Macklemore in South Lyon: Why It Happened
A teacher received a three day suspension (two days without pay) for playing Macklemore’s song “Same Love.” (Article/Fox 2 News here.)
The context of this song is a positive message, but it’s a challenging song by today’s standards. (It shouldn’t be, but alas, it is.)
There are going to be a lot of questions that are circling this discussion. I like this Macklemore/Ryan Lewis song. But before I speak in support of the song, I need to acknowledge one point.
The administration claims the song “had controversial content — homosexuality, religion, politics views and a sexual slur. It also says she should have asked permission to play the song.” This lead me to a question:
- Question: We don’t suspend a teacher for reading a passage with racial slurs if it’s from Huck Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird. Why suspend a teacher for playing a positive messaged song that argues against different slurs?
- Answer: Those books are approved by the school board (who are voted in by the community), and those books are in the approved curriculum. A teacher playing a song, one that is viewed as challenging, one that isn’t approved by the school board or in the curriculum, are at the risk of being reprimanded.
I don’t like this, but there it is.
Suspending the teacher? Insane in my view; but the administration had a legal, contractual right to do it. That doesn’t make it is morally right, but I first need to acknowledge the difference.
So, what can one do about this event if you don’t like it? Well, you could…
