Missouri: All Teachers Are Predators

Okay, perhaps they didn't say it like that. But, that's certainly the impression that they give when they pass legislation like the one they recently passed, and which was recently signed by Gov. Jay Nixon.

The legislation in question is known as Senate Bill 54. The bill prohibits teachers and students from being friends on social networking sites, including Facebook, due to the worry that they will be sending private messages back-and-forth about sexual liasons. Well, basically. I mean, that's what it is. The bill is being claimed to be a way to keep children safe from predators.

Yeah, this does sound like a good idea. But, only at first. For one thing, this perpetuates the weird idea that ALL teachers are predators or potential predators. It also perpetuates the mistaken idea that Missouri doesn't already have laws in place that are working to prevent predator teachers from teaching and being around children. In fact, the very proof that our laws are working in this state to keep children safe was twisted into proof that, instead, they were not working and we needed more laws. Nonsense!

Jane Cunningham is an expert liar, perhaps she's even pathological, because most of the stuff she said to promote this bill were lies. When she did manage to tell the truth -- grudgingly, I'm sure -- she made sure to do it in such a way that it twisted into something that it was not.

We do not need this law. Now, thanks to Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Jay Nixon, students have been once again limited in how they can contact their teachers and the mediums in which they might want to report something to a trusted teacher that they don't feel comfortable with doing any other way (like reporting parental abuse of a child...aren't we told that teachers are one option for a child to go to if someone is hurting them?), etc.

In fact, students and teachers being Facebook friends was a major way that many kids were located after the May 22, 2011 tornado that devestated Joplin, MO. Thank science and innovation for cell phones and social networking.

So, now Missouri is the first state to outlaw social media interaction between teachers and students (the bill is also written in such a way that it prohibits e-mails and text messages, as well) based on lies, tainted truth, stupidity, overzealous lawmakers, and Gov. Nixon. And our teachers are now vilified, sending the message that they are not to be trusted by parents and students in the slightest. This can only be detrimental to our school system, our educational system as a whole, and to the future of our state in general.

I'd hold out hope that something can and will still be done about this, regardless of the fact that it has been signed by the governor. But, I'm all out of hope on this one. This was a boneheaded move and its not going to do anything but make things worse.

Thanks a lot, Gov. Nixon. You should have used your veto powers on this bill. Now...well...now, you've screwed things up for everyone. I hope that you and Jane Cunningham are very happy together.