Arkansas School Board Member wants "Fags" to Commit Suicide

[Atropine Mama]

Article Linkie (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/27/clint-mccance-anti-gay-facebook_n_774656.html)

I don't even have the words to adequately describe my rage. If the school board has any integrity they will remove him from his position immediately to prevent him from doing any more harm to the children he swore an oath to do right by.

[Hatter]

Article Linkie (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/27/clint-mccance-anti-gay-facebook_n_774656.html)

I don't even have the words to adequately describe my rage. If the school board has any integrity they will remove him from his position immediately to prevent him from doing any more harm to the children he swore an oath to do right by.

I believe he is an elected official so it may not be in the power of the district to remove him. According to an article I read he is running unopposed in the election.

[Hatter]

Ah yes, here (http://advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/10/27/Will_McCance_Keep_His_Job/) we go:

Antigay School Official May Keep Job

After Arkansas school board member Clint McCance advocated on Facebook for the suicide of gay people, the Arkansas Department of Education condemned his comments, but said it may be impossible for him to be removed from office.

“In Arkansas law, the only way to recall a school board member is over a felony [committed by him or her] or absentee issues,” said Julie Johnson Thompson, the director of communications for the Arkansas Department of Education in Little Rock.

Thompson says McCance, as an elected official, answers to voters, not Midland school district’s superintendent. “[The Arkansas Department of Education] doesn’t have any control over his job,” Thompson pointed out.

But Thompson made it clear her office condemns McCance’s Facebook comments, in which he called gay people “fags” and “queers,” and encouraged them to kill themselves if they didn’t get AIDS and die first.

On Wednesday, Thompson’s office released the following statement: “The Arkansas Department of Education strongly condemns remarks or attitudes of this kind and are dismayed to see that a school board official would post something of this insensitive nature on a public forum like Facebook. Because Mr. McCance is an elected official, the department has no means of dealing with him directly. However, the department does have staff who investigate matters of bullying in schools and we will monitor and quickly respond to any bullying of students that may occur because of this, as we have with other civil rights issues in the past. The department also has worked with the State’s Office of the Attorney General during the month of October to provide training to counselors across the state regarding cyberbullying, ‘sexting’ and texting, which included a portion on how to watch for and deal with bullying of this kind.”

Midland school district officials have so far remained silent on the issue. No one with the school district has released a statement or spoken to the press since The Advocatebroke the story on the postings Tuesday.

“I believe the school district is working on a statement,” Thompson said. “I know their superintendent is not in town right now.”

Thompson says her office has been inundated with e-mails, though mostly from out of state: “People are pretty much horrified,” she said.

Johnson said Department of Education commissioner Tom Kimbrell has been in contact with Midland School District superintendent Dean Stanley. Johnson says Stanley should be back shortly in Pleasant Plains, the north Arkansas city where the Midland School District is based. Kimbrell was on a conference call when contacted on Wednesday, and could not be reached as of press time.

As far as counseling for students at the Midland School District, Johnson doesn’t know what’s being down at its schools, which she described as 200 miles from Little Rock.

“Frankly, we are concerned,” she said. “We don’t want there to be any bad consequences that can be traced back to this. We have a unit that deals with civil rights complaints—we’ll be ready and watchful.”

Johnson added that school board members like McCance are required to attend six hours of education-related training.

“Things like [McCance’s postings] would come under our code of ethics for professional educators,” she said, adding the caveat that, “I think a lot of policy and law has yet to catch up with [social media].”

The Arkansas Times reached McCance on his cell phone on Wednesday, but he refused to comment further than saying the matter “had been blown out of proportion.”

[DarwinOfMind]

And not one person is willing to run against the bastard?

that really disappoints me

[Name Lips]

There are liberals in Arkansas. ANY of them could run against this guy and win, right now.

Maybe even with a write-in campaign.

I'm kind of surprised nobody's trying.

[shiningbrow]

What would happen if another school board member, also elected, began advocating gassing Jews on FB? Would there be no legal recourse against him or her? Where does one draw the line in terms of Free Speech? This amazes me, since it's obviously so contrary to School Board policy. Is there no way to pressure him to resign, or at least to assign him to such committees (like trash pickup) that he would have no power and leave on his own? It sounds like this guy not only is filled with hatred, but also has a burning need for attention.

[The Winslow]

What would happen if another school board member, also elected, began advocating gassing Jews on FB?

Protected by free speech.


Now, if you get one saying that socialized healthcare is a good thing, then you'd see the schoolboard scrambling to find a loophole to oust the guy. Maybe lynch mobs, too.

[Aloysius]

Now, if you get one saying that socialized healthcare is a good thing, then you'd see the schoolboard scrambling to find a loophole to oust the guy. Maybe lynch mobs, too.

