Republican Rep. Jim DeMint sided with a plank in the state GOP platform, which states that gays shouldn't be allowed to teach in public schools. Inez Tenenbaum, the Democrat's candidate, who happens to be the state superintendent of education, says the idea of banning gay teachers in publc schools is a bad thing, classifying it as "un-American."
During his six years in the U.S. House of Representatives, DeMint has consistently opposed allowing gays and lesbians to marry, according to The Associated Press. DeMint exploits the issue because it plays well with the Christian right.
Banning gays in public school would put this state and nation back on course toward discrimination on the basis of sexual preference.
If elected officials ban gays from teaching in schools, will they next ban heterosexual teachers who have sex out of wedlock? What would be next? Would they ban gays from attending school?
The goal of the school system is to educate children in a safe environment. A school district shouldn't care whether a teacher is gay or straight as long as they are good, and qualified, teachers and don't espouse or defend a particular lifestyle -- gay or heterosexual.
If schools ban a particular classification of people from teaching, what would the prohibition do to the goal of diversity?
If the nation is hurting for good teachers, why would anyone want to exempt gifted people from teaching?
If America embraces all people, all cultures and all lifestyles, what would it do for the extension of democracy to prohibit gays from teaching?
If America marches down this path, would it be returning to a system of "separate and unequal"? By marching this path, South Carolina and the country would violate anti-discrimination laws enacted during the last 30 years.
When DeMint, and others, espouse discrimination against gays, they send the message that it is OK to discriminate period.