Las Vegas Sun

November 21, 2009

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Letter to the Editor:

Those against high school’s plays are few

Carol J. Wagers, Las Vegas

Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

One hundred parents at Green Valley High School are upset over the production of two plays — “Rent” and “The Laramie Project” — intended to teach compassion and courage. But compassion and courage seem to be very admirable ideals to pass along to children.

In a school of approximately 3,000 students, there are up to 6,000 parents whose children attend. If a minuscule minority of only 100 parents are upset, I fail to understand why they are entitled to any attention at all.

My suggestion for those who are afraid of dramas depicting truth, courage and compassion: Stay home, keep your children at home, take your attorney home, and be quiet.

Kudos to the administration and drama teacher at Green Valley High: Stand strong. I am reminded of the song from “South Pacific” titled “You Have to Be Carefully Taught.”

Discussion: 22 comments so far…

  1. By jlb101
    10/26/09 at 6:36 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    I don't believe "taught" is the correct word, it should be indoctronated. No, I would not let my son or daughter participate in or see these plays. The parents are too busy earning a living to get involved in things like this. It teaches nothing, it is only propaganda trying to instil a wrong set of values in young minds.

  2. By POWERPLAY
    10/26/09 at 7:58 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Hey Carol: IM sure that if this issue was something that you disagreed with and you were in a minority and somebody said that you were not worth listening to you would feel much differently about it. PS. DON'T WRITE ANYMORE LETTERS INTO THE LAS VEGAS SUN' I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOU AND I DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY OF YOUR LETTERS AGAIN!!!

  3. By edgewise
    10/26/09 at 8:19 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    This is the modern equivalent of parent's fear that rock music is the devil's music.

    Parents have the right to restrict their own children from going to see these plays, but children who WANT to participate in putting these shows on should be able to do so.

  4. By LarryVegas
    10/26/09 at 9:21 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    How about:

    Parents have the right to restrict their own children from going to see these plays, but children who WANT to participate in putting these shows on should be able to do so if their parents approve.

    As long as I am legally responsible for my children, I want to have the ultimate authority in matters effecting their upbringing.

  5. By redneck43
    10/26/09 at 10:11 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Carol..the minority wants prayer and the pledge of allegiance kept out of public schools...yet the majority has live with the wishes of the minority.

  6. By judgesmales
    10/26/09 at 12:04 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    C'mon people. Our societal goals should be tolerance and diversity for their own sake.

    I don't know what that means, but it's what my Kommisar keeps telling me, so I guess I have to agree.

  7. By Burrittobandit2
    10/26/09 at 12:05 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    All they need is Liza Minelli and Ryan Seacrest to be in the plays

  8. By redneck43
    10/26/09 at 1:23 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    tolerance is a two way street...one side wants to be tolerated for their culture...but not wanting to tolerate or respect the culture who disagree with them.

  9. By Burrittobandit2
    10/26/09 at 2:59 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    I'm gonna make sure Will the hairdresser and Brad the interior designer and Harry the florist go see this play

  10. By StanG
    10/26/09 at 10:59 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Excuse me Mr. Redneck, but if I get your drift, and from some of prior writings, you would like other people to tolerate your intolerance of them.

  11. By redneck43
    10/27/09 at 10:49 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Stan...but you expect me to tolerate your intolerance of my intolerance?

  12. By Phargo
    10/27/09 at 3:21 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    If you are old enough to go to high school you are old enough to become educated about the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard. The reasons for the murder are well known to us older people but maybe not to 13 and 14 year old kids. It is a worthy endeavor. The 100 disadents are wrong in their opposition.

  13. By redneck43
    10/27/09 at 9:50 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Phargo..who are you to decide what my children should be taught? Matthew Shephard was murdered in a robbery...period

  14. By redneck43
    10/27/09 at 9:54 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, 21-year-old Shepard met Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson in a bar. McKinney and Henderson offered Shepard a ride in their car.[3] Subsequently, Shepard was robbed, pistol whipped, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area, and left to die. McKinney and Henderson also found out his address and intended to rob his home.
    The prosecutor in the case charged that McKinney and Henderson pretended to be gay in order to gain Shepard's trust to rob him.[10] During the trial, Chastity Pasley and Kristen Price (the respective girlfriends of McKinney and Henderson at the time of the event) testified that Henderson and McKinney both plotted beforehand to rob a gay man. McKinney and Henderson then went to the Fireside Lounge and selected Shepard as their target.

  15. By Phargo
    10/28/09 at 9:01 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    redneck43:
    We found one of you, now who are the other 99? Believe me when I tell you, I can decided what your children learn, you are the only person I know that isn't qualified to train your children.

  16. By redneck43
    10/28/09 at 10:46 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Phargo..if you're teaching your children that sodomy between two men is acceptable behavior then you should have your children removed form their homes...and you should be steralized so that you are unable to ever breed again.

  17. By Phargo
    10/28/09 at 2:59 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    redneck43:
    Evidently sodomy between two men IS acceptable in our society. Where have you been?
    The education of your children is completely out of your hands. Besides, if sterilization felt good I'd be willing to try it.

  18. By redneck43
    10/28/09 at 10:27 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    I don't know what society you live in.

  19. By Phargo
    10/29/09 at 6:58 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    redneck43:
    The same one your children live in. Get a clue!

  20. By redneck43
    10/29/09 at 10:36 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    My children find them be vile disguting creatures as well. While some people may publicly claim to be in support of homosexuals to save face for politically correct reasons...the majority of them detest them in private...and are the one sending email jokes about them.

  21. By redneck43
    10/29/09 at 10:37 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    also...the liberal bastion of Clark County is not society as a whole.

  22. By Phargo
    10/29/09 at 7:31 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    redneck43:
    I hate what the new world's morals has done to you.

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