Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Comment Archives: stories: Special Section
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
Inclusive means that rather than teaching values that will have your student function successfully in the world, life is a moral free for all...no wonder when you drive by your school the boys don't know how to wear their pants right and girls are all showing their stomachs to the public, just for starters.
Posted by
TejonTech
on 04/30/2013 at 6:10 AM
Re: “NBA player Jason Collins: 'I'm black. And I'm gay.'”
You can insist that God has changed his creational intentions and recreate him to reflect your perversions, but they are still not of God, blessed, or acceptable...not matter how excited about your coming out your friends are...or how many polls heap praise and approval.
Posted by
TejonTech
on 04/29/2013 at 10:14 PM
Re: “Mecklenburg tackles book signing”
Awesome thank you for sharing this.
Posted by
Sara
on 04/29/2013 at 10:00 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
apologies for the double comment - clumsy internet usage!
Posted by
bigmallard
on 04/29/2013 at 8:43 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
TejonTech:
"I see by the papers" that in spite of the efforts of those who organized and participated in the Unity Fest that you are still taking issue with the event. Perhaps you fail to realize that the GSA at Palmer (Now the GSTA [Gay-Straight-Trans Alliance]) has worked tirelessly to embrace tolerance and NOT have their 'sexual preferences up each other's noses.' At the same time the club has worked to promote anti-bullying of all types at school, regardless of race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, physical and mental abilities or disabilities. Embracing gays and lesbians is embracing humans - and if one chooses NOT to embrace other human beings - well then that is fine - but the GSTA does not shun anyone - in fact they are a welcoming group of students -as are all of Palmer students.
When the lawsuit with D-11 was settled in 2005, ALL student led clubs were promoted and allowed to form - including "The Forge" a club devoted to prayer and discussion of Christianity. As also noted the Fellowship of Christian Athletes also now exists at the school - as does a Korean Club, an Eco Club, Masque and Sandal (drama), National Honor Society, MESA (math and engineering), and a national honor society for social studies; among dozens of student led clubs. What you may feel to realize is that schools are doing what they can to insure that students feel connected to the school - because students who feel a connection with the school tend to be more successful.
I treasure the fact that students with a variety of opinions are welcomed at Palmer High School. There are those that choose to embrace lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender, questioning, straight, tall, short, skinny, over-weight, black, white, Hispanic, hearing-impaired, blind, autistic, developmentally challenged, rich, poor, Christian, Muslim, Jew, agnostic, atheist and everyone in between. Palmer embraces those who hold contrary opinions - even those that may be ill-informed.
I have taught at Palmer for the past 24 years, and I am a proud co-sponsor of the GSTA, and I volunteer for the Pikes Peak Safe@Schools Coalition. I am the proud parent of one alumni of Palmer and a current student at Palmer. The CSHS/PHS Alumni Hall of Fame boasts some of the cities most influential people including doctors, lawyers, nationally known scholars, scientists, educators, local politicians and civil rights pioneers. One can look at the pictures of the members of the alumni hall of fame and one can see great diversity. Frankly schools are far more inclusive today than they were 30 years ago - especially in Colorado Springs. Though one can look through old yearbooks of Colorado Springs High School/William J. Palmer High School and find that there was inclusiveness that goes back well over 135 years. As the sign above the old Cotton Club in Colorado Springs owned by Hall of Fame Member Fannie Mae Duncan, used to say "Everybody Welcome." That's hardly shoving anything up anyone's nose.
Posted by
AntonS
on 04/29/2013 at 8:07 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
TejonTech:
"I see by the papers" that in spite of the efforts of those who organized and participated in the Unity Fest that you are still taking issue with the event. Perhaps you fail to realize that the GSA at Palmer (Now the GSTA [Gay-Straight-Trans Alliance]) has worked tirelessly to embrace tolerance and NOT have their 'sexual preferences up each other's noses.' At the same time the club has worked to promote anti-bullying of all types at school, regardless of race, gender, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, physical and mental abilities or disabilities. Embracing gays and lesbians is embracing humans - and if one chooses NOT to embrace other human beings - well then that is fine - but the GSTA does not shun anyone - in fact they are a welcoming group of students -as are all of Palmer students.
