Not All Of Those Who Can Teach, Should Teach

I have a fondness for teachers, especially the really good ones. My father was one of those; I mean, the man taught Chemistry and Physics and all kinds of that science-y stuff and made it sound interesting.

And I had some really good teachers all through school and into college, from whom I learned a lot, and not just the course-load, but about myself, and about life. 

I never, though, had a teacher like Jack Conkling, a Kansas middle School teachers and high school women's basketball assistant coach.

See, Jack Conkling took to his Facebook page and posted that homosexuality is a sin and ranks in God's eyes the same as the sin of murder.

Yeah. On Facebook, for all to see.

The Kansas Equality Coalition has publicly criticized what Jack Conkling wrote and has urged the school district to review its policy on social media and bullying, whether by students or teachers.

I mean, how can we expect students to stop using social media to bully other students when teachers are setting the example that being gay is like being a murderer?

Jon Powell, of the Kansas Equality Coalition, said Conkling's "inflammatory statements" might lead some students to think it's perfectly fine to bully other students.

I mean, Mr. Conkling does it.

And let's not play that Freedom of Speech business here, and that Jack Conkling was posting on his personal page, because there are many of his students listed among his 600 friends.

Sidenote: how does a delusional asshatted bigot and homophobe get 600 friends?

Here's Jack Conkling, in his own words:

"All this talk in the news about gay marriage recently has finally driven me to write. Gay marriage is wrong because homosexuality is wrong. The Bible clearly states it is sin. Now I do not claim it to be a sin any worse than other sins. It ranks in God's eyes the same as murder, lying, stealing, or cheating. His standards are perfect and ALL have sinned and fallen short of His glory. Sin is sin and we all deserve hell. Only those who accept Christ as Lord and daily with the help of the Spirit do their best to turn from sin will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. There aren't multiple ways to get to Heaven. There is one. To many this may seem close minded and antagonistic, but it doesn't make it any less true. Folks I am willing to admit that my depravity is just as great as anyone else's, and without Christ I'd be destined for hell, if not for the undeserved grace of God. I'm not condemning gay marriage because I hate gay people. I am doing it because those who embrace it will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And I desire that for no one."

Now he's backpedaling, saying after his posts were publicly acknowledged, "I wrote what I wrote for my Facebook friends who understand my heart and my intent. I understand that there were some folks who didn't understand my heart, and while that's sad, it is what it is."

So, your heart says that gay equals murderer? And you're allowed to teach? Apparently so, and he'll receive little to no punishment for his online hate, because, according to Craig Williams, principal at Prairie Hills Middle School where Jack Conkling teaches, the school does not have a Facebook policy for teachers.

"We're looking into it," Williams said. 

Looking into it is code for Hopefully this will die down and we won't have to do anything.

The district has a technology committee that is looking at a policy for staff and social media, according to district Superintendent Dan Stiffler, but he asks, "Where do you draw the line?" 

Stiffler describes this as a challenge of setting rules that do not infringe on a teacher's First Amendment freedom of speech.

I'm all for Freedom of Speech; goddess knows, I practice my freedom constantly. But, Freedom of Speech does come, or should come, with a sense of responsibility. Perhaps Jack Conkling shouldn't have students be his Facebook Friends if he's going to show us what's "in his heart."

Perhaps he should realize he is a teacher and not a friend.

And all this leaves me thinking on another topic. Kansas is not known for his LGBT-friendliness, so I'm guessing there are all sorts of gay teachers who live quiet lives, keeping to themselves, lest their orientation become public knowledge and they be fired for it.

And yet Jack Conkling gets to teach.

Oh, Kansas.

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