By Carolyn Martin (CHEC Director of Government Relations)

Silencing Opposition

There is a haunting, raw cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s song The Sound of Silence that expresses so vividly how “silence, like a cancer, grows” and produces “wells of silence” that leave the people bowing to the emptiness. Today, truth is being painted over and labeled as a conspiracy theory leaving the words of truth falling like “silent raindrops” into nothingness.
 
Over the past few years, the silencing of certain narratives has led to a radical shift in our culture. All in the name of tolerance and acceptance of the multitude of anti-god dogmas. In the past month, the majority in the House have used several rules, long reserved for dire situations, to silence the minority. Words of truth are disparaged and called hateful, racist, or transphobic. Lies, on the other hand, are heralded and celebrated. Just watch or listen in on the General Assembly and you will see what I mean.

A bill introduced last Friday attempts to stop harassment and discrimination in K–12 government schools. But really, it is a tool to silence children who will not bow to state-sponsored speech. In order for the state to be the god of the people, children must learn to train their conscience to fit the state’s narrative. The bill defines “harassment or discrimination” as “unwelcome verbal, written, or physical conduct that is related to the individual’s actual or perceived membership in a protected class” (emphasis mine). Imagine a kindergartener saying something “unwelcomed” to a boy dressed as girl or asking an “unwelcomed” question of a child with a disability. Under this bill, they would be subjected to an investigation and put into a case management database, all without parental involvement. Ultimately, it will have a chilling effect on student’s freedom of speech and violate their privacy rights. Imagine how the generation living under such scrutiny of their conscience and training in tyranny will lead our nation.
 
Even though the bill was just introduced, it will be heard in the Senate Education Committee today. It will soon go to the Senate floor. Read the bill and let your legislators know what you think about it. (Find your legislators contact information here.)

Trusting in the mighty power and grace of Jesus,
Carolyn Martin, CHEC Director of Government Relations 
carolyn@chec.org

About the Author: Carolyn Martin

Carolyn Martin serves as CHEC’s Director of Government Relations, working for you and other liberty-loving families to protect homeschool freedom, parental rights, and religious liberty at the state capitol. Subscribe to the CHEC blog for Carolyn’s regular updates here, learn more about legal issues in Colorado here, and donate to support Homeschool Freedom here. Contact Carolyn directly at carolyn@chec.org.