Or that creationism is not science. Or that the homicide rate of the US is linked to widespread circulation of guns.

[hobbiteer]

What would happen if another school board member, also elected, began advocating gassing Jews on FB? Would there be no legal recourse against him or her? Where does one draw the line in terms of Free Speech? This amazes me, since it's obviously so contrary to School Board policy. Is there no way to pressure him to resign, or at least to assign him to such committees (like trash pickup) that he would have no power and leave on his own? It sounds like this guy not only is filled with hatred, but also has a burning need for attention.


I honestly believe even hateful speech should be protected. Free speech is free. If they have something mean to say, let them. But they would have to accept that the other side's hate is also protected. Everybody has an opinion, not everybody has to listen.

[Hatter]

Popular speech doesn't need protection.

[shiningbrow]

Laws concerning hate speech outside of obscenity, defamation and incitement to riot are illegal in the United States.[33][34][35] The United States federal government and state governments are broadly forbidden by the First Amendment of the Constitution from restricting speech.[36] Even in cases where speech encourages illegal violence, instances of incitement qualify as criminal only if the threat of violence is imminent.[37] This strict standard prevents prosecution of many cases of incitement, including prosecution of those advocating violent opposition to the government, and those exhorting violence against racial, ethnic, or gender minorities.[38]
Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, employers may sometimes be prosecuted for tolerating "hate speech" by their employees, if that speech contributes to a broader pattern of harassment resulting in a "hostile or offensive working environment" for other employees.[39][40]
In the 1980s and 1990s, more than 350 public universities adopted "speech codes" regulating discriminatory speech by faculty and students.[41] These codes have not fared well in the courts, where they are frequently overturned as violations of the First Amendment.[42] Debate over restriction of "hate speech" in public universities has resurfaced with the adoption of anti-harassment codes covering discriminatory speech.[43]

So, screaming "Kill the Jews" or "Kill N****rs" is illegal, because it incites riots and constitutes a threat to public safety, but you can wish others dead, of disease or mental illness, until the cows come home. Nice to know that our bigots are protected.

[Name Lips]

No, "Kill the Jews" is fine, so long as it causes no imminent threat of violence.

How imminent is imminent? How much time has to pass between the speech and the violence for the speaker not to be prosecuted? I have no idea.

[Ink Bleeder]

Why in hell would this guy even want to work with kids?
I hope to gods his children are straight. What an asshole.

[shiningbrow]

I, on the other hand, hope that Divine retribution determines that all his kids grow up to be raging drag queens. If anyone needs to learn tolerance at home, it's this guy.

[Brynja]

It took me a while to respond to this without bursting into tears. I really hope he chokes on a chicken bone, or has a divine revelation about how wrong he is.

[Harry]

It took me a while to respond to this without bursting into tears. I really hope he chokes on a chicken bone, or has a divine revelation about how wrong he is.

He just resigned:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/28/arkansas.anti.gay.resignation/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

I saw it on my local news. He really does seem to know his remarks were ignorant.

[Hatter]

Good.

[hobbiteer]

Huzzah. He's a douche and the school district is better for him not being part of it.

[Brynja]

True to a douche and maybe to the second. Lots of people who beliefs I disagree with at work - they keep them to themselves and do a great job with the kids....tho based on his remarks I doubt he is one.

[AZRogue]

I'm glad the guy resigned. It goes to show that social pressure is still a potent force, even if we can't (and shouldn't) pass laws to restrict speech. The guy has basically fucked himself, for which I am immensely satisfied.

I would fight to my dying breath to protect this asshole's right to say those things, or worse, but that doesn't mean I would piss on him if he were on fire.

[Name Lips]

Him resigning: good riddance.

Him getting death threats: Don't people realize the meaning of "irony?"

[Ancalagon]

He's resigned? Thank God! At least he has the responsibility to do that!

Listening to him speak, I think you can tell that he fully realized how badly he's screwed up - not just because it's bad for his reputation, but also because he's realizing how much damage his statements could inflict on other people. I think there is hope that one days he gets over his bigotry.

Anderson really, really squeezed him though - it was politely merciless.

[Old Fart]

Nice to know that our bigots are protected.It's very nice to know that. The best thing about free speech is that it lets one know who the assholes are. This charlie foxtrot of a situation is vastly preferable to the guy having these opinions, never expressing them for fear of legal consequences, and staying on the school board for many more years.

BTW, care to guess what the consequences of those university policies actually are?
Him getting death threats: Don't people realize the meaning of "irony?"Perhaps they'll look it up when they find themselves quoted by the Westboro Baptist Church.

