It’s “No Name Calling Week” in schools this week.
The initiative was developed by the New York-based Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, which seeks to ensure that schools safely accommodate students of all sexual orientations. GLSEN worked with James Howe, the openly gay author of “The Misfits” and many other popular children’s books.
Of course we shouldn’t call anyone names. And, yet, I doubt that schools are going to be able to teach this effectively.
I find it funny, also, that in the midst of teaching no name calling, Jerald Newberry, who directs the NEA’s health information network, would say, “People who would criticize this, regardless of who came out with it, are people with bad hearts.” He doesn’t call them names, he just says they have bad hearts. Um . . . has he perhaps missed the point?
Not really. He recognizes that hearts can be bad. He recognizes that there is such a thing as moral wrong. Unfortunately, the schools, while doing well to recognize that there is good and evil in the world, have gotten the two mixed up.
So they have their “no name calling” campaigns and they use books written by James Howe and they make a push to tolerate and affirm everybody except those who disagree with them–those of the bad hearts.
They can do this because they believe people who oppose homosexuality are morally corrupt while homosexuals are simply born with their sexuality like people are born with blue eyes or fair skin. James Howe says:
“Homosexuality is not a moral issue – it’s a fact, and kids who are gay, or maybe just different, need to be allowed to grow up in a safe environment just like everybody else.”
If homosexuality is not a moral issue, we aren’t allowed to say anything against it. Really. It would evil for me to tell an African-American man he was sinful for having brown skin. It would be evil for me to call blue eyes an abomination. And if homosexuality is just another thing you’re born with, then how dare I call it a sin? Howe is not just saying that we shouldn’t call homosexual kids faggots. He’s saying we shouldn’t call them sinners.
He’s wrong about the moral issue thing, of course. Homosexuality is a moral issue. And still, all children need to be allowed to grow up in a safe environment. Unfortunately, schools, that affirm homosexuality as a healthy lifestyle are unsafe. Call me bad-hearted if you must.
I’m all for no name calling week, though. I believe that words do injure. And I believe we’ll have to answer for every careless word. But in the end, our problem is not name calling. It’s lack of love. It’s bad hearts. And until a child’s heart is changed, he will continue to love himself more than he loves others.
Words have the power to heal as well as hurt. I hope one day to write books that will change hearts. Not books that will teach that we shouldn’t call names, shouldn’t kill, shouldn’t lie, shouldn’t sin, but books that will make readers aware of the God-shaped hole in their souls. Books that make them hunger for something higher, cleaner, brighter, stronger, more fulfilling, than any pleasurable sin they’ve dabbled in.
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“I hope one day to write books that will change hearts. Not books that will teach that we shouldnt call names, shouldnt kill, shouldnt lie, shouldnt sin, but books that will make readers aware of the God-shaped hole in their souls. Books that make them hunger for something higher, cleaner, brighter, stronger, more fulfilling, than any pleasurable sin theyve dabbled in. ”
And these are the books that will impact people long term!
But a week of no name calling? Like a little vacation for a poor beleagured victim of a bully’s verbal abuse? Yeah, it takes a lot more. Just like it takes more than red-ribbon week to get rid of drugs or African-American month to stop prejudice. The thing is, a certain segment in our society is so convinced that it is the government that can fix the ills of our culture. But clearly, governmetn has no answer for “bad hearts.”
Great post, Sally.
Um. On another topic, when are you posting a certain bit of good publishing news for your blog visitors? I mean, it is SO subject related to literature for children!
Becky
THis was so great! And you expressed my own thoughts so well in that last paragraph – although more eloquently than I could have said it.
LOL Becky, you crack me up. You are just determined to out me everywhere I go.
It is a five hundred word story for six and seven year olds and I don’t think calls for a great big announcement. Yes, we are enjoying the fact that my husband will be famous with all the little Highlights for Children readers but it’s not major news. I have no intention of blogging on the subject, you sily girl.
I will say this, though, because it’s an accomplishment I’m really happy about. I got an email this morning from a young writer who said she’d been waiting for direction from God about what she was to write next. She’s written three romances and she had a strong feeling that she was supposed to set them aside for a bit and work on another project that God had for her. But she didn’t know what that project was. But upon reading my posts on homosexual content for teens she has decided that this is her project. She’s going to write about homosexuals.
Now, that makes me happy. Because we all want our writing to change our readers and my writing apparently changed her–or gave her a nudge onto her present course. So that’s cool. But I’m also happy simply because I do believe we Christians need to interact with our world and offer the truth in love.
Kelsey, I seriously doubt your claim. Your humorous pieces make pretty eloquent points. I wish, wish, wish, I could write humor. It really is like the sugar that helps the medicine go down.
Congratulations on your story in Highlights! When will it be out? We subscribe, and the kids fight over who gets to slip away to their room with the new Highlights first.
The world is in great need of books like yours that will change hearts.
I wish you could have taken the Swampboat tour with us. I’m rounding up people for the May ACW conference — wanna go? Cec Murphey is speaking — he must know a thing or two, since he’s published 101 books. So far, I think I’ve got five people who want to go.
Hey, Heather, I think I saw that there would be an ACW conference in Atlanta. And if there is then I will for sure go. I can’t pass up a conference that is right here.
Yes, I would have loved to take the Swampboat tour, and I would have enjoyed seeing the little feechie folk, too. =0)
” You are just determined to out me every where I go.”
Well, yes, I am! ; D Though there are some places where I might wait until your story that Highlights for Children bought actually comes out in print (some time this summer).
And what are you saying about it being only for 6 and 7 year olds–that those stories are unimportant? I know you don’t believe that.
But I am also happy you’re having a positive influence on other writers–such as myself.
Becky
It might not be published this summer. They didn’t tell me when they expected to publish it. They may never publish it. I think they keep a lot of articles on hand but I’m not sure they publish them all. They did say they’d send me several copies when it was published so I’ll know if and when they do. The good thing about them is that they pay on acceptance.
No, I don’t think that writing for six and seven year olds is worthless. But I also don’t think selling a five hundred word article is earth shattering news. LOL But I’m glad you do. It’s nice to have people cheering you on and making a big deal of your humble accomplishments. Your students must have loved you, Beck–you’re very encouraging.
[...] dows of malus quidam madonna and oprah can’t both be wrong Several weeks ago we had schools giving out James Howe books for No Name Calling Week. Thi [...]
[...] ;t both be wrong » madonna and oprah can’t both be wrong Several weeks ago we had schools giving out James Howe books for No Name Calling Week. Thi [...]