Ken Hutcherson was invited to speak at Mount Si High School in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. KOMO TV reports that two teachers booed Hutcherson, who is known for espousing anti-gay attitudes, at the assembly. Citizen Link is asking readers to contact the school and the school board.
There are two issues here: The appropriateness of Ken Hutcherson as a speaker and the actions of the two teachers.
Randy Thomas is asking where the condemnations from the “pro-gay tolerant crowd” are. He is right to ask that. Humans are flawed and subject to error. I can understand how Ken Hutcherson’s past comments would so inflame these two teachers that they would boo him publicly, it is an understandable human reaction. But it is the wrong action. These teachers, I imagine, want to honor the memory of King in standing up against injustice. They are right to do that. But I don’t believe that King would advocate their methodology. I hope that we can find better ways to address injustice against gay and transgender people.
Could these teachers have asked Ken Hutcherson how he can speak for MLK when Yolanda and Coretta Scott King were such vocal advocates for gay and transgender individuals? Could these teachers have risen silently to stand and face Hutcherson if he made anti-gay comments? Could they have organized themselves before the rally to lodge complaints with the planning committee about the appropriateness of Hutcherson as a speaker?
You can contact Mt Si High School to say, though the actions these teachers took were inappropriate, their concern was valid and it is shared by many:
Mount Si High School
Principal Randy Taylor
(425) 831-8205
taylorr@svsd410.org
It was Martin Luther King, Jr. who said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
February 12th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I know we disagree on a lot of things but I appreciate you posting this.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I have this feeling that we humans have much more in common than that which separates us. I am happy to post this, it needs to be said.
February 12th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
A teacher booed when Hutcherson took the stage.
At the end of the assembly, after Hutcherson had spoken, someone (it’s not clear to me if it was the same teacher or another individual) asked Hutcherson how he can speak of MLK’s vision of equality for all given Hutcherson’s own view of gay rights.
I fail to see anything particularly objectionable about either of these actions. While booing someone while they take the stage is not generally considered polite, it’s certainly a valid and civil form of expressing one’s displeasure.
What I find more disconcerting is that people like Randy Thomas are now trying to make it sound like Hutcherson wasn’t even given a chance to speak or was “shouted down,” when it is quite clear Hutcherson did indeed give his speech.
February 12th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Sure, booing is (at least these days) a common form of expressing displeasure. It happens at sports events, debates, and political events, and a slew of other events.
Is booing something that honors Marin Luther King, Jr.’s memory? Is booing the best way to enact positive social change? I’m not sure.
That being said, I’m not going to fault these individuals–these real life people with real wounds inflicted by Hutcherson–for their very human reaction. I do hope that we can learn from this and find better ways to go forward together.
February 12th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
On the other hand, what do you say with respect to a man who is now lobbying to have those two teachers fired?
February 13th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I won’t say anything about the man because I don’t know him and even if I did, I don’t think I could judge him. I will say something about his actions: I don’t think that is a way to honor MLK’s legacy either.
Rather than booing at speakers and responding with threatening campaigns, I hope these groups of people can return their focus to the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.; which is the reason the assembly. Somehow, we’ve gotten horribly sidetracked.
I hope that Randy Thomas and even Ken Hutcherson will call for an end to any attempts to have these teachers fired. Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of a country where we stood hand-in-hand together.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Nice backpeddle, Brian.
But I also can’t help but notice how you prejudged two people you don’t either.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Which ones? The two teachers or Randy and Ken?
As for the two teachers, I believe that their actions were an “understandable human reaction” and I imagine that they “want to honor the memory of King in standing up against injustice.” I’m certainly “not going to fault these individuals” and I’m even more certainly going to judge them or their motives.
As for Ken and Randy, I don’t know them and so they may prove me wrong, but I still hope they will seek reconciliation rather than retaliation.
February 14th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
[...] days ago, I addressed the incidents surrounding Ken Hutcherson’s appearance at a Mt. Si High School assembly for Martin Luther [...]