Looks like I have to defend these people again

Another year, another well-intentioned assault on free speech in a public school to punish a student who doesn't accept homosexuality.

Brandon Wegner writes for a student newspaper in the Shawano School District is Wisconsin. He and another student wrote competing editorial on gay adoption, as can be viewed here. Wegner wrote in opposition and his argument wasn't very good, as can be expected when any high school student writes about political opinions.

But despite writing like a normal high school student trying to defend a bogus position, what happened next was absurd.

Brandon was hauled before the superintendent on charges that he had violated the school’s bullying policy. Superintendent Todd Carlson told him that the column “went against the bullying policy,” and asked him if he “regretted” writing it. When Mr. Wegner stated that he did not regret writing it, and that he stood behind his beliefs, Superintendent Carlson told him that he “had got to be one of the most ignorant kids to try to argue with him about this topic,” that “we have the power to suspend you if we want to” and that the column had “personally offended me, so I know you offended other people!”

People, I don't like having to defend anti-gay high school students, like I did in November 2010. I don't like his position at all, and his use of the Bible to justify a generic anti-gay position is lackluster. That still doesn't justify the school district's stupid position that expressing ones views in a calm, disconnected manner is only allowed when it comes down on one side of this rapidly-decaying issue.

I was one of those kids. I grew up a christian who knew that part of the Bible rejected homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle, calling it an abomination. I remember choosing that side of the issue because of the Bible. I also remember when I got to high school I realized I was on the same side of the issue as the Ku Klux Klan and there must be something wrong here and switched sides.

My school never had frank and open discussions where students got to share their opinions and feelings about gays without fear of being punishment. Don't get me wrong, we had an accepting school staff. There were several openly gay teachers who had upside-down Apple computer logo stickers on their classroom doors because they couldn't find rainbow stickers anywhere else.

I don't think younger people today realize how much has changed for gay acceptance in their lifetime. It was socially acceptable to say "fag" right up until the end of the 1990's. I would have benefited from an open discussion because my views were weak and unchallenged. I would have come around a lot sooner, and unfortunately, students like Brandon Wegner are being robbed of that chance to learn.

Eventually, my generation came around. It was through the free exchange of ideas that my generation came to accept gays, not authoritarian commands.

Adamantium Clause: A friend wrote that the logical conclusion of Wegner's piece is that gays should be exterminated, because of the Bible verse he referenced over and over that said gays should be executed for displeasing God. I maintain that Wegner is a poor writer and that interpretation was never his intention, and it is not the primary interpretation of the piece. He was simply quoting that verse to prove that God loves everyone but the gays.

Superintendent Todd Carlson's written statement suggests his problem with the piece was he found it offensive, not that it was a call for violence:

The Shawano School District would like to apologize for a recent article printed in the Hawks Post newspaper. Proper judgment that reflects school district policies needs to be exercised with articles printed in our school newspaper. Offensive articles cultivating a negative environment of disrespect are not appropriate or condoned by the Shawano School District. We sincerely apologize to anyone we may have offended and are taking steps to prevent items of this nature from happening in the future.