Standing Up

    Anyone who thinks it's funny to denigrate or threaten others is wrong (Warning -- link contains some pretty awful stuff).   Period.
    We're (supposed to be) grown ups, folks.  Can we please try to act like it? 
    Andy suggests, via Twitter, that perhaps we need to do something as a community to address the threats.  I agree, but haven't a clue what the appropriate response should be, other than to stand up and say that such speech, while protected, doesn't have to be honored, agreed with, or listened to.
    Got any ideas? 

UPDATE:  Andy's proposed Stop Cyberbullying Day on Friday.  I'm in, hoping to balance respect for all people with the right to free speech.  I hope you'll think about that, too.

UPDATE #2 (4/3/07): Chris Locke and Kathy Sierra have released a joint statement in regards to Kathy's original post and its aftermath. 

Comments

[Andrew Pass]

Bud, I won't thank you for pointing out this post. But I'm glad I read it. Perhaps the most important thing that we can do as educators is ask students to think about why people feel the need to threaten others and help them learn how to handle their emotions without resorting to threats and violence. I've written a series of questions that might be relevant for this situation on my own blog.

Andrew Pass
http://www.pass-ed.com/blogger.html

[Robert Banning]

Bud,

The "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" story has been the focus of a number of conversations / discussion with my friends and collegues recently. I have been taking the stance that I appreciate the ACLU's role in forcing us as a society to continuely evaluate what is free speech.

You ask the question what can we do. I believe that we need to educate our kids about the importance of free speech as well as the responsibilities inherit in it. The "sticks and stones..." adage needs to be re-evaluated and students shown the power of the pen to do good and to hurt.

I will be participating in Andy's proposed Stop Cyberbullying Day on Friday with an emphasis on responsibility: taking responsibility for what we write/say and taking responsibility for what we read, watch, and respond to. While those who are bullying have been condemed, who are those that are supporting them, reading their trash, encouraging their hate? Are these folks who are giving the "culprits" a voice just as culpable as the authors of the hate speech?

Thanks for point this story out.
ROB