Laurie Higgins attacked Hemant (The Friendly Atheist) yet again. Being the attention whore she is, it wasn't going to be long before she finally had the guts to post in the comments section. This is my response to her.
QUOTE:
I have never in any context suggested that you should be fired or that you should resign. In fact, I don’t believe the school has any legal right to fire you. You should have fact-checked before you posted that factually inaccurate statement.
If you don’t believe the school has any legal right to do anything about Hemant, then why did you have the brass balls to contact his employer? Could it be you were hoping that by being ’stealth’ about your attempt, he’d not find out? Hate to burst your bubble, but people can smell bullshit a mile away, and usually don’t like underhanded tactics. Just because you won’t do the right thing, doesn’t mean other people will follow suit.
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In addition, I have repeatedly stated that you have a First Amendment right to make whatever public statements you want on any topic. I have also made it abundantly clear that my goal is to provide information to District 204 parents–particularly IFI readers—about the nature of the ideas you express and endorse on your public blog so that they can make informed decisions as to whether they want their children to spend a school year under your tutelage.
It begs the question WHY you contacted the school board and not the parents? Are you worried that the parents may not agree with you?
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In my first, brief email to your administrators and school board, I did not, as one of your blog commenters suggested, call for you to be fired. I notified them that you made the public, vindictive, irresponsible, and unprofessional suggestion that the Kiss-In would be even better if it took place in front of my home.
Somehow, I happen to think that if given the chance, you’d gladly cause a ruckus in front of Hemant’s home in the name of your plight. Please don’t tell me you wouldn’t – you religious fundamentalists never pass up an oppertunity to spite your opposition.
QUOTE:
You fail to acknowledge a central point that I addressed in my articles, which is many teens are unduly influenced by emotion or the cult of personality and are therefore predisposed to look favorably on the ideas of teachers whom they find cool or charismatic or funny or kind or iconoclastic.
I wish I had a teacher like Hemant in high school. I probably wouldn’t have been bored out of my mind, and actually enjoyed school. If he was a Christian, would you have the same issue with him being charismatic? Probably not. Even if on the random chance, reading his blog causes a teen to question his faith, is that really a bad thing? If that teen reaffirms his faith after investigating alternatives, isn’t that more powerful then someone who just blindly accepts faith without proper reason? I applaud religious people who take the time to invesitgate other religions and atheism – it shows the mind of a person who isn’t going to get pushed around by others.
On the other hand, that type of person is more likely to follow a non-Christian based religion, so thats dangerous in your mind. Can’t have people thinking on their own!
QUOTE:
If students search your name and come upon your blog, they will be exposed to your endorsement and promotion of many ideas that parents may find deeply troubling. If students have you as their teacher, like you, and develop a relationship with you—as happens often in high school—they will be more likely to look favorably on and be influenced by your ideas than those students who have no connection with you. This is the reason that many parents care deeply about role models.
Couldn’t the same thing be said about religious individuals influencing teens? What if I, an Atheist, have a child in school where their teacher is peddling creationism as a science? Don’t I have a right to be offended then? Oh, forgot, because I’m a heathenistic Atheist, I have no right to be offended at the disgusting behavior fundies show.
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It’s the reason there were some recent stories about parents being upset that a high school cheerleading coach posed in her private life for Playboy magazine, or why some parents would not want their children in the class of a teacher who in their free time on a public forum promotes racist views or denies the historicity of the Holocaust.
Funny, aren’t you doing the equivelant of being racist at this very moment?
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It’s probably the same reason that three years ago a well-known homosexual blogger informed my former superintendent that I had been interviewed on Moody Radio on the topic of homosexuality. During my last three years at Deerfield High School, there were more than a few supporters of the normalization of homosexuality who wrote publicly and contacted my administration about my unfitness as a role model for students—and I worked in the writing center where I had no classes.
So you know exactly how it feels. So, one must ask themselves, why are you doing the same thing to Hemant? Are you that self-righteous and blind that you think this is any different?
QUOTE:
In my second article about you, I concluded by saying that some parents may not view teachers as potentially influential role models for their children, and therefore those parents will be fine with you as their children’s teacher.
I said that other parents may believe that teachers are potential influences but agree with your public promotion of polyamory, homosexuality, “sex-positivity,” and the non-existence of God, in which case they may love for you to become a role model in their children’s lives.
Only the religious fundies would find being open minded a bad thing. This coming from the same group of people who say homosexuality is a more important problem in this country then homelessness, kids not getting medical care, starvation, and murder. Now who’s got their priorities mixed up?
QUOTE:
But other parents, perhaps some Jewish, Muslim, or Christian parents, may have concerns about the adults with whom their children spend time, develop relationships, and who may potentially influence their children and may also have significant disagreement with the ideas you promote on your public blog. Those parents are entitled to sufficient information to make informed choices about the very public activities of their children’s teachers—something that for some odd reason seems to offend you.
Do not think for a moment that you speak for Jewish or Muslim familiies. Unlike Christians, I know for a fact Jews do not have the drive to convert every person they set their eyes on. Unlike most Christians, both Jewish and Muslim families tend to have traditions they follow more closely without being as picky and choosey like you’all do. They tend to take their faith more seriously, and not just use it as an excuse to attack/hate/murder.
QUOTE:
Mr. Mehta, this is at least the second time that you have made inaccurate statements about me without evidence (the first was in your blog entry following your attendance at my presentation at Wheaton Bible Church). If you cannot produce one piece of evidence from my writing to support your claim that I am “going after” your job, then please retract that statement.
You need to apologize to Hemant, and retract the statements you made to the school board. Regardless, you won’t change the minds of alot of people who now see you as the raving lunatic you are.
I am not the Friendly Atheist. I’m the atheist who’s tired of the bullshit you fundies spew. I’m the atheist who will be bluntly honest about her feelings, regardless of who it offends. I’m the atheist who has no problems taking to task those who unfairly target others. I am also the atheist who supports their friends whenever and whereever they may need me. I’m the atheist who donates her time to charity every time she gets. I’m the atheist who would give her last $5 to a person on the street if I knew it would help them survive another day.
That being said, I’d not want for Hemant to do anything different. He’s a better person then both of us, and for that fact alone, I have the utmost respect and admiration.
