Choose: DOS, DOD, Both or Neither

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, April 8, 2016 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

I’m always puzzled when a “Day of Silence” (DOS) is observed in public schools … and SOME private schools, as well. The DOS that began as a tiny protest 20 years ago has become a nation-wide promotion of homosexuality, commonly represented by the letters LGBT, meaning lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual. Recently, activists added QQIA to expand the definition to include queer (their word), questioning, intersex, and allies of alternate lifestyles.

The DOS is an annual effort to mainstream alternate lifestyles to students and educators during an, otherwise, regular school day. This year it’s scheduled for Friday April 15th, as a time for participating students and teachers to openly demonstrate support for homosexuality and all its variations. The school’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) usually sponsors the project. Does your child’s school have a GSA club? Will the DOS be observed in your child’s school?

If so, please remind the principal that a DOS violates a specific Georgia law that authorizes only one minute of silence PER DAY for student meditation. But the LGBTQQIA promotion silences participating students and teachers for an entire day.

The goal of LGBT activists was summed-up on a tee-shirt distributed by GSA clubs at a “Coming-Out Day” party in 2011. On the tee-shirt were these commands: Change attitudes; change behaviors; change directions; change lives; change policies; be an ally; be the change. The current cultural confusion indicates their overwhelming success in reaching those goals.To counteract the DOS, Focus on the Family’s Government and Public Policy Department introduced a new initiative in 2012 – the Day of Dialogue (DOD), scheduled this year for April 14th, the day before the DOS occurs. So, students can participate in the DOD on Thursday and stay home on the DOS Friday.

The DOD helps high school and college students respond in a loving and Christ-centered way when hot-button LGBT topics like homosexuality, bullying and gender identity are discussed. The DOD website provides “Get the Conversation Started” tools – downloadable cards for distribution at school, posters to hang, designs for tee-shirts, and tips for a successful DOD event … all online and all free-of-charge.

The DOS started in a college in 1996, then, moved into high schools. Now it’s creeping into middle schools. Speak with your principal about the DOS and ask that the school endorse a DOD for other students, including Christians, to express THEIR preferences. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.