Today the California State Assembly voted to approve a "Harvey Milk Day" in California. Gay activists may have reason to celebrate Harvey Milk but many think of Mr. Milk as ilk that should not be promoted amongst our children.
According to Save California, a group that opposes the bill, at 2:30 PM the Assembly voted on SB 572, "Harvey Milk Gay Day." No Republicans spoke against it. The bill needed 41 votes to pass and had received 38 which were all Democrats and 25 no votes which were all Republicans. The bill was placed "on call" as activists tried to round up the three votes needed to pass SB 572 before the end of the day. Ultimately, proponents of the bill
succeeded and passed the bill.
However, the SB 572 will not become law unless Governor Schwarzenegger signs it. He has opposed similar bills in the past so according to Assemblyman Curt Hagman's office in Chino Hills, "Many Republicans don't think that he will sign it this time either."
According to Save California's web site, honoring Milk would be bad for California because..."In addition to promoting the entire homosexual-bisexual-transsexual agenda there are three overriding reasons to reject SB 572:
1) Harvey Milk was a sexual predator of teenagers
2) Milk advocated having multiple sexual relationships at the same time
3) Milk promoted lying to get ahead."
Their view is that "under a "Harvey Milk Gay Day," elementary and secondary schoolchildren could be taught adult-child homosexual "sex" is OK, having multiple sexual relationships at the same time is OK, and telling a very public lie is OK if it "gets you ahead." This instruction, whether taught directly or indirectly, would be very, bad."
We spoke with the District Director for Assemblyman Ammiano, who was a coauthor of the bill, The representative stated that their view is that this a civil rights issue and that before Harvey Milk was assassinated, he was a man who organized his community and stood for his constituency. The representative discussed her own experience of feeling "different" as a young child. We agreed to disagree about the issue.
OPINION
This writer's view is that we should not allow special interests to use our children's schools as a place to push their interests. This bill, titled, "An act to amend... the Education Code... relating to Harvey Milk Day." would require the Governor to proclaim May 22 of each year as Harvey Milk Day, and to designate that date as having special significance in public schools...
Harvey Milk is an icon for the gay movement. However our schools should be an icon for education only.
We must not allow special interests of any kind to use our schools to promote their interests and that is what this bill would be; a bill to benefit and to promote and to celebrate gays and the gay lifestyle amongst school aged children. I can't see how this bill would assist in the education of California's children.
Harvey Milk's killing mentioned in the bill, while tragic, is no justification to honor him in our schools. A Harvey Mild day might be appropriate in the context and locality of San Francisco, but a state-wide requirement to honor Harvey Milk amongst school children of all ages, is inappropriate.
I know that our Republican representatives agree with my viewpoint but none of them were willing to speak out against this type of special interest abuse on the Assembly floor; not one as I understand it. That is a said state of affairs. This vote was close enough that a properly stated argument might have averted approval of the bill. Now all we can do is lobby the Governor and hope for the best.
