Comments on: 10-Year Old Stands Up for Gays in USA

By: adventuresinsin

adventuresinsin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:18:08 +0000

Lo primero es darte las gracias por que los homosexuales como yo podamos sentirnos agusto y protegidos y valorados en tu blog. Lo segundo es dar las gracias a gente como Manuel, que educa a los ninos en valores de equidad y justicia. Yo no creo mucho en la institucion del matrimonio, sin embargo, cuando me vine a Kalifornia, me case con mi pareja para tener acceso a seguro medico. Tuvimos la suerte de casarnos meses antes de que la proposicion ocho saliera adelante. Muchos gays y lesbianas no tienen seguro medico porque no se pueden casar o no pueden acceder a un estado migratorio legal porque su pareja no es americana… que pasa??? que un ninio de diez anios tiene que decirle al mundo que esta no es una sociedad justa…La historia de los Estados Unidos es una historia de lucha por los derechos civiles desde hace siglos… se que es cuestion de tiempo pero a muchos se les acaba… Te agradezco otra vez que actues como educadora en un espacio que a veces carece de educacion en muchos niveles…aunque en Espana el matrimonio homosexual sea un hecho, la homofobia no deja de ser una realidad sangrante. Feliz ocho de marzo!!!

By: Rachel Arieff

Rachel Arieff — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:21:49 +0000

The Pledge of Allegiance, tal y como how it’s forced on kids in U.S. schools, IS indoctrination, in my opinion. I will post a blog on it today or tomorrow.

I looked for contact info for Will Phillips or his parents, but I haven’t been successful. He does have a couple of fan pages on Facebook, though. The link for the one with most members is here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Will-Phillips/334511190383?ref=search&sid=1622834854.3642343117..1&v=wall#!/pages/Will-Phillips/334511190383

That’s the best option, I think, since he and his parents are surely aware of these fan pages and may still be checking them.

By: Petromás

Petromás — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:22:03 +0000

As a teacher who works with kids of Will’s age, I’m always trying to teach respect as the most important thing in society. As far as I can tell, little kids usually don’t have the tendency to fight and sneer at others, unless they’re indoctrinated to do it. It’s sad to see 3-year olds refusing to cut with pink scissors, because they were told that pink is for girls. So my classes are often turned into debates, and when there is some kind of trouble in the group we talk things over and over until we figure something out to put respect back in the main place. I know many sad kids -mostly boys- that are subtly pushed by their families not to love their friends, but rather to detect any type of kindness and tag them “sissies” or whatever.
I think learning to plant the seeds of respect is even more important than learning Maths, and it’s my main goal as a teacher. Will, it would be delightful if there were more kids like you to help us achieving it.
Many regards,
Manuel.

By: Inquebrantable McGinty

Inquebrantable McGinty — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:40:09 +0000

I think Will´s açtions are çommendable. However, I am more than a little bemused with the whole Pledge of Allegiançe thing. Maybe this is çoming from the çomfortable perspeçtive of a foreigner, but it seems like little more than indoçtrination to me. Do you know where I çan leave words of ençouragement? As someone who was regularly aççised of being gay at sçhool and bullied as a result, I want to tell Will he´s not alone.

By: Juanlu

Juanlu — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:38:39 +0000

Hope the parents of Will’s classmates have the chance to teach their offspring about respect and decency as persons beyond any type of intellectual argument so the bullying stops now.
That said I want to state my whole support for him and his family on this fair cause. What this boy is doing is inspiring as such quiet, rational statements finding a voice above the media rattle remind that individual commitment means a lot. Equality and dignity for all citizens. Juan Luis (Spain)