Neural Gourmet Archives | Feed Your Brain
Neural Gourmet Archives | Feed Your BrainNormally, I would like to think, I would refrain from posting local news items for my blog. I'd like to think that because a) Not everyone lives where I live and b) I live in Kentucky. But I'm going to make a special exception for this.
In short, the University of the Cumberlands expelled a student, Jason Johnson, after Mr. Johnson posted on his myspace.com site that he was a homosexual. The school didn't try to dress up the reason for his dismissal either. They didn't try to say it was because of some other reason, such as a scheduling snafu, or a computer error: it was because Mr. Johnson was a homosexual, and homosexuality is "not consistent with Christian principles". What about judge not lest ye be judged? What about the old ways have come to pass? Love thy neighbor? I think it was Anne Lamott who said "You can tell you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do".
Now, in the school's defense (I can't believe I wrote that), it is a private university. As long as it is a private institution, they have the right to do pretty much whatever the hell they want to. Although, apparently they do have some rules which they must follow, though rules barring discrimination based on sexual orientation won't come into effect until 2007.
But here's what has a bug stuck up my ass, so to speak: the school recieves state funding to the tune of ten million dollars, yearly. In other words, a certain portion of my state taxes goes to funding those bigoted, red-necked, grits-eating, bible-thumping sons of bitches. When I'm actually at work and on the clock, my blood boils knowing that, if even for just a fraction of a second, I'm supporting them and their policies whether I like it or not.
What's worse? Our intrepid governor (Ernie Fletcher - R) is probably not cutting funding for the school (by his own admission) even though he needs to cut $200 million from the state budget by this evening. What's that mean? That means social programs that benefit mainly the poor and uneducated (a staple here in KY) are getting the shaft, while "good Christians" like the folks over at UC reap the benefits. I am mad as hell and I'm not going to...oh wait, there's not a goddamn thing I can do - except post to my blog.
Will a blue state please adopt me?
Update! - Sure enough, according to this morning's Herald-Leader (my local rag), Gov. Fletcher did not veto the $10 million for UC - but did say they would not spend any of the money until they were sure that it would be "consitutional to do so". I'll give you a hint, Ernie - it's not constitutional. Well, okay, that's more than a hint. But just to show that Fletcher isn't shy about vetoing funds for education....
Source: Lexington Herald-Leader 4/25/06
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How 16th C. of that school and it's wonderful to know that our state governments are supporting this kind of boorish behavior.
I see that the school might be losing its accreditation for the stunt it pulled. Such poetic justice. 
I wonder why they expell gay students, citing that their behavior is "not in line with Christian values", yet don't do the same for divorced students, and students who have lied, stolen, taken the lord's name in vain, dishonored their parents, etc, etc.
