Conservatives Pick a Soft Target: A Cartoon Sponge

Ya know.. I am all for multiculturalism. If the fact that I am an anime junkie, who is picking up some of the more commonly used phrases in the Japanese language on a daily basis, doesn’t tell you that much I don’t know what does. Perhaps it could be my absolute adoration for “Amelie”, and my severe upset that I will be unable to see “Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles” before it’s left the theaters, among other things.

I am all about celebrating other cultures, I love it. It adds new dimensions to our world.

I am an intelligent adult, with the power of speech and am able to communicate myself to others well enough that the idea that I need my public school district to purchase a video, featuring Spongebob Squarepants–a character who is entertaining largely because he is intellectually challenged and that’s putting it in an extremely mild light, to explain about other cultures to my children is patently offensive. It is an affront to my intelligence. It is an affront to my views of the world. It ignores my needs as a parent in favor of the needs of others who feel that their culture is not being featured enough in the world view.

In terms of the education of our children, whose needs really should be taking precedence here?

I can appreciate the need to foster understanding. Not just on an intellectual level, but also on an emotional one. I do see that the need for this is desperate in our society, but… given all the diversity education in my own state this does not stop other boys from picking on my middle schooler and calling him a “fag”. It doesn’t change anything.

Understanding, regarding diversity issues, is not something that a public school or a video can teach. That has to start at home. Rather than just giving the example in words, parents need to BE the example every single day.

The money spent on this video would be far better directed at the public schools having a pamphlet ready-made to be mailed to the parents of children who are heard using racially and sexually offensive terminology to help those parents educate their children on these issues so that the matter can be dealt with on both fronts, rather than from a one-sided point of view.