WARNING - Wild-eyed Liberal Rant follows...

Margaret Spellings, our new Secretary of Education was quoted as stating, "In carrying out my duties to the American people, I will be carrying out my duties as a mom, and there is none more important than to provide a quality education to our children." Ms. Spellings’ definition of “quality education” does not, apparently, include educating children about tolerance or diversity. One of her first actions was to complain about public money being used to promote alternative lifestyles, thus causing PBS to decide not to distribute an episode of the children’s show “Postcards from Buster” to its affiliate stations. The episode in question shows Buster, an animated character, visiting maple sugar farms in Vermont and includes two – gasp (not one! TWO!) – lesbian couples who work on the farms.

Ms. Spellings comments were based upon the fact that federal funding is provided to PBS (less than 16% of its operating budget). In the spirit of full disclosure, because I have not viewed this episode, I can’t comment on whether it actually does “promote” alternative lifestyles, or if it merely includes people whose sexual orientation is different from Ms. Spellings’. There is no indication that she has actually watched the show either. Promotion requires, according to the handy online Merriam-Webster dictionary, advancement in station, rank, or honor; or contribution to growth or prosperity; or assistance in bringing something into being. It is difficult for me to conceive that an animated rabbit’s visit to a farm would provide the ability to accomplish any of those results related to homosexuality. Although it might certainly cause children to question why the bunny can talk and the cows can’t and what does that sign that says “SLAUGHTERHOUSE” mean. But I digress.

Perhaps federal funding should only support those programs (or art or music or writing…) that depict what Ms. Spellings would consider non-alternative lifestyles – white, Christian, married heterosexuals with 2.3 children and a dog. She opines that matters of sexuality and lifestyles should be introduced to children by their parents. Perhaps that would work if parents actually did discuss the need for tolerance of different lifestyles and life choices, but that does not seem to be the case. Perhaps that would work if we didn’t end up with consequences such as the beating death of Matthew Shepard. Perhaps that would work if the children of gay parents were not made to feel invisible, if not inferior. Perhaps that would work if the suicide rate of gay teens was not significantly higher than that of straight teenagers.

And yes, that rodent with an attitude, Punxsutawney Phil, did see his shadow this morning, despite what appeared to be complete cloud cover in western PA, thus predicting another six weeks of winter. Unfortunately we also seem to have entered into another four years of intellectual winter as well.