I love Canadian kids!

Opposition to controversial bill voiced on Facebook

By Don Braid, Calgary HeraldJune 2, 2009Comments (4)

http://www.chtv.com/ch/chcanews/story.html?id=1654207

A Facebook group called Students Against Bill 44 had just over 100 members last week.

By Monday evening, as final debate on the human rights amendments was about to start, more than 2,000 people had joined.

Right below that group, Facebook listed another called Students FOR Bill 44.

It had fewer than 35 members.

That’s the way this debate has gone for the government; straight downhill.

It began with a casual political horsetrade within the Tory caucus. Moderate MLAs got two little ponies–enshrinement of gay rights, and retention of strictures against hate speech.

In return, the conservative side of the caucus was handed a runaway horse called parental rights.

Similar to existing provisions in the School Act, it allows parents to withdraw children from classes about religion, human sexuality, and sexual orientation.

At first the Tories brushed off discontent from teachers, gays and opposition politicians. The fuss was a useful counter to charges that the party has moved too far left.

But the initial unease quickly became a genuine uproar.

Surprising coalitions formed. There was rare ugreement among teachers, parents’ councils, the opposition, school boards and human rights groups.

Even people who at first didn’t think the impacts would be serious (including me) had to rethink the issue. Dissent as fierce at this, from people so knowledgeable, is seldom entirely wrong-headed or political.

The opponents made some excellent points about the bill opening the school system to endless complaints and legal challenges.

As if to prove the point, right-wing advocates suggested they would do exactly that.

One said the bill didn’t go nearly far enough because parents, not legislators, should decide what classes their kids should attend in the public schools.

Bill 44 probably still has the support of most voters who back the Tories. As one strategist said, how many conservative-leaning parents are going to argue against parents’ rights?

But the Tories missed a few ominous twists, including the feelings of students themselves.

As the Facebook site shows, they don’t necessarily want their parents telling them what they may learn and not learn.

In fact, they turn out to be far more interested in students’ rights than parents’ rights.

OneUof A student wrote: “This is ridiculous. What about letting children grow up into being their own people? . . . Down with this bill.”

Another said, “This is absolutely stupid. Just because you may not agree with something being taught, who are you to stop your child from forming their own opinion of it?”

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