Just when we think school administrators have reached the limit of reflecting the narrow and bigoted attitudes of state legislators, a new example pops up. Norwest High school in Grand Island, Nebraska, school has shut down the award winning Viking Saga student newspaper because it stood up for three trans students at the school who now can only use the names on their birth certificates, and suffer a whole host of indignities.
Oh, the wisdom of frightened adults who fear their children will not be only clones of themselves. How sad it is that state legislatures want to restrict discussion of racism and sexism. Do they honestly think an issue will go away if we don’t talk about it?
Justice Steven Breyer once wrote, “public schools are the nurseries of democracy.” As students actively support their LGBTQ friends, they cannot be “disciplined” or told they cannot express their opinions. That holding is from 1969, but, who knows, this Court, seems to be like ostriches with their heads in the sand hoping for a previous time.
Prayer for the Day
Holy God, we call to you as our strength and shield,
You call us and embrace us against our fears;
Forgive us our timidity in proclaiming your word
And us our reluctance to accept changes around us.
Help us to have courage as others who proclaimed your name
Teaching us how to live so we may complete your work
In the name of the One who is our model,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Seeing them go through that, especially after… being able to go by (preferred names)... having it taken away from them was really upsetting.
- Emma Smith Student co-editor, Viking Saga
The pointed targeting of erasing somebody's pronoun, of erasing somebody's gender is erasing somebody's identity in such a hostile way. It can't be read as anything but ‘I don't value you.’
- Alison Gash, Political Science Professor
Do not remember the former things, or consider things of old,
For I am about to do a new thing, now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches;
For I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people
The people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.
Isaiah 43: 18-21