The wise writer in these days is wary of certain subjects. They are subjects that offer no wins. It is when, no matter what you say, somebody is convinced you are wrong. Good examples of this are about children and gender selection and our schools. I jump into the fray reluctantly only because that Looney-Tunes premier of Alberta has once again embarrassed her province. She has assured the horse’s asses who are the extreme right-wing members of her United Conservative Party (UCP) who want ignorance to prevail about children and gender in Alberta schools.
It seems also to be appropriate to respond to the assertion that parent’s rights are being pushed aside by us on “the dangerous of the left which caters to the loud minority in this province and country” as claimed by one delegate. There are no more dangerous topics than parental rights and gender selection. And that topic topped the list of resolutions past by the UCP gathering.
Little kids like to play in mud and there is no muddier topic. There is also the point that few are the little girls who have not wished at one time or another that they were born a boy. And visa-versa for little boys. And there are very, very few times in which that thinking becomes serious.
What the teacher has to consider is that some youngsters also like to act out. They will sometimes make outrageous claims that are not in their best interest. There, we parents have to rely on the teacher’s judgement as to whether or not the situation needs or could be helped by the involvement of the parents.
Children go to school to learn more than their ABCs. They are learning about themselves and their classmates. They are learning about their teachers. And they do tend to brag. It reminds me of the time our daughter’s grade one or two teacher smiled and casually told the wife that our daughter had told the class that her mother goes to downtown hotels with lots of men. The wife looked at her and said, “Well, that’s true.” She paused for effect. And then added: “I sing with a 22-piece orchestra.”
But the sad note in all of this is that Danielle Smith and the ‘Take Back Alberta’ crazies passed extremist resolutions at the UCP meeting that should embarrass any thinking Albertan. Alberta does not deserve the bad press this gets across Canada.
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Copyright 2023 © Peter Lowry
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