When the lawsuit with D-11 was settled in 2005, ALL student led clubs were promoted and allowed to form - including "The Forge" a club devoted to prayer and discussion of Christianity. As also noted the Fellowship of Christian Athletes also now exists at the school - as does a Korean Club, an Eco Club, Masque and Sandal (drama), National Honor Society, MESA (math and engineering), and a national honor society for social studies; among dozens of student led clubs. What you may feel to realize is that schools are doing what they can to insure that students feel connected to the school - because students who feel a connection with the school tend to be more successful.
I treasure the fact that students with a variety of opinions are welcomed at Palmer High School. There are those that choose to embrace lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender, questioning, straight, tall, short, skinny, over-weight, black, white, Hispanic, hearing-impaired, blind, autistic, developmentally challenged, rich, poor, Christian, Muslim, Jew, agnostic, atheist and everyone in between. Palmer embraces those who hold contrary opinions - even those that may be ill-informed.
I have taught at Palmer for the past 24 years, and I am a proud co-sponsor of the GSTA, and I volunteer for the Pikes Peak Safe@Schools Coalition. I am the proud parent of one alumni of Palmer and a current student at Palmer. The CSHS/PHS Alumni Hall of Fame boasts some of the cities most influential people including doctors, lawyers, nationally known scholars, scientists, educators, local politicians and civil rights pioneers. One can look at the pictures of the members of the alumni hall of fame and one can see great diversity. Frankly schools are far more inclusive today than they were 30 years ago - especially in Colorado Springs. Though one can look through old yearbooks of Colorado Springs High School/William J. Palmer High School and find that there was inclusiveness that goes back well over 135 years. As the sign above the old Cotton Club in Colorado Springs owned by Hall of Fame Member Fannie Mae Duncan, used to say "Everybody Welcome." That's hardly shoving anything up anyone's nose.
Posted by
bigmallard
on 04/29/2013 at 8:05 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
Oh TejonTech you poor, poor sad troll, whose arguments are full of fallacies, anger, racism, sexism and all things wrong with the world. It is you who will be held responsible for war, terrorism and chaos. For it is you who has no vision, no laughter and no beauty in life or for life. It will be you who aides in the destruction and the killing of decent and moral people- while these kids will continue to fight for love and happiness and morality and UNITY. Get over yourself. You got a rise, the next time you try for one, I dearly hope no one in your way gets harmed because you are to selfish and angry to control yourself.
Posted by
Erica Hardcastle
on 04/29/2013 at 7:25 PM
Re: “NBA player Jason Collins: 'I'm black. And I'm gay.'”
Jason Collins, Jesus and Coming Out Paul Brandeis Raushenbush
Senior Religion Editor, The Huffington Post Posted: 04/29/2013
Jason Collins rocked the sports world today with these simple words:
I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay.
Collins made his announcement in a piece in Sports Illustrated that covered his long process of coming out and the supportive influence of family members and friends on his final decision.
In the somewhat rambling essay that covered everything from his aggressive philosophy on fouling opponents to the importance of wearing the number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard; one paragraph stood out as perhaps the most important of all.
Collins writes: I'm from a close-knit family. My parents instilled Christian values in me. They taught Sunday school, and I enjoyed lending a hand. I take the teachings of Jesus seriously, particularly the ones that touch on tolerance and understanding. On family trips, my parents made a point to expose us to new things, religious and cultural. In Utah, we visited the Mormon Salt Lake Temple.
In Atlanta, the house of Martin Luther King Jr. That early exposure to otherness made me the guy who accepts everyone unconditionally.
In this one paragraph we can see the kind of family and church Collins was raised in. His faith testimony is particularly compelling in the context of being both black and gay given the importance of faith within the black community.
Jesus was Jason's model and teacher in tolerance and understanding in a family and community that took faith seriously. His Christian values became a source of strength and courage in his embrace of his sexual orientation, rather than a location for pain and humiliation.