[Edena_of_Neith]

At this point, considering how things are going in my country, I am not surprised that this person, said this heinious thing.
It was horrible, what he said. It was absolutely unacceptable. He should face severe and appropriate consequences for saying such things. He has no right to say such things in public (if he wants to carry on his hatemongering while sitting on his own toilet, that's his problem.)

Unfortunately, this is what it's come to. This. This kind of bs, is becoming the acceptable social norm.

(shudders)

I do not believe in it. I will never believe in this being acceptable. I will never accept this as the social norm. If society comes to accept this as the social norm, it will be a sick, twisted society.

Edena_of_Neith

[Hatter]

Are you serious? This type of speech used to be the social norm. The new thing is that community outrage forced the guy into resigning. That's the trend. Things are getting better on this front, not worse.

[Brynja]

Hatter be quiet while Edena masturbates.

[Edena_of_Neith]

Insulting people openly, who make casual, mainstream comments?
That is what this once friendly messageboard has come to?

Exactly what did I say, that was so wrong? So offensive?

[Hatter]

Insulting people openly, who make casual, mainstream comments?
That is what this once friendly messageboard has come to?

Exactly what did I say, that was so wrong? So offensive?

Offensive? No. Wrong? Yes.

Your statement that Mr. McCance's views are 'becoming the social norm' is incorrect as clearly evidenced by his forced resignation. Had he said the same thing 15 years ago, it is unlikely that he would have been forced to resign, in fact he would likely not have made the news. Things are getting better. Social acceptance of gays and lesbians has improved substantially in the last decade. The situation is not bleak and it is incorrect to suggest that it is.

[Glass]

Insulting people openly, who make casual, mainstream comments?
That is what this once friendly messageboard has come to?

Exactly what did I say, that was so wrong? So offensive?
Seriously, you think this board has changed when people are getting called out on being mistaken? Do you think that being a delusional prick makes you immune to this, that we're all going to molly-coddle you all the time?

Fuck off.

[Edena_of_Neith]

For heaven's sake, what has happened to Kay Tastrophe?

I used to come here, because this was a small, friendly messageboard ... one of the very few that existed.

Now, you feel the right to arbitrarily assault, insult, people, without cause or reason?
And you think this should be the new norm, at Kay Tastrophe?

If you want this to be like the old Nothingland, with all the uproar that occurred there, certainly you can make it so.

However, you won't bait me into a flame war. I make comments, I don't get involved in flame wars. You'll have to find someone else to have a flame war with - I don't want any part of such things, thank you very much.

[Brynja]

I am not insulting you but you are always so doom and gloom.

You never say "gee isn't that great he resigned!" no you turn it into some dark scenario of apocalyptic proportions.

[Brynja]

...to the point I almost wonder is it a fetish for you.

[Glass]

Wait, you still wonder? I thought we all knew EoN does this for the e-huggles and soothing.

[Ancalagon]

Edena - Hatter wasn't insulting you, he was merely explaining why your statement was incorrect. I believe the others are expressing frustration at your strong tendency to see "worse case scenarios" everywhere, even when evidence clearly points out that this is not the case.

While I will admit that some of the words used were a bit harsh, your read of what is going on the board is about as incorrect as your read of what happened with this man's declaration and resulting resignation.

Sincerely,

Ancalagon

[AZRogue]

It's true, Edena. I love you to death, because you're like a fixture of the community on par with other sacred memes of the past, but you really do, honestly, see the worst in things. You're not usually a "glass half empty" but a "The water is probably poison, and the glass probably has lead from Mexico" type of person, if that makes sense.

You're a great guy and you shouldn't think the board is changing, because it isn't, but you know people speak their minds, here, and I have no doubt that they believed what they said. It would be worthwhile, in my opinion, to stop and consider why they said it, rather than take offense.

Personally, I can't help but look at my country, even in the midst of all this turmoil, and be very, very proud. I'm extremely happy with the people in this nation and the tolerance that is growing, daily. People are more and more likely to view their own personal values as great, but not worth restricting the freedom of others over, and that's new, from what I've experienced. If we may be deeply divided on many issues, we are not a nation incapable of compromise or conversation. That's just the lie, the national hyperbole, that is spread because it helps sell newspapers.

It's a great time to be alive, and a great place to live in. I don't see how people can fail to wake up and just be mildly happy all day.

But, then again, I AM an optimist. Did anyone notice???

[TiQuinn]

Edena, you are being overly dramatic.

In other news, the sky is blue.

[Dacke]

George Takei's response:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UACK93xF-FE

[SpikeyFreak]

It's a great time to be alive, and a great place to live in.
I think this is true, and it frustrates me that people who disagree with a lot of my views think that just because I have complaints that I don't like my country.

Of course, a lot of them think this isn't a great time to be alive because the country is going to hell in a hand basket. ( :rolleyes: )

--Tiny Bit Hypocritical Spikey