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Letters
Dismissal of planners was 'unprofessional'
The purpose of this letter is to, first and foremost, say a proper goodbye to the staff, planning commissions, city council and citizens of the city of Saratoga. It is unfortunate I wasn't given the opportunity to do it in person. It has been my pleasure to work with and serve you for nearly 1 1/2 years.
It has become apparent that the new Community Development Director Tom Sullivan wants to build a new planning department from scratch. He has phased all the contract planners out and fired me. Given the now 100 percent turnover in the planning department over the past year, this may well be what needs to happen. The manner, however, in which Mr. Sullivan has gone about it is unprofessional, unethical and wrong.
After working with me for four days Mr. Sullivan passed me over for a promotion, even though I had already been approved by an interview panel. Also, I had the minimum qualifications and had been doing the job for nearly six months. After working with me for 2 1/2 weeks, Sullivan fired me at 4:30 p.m. and asked that my keys be turned in by 5 p.m. In both these instances I was never told why, or given any chance whatsoever. I, as well as the contract planners, have given our hearts and souls to the city and its citizens, and no consideration was given to that, nor to the overwhelming workload due to understaffing and lack of fulltime leadership.
On the city of Saratoga's behalf, I apologize to all the citizens, architects and developers, who are or will be using the services of the planning department. This decision is a disservice to all of you, because there is now nobody in the department with any experience of the ordinances and processes, as well as past and ongoing projects. I further apologize to the administrative, building and engineering staff that remains: it is now going to be your task to train the new planners, which is unfair and not your job.
In closing, I wish all of you good luck. The task before you is, to say the least, unenviable. I will take the experience and care I received from my friends, to achieve my goal: to be among the best in the planning profession.
Mark J. Connolly
former planner City of Saratoga
Principal voices support for club
It is important that the community understand some issues regarding the Gay-Straight Alliance at Saratoga High School. The right of students to form noncurricular clubs is provided for in the Federal Equal Access Act and has repeatedly been supported in the courts.
A recent letter to the Saratoga News raises concerns and voiced fears that, somehow, we are indoctrinating our students or allowing a club to do so. This is untrue and would never be permitted on this or any public high school campus. In fact, it is, in large part, fear that has motivated our students to form this organization.
The purpose of the Gay-Straight Alliance is to promote tolerance for all students. Their particular focus is combating discrimination of and hatred for gay students and staff. I see, however, the voluntary outpouring of interest among our students as a reflection of their desire to fight fear. When one of our students or staff is singled out for actual or perceived characteristics, all of us are a little less safe. Given the challenges that our school has faced this year, in terms of hate crimes against perceived gay students and staff, it is laudable that our students have sought out ways to combat hate.
I have tried hard in the past few weeks to understand Ms. Hocker's concerns about this club. Perhaps the most effective way for me to analyze this issue is as a future Saratoga High School parent. If my children, as they come to grips with their sexuality, discover that they are gay, I hope that they will be in an environment in which their sexual orientations will not be stigmatized, hated, or where they will be blamed for how they are. If they are straight, I still hope there will be strong forces at school (in addition to the ones at home) that foster a climate of acceptance and understanding of those different from themselves.
Those of us entrusted with the education of students during the four most formative years in a young person's life have an awesome task. If they are to reach the full measure of their potential, then we must empower our students to help us create an atmosphere, as devoid as possible of fear.
Kevin Skelly
Principal, Saratoga High School
Teacher saddened by intolerance
I would like to respond to M. Elaine Hocker's letter in the May 30 issue of the Saragota News, regarding the Saratoga High School Gay-Straight Alliance.
I am a teacher at Saratoga High School and have been involved in the Gay-Straight Alliance since its inception. I strongly believe that each of us has a right to express an opinion, and I applaud Ms. Hocker for taking the time to present her thoughts to the community. However, it becomes difficult to accept any of her ideas when they are clearly based on false premises. The most glaring inaccuracy is the depiction of the Gay-Straight Alliance as a "homosexual club." Gay-Straight Alliance is an organization designed to make schools safer and more inclusive for all youth. It is a student-run group, and has had the support of an incredible number of students in the few short weeks it has existed. Students promote tolerance and acceptance of all people, regardless of any label or stigma that peers or society may place on them.
Another inaccuracy in Ms. Hocker's letter is the notion that "these clubs become breeding grounds for hostility." The truth is quite the opposite: discussions in GSA are focused on tolerance, on acceptance, and on embracing those who are different as we embrace those who are in the mainstream.
I am deeply saddened that the type of ignorance and intolerance that Ms. Hocker demonstrates still exists in our society. However, my sadness is overshadowed by the pride I have in my students, who are taking a stand against hate and making a difference at Saratoga High School.
