Back in the good old days many of us seem to long for but few appear able to attain getting to school was a simple matter: fill your best winter coat with warm stones mother shoveled into your pockets and walk 20 miles through heavy snow to a single-room schoolhouse with 40 rambunctious kids in it.
Back then all kids had to worry about was the occasional mountain lion or a random goring, but then things changed and our school zones became protest zones, school board meetings seemed more like gladiatorial combat and mums suited up and squared off with other mums about inclusivity and diversity – not a parking space for the family chariot giving Junior time to come bounding out in time for the school day.
So here we are, on a pretty Friday morning in Lafayette, Calif. with protestors and counter-protestors turning up outside Lafayette Elementary to unlimber signs and vocal cords and to air their views on the LGBTQ+ Community and other topics of the day. All while – we presume – their kids shrink under their desks and murmur: “Awwww, mommmm.”
Police were called. Again. And the regularly scheduled Friday protests – usually conducted across the street from the school unless there’s a reconnaissance onto school grounds – show no sign of petering out.
Another peril of life in the modern age, we guess, though we find ourselves longing for the days of hot rocks and mountain lions.
The protests started when the anti lgbtq groups lead by Lisa Disbrow showed up. The counter protestors just want her to leave the school alone.
Modern day battle
We are out in response to hate and fear mongering in front of our schools. I too wish I didn’t have to stand out there to be the counter message to hate, bigotry and lies.
Maybe write about the discrimination in this town the way you do about other local atrocities.
Free speech?
yes. hate speech and making stuff up is mostly permitted. ignorance? not a crime. you can salute adolf here or jeff davis and not face legal jeopardy. of course, nothing stops the audience from drawing negative inferences from presenting yourself as the town square zealot and idiot.
Let’s not act like this is anything new. There were Prop 8 rallies (both sides) outside that school 16 years ago.
Why this school?
Burton Valley and Happy Valley aren’t in high traffic areas. Springhill might not have room to accommodate protesters or that might be school district property next to the road. While Springhill borders a very busy road there’s not a lot of room/space there. Across from Lafayette Elementary really makes the most sense. There is visibility, public property, and plenty of space. I would not read much into the chosen spot other than convenience and visibility.
They’re gonna have bigger problems than cops or counter protesters if they show up at my kids’ schools.
All bark no bite. I would love to see you try something.
For the cost of all those professional signs one could purchase multiple therapy sessions to unpack those deep issues.
I would suggest the adults concerned declare a neutral zone where they can work this out and leave the school out of it in future. Just my two cents.
In my day there were no politics at school, it was just school, the way it should be.
Up until recently any valid criticism of allowing children have surgery to alter their sexuality and bodies was met with knee jerk charges of transphobia. The fact that these folks can be out there sharing their point of view without being cancelled is a show of our healing.
Forcing ones point of view on a captive audience like parents trying to get the kids to school, the kids themselves, and the folks trying to navigate “safely” through school traffic to get where they are going is just selfish. Who is team Lisa trying to persuade with her point of view? The innocent passers by, the parents, the children, the janitor, the lunch lady, the psychologists. the MD’s…who? As for “valid criticism” who exactly is allowing surgeries? Is it the school and everyone that has to deal with the protest fallout? Or are they just being inconsiderate A-holes because they can and crave attention and some form of validation?
Bravo, Jim. The amount of attention and energy spent on this issue is vastly disproportionate to the small number of actual cases.
It still is transphobia. If this doesn’t involve you, stay out of it. Let people who actually are dealing with that scenario work it out. Everyone else is just Gladys Kravitz. A busybody neighbor. Whatever happened to minding your own business?
OMG, Gladys Kravitz, Karen prime!
It’s Adam and Eve. Two sexes. Onward Christian Soldiers, I guess.
It seems like a thinly-veiled FU to anyone who follows a different path, and yet their storyline is one of victimhood, what else? It seems to me that there is a legitimate discussion to be had regarding appropriate age for subjects having sexual content, but to suggest that drag queen story time is about sexual differences for young kids vs getting to know “others” with acceptance and friendliness, well, that seems to cross the line for the not-so-accepting, not-so-friendly adults representing themselves as the protectors of children.
We of a certain age had better parents, I think. “Be back by supper time, honey”, Mom said, and I don’t remember any Lord of the Flies outcomes from playing with the other children for most of each day.
Sounds like you wanna live in the dark ages again. Lmao
Yeah these are clearly times of enlightenment and learning, we entered the dark ages about 4 years ago, hence why facts and critical thinking have died.
An example of losing at the ballot box but still insisting you have the support of the majority.
Campo cougar and David are real geniuses folks.
nobody is afraid of a campo cougar, but Jim Taggert really ate you up and spit you out!
F a n a t i c i s m unbound!
A Crusade.
I’m pretty sure it was when the mentality to bring all our political and social beefs into the schools.
The reality is with books and the internet anyones kid can view any content the parents want, it’s really all about controlling what other kids see and view. Take your authoritarian socialism and shove it, leave the kids alone if you care about them. Instead they want to indoctrinate little activists. Next time you support this crap going into your local schools think about the kids and the actual effect it has on them, ignore the false feel good message the media tells you
I have been waiting for this awesome set of comments for a few weeks since I saw this protest. Keep these comments coming folks!
I saw some lone woman yesterday. I don’t know this person with the signs, but without the counter protesters as a backdrop, she simply looks like the guy with the eternal The End Is Near! sign in your favorite cartoon.