Collins' experience refutes the polarity we hear so much of, that to be religious is to be anti-gay or to be gay is to be anti-religious. Instead it points to the reality that many if not most LGBT people have some religious or spiritual beliefs that sustain them in their lives and loves.
It reminds me of when Anderson Cooper came out in a letter to Andrew Sullivan and wrote: In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God's greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life.
Cooper and Collins are doing something very important by including religious talk within their coming out essays. Essentially they are insisting that God created, supports and loves them --including their sexuality, not in spite of it.
The media likes giving the platform to anti-gay voices who can be so hurtful to young LGBT peoples struggling to come out. Fortunately we have people like Jason Collins, Anderson Cooper who were raised in loving families whose religious beliefs were used to teach positive values of acceptance and love. And beyond them we have thousands of religious leaders and congregations who stand ready to welcome LGBT people into their communities.
Today there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of young people who are thanking God for Jason's example of a person who can love his family, love his sport and love God while loving a person of his own gender.
Posted by
gurudori
on 04/29/2013 at 5:46 PM
Re: “NBA player Jason Collins: 'I'm black. And I'm gay.'”
Kobe Bryant tweeted, "Don't sufficate who you are because of the ignorance of others."
Posted by
gurudori
on 04/29/2013 at 5:39 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
Which translates into embracing gays and lesbians as normative...and shun anyone who doesn't agree.
Posted by
TejonTech
on 04/29/2013 at 5:34 PM
Re: “NBA player Jason Collins: 'I'm black. And I'm gay.'”
Mutants...on a number of levels
Posted by
TejonTech
on 04/29/2013 at 5:16 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
The point of Unity Fest was to bring people together. It isn't a group prayer, and it isn't a gay pride fest. Unity Fest is there to make people more tolerant of each other and to come together as a community at our school.
Posted by
Max Scheer
on 04/29/2013 at 4:49 PM
Re: “NBA player Jason Collins: 'I'm black. And I'm gay.'”
27 ATHLETES ALSO COME OUT OF THE GAY CLOSET- Check it out!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/2…
Posted by
gurudori
on 04/29/2013 at 4:47 PM
Re: “Tommy Smith to serve as interim fire chief”
Why does he need to be available for the press...the won't get what he says right anyhow, if there is even a reporter left in town to go interview him.
Posted by
TejonTech
on 04/29/2013 at 3:17 PM
Re: “NBA player Jason Collins: 'I'm black. And I'm gay.'”
Give the man the Kobe Bryan award for sexual perversion...seems to come from being vertically deformed.
Posted by
TejonTech
on 04/29/2013 at 3:14 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
Shane,
That is nice...and used to just happen all the time because we never defined ourselves by these differences in the first place, so we never had our eating habits or sexual preferences up each other's noses.
Posted by
TejonTech
on 04/29/2013 at 10:36 AM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
I am one of the main students who set up the event and this entire argument is the complete antithesis of what we were trying to accomplish with Unity Fest. Unity Fest was great this year and last because people from all walks of our Palmer community were involved. As Erica pointed out, there was a myriad of different clubs involved that represented Palmer's full spectrum of individuals. We stood together and had a lot of fun with everyone. Everyone. That's the key word here. All clubs were invited on several different occasions and if they weren't involved, it was because they weren't interested. A large number of Palmer's student body and faculty were mature enough to set our differences aside in order to recognize, promote, and facilitate the concept of unity. Are you?
Posted by
ShaneZB
on 04/28/2013 at 10:52 PM
Re: “Local Amendment 64 meetings abound”
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Posted by
April
on 04/28/2013 at 8:45 PM
Re: “Local Amendment 64 meetings abound”
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Posted by
rouou
on 04/28/2013 at 8:45 PM
Re: “Palmer High School to host 'Unity Fest'”
I am not a religious guy, so I see this from a strictly pragmatic perspective. I believe, instead of wasting time with all of this "tiptoe through the tulips", non-competitive, inclusive BS, why don't we go back to teaching the three Rs? Instead of a phony sense of self, wouldn't it be better to have an actual education which could compete with other nations?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/whats-wrong-…