Edward J. Lux
Teacher, Saratoga High School
Letter writers are both hypocrites
As a Saratoga High School senior, I would like to respond to the last two letters printed in the Saratoga News about the Gay-Straight Alliance club. My friends and I started this club in response to the hate crimes committed on our campus. The club's mission is to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between homosexual and heterosexual teens. It is a goodwill endeavor to prevent hate crimes from happening on campus in the future. It is not a dating service, as Ms. Hocker implied. The club has only two openly gay students, one male and one female. I think that it is obvious why it would be pointless for them to date. Another mistake that Ms. Hocker made was that the names "beanpole" and "fat face" are no longer actual spoken insults. The put downs of today are "fag" and "that's so gay."
I have always been taught to respect my elders, but I find it hard to respect Ms. Hocker, who came to our school campus twice and forced propaganda on students that blamed homosexuals for the ills of society and proposed that AIDS research be discontinued, and had to be escorted off the campus by an administrator. Although I was shocked and offended by Ms. Hocker's viewpoints, the second letter written by Mr. Lorton made me just as angry. I am a Christian myself and am planning to follow a vocation in ministry. Four out of the six core members of the Gay-Straight Alliance are, in fact, devout Christians. To attack Christianity and to accuse someone else of bigotry in the same letter is just as hypocritical as Ms. Hocker's belief in the right to free speech as long as it doesn't condone homosexuality. In a society where the teenagers are forever being accused of immaturity and small-mindedness, I think it is the adults who need to take a lesson from us.
Megan Donohoe
Oak Street
Letter goes into world of bigotry
As a student at Saratoga High, I have often encountered classmates using "gay" as a derogatory term for everything, from clothing to cars. However, M. Elaine Hocker's May 30 letter bashing what she calls the "Homosexual Club" goes beyond the realm of ignorance into a world of bigotry and hate. She combined obvious truths with laughable statistics and implications of homosexual relations between students and advisors to create a bigoted, flawed letter.
In her letter, Ms. Hocker seems to make two distinct points. One is her very commendable stance on free speech, in which she adamantly defends the right to "speak your opinion and engage in persuasive argument about any issue that is discussed in schools," "invite speakers into your school to present your side of the issues" and "form pro-family student clubs." Certainly no one would dispute her or anyone's right to assembly, guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Her second point, however, seems to be the complete opposite of her first. She claims that "these [gay-straight alliances] become breeding grounds for hostility," and she mentions that "[several Saratoga parents] have stated they do not wish to have their children exposed to the homosexual agenda," and "homosexual put-downs occur 1/10 of 1 percent as often as other types of put-downs." In short, Ms. Hocker seems to be making the point that gay-straight alliances should not be allowed to exist, quite a reverse from her other statements.
Also, Ms. Hocker's reasoning seems to be somewhat flawed. She claims that the Gay-Straight Alliance provides a place for gay teens to meet other gay teens in order to begin "homosexual relations." While no doubt it is true that some teens who meet at the Gay-Straight Alliance will eventually have sex, what possible result would a "pro-family" club have? The term "gay-straight alliance" carries no connotation whatsoever of sexual behavior. The word "family," however, is predicated upon some sort of sexual behavior. In short, if we were to even follow Ms. Hocker's logic a bit, we see that her "pro-family" clubs are nothing but breeding grounds for teen sex and pregnancy. In truth, neither of the clubs would be anything out of the ordinary. What with the hormonal roller coaster most teens are experiencing at this time in their lives, sexual behavior could (and probably does) grow out of meetings at the chess club. A gay-straight alliance is not a bathhouse, it is a quite normal high school club.
Furthermore, Ms. Hocker uses divisive and misleading language about the gay-straight alliance and its intentions. First, she calls it a "homosexual club." As the name "gay-straight alliance" implies, the club is made up of both homosexual and heterosexual members, and so is hardly the "homosexual club" of Ms. Hocker's imaginings.
Second, she claims that there is a "homosexual agenda of indoctrinating students into the homosexual lifestyle." This claim is almost too ridiculous to mention. Were there even such thing as a "homosexual agenda," a prime point of it would be the immutability of homosexuality, that is, that homosexuality is formed at birth, or immediately after (a position supported by both the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association), in direct opposition to wild claims of homosexual recruitment.
Third, in addition to her statements about the gay-straight alliance promoting homosexual behavior, she even makes insinuations about the adult advisors, saying that at the GSA, "students curious about this behavior ... can readily meet ... adult advisors to begin homosexual relations." This is nothing but the deepest insult to the hard-working and underpaid teachers who stay late at their jobs to ensure that gay teens will, at least, have one safe and nonthreatening place in their high school where they can simply be themselves (and despite what Ms. Hocker would have us believe, being themselves has nothing to do with sexual behavior).
What is the true purpose of the Gay-Straight Alliance? It is not to nurture feelings of "heterophobia," or hostility against straight people. Since it welcomes straight members, such a program would be self-destructive. It is not to provide some sort of school-supported orgy of homosexual behavior. It is not to indoctrinate straight teens into homosexual behavior. The purpose of the Gay-Straight Alliance is to provide a forum for open discussion of current gay-related issues, without fear of retaliation from homophobic students and/or teachers. It is also to provide a safe and accepting place for gay teenagers. Despite Ms. Hocker's ridiculous survey, homophobia is indeed rampant in this country. Anti-gay crime is the second most common type of hate crime, after anti-black crime, according to the FBI.
