School Leader Delivers Hate Comments Through Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site, and anyone can get on it, including school leaders. What happens, though, when a school leader logs onto facebook and posts thoughts of hate, aimed toward a specific audience. Trouble happens, that's what. An Arkansas school board district member posted hate comments about the gay population on his (what he thought to be) private facebook page, but CNN reports that someone sent a screen shot of the hate comments to The Advocate (an LGBT magazine). From the looks of the situation, it only took one screen shot to call for the resignation of this particular school board district member. What exactly did this school board district member say on his facebook page?

According to CNN, Clint McCance hates gay people, wants them all to commit suicide, and enjoys the idea that they give each other AIDs. Wow! Why such hate for a group of people based on their sexual orientation? Did Mr. McCance get so comfortable in his position as a leader that he felt himself immune to the need for love and compassion for others? Mr. McCance tells that he "gives everyone a chance" and "tries to love everyone," even though he does not approve of homosexuality, according to CNN. How is it that a man can spew forth such hatred for people he doesn't even know and still claim to give people a chance? Does he mean only straight people? How can Mr. McCance allow himself to hurt others in such a way?

Unfortunately, CNN reports that Mr. McCance's family now suffers the public's wrath because his family has gotten phone calls, hate mail, and threats against their lives. This is certainly a tragedy. It doesn't pay to victimize the person who has victimized others. Will this situation cause Mr. McCance to stop and think before he hurts others next time? We can hope so, but Mr. McCance's words suggest that he may not have learned a lesson from this. Yes, according to CNN, he did apologize, and this is a good thing, right? Even so, CNN claims that Mr. McCance has defended his comments by citing his religious beliefs. (Has Mr. McCance not heard of the separation of church and state?) So, what's next?

Mr. McCance plans to resign his position, and some have certainly called for it. Even so, Mr. McCance seems to think that he may eventually be able to come back after this dies down. CNN reports Mr. McCance as saying, "'If they decide after five or ten years to vote me back in, then I'll run again.'" However, education officials publicly "condemn" Mr. McCance's hate statements about the gay population, so will Mr. McCance ever get the opportunity to serve in his position again? Maybe and maybe not. The big questions we must ask ourselves, though, are will his views change during those five or ten years? Or will he just learn to be quiet about them? Some may feel either is fine, but history shows some ugly pictures that came about due to hate.

Can we afford to have leaders, especially education leaders who hate so fiercely?

Source

CNN