet, back to more traditional methods of whispering campaigns or direct confrontation. The real bullies would escape punishment. Only students who are expressing a sincerely held view would be punished, meaning the real problem would go unresolved and the government would become the biggest bully in the school, aiming its unwelcome force directly at anyone who isn't willing to comply with the edicts of a bigoted, anti-christian taskmaster.
A bully might be able to say mean things to or about their victim, but by and large it doesn't go beyond that. Bullies who engage in violence are subject to criminal sanctions, making them reluctant to go to that level. Bullies who cross that line under current laws risk winding up in a world of hurt. The new rules would do little to nothing to enhance the current ability of schools to address the problem.
By contrast, the schools would now become much worse than any bully. The anti-religion zeal of the new rules would put the schools in the position of being able to destroy a Christian student's ability to get into a decent college, damaging their entire future.
Bullies often face peer pressure to cut it out. Often, other students will prevail on a bully to back off. With the weight of the federal government pushing teachers to become spies and snitches, there would be little anyone could do to back the schools off of their own students. Personally, I'd like to toss the new rules and take my chances with the bullies.