It’s a problem we see time and time again in America: people refusing to hear something they don’t agree with. People, generally adults, are so afraid of hearing from an opposing point of view they try to silence the other side.
Normally, we only see this between politicians on the campaign trail or on the debate stage.
But now, apparently, we are seeing this in our elementary schools.
Mount Horeb School District, located just outside of Madison, decided to cancel a book reading. The book to be read was “I am Jazz,” a story about a transgender child. The school district chose to plan this event because one of their elementary school kids is currently in the process of transitioning. Stepping up and showing support for the child, the school district thought the book reading would help students understand.
In a turn of events that isn’t so shocking in today’s America, it was the youth who understood and the adult population who lacked understanding.
A Florida-based group, Liberty of Counsel, threatened to sue the school district if they followed through with the reading. Apparently the pro-religious freedom group found something anti-religious about a public school reading a book that would promote understanding and acceptance.
Two questions arise from this: Why would we yield to a group based in Florida, and how does a young child and school district wanting students to understand a sensitive topic have anything to do with religious freedom?
The only group impeding freedom is the Liberty Counsel, who ironically is trying to take away the students’ and school district’s liberty.
Students at Mount Horeb seem to be more understanding than the Liberty Counsel. As reported in the Wisconsin State Journal, the mother of the student currently transitioning explained the students acceptance of the situation.
“Every once in a while a kid would ask why she likes girl stuff,” she said. “Ever since the transition, the kids in the class were like, ‘That’s OK, you’re [name] now.’ The kids have totally accepted this — it’s just the adults.”
It seems more and more this generation of youth, including myself, are more understanding of different people than our older peers are.
Talking about LGBTQ issues can often bring up things people passionately disagree on. But this is why America is great — we can talk about and are granted the freedoms to bring up these issues and create a dialogue about things we disagree on in hopes of understanding each other.
This is what Mount Horeb was trying to do, and clearly the student population has already put in motion.
What the Liberty Counsel is trying to censor understanding. The Liberty Counsel is reaching into a public school trying to ruin a young child’s day. But lo and behold, the students in Mount Horeb have stopped that from happening and have been understanding of someone who the Liberty Counsel is trying to indirectly bully.
Censorship, in any sense, is un-American. Not allowing a young child the ability to feel comfortable in their school is un-American. Not listening to something that you may disagree with is un-American.
Luke Schaetzel ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in both political science and journalism.
