Skewing the Culture via Education

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, March 3, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

This year the culture changers got a head-start when H.B. 16 was pre-filed and, officially, introduced February 2nd. H.B. 16 is a repeat of last year’s bill about bullying in schools. Georgia’s current law against bullying in school applies to all students equally; it does not categorize students; and its standard penalties are administered to violators, regardless of their personal identity.

H.B. 16 changes the focus of the bullying law by classifying students according to their actual or perceived sexual orientation by inserting a laundry list of alternate lifestyles – gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Since sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression include lifestyles that some people may or may not agree with, there’s a real possibility that negative comments about certain behaviors may be uttered by students K – 12.

This is what the bill says on lines 237 and 238: “Nothing in this Code section is intended to interfere with the First Amendment rights of free speech and expression of any person affected.”Those lines, clearly, indicate that someone’s free speech will be considered bullying if H.B. 16 becomes law. Regardless of the disclaimer, free speech IS squelched when negative comments about gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, are classified as bullying … and that has happened under policies like this. Children and adults in the United States have a constitutional right to express disagreement, without a difference of opinion being construed as bullying.

H.B. 16 is written to provide more protection from bullying for those who may be involved in various sexual behaviors than for students or teachers who may be bullied for being too fat or too skinny. Right now, Georgia’s bully law treats all bullies and victims the same.

H.B. 230 is a similar bill. It prohibits the use of scholarships to colleges that adhere to Biblical morality. It discriminates against Christian students and colleges by allowing scholarships to be used ONLY in higher education institutions that practice non-Biblical standards.

If passed, H.B. 230 would squelch the freedom of religion and religious expression of students and colleges that practice Christian standards.

Both H.B. 16 and H.B. 230 are dead for this session, because they failed to pass the House by the end of the 28th legislative day. But, they remain alive for the 2018 session. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.