California to Require Gay History in Schools

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TeaEarlGreyHot
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28 Dec 2011, 9:40 pm

minervx wrote:

I don't hate gays, but I don't think gay history should be mandatory curriculum.

In the same way I don't hate witchcraft or any other small group of people who want social acceptance to be mandatory history curriculum.

Hmm... I distinctly remember learning about the Salem witch trials in school.

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28 Dec 2011, 10:59 pm

TeaEarlGreyHot wrote:

minervx wrote:

Hmm... I distinctly remember learning about the Salem witch trials in school.

gays are included in the curriculum already to a very mild extent, but it need not be a focal point.

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28 Dec 2011, 11:29 pm

minervx wrote:

TeaEarlGreyHot wrote:

minervx wrote:

Hmm... I distinctly remember learning about the Salem witch trials in school.

gays are included in the curriculum already to a very mild extent, but it need not be a focal point.

No they aren't. The whole thing is ignored as if it doesn't exist.

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28 Dec 2011, 11:38 pm

Instead of this useless BS, Americans need a class that teaches them how to be responsible consumers and not buy a bunch of stuff they don't need, a class in nutrition and an extra period of phys ed so maybe we won't all be diabetic fat-asses driving up health care costs, and about 4 more periods/day of math because frankly that's what forms the basis of business and technology, which is what our society is built on.

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28 Dec 2011, 11:41 pm

Obres wrote:

Technology from great guys like Alan Turing, whom you have not heard was gay. Worst, the homophobia of the time led him to imprisonment, "treatment" and suicide. God knows what sort of delay in our technologic progress was caused by the premature loss of the greatest computer scientist.

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28 Dec 2011, 11:49 pm

Vexcalibur wrote:

Obres wrote:

Substantial, but orders of magnitude less than has been lost from decades of downplaying the importance of math and science in American education. And they didn't treat him, they chemically castrated him. And knowing that won't get you a job, or help you contribute to society, but knowing how to actually write a program will.

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29 Dec 2011, 12:07 am

Obres wrote:

While I agree all that should be implemented, I cannot say it should be before this. The school system needs an overhaul in general, though. There's so much wrong with it, it's sad.

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29 Dec 2011, 12:10 am

I disagree any of that should be included.

- Diet and such is the parents' responsibility.
- Extra phys ed class is a waste of time.
- Any public school subject about teaching kids the sort of consumers they should be will likely teach them to be the kind of consumers that brought us to our current state anyway.

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29 Dec 2011, 12:32 am

Vexcalibur wrote:

Teaching proper nutrition is already in schools nation-wide. It just needs a bit of updating and should go beyond the kindergarten level. Yes, parents should take responsibility for this but the reality is most do not. Healthy lunches in the school cafeteria need to be implemented as well. It's been done successfully in a few schools now, and the improvement in grades and behavior is phenomenal.

Waste of time? Hardly. Kids these days don't get half the exercise they should. A healthy body goes a long way to ensuring a healthy mind, which (again) in turn improves the ability to learn.

I can't argue there. Society needs to shift their beliefs and practices before something like this is taught in a school. However, I do recall briefly touching on the subject of advertisement in school. I think that's something children need to learn. More emphasis on it could do wonders.

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29 Dec 2011, 1:18 am

Kraichgauer wrote:

I think the statement by the Republican assemblyman, who said that portraying the LGBT community in only a positive light is censorship, is reason why something like this is necessary.
Can anyone imagine saying that showing blacks, Christians, Chinese, or Jews in anything but a positive light is censorship?

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Interesting point.

Even though I support gay marriage, gay rights, and so forth, I had an issue with this law. For the simple reason that the curriculum is already so full of mandatory special interest elements that it is shocking how many common and important parts of history end up skipped. We should be teaching fully inclusive history based on what is relevant to everyone's shared future, and not based on the race or preferences of the contributors. To leave someone out because they were gay would be a giant mistake, but to put someone in solely because they were gay is also a mistake.

If we need to do this for a little while just to reverse prior anti-gay biases in teaching history, I am accepting of that. But that isn't the conversation I've been hearing.

Not to mention ... this law means that, once again, a cash strapped state is forcing school districts to chuck out perfectly serviceable text books and spend money they don't have on new ones. We don't have the money for that, you have no idea how bare education already is in this state, it is absolutely ridiculous.

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29 Dec 2011, 1:24 am

TeaEarlGreyHot wrote:

Vexcalibur wrote:

Studies show that PE, art and music enhance a child's ability to learn. I know that because we cited it in all our PTA fundraising materials, as we tried to get money to support PE, art and music in school.

Active children learn better.

And children who eat right also learn better.

A holistic approach is known to result in better students who achieve at a higher level. It is actually quite pragmatic to include those things in a curriculum. To a point. The pay off is there, and the schools have experienced it first hand.

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29 Dec 2011, 1:27 am

It seems this is only in the curriculum because of politics. Everyone regardless of sexual preference, race, or religion can contribute to History. To put it bluntly, education and politics don't mix.

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29 Dec 2011, 1:41 am

PM wrote:

People said the same kind of stuff about the Civil Rights movement back in the 60's. Imagine excluding Martin Luther King, Jr. from history because he was about civil rights for African Americans. We include Suffragettes and they only fought for the rights of women. All of these inclusions had to be legislated first. Isn't the GL movement worth mention in our history? It's all a part of who we are as a nation.

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29 Dec 2011, 1:43 am

unduki wrote:

PM wrote:

Did you not read the part where I said that everyone can contribute to History?

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29 Dec 2011, 1:50 am

Obres wrote:

When I was in school, I hardly ever got much out of PE, because of the emphasis on team sports, which only the jocks excelled in. I think PE should focus on calisthenics, running, and weight training, so every student can individually enjoy the benefits of physical activity.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

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29 Dec 2011, 3:04 am

Kraichgauer wrote:

Obres wrote:

Those were PE classes one could choose when I was in school.

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