Since this is an old story and I really haven't talked about it, allow me to give a short recap:
Last year, Knox posted comments on her public Facebook page criticizing a Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month display at Union High School, her place of employment. She later went on to describe homosexuality as a "perverted spirit" and a "sin which breeds like cancer."
Her full comments are the following:
"Homosexuality is a perverted spirit that has existed from the beginning of creation. The word of God refers to it often. That's if you believe the Word to be truly God's intended blueprint for his people. I have friends and loved ones who are practicing/ living as homosexuals. Yes I love can care about them. We hug and exchange gifts. We have family dinners. But how they live and their actions, behaviors -CHOICES are against the nature and character of God! Do I tell me so? Yes, of course. Do I treat them bad? If course not! Jesus never did that to ANYONE he meant. He spoke to them of their situation and offered them life eternal. He didn't say it was okay but we've all sinned and come short if God's will for us daily. That's why we Christians true followers pray, repent, and spend time with Christ daily. The Word of God instructs us to die daily to our flesh-meaning our will. What we want; what feels good to us; what we like; what we can rationalize and justify. I do not pretend to know ALL things. Nor do I pretend not to have biases, failings and faults. But I know sin and it breeds like cancer!"
Naturally this caused a furor and the school district put her on paid leave. Now it looks like it is taking steps to dismiss her.
Now, as to be expected in this situation, those on the right are claiming that Knox is being silenced because she "merely" expressed a view about homosexuality.
Meanwhile, others have rallied to Knox's defense in the name of "free speech."
And both of these parties are full of it.
Let's be clear here. This is not a free speech issue. This is an issue about an employee who should have kept her mouth shut about situations regarding her job. She made pointed comments about her place of employment in an inappropriate arena. If I was to spout off on Facebook about things regarding my place of employment, I would probably get fired.
And I would deserve it too.
That's the technical aspect of why Knox should stop whining about being a victim. Let's address her comments.
Allegedly, she has a 20-year tenure as a teacher and one in special education at that. She should know the devastation of words on young minds, particularly nowadays with young impressionable lgbtqs.
Also, I am so tired of people saying that she merely "expressed a religious view." What is with this attempt to disguise vulgar hatred as religious views?
Earlier this week, a pastor from a North Carolina church claimed that gay men have so much sex that they need surgery and diapers. No doubt if questioned on it, he would probably claim that he is being persecuted for supposedly expressing a mere religious view.
This idea that you can say any hateful and vindictive thing about gays and hide your nastiness behind the facade of supposedly expressing religious belief has got to stop.
If the display was about religion or another ethnic group and Knox made her vindictive comments, we would not be having this discussion.
And in this case, we shouldn't be having that discussion here. Whether some folks like it or not, homosexuality is not an abstract idea.. LGBTQs are real people who deserve the same amount of respect as any other group of people. When comments like Knox's are made, she is not talking about a theory or an hypothetical idea. She is slandering people.
Knox is not a victim. I prefer to think of the young lgbtqs - some who probably traveled through her classroom - who heard her words as the potential victims here.
She is supposed to lead and guide them. How can she do such if she thinks of them as "cancers?"
4 comments:
If anyone had made a statement like this about Martin Luther King Jr. Day she would be up in arms, calling for whomever said it to be fired for racial remarks. I cannot believe she hasn't already been fired. It's appalling how people in the 21st century are so non-excepting of something that is only taboo due to the Religious Reich and the ignorance of these people. I don't know where Union High School is, but I think I will find out and write a letter demanding that she be fired. maybe if more people called for her termination, something will be done. As a parent of a teenage LGBT daughter, I am angry.
Cancer is the pervert who spends more time worrying about what other concenting adults do in their bedrooms. You are so pathetic hiding behind your bible and worrying about what others are doing you dont have time to see how sick you are!! Keep your filthy mind out of my bedroom and start worrying about what is NOT going on in your own bed because if you were having a healthy satisfying sex life you sure wouldnt have time to whine about ours!!!!!!!!!!! I would rather have a full gay staff teaching my kids before I would let them into one of your classes!!!
I take your point that this is an employment issue. However, when the government is your employer, the constitution still limits the government's actions. See, Rankin v. McPherson, 483 U.S. 378 (1987). Governmental employees still maintain their first amendment rights, but the government is given greater leeway because those rights are balanced against the operational needs of the government agency. The Constitution only controls government action so a private employer may fire you for anything you say without raising first amendment concerns. However when your employer is a governmental entity the first amendment is still in play. While there may be no constitutional violation here, it is inappropriate to say there is no first amendment issue.
If her comments are reprinted here exactly as they appeared on Facebook, her grammar and punctuation alone would disqualify her as a teacher.
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