A Mormon high school freshman who was being peppered with put-down questions about her faith before she told them, “That’s so gay,” was officially warned by her school’s principal for using “hate speech.” According to an Associated Press report, the student, Rebekah Rice, used a common teen comeback (which generally means “that’s so stupid”) when she was being teased with insulting questions, including, “Do you have 10 moms?”The question is, what punishment will the teasing teens receive for their initiating comments? After all, if we’re going to consider Rebekah’s comment to be hate speech, why shouldn’t they also be reprimanded for making fun of a person’s religion?
Some of my LDS friends might be surprised at my support for the LDS teen, but it’s no secret that people of religious faith–whether Mormon, Christian, even Muslim–are oftentimes harassed in public settings just for their religious preference and nothing more. I remember going through a California state college being mocked by both faculty and classmates for taking a stand in a class, such as insisting there was a God or that morals were absolute (God forbid!).
I’m not sure why the homosexual lobby gets special preference here. First of all, the article does not indicate if the people at whom Rebekah aimed her comment were homosexual. And if they were, where’s the “hate”? And just where will we stop with this idea of “hate speech”? Should we haul in a third grader who calls another kid a “moron”? Do we police everything anyone says? Is there not a First Amendment?
I’m not suggesting that there isn’t inappropriate speech, because there certainly is. Yelling “fire” in a crowded theatre (or the like) should not be tolerated. But c’mon, a defensive retort (and a common one, at that) to insulting questions should not be something in which a principal or attorneys need to become involved. As one attorney said, “Reasonable people should say, ‘Let’s put a stop to this kind of search-and-destroy mission by school officials for everything that is politically incorrect.'” Well said. Free Rebekah!
I dont know if the people that were bugging this girl were gay or not, But I do know this, the homosexuals really push hard to teach Tolarance.
Sadly though they want us to tolarte them, yet they refuse to tolarte us Christians and our beliefes, It eith works both ways or does not work at all. Rick b
I find people who push the “tolerant” issue are only tolerant of those who are tolerant.
Just like Rick said….the homosexuals that push hard to teach tolerance, are only tolerant of those who tolerate their lifestyle.
In His name,
-Eric
Psalm 18:2
There are millions of homosexuals, some of whom are tolerant of christians, some that are not, and some that ARE christians themselves.
Honestly, if you don’t want to be subjected to negative and unfair stereotypes yourself, is stereotyping another group the way to spread that ideal? Lead by example.
And frankly, when it comes down to it… While I certainly try to be tolerant of those who are tolerant of me in return – should I abandon the virtue of tolerance when I’m dealing with someone intolerant? I feel that I should not. If someone gay person is hypocritical, wanting me to tolerate their group but not tolerating mine – should I become just like him and be intolerant in response? I say no. I will continue to try to tolerate homosexuals, tolerant and intolerant ones… Mormons, tolerant and intolerant ones… Christiants, Jews, Atheists, Buddhists, Shintoists, Jainists, Heterosexuals, Bisexuals, Australian Bushmen, Popes, Politicians, Plumbers, and everybody else.
(Though it’s pretty hard to tolerate the Politicans sometimes!)
There used to be a time that “gay” meant “happy.” I’d let the school take action, file a lawsuit, argue the semantics, and take home a fat settlement.
If more people did that, then fewer people would frivolously cry “hate.”