4 thoughts on “Board of Ed Chair Defends Spoken Word Poet Performance at NCHS

  1. I find Marie Naughton’s call for “both sides” of issues like toxic masculinity and racial profiling disturbing. This is a policy that has recently crept into public discourse that mistakenly equates behaviors that are not equal. Does a presentation on domestic violence, for example, call for “both sides”? Not every issue has another side, or at least not one that rates a hearing

  2. Can someone from the all-Moms Parent Faculty Association explain why they thought it was a good idea to pay for a guest speaker to come to the High School and address “toxic masculinity”? I think that the outstanding young men of the Class of 2019 – and their Dads – deserve an apology from the PFA, BOE Chair, and Superintendant. Attached is a recent NBC News profile of Mr. Gomez, a talented performance artist who is popular at college campuses. As you can see, it’s not at all political. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna730181

  3. Janet, your comments about Maria Naughton’s quote are unfair. Your characterization of how toxic masculinity manifests itself might be completely different than someone else’s because it is an undefined expression that often has a political context. Among some people there is a growing presumption that characteristics that are inherently masculine are toxic. Identity politics are pervasive in our public discourse. If we’re going to invite someone to speak on issues like “toxic masculinity” among other politicized subjects, we should have emphasized that they need to be clear on terms and definition given an audience of kids that may not be mature enough to be aware of the implied presumptions they are likely absorbing and running with. I’m not sure if that emphasis took place here but I doubt it.

    David Brooks — a voice of moderation on social issues — wrote this in a column this morning: “Young people are supposed to be woke social justice warriors who are disgusted by their elders.” The concern Maria and others have expressed seems related to that dynamic rather than a lack of understanding of the damaging nature of systemic issues like racism or domestic violence that you speak of.

  4. What’s the difference? You can see this type of thinking on MSNBC nightly. I think it’s good to expose teens to different ideas and thoughts. Certainly when they get to college they will see a broader spectrum of opinion. Why shelter them now? It’s an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and form their own opinions. That said I think that Mr Gomez generalizes too much about the toxic male culture. I don’t see it as much of an issue in New Canaan in how boys are raised. Perhaps Mr Gomez’s thinking was clouded by the environment which he grew up in which he described as a “Latin machismo culture”. I wonder if Mr Gomez has an opinion on hip hop music. Does he feel that it’s misogynist lyrics could play a roll in creating a toxic male culture? Certainly bad optics for the school system at this point in time to bring in a speaker that probably insulted at least half the tax paying population in how they are raising their children.

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