Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Florida principal seen as hero; students think differently
Former high-school principal David Davis is a piece of work. One of his students complains her peers are harassing her by calling her a lesbian and what does Davis do? Tells her being gay is wrong, warns her to stay away from younger students, and outs her to her parents. Sure Davis never dealt with the original complaint, the harassment, but to hear some of his Ponce de Leon, Florida neighbors there isn’t a better a man.
“David Davis is a fine man and good principal, and we are a gentle, peaceful, Christian, family-oriented community,” said Bill Griffin, 73 and a lifelong Ponce de Leon resident. “We aren’t out to tar and feather anyone.”
The school superintendent, who eventually took Davis out as head of Ponce de Leon High School and returned him to the classroom (!), is still shocked about the mess.
“We are a small, rural district in the Bible Belt with strong Christian beliefs and feel like homosexuality is wrong,” said Steve Griffin (no familial relation to Bill but they sure do sound alike).
The kids of Ponce de Leon have a slightly different vision of how straights and gays should relate. And that is the crux of the story. Yes these children live in a small conservative town, but they’ve also been influenced by an overall cultural life that is more gay friendly than it was 10 years ago. They grew up in a time when gay sex was officially removed from the list of crimes and the debate of same sex marriage happened in full public view as opposed in small private circles. If the numbers are to be trusted, polls show the people in the age group of 18 to 29 are the most accepting of same sex marriage.
These figures should make us into happy warriors, willing to stand up for our ideals and certain the way of the world is slowly changing in our favor.
My friend and I were on a small island in Greece last April when no more than 5 hours after arriving 6 island elders informed us that “our kind” was not welcomed and if we would please remove ourselves. It’s interesting: gay bigotry still exists, but the bigots ARE becoming more polite.
Alright, I can kind of understand how people could accept the mistreatment of homosexuality and the censoring of the students’ rights. I’m not saying it’s right, but people are ignorant as Hell, and they’d just say “it’s not my problem.” But you’d think the parents would have some objections when the guy started sexually assaulting his students. But no, he’s a freakin’ hero. What’s up with that?
Anti gay bias is ending in this country. Our children are leading the way, not only in supporting their gay friends, but the gay children who are coming out of the closet (imposed by sick bigots who make Jesus Weep) earlier then ever.
In 20 years, for most of the country except the poorest, most corrupted areas where ignorant preachers can only offer hatred to fill their collection plate, the issue will be low level. And for so many of the leaders of the churches who have nothing to do but offer hatred, they will have to find new work. Hopefully, it will be symbolically approapriate, collecting garbage.
So this little hick Florida town sees the ex-principle as a hero cause he picked on gay kids? Sounds like the whole town needs training in humanity. Adults, especially those with authority over kids, should not be allowed to do what he did and then get hero worship from the town fathers and mothers!
My God what kind of society are they running down there? We are to protect kids, especially those who have been victimized, not harass them further. The town sounds like it has a lynch mob type crowd. Let’s all pick on one little girl, yea that’s so Godly and all.
SteveMD2: I’m glad you qualified with coastal areas, cuz I live in the upper mid west and it’s not much better up here. I’d say (outside the bible-belt) it’s based more on rural vs. urban.
Reply to Sheri – it is simply a matter of percentages, and location. In the socalled bible belt, which is very synonymous with the states that supported slavery and segregation, the situation is worse then in the more liberal northern and coastal areas of the country.
Gays are absolutely winning the battle to be treated with dignity and respect, eg liberty and justice for ALL. It is really a generational problem, but the real question is how many generations will it take to cure this stain upon our national psyche – religious hatred against a minority, just as there was the same against Jews, Blacks, Catholics, etc, etc. in the past.
When I pondered how much money I could gift to my adult kids this year, vs how much I would give to support gay groups, I realized that the question was not really how much money I left to my kids (we are definitely well off), but what kind of country I left to my kids. It’s taken me several years of soul searching on this subject to realize this simple truth. So, about half of their annual gift has gone to various important gay causes this year.
What I am asking all of you readers is to ponder the same, whether you have children on not. The question is what kind of country will we leave to the next generation – a bigoted, always needing someone to denigrate in the Name of God, semi-theocracy, or will we have liberty and justice for all, and freedom from religious coercion and yes even tyranny.
I hope, in whatever way you can, you are supporting with your votes, your money you can spare, and your time, candidates who are true to the founding principles of this nation. Thank you
Steve
The heterosexual dictatorship controlling and manipulating the lives of gay people again. They will always turn something against gay people to claim victimhood or moral high ground. Sick.
umm… did anyone actually talk to the students there? where does this author live, CA? NY? NJ? MA? people in the bible belt are typically on the conservative side. The article says people my age in general are being influenced… but that doesn’t count worth jack in that specific school, they ought to ask the students and not overgeneralize in such a way. *ugh*
Despite Pensaqueerly,the Panhandle of northern Florida is notoriously homophobic. That’s where the infamous “Johns Committee” originated. Bigotry is not heroism; homophobia is a MORTAL SIN.
Father Raymond Clark
San Diego CA
(former Floridian)
I know from personal experience(seeing as Im only 16) in Alabamas public schools that the schools are usually divided(peerwise).
Alabama really needs some anti-discrimination policies about harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Often, when presented with an incident of discrimination based on sexual orientation, teachers were unable to handle the situation and usually ignored it.(It happened to me anf my lesbian friend more than once)
Cheri,
Thanks for the comment. The links point out her friends wore gay pride t-shirts in solidarity and a student brought a suit against the school district (and won).
Sincerely,
James
Wait a minute. You begin the story by saying the student was harrassed by her peers and you end it by saying her age group (peers?) are more accepting? How about a little bit more detail on just how accepting since the whole mess started with teen homophobia anyway.
one word. WOW.
the shear ignorance of the fact that religion has no place in school is puzzling.
They may be ‘christian’ but they have no right to ‘push it down others throats’ as one may word it.(though it could be worded differently)
The neighbors probably didnt even acknowledge the fact that he was violating her basic rights in his ‘great and mighty purification’ efforts.
They then have the audacity to allow him to stay in the school system??(from what Ive collected from your piece)
WOW.