Rep. Sara Lampe (D-Springfield) wants bullying laws to focus on sexual orientation
A Springfield News-Leader reader complains that opponents of a bullying bill just don’t get it. Maybe the problem is that they get it all too well.
Rep. Sara Lampe (D-Springfield) plans to re-file legislation she has introduced in past sessions that would protect certain classes of people rather than focus on the behavior itself.
Some quick thoughts:
1. We do not need a law to stop bullying. If bullying is occurring in a school, teachers and principals need to exercise their rightful authority to stop such behavior. We do not need to enact new laws any time there is a perceived problem anywhere in society. We simply need to act with common sense.
2. Any law aimed at bullying should not groups of people out for special protection, but rather be aimed at bullying behavior in the public schools, no matter who is the perpetrator and victim. According to a SNL blog post, Lampe’s “point is to raise awareness of anti-homosexual speech and sentiments.” Suppressing opposing views with the “hate speech” label is a common tactic of the Left, so this is potentially a very slippery slope.
Regarding the News-Leader’s coverage of this issue, the newspaper unsurprisingly presented the bill in a favorable light. One thing in particular – a small thing considering the whole article, but telling nonetheless – jumped out at me when reading the piece. The SNL referred to the Family Equality Council as a “a civil rights nonprofit organization.” In fact, the Council is a homosexual advocacy group seeking to redefine family – legally and culturally – and generally diminish and demean traditional notions of morality. I have written in the Columbia Missourian about the trend of newspapers not identifying liberal sources as such, here.
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