WHAT'S IN A '2'?
By Dwayne Mcleod, Staff Reporter
I'm pretty sure that while growing up, we all at some point in time learnt that the result of one plus one is two, or that the result of two multiplied by itself one time equals to two, similarly, when counting in ascending order, we learnt that the digit immediately after one is two.
So, why is it that some individuals are attaching homophobic stigmas to the hard and creative work of our predecessors?
Truth be told, I'm a homophobic individual and as such I have no problems with others who are. But, we need to consider our actions especially when it influences the thought process of our kids - the future.
In what I call, "homophobia gone wrong", we see obviously homophobic individuals instituting a "street rule" which prohibits the uttering of the word "two."
I recently had the chance of chatting with a group of third grade boys, who all could not help but adhering to the rule.
Believe you me, every time I said the word "two," the boys found it imperative to stop the conversation and correct me.
To make matters worse, after much arguments, not in question of the boys' intelligence, I simply asked them to count to three. Let me just say, if their responses decided if they moved on to a higher grade, their parents will never have to worry about paying secondary level tuition fees.
On five consecutive occasions, the boys replied "one, FEW, three."
Of course I just had to hear their reason for not saying the word and they all agreed that the digit is associated to gays, at such they refuse to utter it.
I'm telling you folks, continue on the same path and bad enough as some of us think our education system to be, we will have a whole lot more to worry about.
I can just imagine our kids reciting their multiplication tables; "few time one is few, few time few is four."
Funny as this may sound (no pun intended), its a really silly yet serious issue.
We must never cease to remember that kids are like sponges, in that they absorb a whole lot, plus they live what they learn. So be certain to ensure that your actions, even if intended to be a joke, is one that will not be of a negative impact to the little ones.
By Dwayne Mcleod, Staff Reporter
I'm pretty sure that while growing up, we all at some point in time learnt that the result of one plus one is two, or that the result of two multiplied by itself one time equals to two, similarly, when counting in ascending order, we learnt that the digit immediately after one is two.
So, why is it that some individuals are attaching homophobic stigmas to the hard and creative work of our predecessors?
Truth be told, I'm a homophobic individual and as such I have no problems with others who are. But, we need to consider our actions especially when it influences the thought process of our kids - the future.
In what I call, "homophobia gone wrong", we see obviously homophobic individuals instituting a "street rule" which prohibits the uttering of the word "two."
I recently had the chance of chatting with a group of third grade boys, who all could not help but adhering to the rule.
Believe you me, every time I said the word "two," the boys found it imperative to stop the conversation and correct me.
To make matters worse, after much arguments, not in question of the boys' intelligence, I simply asked them to count to three. Let me just say, if their responses decided if they moved on to a higher grade, their parents will never have to worry about paying secondary level tuition fees.
On five consecutive occasions, the boys replied "one, FEW, three."
Of course I just had to hear their reason for not saying the word and they all agreed that the digit is associated to gays, at such they refuse to utter it.
I'm telling you folks, continue on the same path and bad enough as some of us think our education system to be, we will have a whole lot more to worry about.
I can just imagine our kids reciting their multiplication tables; "few time one is few, few time few is four."
Funny as this may sound (no pun intended), its a really silly yet serious issue.
We must never cease to remember that kids are like sponges, in that they absorb a whole lot, plus they live what they learn. So be certain to ensure that your actions, even if intended to be a joke, is one that will not be of a negative impact to the little ones.
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