okay.....read this story about the Southern Baptist Convention not wanting to create a sexual predator database because it takes away "autonomy" from their local churches. And there's no hew and cry about this why?
So, when I was in college and feeling down I'd hop in my little '79 accord and drive to Idaho. Okay, it wasn't that far from where I was going to school. I'd have something to sing along with on the stereo and I'd just drive and mainly try not to think. I don't like wallowing. So, I'm having that bummed out feeling and I can't hop in my car and drive because gas is like $4.25 a gallon. So instead, I go trolling for things to write about on my bloggety blog.
I've got Jeopardy turned on but turned down so I can listen to music on the iTunes.
The more I think about it, the more I'm pretty sure that Obama is going to kick butt in November.
What I hate is we can't talk about the election really at work. It's unfortunate that some people are so closed minded that they would decide I'm not Catholic enough. You think I'm exaggerating? Oh no....
Blog Entries from the last election
Oct 6, 2004
Unfortunately there isn't an optionfor F*ck!ng pissed off.
So I put together a class discussion with the eighth graders about politics. Because they were asking questions so what better to do a religion class on than catholic call to responsibility. Couple parents called/stopped by and I thought that I had allieviated their concerns. OH HELL NO! Today I get a letter that they so courteously CC'd to my boss and my BOSS'S BOSS and the other three Junior high teachers. I wish I could scan it but here are a couple of yummy tidbits:"Our students have been told that Ms. Dubh is voting for John Kerry, who is unmistakably a pro-choice candidate for office. We have a long heritage of being an active and strong pro-life community and our single most pressing issue in the world is the devaluation of the sanctity of human life. Nothing has added more to that devaluation in this country than the more than 40 million aboritions that have occured in thiscountry since Roe v. Wade (1971)." ..."We ask that Ms. Dubh include in her religion classes a balanced discussion of the teachings of the US Bishops and the Holy See on the subject of supporting candidates who promote and support pro-choice legislation."
None, NONE of the parents were in class that day. NONE of them tried to bring this to my attention. They went directly OVER MY HEAD without allowing me the opportunity to remedy their view of the situation in a timely manner. They had me re-evaluating my decision to continue working here. My information wasn't bipartisan enough for them. I wish I could just swear a bluestreak right now but it wouldn't be appropriate. I don't want to have to deal with these people again because of their lack of respect for me. I need to go home.
Oct 7
thank you concerned parents for a sleepless nighthere's my response...
To All Concerned:As the eighth grade students were so interested in the current political climate I chose to have a discussion about politics and religion in my religion class. I was contacted by one parent on the phone on the day of the discussion and explained that I would be specifically talking about Catholic teaching. I was also contacted by another parent in my classroom during another class about being present for the discussion. I invited her to return for the eighth grade class at 1:05pm. Unfortunately she was unable to attend. After both conversations I seriously considered canceling or postponing the discussion. As the students were so engaged I chose to seize the teachable moment and went on as planned.The first part of the discussion was used to talk about and explain the 2000 election. Using information from an election lesson plan I clarified what had happened and showed students the map of the United States. Considerable time was spent explaining the Electoral College and how it works.Next I handed out the pamphlet from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops about faithful citizenship. The students read it and I emphasized the major points on the pamphlet.Finally, I gave them the information from votingcatholic.org. I chose to use this information because it was presented in a fashion where the positions of the Bishops and both candidates were presented side by side by side. I regret not investigating further into the designers and supporters of this page. In the course of the discussion over this information I emphasized the position of the Bishops and our role as faithful Catholics. The students were amazingly good at finding inconsistencies within the information of the candidates in relation to the Bishops as well as provided by the website. At this time I was clear about the importance of paying attention to where and who the information has come from. A point which was also repeated by another teacher. All of the eighth grade students were engaged in our class discussion. Without fail they were very well informed about the issues before coming to class. They were very firmly rooted in the Catholic faith and doctrine. The students showed great understanding of the responsibility of “Catholic[s] to vote for a pro-abortion Catholic politician only “in the presence of proportionate reasons””. While this was not a specific area of discussion at the time, these young people already recognize the importance of moral decision making at their age. I would have been and continue to be more than willing to use the additional information provided to me as well as other articles from Bishops on the topic of “proportionate reasons”. There would have been a more timely response had I known the concerns immediately following our class meeting. I believe the students understand this topic inherently and as is typical for this age group have moved beyond politics (for now) to other things that seem important. I will make every attempt to utilize the provided articles within the context of anymore discussions.All that being said; I am hurt and saddened to find myself in a position where I feel it necessary to affirm my absolute pro-life beliefs to Our Pastor and The Principal. All human life is sacred from conception to natural death. This is one of my core personal beliefs. Such far-reaching decisions are not made without much prayer, discernment, and research. I have tried to be clear with the students on this. In the future I find I must be less forthright when students ask me such questions about politics. I will stick to referring them to church teaching and leave it at that.This school is a special place. We prepare our students to the best of our ability to be good and faithful Catholics. I have no doubt that graduates, the eighth grade in particular, will be very responsible Catholic citizens.
Oh yeah...they'll be "responsible Catholic citizens" and if their parents have their way, closed minded, rigid and unable to deal with any outside influences. I'll talk about how sheltered these kids are another time.
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