“Penguins – ya gotta love ’em.”
Betsy Allen, who writes the Loudoun Clear blog for the Loudoun Times-Mirror, just posted this.
Unlike some who have weighed in on And Tango Makes Three (you get clued in to this when a commenter employs the phrase “books like this always…”), she made a point of finding and reading it before passing judgment.
In reading the book, I found a story about families, companionship, acceptance, love, commitment and teamwork – stop me if I get to something objectionable.
I couldn’t find anything, either. But, hold on now:
Books such as this one are made to be shared, and can show children that love and family come in many different forms. This book and others like it can help shape attitudes and have a lasting impact.
Some children will have same-sex parents, many more will encounter them in their lives. Can’t we help them deal with that in a way that preserves everyone’s rights and dignity?
We always say it: “Kids can be cruel.” They can say hurtful things to their peers without thinking. They can perpetuate hateful speech or behaviors they see on the playground or on TV. They can label and exclude and belittle others, never thinking of the consequences.
We need to quit those kinds of things.
What we need in the world is more love, understanding and acceptance ““ not less. And we need to teach it at an early age.
Shape attitudes? Lasting impact? Is that the sound of heads exploding over in Purcellville? This is precisely what they find objectionable.
Surely there is some self-appointed scold out there who will explain to Ms. Allen that while love, understanding and acceptance might sound nice, they are really just an underhanded trick used by government schools, so that all students can have a safe environment in which to learn. And if parents wanted their children to not engage in hateful speech and behavior, they would teach them that at home.
Teaching such things as “love, understanding and acceptance” violates the religious beliefs of certain parents, you see. What about their right to direct the upbringing of their children to treat some people and some families with contempt and cruelty?
This ought to be fun.
Thank you, Ms. Allen. Nicely done.
What was objectionable, again?
Betsy Allen, who writes the Loudoun Clear blog for the Loudoun Times-Mirror, just posted this.
Unlike some who have weighed in on And Tango Makes Three (you get clued in to this when a commenter employs the phrase “books like this always…”), she made a point of finding and reading it before passing judgment.
I couldn’t find anything, either. But, hold on now:
Shape attitudes? Lasting impact? Is that the sound of heads exploding over in Purcellville? This is precisely what they find objectionable.
Surely there is some self-appointed scold out there who will explain to Ms. Allen that while love, understanding and acceptance might sound nice, they are really just an underhanded trick used by government schools, so that all students can have a safe environment in which to learn. And if parents wanted their children to not engage in hateful speech and behavior, they would teach them that at home.
Teaching such things as “love, understanding and acceptance” violates the religious beliefs of certain parents, you see. What about their right to direct the upbringing of their children to treat some people and some families with contempt and cruelty?
This ought to be fun.
Thank you, Ms. Allen. Nicely done.