Couldn’t Get Rid of “Safe Spaces”
If the original version of S.B. 339 had passed, students could no longer have infringed upon other students’ freedom of speech. Students who continued to limit the freedom of speech of others would have been warned the first time; then suspended or expelled the second time. Since that was deleted before S.B. 339 passed, safe spaces and unconstitutional gag orders will continue. The term “gag order” is accurate, since safe space areas in colleges and universities squelch opinions the politically correct crowd finds offensive or contrary to its agenda.
S.B. 339 was cut in half. The prohibition of safe spaces was deleted and prohibition against peer-on-peer harassment in safe spaces was deleted, also. The bill’s focus became freedom of speech protection for visiting speakers and students in assembly. Therefore, S.B. 339 requires the board of regents to write a system-wide freedom-of-speech policy that protects the press and invited speakers and assures students and faculty the right to assemble spontaneously in constitutional activities that do not interfere with scheduled events, campus activities or invited speakers who might be heckled, otherwise. Meaning, the freedom of speech will be protected in assemblies but not in safe spaces. Assemblies and safe spaces are two different issues.In March in Henry County, a Hampton Middle School social studies teacher assigned his students a project that had not been approved by the school system. He instructed his class to assume the role of a “concerned student” and write a letter to U.S. lawmakers “to persuade lawmakers to have stricter gun laws to help prevent another school shooting from taking place.” He, also, said, “The purpose of this letter is to pressure lawmakers to have stricter gun laws in the United States. Your letter should contain at least five complete sentences.”
While airing that incident Fox News reported these comments from a local father, “My biggest concern was [about] the intent of the assignment. … I found out that it didn’t have anything to do with what they were supposed to be learning in that social studies class … it only gave them one perspective from which to write, and that, in itself, I didn’t think was appropriate.”
The Henry County School District responded, “We do not condone the actions that transpired. It has been handled appropriately with the teacher to ensure they [sic] know this is not acceptable and won’t happen again.”
Today, April 27th, a “day of silence” promoting LGBT lifestyles is being foisted upon students nation-wide. The day of silence is designed to change morality and mainstream alternate lifestyles. In NEA’s 1994-1995 Handbook, the NEA president said, “Just as we NEA members are in the forefront of educational change, so we must lead the way in promoting positive political and social change in our nation.” Among NEA “social change” resolutions for K – 12 is the persistent, consistent, unrelenting strategy to mainstream and teach homosexuality and all its variations. The day of silence is among those strategies, all of which should be banned from schools. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.