My Son Went To School And A Riot Broke Out…Sorta…Not Really…But..

The battle against truth strikes again.

I’ll admit. This is more of a rant. And this came up unexpectedly.  I sure wasn’t planning on my 4th post ever to be related to a “protest” that took place at my son’s high school today.

But after he filled me in on the latest community “civil-unrest-mockery-sham-protest” — I knew I had to address the substance(or lack thereof) of what he witnessed on this day.

Lies, Lies And More Lies

Overstating the truth is the name of the game these days.

• We’re besieged with rampant police misconduct against minorities….OVERSTATEMENT 

• Women earn substantially less than men(after all factors are properly adjusted for)….OVERSTATEMENT 

• The wealthy pay little or no taxes…..OVERSTATEMENT

• There’s prevalent systematic racism …..OVERSTATEMENT 

• so and so person is a nazi…….guess what?…..OVERSTATEMENT 

• blah, blah…yadda, yadda…..OVERSTATEMENT  (you get the drill)

And now, Florida’s new “don’t say gay” law.  Again….OVERSTATEMENT.

Apparently, students at my son’s high school staged a walkout to protest the potential passing of Florida’s HB 1557 bill. But wait, what exactly is that, you say.

“A False Witness Testifying Lies,
And One Who Incites Brothers To Quarrel” … (Proverbs 6:19)

The above verse is listed as one of the six things the Lord hates.

Needless to say, it is not a good-faith act to call this new law a “don’t say gay” mandate.  The law does not mention the word “gay” anywhere in its draft.  But it is labeled that by the opposition to diminish and disparage its merit.

In truth, the law mainly centers around parents’ rights in regards to their children’s education.  That’s why in actuality it is called “The Parental Rights in Education” law. 

The law solidifies that parents will not be kept out of the loop regarding their children’s education.  It also bans any discussions that are sexual in nature for students in third grade or below.

What am I missing here?  Why is this controversial in the slightest?

I asked my son how many fellow classmates he thought knew why they were “protesting” or had a grasp on specifics about the law itself. To my surprise he said he thought around three quarters of the kids out there didn’t know why they were there.  The vibe he got was that most were just glad to have a free period from school and hang out.  EXACTLY!

So What Are They Objecting To?

First of all, the law doesn’t affect high school students. It applies to third grade students or below.  

I, as a parent, would never want anyone other than those in my home speaking to my elementary school child about sexual/gender issues. The fact that a law has to be passed speaks to the reality that parental inclusion in such topics was not being honored by schools.  Why? What is the agenda here? We’ll see…

I didn’t speak to my children about such topics at least till middle school.  And when I did, I certainly wouldn’t teach my kids that a man can be a woman or vice versa. Or any other type of gender theory nonsense. 

So why would I want a school to upstage my authority on these issues?

I told my son that all of these immoral concepts pushed in schools regarding relationships and sex are meant to emphasize “personal autonomy.”  “Be who you want to be.”  “Do what you want to do.”   

As opposed to what God advises.  Self-control and adhering to the biblical prescription for healthy intimate engagement.

Don’t be fooled young people.

The unintended consequences of the self-affirming ideology pushed in many schools are bigger than you think.

First, the school affirms lifestyles rooted in immorality.   Which then promotes the notion that YOU are indeed the ultimate arbiter of your existence(not God). And gradually a wedge forms between you and Godly principles. 

As this gulf between you and God widens, the greater the chance for strife and dysfunction within your life.  And people with chaos and confusion in their lives tend to be needy.  Even known to adopt a victimhood perspective of life. 

Point is, anything that moves a person further away from God does not help anyone, especially students.  But this is exactly the direction school systems have been trending for decades.  

And schools objecting to banning the introduction of dubious sexual/gender topics to young children is just another step down this road.

What Can A Young Person Takeaway From This “Makeshift” Protest Episode?

TRUTH MATTERS TO GOD

I told my son that truth matters to God.  Truth is what God is.  To live a life that is superficial in understanding is a recipe to unhappiness.

What all the overstatements I highlighted above have in common is a lot of unhappy people.  People that instead of looking for fulfillment within(and in Godly principles) — they rely on flimsy narratives to rally around in order to feel satisfaction and meaning in their lives. 

As a believer, you know God is the ultimate decision maker of the outcome of events in life.  Just stick to the truth in any and all situations(even if you don’t like or understand it) and whatever the outcome is… — you can feel secure that your Creator co-signed it.

BEWARE OF THE STAMPEDE 

I told my son to notice the “herd mentally” involved in this not-so-impromptu student walkout.  I told him that my lived experience has about 50% of the population being herd-like sheep. 

And this means that often misrepresentations and untruths go unchallenged in a large percentage of the population. Which is how the aforementioned overstatements become common knowledge in our culture.  So as you can imagine, dealing in lies can have a pretty corrosive effect on a society over time.  (And it has — check the creation of the equity agenda as stated by the U.S. President circa 2021.)

AVOID A BREAK IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND

Another ungodly aspect of the opposition to this “parental rights” law is the devaluation of hierarchy.  God is big into hierarchy, after all, He invented it. 

When a school system finds it acceptable not to notify parents of ANY aspect of their child’s school experience — the chain of hierarchy in that home is diminished.  And much like we suffer when we become disconnected from our Father in heaven, so too do children when the authority of their parents is undermined. 

And reasserting parental influence over their own children is what this “Parental Rights in Education” law is mainly about.

KEEP IT REAL & SEEK WISDOM 

And finally, as has been famously said a time or two, “facts don’t care about your feelings.”  I’ve noticed how during the last 10-15 yrs there’s a premium on “speaking your truth”(no such thing, btw). 

There’s an overvaluation of sharing feelings and emotions instead of the focus being on truth and merit.  Or as put forth by noted economist & intellectual Thomas Sowell, “They(young people) are being taught that it is important to have views…..and they’re not being taught that it’s important to know what you’re talking about.”  True-dat! 

Needless to say, young people — take pride in knowing what you’re talking about.  Or at least making an attempt to.  Believe me, truth seeking can be tedious.  But it is a good habit to get into, especially early in life.  Could save you years of misery and despair. Just ask many of the ”professional” social justice warriors out there.

Conclusion

Again, truth matters.  Things in life either gradually improve or they slowly but surely decay.  In actuality, truth and similar Godly attributes(e.g., kindness, love, compassion…etc.) accelerate human flourishing.  

You already know what deceptive tactics get you. A swift downhill slide into confusion and chaos.  And that’s exactly where these misguided young revolutionaries are continuing to steer our society into.  

If you’re a young person reading this….be about substance.  That will normally lead to truth seeking.  Which in turn will save you from becoming a “herd-zombie.”  I am pretty sure future generations will thank you.  And above all, your Grand Creator will thank you also.

Be blessed, -J