In general, I try to live by the maxim of not speaking ill of the dead (immediately after their deaths). There are some for whom I ignore that rule--dictators, terrorists, mass murderers, scourges of humanity. Heck, I emailed Laura Ingraham when a guest host on her show made some foul comments upon Ted Kennedy's death. Political opponents shouldn't rise to level of "dictators, terrorists, mass murderers, scourges of humanity", and it's the decent thing to do to give those left behind some time to mourn without having to deal with other people's toxic/petty political celebrations.
Too often, though, people let their hatred overrule their humanity. Reading the news this morning I came upon these two school employees that went public with their darkest thoughts. First:
A Wisconsin teacher has been suspended after tweeting that he hoped conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh suffers a painful death from cancer.Second:
Travis Sarandos, an English teacher at the Milwaukee High School of the Arts, posted the tweet on Monday and was suspended two days later.
"Rush Limbaugh absolutely should have to suffer from cancer," Sarandos wrote in the tweet. "It's awesome that he's dying, and hopefully it is as quick as it is painful."
The Washington state high school principal that was criticized for an online post following Kobe Bryant's death has resigned, the district superintendent said.Not being a fan of basketball, Kobe Bryant meant as much to me as did any of the other people on that helicopter. None of them impacted my life a scintilla. That doesn't mean that I'm immune to their deaths; as a fellow human, I recognize that people are hurting over their deaths.
"Trust between a principal and a school is so critical, and it's become clear to me in my time here that that trust has been broken," Camas School District Superintendent Jeff Snell said in a video directed to students. "It's caused a disruption at the school that's demonstrated in many ways."After the helicopter crash last month that killed the NBA legend, his 13-year-old daughter and the other seven people on board, Camas High School principal Liza Sejkora wrote on her personal Facebook page, "Not gonna lie. Seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today," CNN affiliate KATU reported.
To the teacher and to the principal I say, "Where is your humanity?"
On the other hand, I cannot condone their respective suspension and firing. Their speech, foul as it was, was their private speech, not conducted at school or directed at students. And even if it had been, you just don't fire or suspend someone for expressing an opinion. Yes, there are caveats to that declaration, but I don't see either of the referenced comments coming with miles of crossing the line. I can see how people could disagree with those comments, and even be hurt or offended by them, but so what? I'm hurt and offended all the time at work, I don't go around trying to get people fired. Employers in general, and government employers in particular, have no business policing the speech of their off-duty employees.
The teacher, the principal, and their school districts all behaved poorly. Great example for children.
4 comments:
Not sure I agree with you on this one Darren. Teachers are put in a position of trust with young, impressionable minds. Principals to an even larger degree. With the number of students these people come into contact with, it is highly probable the at least one if not more have close experience with cancer (self or immediate family members). Do we really want teachers wished a horrible cancer death when the student sitting in front of them is facing the same possible of someone they love?
Having these thoughts & wishes in private conversation is their right. When it spills over into the public domain then you have to be responsible for what & who it affects. Someone who lacks humanity as you put it, shouldn't be in front of students.
Follow the slippery slope, though, Steve. Here in crazy California, do you think people might possibly think that Republicans have no humanity? I mean, after all, they're against illegal immigration and in favor of that pesky 2nd Amendment!
No, we have to let people have unpopular views. *Expressing* those views at school can have limits, having those views cannot except in the most narrow circumstances. Obviously I'm not an absolutist--someone who advocates for pedophilia might best be kept from government schools, for example--but merely having unpopular or contrary views cannot be grounds for penalty.
I see your point. But you have to draw the line somewhere. You put it at "someone who advocates for pedophilia." I feel speaking ill of the recent dead and wishing death on someone is an indecent act. Not on the level of pedophilia, but still on the same side of the line in my book.
I agree with your slippery slope argument, I just have my line a little further over than you.
I get that. I just don't think a teacher or principal should be fired for saying exactly the same thing a DMV supervisor, or a Dept of Finance accountant, could say with impunity.
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