'SAFE' SCHOOLS?
by Steve Fair

All Americans want our schools and children attending them to be safe. Of course ‘SAFE’ means different things to different people. President Obama has appointed Kevin Jennings as his ‘Safe Schools Czar’- officially the Assistant Deputy Secretary for safe and drug- free schools in the Department of Education. Jennings has a very interesting background.
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Born in Winston Salem, NC, the son of a fundamentalist Southern Baptist preacher who died when Kevin was eight, Jennings is a self proclaimed, ‘Mama’s Boy.’ In his book, “Mama’s Boy- Preacher’s Son,” Jennings disclosures how he rejected society’s inequities and his Southern Baptist upbringing by finding his 'salvation' in school. Graduating from Harvard in 1985, getting a Masters at Columbia and earning an MBA from NYU has given Jennings 'an education beyond his intelligence.'
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In 1990, Jennings founded Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and headed the organization until last year. Jennings is openly gay, living with his partner of fifteen years, Jeff and two dogs. He also plays hockey in a ‘gay’ hockey league!
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To say this guy is ‘out of the mainstream’ is to put it mildly. In September it came out that, when he was a teacher in Massachusetts, Jennings did not report an incident in which a 16-year-old boy told him that he was having sexual relations with an older man he met in a bus station bathroom. He has defended his decision, which should have been enough to get him fired, but not in the liberal Obama administration.
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After the incident was revealed, fifty-three House Republicans wrote President Barack Obama asking him to remove Jennings from that position. The lawmakers accused Jennings of "pushing a pro-homosexual agenda" and said that Jennings's past writings exhibit a record that makes him unfit for the position. "We respectfully request that you remove Kevin Jennings, the Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, from your Administration," the Republicans wrote. "It is clear that Mr. Jennings lacks the appropriate qualifications and ethical standards to serve in this capacity."
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Now it is has been reported that GLSEN recommends books for reading by kids that are pornographic. GLSEN says it works to create a welcoming atmosphere for homosexual students in schools, and that effort includes recommending books for students of all ages.
But critics say many of the books, particularly some that are targeted for children between Grades 7 to 12, are inappropriately explicit. A full list is available at the blog Gateway Pundit, which has published dozens of controversial passages from the books. These recommendations were made when Jennings was heading up GLSEN!
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Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, says the content of the books is shocking, and it raises concerns about Jennings' judgment. "The graphic sexual content of these books is so extreme that I think any average parent or citizen, regardless of how they feel about homosexuality, would be shocked at these books being recommended to young people," Sprigg said. GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard defended her group's recommendations, telling FoxNews.com in a written statement:
"Some of the books that might be used with young adult audiences contain mature content, as is true of many memoirs and works of literature. Because of the presence of mature content in some of the works, GLSEN provides very clear guidelines throughout, recommending that adults review each book to make sure the book is suitable."
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"It's like Jennings just doesn't realize he's working with kids here.... You need a totally different set of rules when you're working with kids," said Peter LaBarbera, president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality.
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Safe is defined as being free from danger or the risk of harm; "a safe place"; "a safe bet." It’s obvious that Jennings is working to create a “safe” enviroment for homosexuals in the public school system. The only students that will not be ‘safe’ are those who don’t agree with his liberal agenda. He should resign and go back to promoting his liberal agenda unfunded with taxpayer money!