Look Left, Look Right, Step Up by The Gent

The firing of a teacher at Smithtown School District for being an LGBTQ+ ally and advocate seems to echo a larger issue concerning how our society is evolving and with it, what new rules/policies must be administered in schools as well as society as a whole. I cannot comment on the back-and-forth accusations of both Mr. Tilton and the Smithtown School District. I was not privy to any question-and-answer statements. I can comment on “Human Nature” and whether it is ready to do a complete,” 180-degree,” turn on diversity issues and accept minorities with a more open and understanding embrace. Sometimes you need a demonstrative incident to project your point of view to get “mainstream” attention, whether consciously or not. It appears the large mural did just that. It brought out the “Human Nature” of our society. It was erased. Was that a proper thing to do?

We are in a transitional phase of our evolution. Acceptance must be a part of this evolution or we will destroy ourselves and with it society as a whole. I believe moderation is the key. If the school district allows murals then there should be equal-sized murals for all sectors of the school population as long as it is ethical and done with a modicum of good taste. Mr. Tilton should be re-instated with the understanding that all points of view in the future must be discussed and decided upon before being presented or demonstrated to the student population in its entirety. I emphatically want to state that I do not believe the School District should initiate a total “blackout” of creative expression. I hope in the future, we will all judge these kinds of issues with a deeper perspective.