Gay teenagers are going through a difficult period in their lives, often a period in which all they want is someone, anyone, to acknowledge what they're going through, and to offer a helping hand, or at least a friendly attitude. This is the purpose of the words "Gay-Straight Alliance." It is an alliance of gay teens and straight teens against those forces in society that would teach gay teenagers that they are evil, and destined for a short life of promiscuity and death from AIDS, a life that Ms. Hocker continuously alludes to in her letter. In fact, by providing an atmosphere in which it is acknowledged that life as a homosexual can be something other than that, the Gay-Straight Alliance most certainly does more than a pro-family club ever will to save gay teens from just that life. By showing them that they aren't required to have sex, or get AIDS, or die a horrible death, unloved by God or anyone else, the Gay-Straight Alliance opens up a world of other opportunities for gay teenagers.
Kalvin Wang
student
Saratoga High School
Personal attack was unnecessary
I have not previously written to the Saratoga News in my 33 years as a Saratoga resident, but Mr. William Lorton's letter regarding the homosexual club at Saratoga High School, published on June 6, demands a response.
It's too bad that Mr. Lorton does not possess the character to argue his position on this issue without resorting to a personal attack on Ms. Elaine Hocker, who was "brazen enough to make her views public." He describes Ms. Hocker as a bigot, compares her to the KKK, and accuses her of fronting for an evangelical Christian ministry--unforgivable! Mr. Lorton's goal is apparently to silence all those who don't agree with him. We must not let him, or others of his ilk, succeed.
For the record, I not only support Ms. Hocker's right to express her opinion of the homosexual club, but I also agree with the views expressed in her letter.
Mr. Lorton, I consider it an honor to be among those you believe should be silenced.
John Heindel
Parker Ranch Court
Homosexuality in conflict with beliefs
The June 6 issue of the Saratoga News article mentions the Gay-Straight Alliance Club started at Saratoga High as a result of two homosexual graffiti incidents. The club claims its goal is to "educate to reduce homophobia in schools" and relies on enforcing AB537, the California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000.
So, how do we improve safety and reduce violence? Violence often occurs when strongly expressed views can't be resolved. Homosexuality is in direct conflict with the closely held religious and moral beliefs of the majority. As such, education to change these beliefs rarely works--these aren't alterable viewpoints. Hopefully, education will discourage name-calling once it's understood that name-calling only leads to violence and resolves nothing.
Rather than help, the Gay-Straight Alliance Club agenda will likely fuel violence. Confrontational tactics, such as inflammatory student surveys, fake public displays of affection to provoke incidents and teacher intimidation, are suggested. Their website clearly promotes the expansion of the gay lifestyle among youth. Questioning youth are specifically targeted.
Parents, students and teachers should go to the Gay-Straight Alliance Club' s website and judge for themselves if this club is what they really want as a solution.
Ray Froess
Ljepava Drive
Don't indoctrinate our local students
Thank you to M. Elaine Hocker regarding the alternative to Saratoga's "homosexual club" letter in the May 30 Saratoga News. More people need to take advantage of the "Youth Advisory Project." We do not need to indoctrinate our children into the homosexual lifestyle, especially at the high school level, where there are many known risks.
Marylin Nistler
Glasgow Drive
School club meant to combat bigotry
This letter is in response to the letter written by M. Elaine Hocker in the May 30 issue of the Saratoga news, concerning the "Youth Advisory Project" as an alternative to Saratoga High School's Gay-Straight Alliance. First, I would like to clarify that a Gay-Straight Alliance is not a "homosexual club." It does not exist for "indoctrinating students into the homosexual lifestyle," as Ms. Hocker suggests. The Gay-Straight Alliance is an alliance of both gay and straight students whose purpose is to raise awareness of bigotry and hate.
In her letter, Ms. Hocker claims that a Gay-Straight Alliance is not necessary, because there is little homosexual discrimination, claiming that homosexual put-downs "occur 1/10 of 1 percent as often as other types of put-downs." In actuality, terms such as "bean pole," "fat face," and "slow jock" are nowhere near as prevalent as comments such as "That's so gay," "fag" and "dyke." In addition to hate slurs, hate crimes against homosexuals also show the amount of homosexual discrimination at Saratoga High School. For example, upon returning from winter break, Mr. McCue, the Gay-Straight Alliance's advisor, found the word "fag" written with lipstick on his door. The word "dyke" was written on a student's car. Homosexual slurs have also been written on the lockers of several students.
Our club is not "a venue where students curious about this behavior can readily meet students and even adult advisors to begin homosexual relations." The source of all these "facts" that M. Elaine Hocker adheres to is unknown. If she had taken the time to find out what the Gay-Straight Alliance is really about, she would have learned that we are not indoctrinating a homosexual lifestyle for curious students. It seems the major difference between our club and her organization is that our club combats bigotry, while her organization encourages it.
Diana Pham
Member, Gay-Straight Alliance
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
