Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Viki Ob-Knox-ious
The protesters were out at last night's Union NJ Board of Education meeting, for & against Viki Knox, the high school teacher who posted vicious, religious-based homobigoted statements on her personal Facebook page. The gray area of free expression in this matter is that she used her FB page to communicate with her school prayer group. Does that mean she was speaking in her capacity as a teacher & advisor rather than as a private citizen? I'm inclined to think it does, but I wouldn't want to have it tested in court. Our conservative, Roman Catholic governor found the remarks "disturbing." However, I suspect Knox belongs to the variety of protestantism that considers the Pope the Whore of Babylon or some Beast from the Book of Revelation. The Star-Ledger published a a strongly-worded editorial on Monday calling for her dismissal. But the newspaper isn't responsible to the property taxpayers of Union NJ who would have to foot the bill for the lawsuit Knox would certainly bring against the Board.
Since Knox considers anyone supportive of LGBT rights to be her "enemies," then she should be confronted by those "enemies" in her own school, the students & teachers. This meeting should take place in private. Her mind won't be changed - reason won't have any effect on her beliefs. If she's a hero at her church, so be it. She should be made to look at photos of lynchings, old ones of African-Americans & more recent ones of gays like Matthew Shepard. She must be reminded, graphically, that violent words can have violent consequences. She must be told that from now on she will be under a microscope; every word she says in school, every interaction with a gay teacher or student, every FB post will be noted & recorded. Every meeting of her prayer club, since it is open to all students, will be monitored. Rather than turn her into a martyr (& possibly opening up a lucrative public speaking career), let her choose to become a pathetic figure wandering the halls of Union High School. The teacher union has to take her side, but few members will respect her. Her student devotees will come & go, they can provide her support & solace.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
Since Knox considers anyone supportive of LGBT rights to be her "enemies," then she should be confronted by those "enemies" in her own school, the students & teachers. This meeting should take place in private. Her mind won't be changed - reason won't have any effect on her beliefs. If she's a hero at her church, so be it. She should be made to look at photos of lynchings, old ones of African-Americans & more recent ones of gays like Matthew Shepard. She must be reminded, graphically, that violent words can have violent consequences. She must be told that from now on she will be under a microscope; every word she says in school, every interaction with a gay teacher or student, every FB post will be noted & recorded. Every meeting of her prayer club, since it is open to all students, will be monitored. Rather than turn her into a martyr (& possibly opening up a lucrative public speaking career), let her choose to become a pathetic figure wandering the halls of Union High School. The teacher union has to take her side, but few members will respect her. Her student devotees will come & go, they can provide her support & solace.
Labels: blogging against theocracy, in the news, religion
