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Monday, May 4, 2009
Boomer with Attitude / News How can "Christian" groups oppose bullying ban?
Posted By John Grooms on Mon, May 4, 2009 at 3:49 PM
Isn't treating someone with respect a "traditional family value"? And aren't peacekeeping and helping others supposed to be on Christians' to-do lists? We thought so. Then explain how defenders of "traditional family values" and Christian leaders in North Carolina are fighting a bill that would mandate that all students should be treated in what is, essentially, a Christian manner.
Here's the background: the N.C. General Assembly is considering a bill called the School Violence Protection Act, which would require schools to adopt strong policies against bullying and harassment, including bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. One of the bill's co-sponsors, and one of its biggest supporters, is Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County.
A recent poll by Public Policy Polling shows that 69 percent of N.C. voters support the bill, including 55 percent of conservatives. Sounds like something anyone could support if they're halfway decent human beings, right? Wrong. In fact, groups such as the Christian Action League and the Family Policy Council, as well as the state's two Catholic bishops, including Peter Jugis of Charlotte, have either organized against the bill or, in the bishops' case, urged Catholics to oppose it.
Get a load of the reasoning behind the opposition: Opponents say they are against bullying; the bishops specifically say that bullying "based on gender identity and sexual orientation is reprehensible," but they're against the bill because ... wait for it ... it could lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage — and we all know how awful-awful-awful that would be.
Hard to believe, but the vote will probably be close in the Senate, which should happen tonight or tomorrow. If you think kids should be protected from bullying — all kids, not just the ones with a seal of approval from conservative political groups — then take a minute to call or e-mail your state senator and tell him or her how you feel. You can look up your senator here: http://eqfed.org/equalitync/leg-lookup/search.html
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