Author |
Message |
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 11:18 am
I can tell you as a teacher, those kids ARE my kids, and when they hurt, I hurt. You are not a teacher if you don't have a personal relationship with your students. It is part of the nurturing we do - and I have given many a hug and will give many more before I retire. Ok - back to your regularly scheduled programming. 
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Caprica
Member
02-10-2007
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 11:33 am
One of the problems these days is that some people think that there are 2 sides to every thing. They think that everything in this world is up for debate. There are beliefs and there are facts and those two things are not interchangeable. So many people don't want to see scientific facts or historical facts as true so they put their fingers in their ears and sing LaLaLa. Jeff made a bigoted statements PERIOD If he wants to believe stupid stuff that's up to him. If he wants to make derogatory statements about an entire group of people then he better be ready to take the heat. I am more bothered by people defending him than by what he said.
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Scubalass
Member
07-01-2004
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 11:35 am
Oh my goodness, just this week I was in the grocery store and a little boy was crying, no adults were around, I knelt down to his level and asked if I could help him, he said he could not find his Mum, he put his arms around my neck, so I gave him a hug, picked him up and took him to a store employee! WTH .... Maybe I should have just left him there crying and ignore him! I will always give a crying child a hug, that is what caring people do. Sanfran, I agree with everything you have said. Everyone has the right to have a loving relationship with anyone they want to and no one should judge. Jeff was wrong to say what he did but I do not think it was out of malice towards gay people in general. I guess we will have to wait and find out from Jeff.
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Rosem4243
Member
06-27-2005
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 11:47 am
Caprica, I agree. I was very disappointed in Jeff for his comments. Jeff and Jordan are two of my favorite BB players, but I can't give Jeff a pass on this - it pains me, but I can't. I truly hope it was out of ignorance and not homophobia, but I sadly think it might be both.
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Annie
Member
08-15-2009
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 11:58 am
I am so happy my Dad and Grandfather served in the Army and fought for all of us to continue to have the right to think or say what we feel. any of you seen Not Without My Daughter? It's sad that some people cannot see that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but instead feel the need to point their fingers while shouting, "You're wrong!". Having said that... they are entitled to do so. Even if I disagree with their 'IN YOUR FACE' way of communicating. 
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Sanfranjoshfan
Member
09-17-2000
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:13 pm
"I truly hope it was out of ignorance and not homophobia, but I sadly think it might be both." I think ignorance and homophobia are two sides of the same coin. Homophobia is an irrational fear of homosexuality and if one is ignorant of the true nature of gay people, then one might just develop an irrational fear of us based on irrational suspicions....like the notion that any gay man would be a danger to children or believing that two gay men cannot possibly raise a happy well adjusted child. Those are irrational fears based on ignorance. Btw, Matt Bomer and his partner, Elton John and his partner, and Neil Patrick Harris and his partner, all have stable relationships and beautiful children and they're good examples of three happy families that just happen to have "two dads". That's not something to fear.
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Frogichik
Member
06-11-2002
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:17 pm
Annie people have the right to their opinions and others have the right to call them out and challenge their opinion. ETA: If we didn't challenge people's opinions and ways of thinking black people would still be on the back of the bus.
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Scooterrific
Member
07-08-2005
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:18 pm
well i personally like how ragan said it best...don't persecute the guy until he has a chance to defend himself. sheesh.
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Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:21 pm
"I'm right and you're wrong" isn't the best method of communicating, particularly if there's any interest at all in swaying your opponent's POV. Just my opinion.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:26 pm
Well, people can have opinions but not at the cost of one’s civil rights or damming an entire population or coloring them all in the same hue. There was a time when people "of color" had major handicaps in society and lots of people were just fine with that and didn’t want their children near people that didn’t look, sound, act just like them. It's the same thing now with homosexuality, gays deserve the same rights as the straight population and one of those rights is not to assume gays are perverts. And if someone out of ignorance or whatever reason denigrates or tries to spread untruths like gays need to be kept away from children, well I will always speak out just like the whites during the civil rights movement. This is not a matter of free speech it's a matter of social justice for all. Any group that is discriminated against can’t make movement forward without the help of those not affected by the discrimination.
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Sanfranjoshfan
Member
09-17-2000
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:43 pm
Homophobia does not get a free pass...like racism or misogyny it needs to be confronted everywhere and every time it happens.
