Silent Protests

Has anyone heard about this “Day of Silence” that’s being pushed in public schools around the country? I thought I kept up on things, but I just found out about this last night when my brother-in-law told me that it took place at my niece’s high school this past Friday. In a nutshell, it’s a silent day of protest (organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) against the harassment and bullying of gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.

Before I go any further, let me explain something. I don’t believe anyone should be bullied or harassed. People who verbally or physically assault gays should be held accountable and punished accordingly. The same way they should be held accountable for assaulting someone who doesn’t happen to be gay. I’m all for equal rights but not for special treatment.

So, here’s my problem. I don’t think that our public schools should be turned into a stage for political protests. If protests fit the subject matter say, for instance, in a politics class, that’s one thing. But to actually practice politics in the classroom is total nonsense. The classroom is for instruction and not a place to push someone’s agenda. If these protests are allowed to continue, where will it end?

Should we have a day of silence for the overweight kids? I know fat kids get teased and harassed because I was one of them! There was no one being silent for me. In fact, they were loud and clear when they yelled, “Hey, Fat-Ass!!”

I used to also get teased about my ears. Yes, my ears used to be exceptionally big, but I’m relived to say that the rest of my head eventually caught up with them. Anyway, kids would call me Dumbo and ask if I’d flap my ears and fly them around the playground. It was ridiculous!

Back in elementary school, there was a kid who had a head shaped like a light bulb (yes, I’m serious). The poor kid got teased quite a bit. If there was any consolation to all of this, his “light bulb” was rather dim and he didn’t really absorb the bulk of the comments. I really felt bad for him and eventually befriended him. I would tell the other kids to leave him alone and eventually they did. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think I ever intimated anyone. I just think the unnatural image of the two of us side by side was too much for the average kid to process. But in the beginning, we did indeed have to deal with our share of teasing.

So back to my original question, where will the protests end? Maybe we should have a day silence for kids with acne. I suppose they get teased to some degree. And maybe we should have a day silence for those gothic kids. They probably get harassed too. What about those chubby girls with muffin top midriffs? For the love of God, I say protest the muffin top! And last but certainly not least, how about we have a day of silence for all of those elephant-eared fat kids and their friends with light bulb shaped heads!

KW