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VA Public Schools other than FCPS
ACHS - conservative leaning students - afraid to speak up
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Anonymous
"Reprehensible viewpoints" goes both ways. This is nothing but an arrogant, self-righteous, judgmental comment. And the people who hold those "reprehensible viewpoints" clearly think the very same of yours. So let's by all means stay entrenched and keep trying to out-scream and drown-out the other instead of talking, learning, finding common ground, and allowing our children to learn and thoughtfully develop their understanding and viewpoints -- which, btw, can change with maturity and experience that ONLY comes with knowing, hearing, listening, considering other viewpoints and the why behind those viewpoints....all the things being squelched in the classroom BY BOTH SIDES (Youngkin, liberal-only APS schools). |
Anonymous
DP. You don't get the point. The girl doesn't ask the questions because just asking such questions demonstrates ignorance which is then interpreted by others as bigotry. It doesn't matter how respectfully one asks. Adults do this to each other all the time. Black people are tired of explaining things to ignorant privileged White people and tell them to figure it out for themselves all the time. Doesn't matter how sincerely or respectfully the white person poses a question. If you want people to understand and know, then you need to be willing to engage with them. |
Anonymous
And you don't get to force your beliefs on others, either. Except, you do. |
Anonymous
There is no basis for your first premise that there is any straw man. "Overwhelmingly liberal" does not negate the presence of non-liberal classmates reluctant to speak their views. If you want to apply statistics, then if 10-15% of the students in a class identify as conservative, 10-15% of a representative class discussion would reflect conservative views. The student author and teachers confirm this isn't happening. So, unless conservative and liberal views 100% correlate with general student shyness and reluctance to participate in class discussions in any subject, there should be no reason for conservative opinions not being shared in class discussions. You really just can't admit or believe that a person holding a VASTLY MINORITY opinion just might not feel comfortable - or just isn't willing to bother - to share their opinion. Student opinions are cited in the article - direct experience - yet you dismiss them because they don't fit the narrative you prefer to believe. Your assertion that there are no examples of any conservative student "being silenced" by anyone is a red herring attempt at distraction. "Being silenced" isn't the action taking place - it's hesitancy to express a differing view from everyone else around them --shocking, another teen trait! -- and individual students choosing to remain silent, deciding it isn't worth the effort to add their opinion, opting to avoid being put on the defensive against everyone else in the class. No, nobody is directly or forcibly silencing anyone. They don't have to because the environment they've established does it for them. THAT's the point. Since the article isn't credible enough for you, take it from me, a liberal parent with a conservative teen: this article is absolutely on target with my child's experience in Arlington Public Schools. The fact that a student at another school in another district wrote about it tells me that it isn't just my child. The student didn't just come up with my child's exact experience out of thin air without basis. |
Anonymous
Except it isn’t discussions about taxes and regulations and traffic management that are triggering these imaginary reactions. These are not the viewpoints that conservatives supposedly feel reluctant to express, and you know that full well. No, it’s the culture war views — they want to be able to say gay marriage is evil, blacks should just get over racism already, election fraud is rampant and orchestrated against Republicans and transgender children should be treated with disdain. That’s what they’re “afraid” to say. Because they know deep down that their views are not shared by the vast majority of reasonable people. People with fringe viewpoints are always somewhat reluctant to draw attention to themselves. But it’s cute that you think this is about taxes and the size of the military and whatnot. |
Anonymous
Please keep in mind that this article was written by a high school student for a high school publication. By it's nature, it is not going to be an exemplary form of journalism that is researched to the nth degree. Student publications given students that change to practice journalism and highlight issues relevant to their high school experience. |
Anonymous
Literally no one is stopping that imaginary 10-15% of students from speaking up. There is no actual oppression here. The proportion of outspoken people in any group is usually small. But if you have a class of 20 and there are only 2-3 conservative students in it, why are they under some obligation to articulate views, particularly when according to the article they can’t even defend them properly? (See the section about preferring to write their viewpoints than articulate them verbally— they may be conservative but they often don’t know WHY they think that way. The same is true for liberal students at this age btw — it’s a rare teen who can articulately defend their positions. The straw man premise is that 1) There is a problem; 2) That the problem is due to oppression. Neither is demonstrably true. |
Anonymous
Yes, I am well aware of this. I worked in journalism 30 years and was also a school newspaper adviser. But some are holding this article up as evidence of something. It’s not. It doesn’t change the fact that the writer erected a straw man (which is a cardinal sin in journalism, although a common trope for conservative “thought leaders” and right-wing media that might be the writer’s model). |
Anonymous
OP here and you know that how? How do you know that? You are stating it as a fact. That might be what you believe conservative ideals are but that just shows your own shallow thinking on the topic. Just like liberal view points there is a spectrum that include moderate view points. There are also those who are more liberal on some issue while conservative on other issues. Except it seems you don't want that to be recognized. Keep in mind these are teens. They are not invested in politics to the level that you are. You keep wanting apply adult ideals and theories and envision that teens are just as invested in them when in reality they still deem things like tik tok, new filters on social media, prom, getting a car, graduation, new clothes, etc... as far, far, far more relevant and important that election fraud. |
Anonymous
And it doesn't change the fact that you are viewing this through your 30 years of journalism and critiquing that way so missing the forest for the trees. Accept that this happens and is true. Maybe it's not the majority of students who experience this but yes, it is a small group of students who do. Is it fair then to say that the story doesn't have merit because it only effects a small group? |
Anonymous
“Trans kids are messed up and wrong and it’s immoral” is an indefensible and reprehensible viewpoint. “Be inclusive and supportive of anyone who wants to live their lives as they want” is not. The end. |
Anonymous
No, I don’t accept it. That’s the whole point of rejecting a premise. Are there kids who feel like they can’t speak up? Sure, of course. Lots of teens lack the courage or articulation to speak up about their views. Is that because of some sort of liberal indoctrination? No, that’s not supported by any evidence. Rather, it is just a persecution fantasy of conservatives that plays out in myriad ways and is always the same complaint. No one is suppressing conservative speech. Rejecting the ideas, maybe. Sure. That’s normal and to be expected. But the core of the complaint seems to be “I have these opinions no one else shares — why can’t I express them without having them validated?” And it never seems to occur to them that maybe the ideas simply aren’t valid. No matter how strongly they have them. |
Anonymous
BUT the GOVERNOR has a TIP line so these things can’t be discussed. A CONSERVATIVE governor. How are you not able to relate these things? |
Anonymous
DP. Have you never heard of this group? https://secularprolife.org/ |
Anonymous
DP weighing in. I strongly disagree with the first sentence about trans kids that you have made up; however, I am mature enough to recognize that it is not indefensible and it is not reprehensible to some members of our population. Your (and my) belief systems don't trump theirs. Just as I recognize that your totality "be inclusive" statement is completely wrong, and absolutely indefensible and reprehensible. It is saying that people should be inclusive of and supportive of people like Hitler or bin Laden. You need to learn to respect the viewpoints of others. You also need to learn critical thinking skills. You need to stay in school, study hard and pay attention to what is going on around you. You never know, you actually might learn something. |