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Toolhound
Member
06-22-2007
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:46 pm
<el> People have a right to believe what they want to believe.
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Caprica
Member
02-10-2007
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:52 pm
So if I said that Black people are just not as smart as white people that would be OK because it is my opinion. This is example not my beliefs.
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Kswheels
Member
06-30-2005
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:55 pm
Toolhound - Jeff has a right to his opinion, no one has said he doesn't. And everyone here has the right to disagree with him or agree with him as they see fit.
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What555456
Member
06-14-2005
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:57 pm
Of course he's a homophobe. Homophobia is, by definition, the fear of homosexuals. Why else would anyone react with an immediate gut reaction against the idea of a gay man being in a school with children if he did not fear what that gay man would do to children simply because the man is gay. No doubt, if he is allowed to explain it, we will get all sorts of backpedaling explanations from Jeff about the gay friends he has, how he doesn't care what gay men do, how he supports equal rights for gays, etc. But bottom line is, his immediate emotional reaction was fear of what a gay man will do to children just because the man is gay. That is, by definition, fear of homosexuals -- hence homophobia.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 12:57 pm
Don't forget there are still people who do not believe blacks, females, mentally handicapped people etc are worthy of civil or human rights. But are afraid to say so publically. But gays and fat people are the last safe prejudices left in our country and often cloaked in the “free speech” mantra.
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Uncle_ricky
Member
07-02-2007
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 1:15 pm
I've seen every episode of every BB season. Thanks to Jeff's sneeringly vitriolic display of homophobia, my streak will come to an end when I refrain from watching tonight's episode. My husband (yes, we legally wed in California in 2008 before the Prop 8 law went into effect) and I have 8 nieces and nephews, ages 3 through 10. During his first BB season, we thought Jeff was a good guy and we gave him a pass when he made his anti-gay remarks then, especially after he appeared on Bonnie Hunt's talk show and apologized for the remarks. Looks like that was the hollow apology we feared it might be. I guess if we ran into him on the street, Jeff would likely advise our nieces and nephews to "get away from those gay guys" in that (no-longer-charming) Chicago accent of his. This latest outburst is beyond the pale. We will resume watching Big Brother when CBS removes Jeff from the house. And we all know they WON'T let that happen. Maybe if he rants that female reality show hosts of Chinese descent should not be allowed to marry Jewish television network CEOs -- but even then CBS would probably let that pass, too.
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Lainee
Member
07-19-2005
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 1:21 pm
Well, they certainly let enough pass when Dick was in the house in his season...but I certainly do not remember the big hullabaloo that this has caused.
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Frogichik
Member
06-11-2002
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 1:34 pm
Lainee I think EVERY year there is a "big hullabaloo" over some inflammatory statement made by a house guest. lol
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Mgmriver
Member
04-27-2009
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 1:42 pm
I'm mostly a lurker here but thought I'd give my POV. I find it despicable that in this day and age so many are willing to let comments that infer that gays are not to be trusted around children reprehensible. Under no situation can I fathom that mindset to go without comment. I have to believe that Jeff has serious issues with gay people and for him to react as he did by saying something like * no way should a gay character in a book be a teacher *. In my mind he's the one that is sick and that I wouldn't want to spend time with my children.
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Sanfranjoshfan
Member
09-17-2000
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 1:47 pm
Agreed, Frogichik, Dick's constant use of the c-word on BBAD and then dumping water on Jen's head (known as "assault" in some states) caused a HUGE uproar that seemed to last forever! This thread only started less than 48 hours ago. This is just a civilized discussion compared to the Dick uproar.
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Kitkat
Member
08-23-2008
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 1:58 pm
"his immediate emotional reaction was fear of what a gay man will do to children just because the man is gay." It is possible that Jeff was sexually abused by a male teacher/coach as a child. He may incorrectly associate that with the teacher being gay rather than with being a pedophile.
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Sanfranjoshfan
Member
09-17-2000
| Thursday, July 14, 2011 - 2:03 pm
"It is possible that Jeff was sexually abused by a male teacher/coach as a child. He may incorrectly associate that with the teacher being gay rather than with being a pedophile." IF that's the case (although there's no evidence of it at this point), hopefully the adverse reaction to his remarks will actually help him to understand that an entire segment of society cannot be blamed for the actions of a single individual.
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