Last year on crothersville.net there was a big to-do over what some called a “gay day” at Crothersville School. There were many who opposed this day of silence and were especially upset that it was covered in the school’s yearbook and posted their feelings on the community forum. Student supporters brought it right back and said the purpose of that day was simply to bring attention to bullying and harassment for all victims and not just for gays or lesbians.
I thought then, and I still think now, that the day was planned exactly in alignment with the “Day of Silence” website. (I haven’t heard yet if it’s on the agenda again this year at C’ville School, but the date is April 16th and is right around the corner.) I didn’t like that the supporters didn’t just come out and be truthful insofar as their intent — and I didn’t like the fact that so many others were ready to judge and hate.
So that was the preface to what I’m thinking about today…
I don’t know if you caught on the news the plight of Constance McMillian, the student who wanted to attend her prom with a same-sex date and wear a tuxedo. I didn’t pay a lot of attention when a court ruled that her school was wrong, but I’m taking a closer look now. Parents and students of this Itawamba, MS high school went to the trouble to create a ‘fake’ prom for just 7 students AND set-up a ‘real’ prom at another location! Simply for the purpose of being cruel to a group of students who are different? According to Constance, two of the five other attendees of the “fake” prom had learning difficulties and apparently were not worthy of the ‘good’ prom either.
I often look at the hounds and wonder what they’re thinking. I figure they’re dreaming of chasing bunnies or getting all the bacon they can eat for being good. I’m willing to bet their thoughts — no matter how bad they might be — aren’t as bad as what was in the heads of those people in Mississippi as they were planning their secret events.