Here’s an example of how failing to tell the whole story can lead to bias and prejudice. At first, this story about a pregnant high school senior who defies her Catholic school’s ban on her attending her graduation looks like a case of Catholics being hypocrites about supporting women and girls who choose to keep their child instead of aborting them. After all, the father of the baby, we’re told, was allowed to graduate. Or is it that simple?
In fact, nowhere does it say that the girl’s pregnancy had anything to do with her ban from the event. Our only clue comes from this statement: “In March, school administrators had informed Cosby that she was not allowed to attend school for the remainder of the year because of safety concerns.” That’s it? What safety concerns? Didn’t the reporter think that the specifics might be relevant? Why did the school think the girl’s safety was in question?
There’s a lot more to this story, but the Associated Press couldn’t be bothered to find out and the news agencies that picked this up couldn’t be either. This is why you have to be a critical consumer of the news. You must use your critical thinking skills and not just accept things at face value. The most important question is “Why?”
Well, to be fair, the school’s argument does seem kind of weak.
More details are available here:
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/NEWSV5/storyV5stjudegrad29w.htm
The school’s argument is irrelevant to my point which is the sloppy journalism of the AP reporter in failing to even report the school’s argument and thus leave a biased impression. At least the small town newspaper brings it up.
I guess I didn’t express my comments too well. You wrote that it “looks like a case of Catholics being hypocrites about supporting women and girls who choose to keep their child instead of aborting them.” I’m saying I think that’s what it was. It may be bad reporting by not giving enough information but it does not seem biased to me since the impression given seems to be supported by the school principal’s comments in the Montgomery Advertiser.
So rather than shame on the AP, it’s shame on St. Jude’s.
I have to admit, that while the AP is an organization of morons, the school’s reasoning leaves me with a big “Huh?”
I have a feeling that they think that by having a pregnant girl walzing across the stage (presumably) to get a diploma would be scandalous. If they’d just say that, I’d be more inclined to nod in agreement. But for “safety” reasons? That just sounds idiotic. Heck, for safety reasons, they could tell all the kids that nobody is allowed to walk onstage because they might just trip on their gown and break their fool neck!
But it would look bad, in my opinion, to have a pregnant teenager walking across the stage. The poor girl, but like some would say, at least she’s not aborting the baby.
The ‘screaming mainstream’ is no longer factual, let alone truly probing…or honest or sincere or trustworthy or interesting or….valuable.
When I was a senior in a Catholic high school (waaay back in 1986) the same incident arose. Girl confides in guidance counselor that she is pregnant, after securing a solemn promise from counselor that she will keep the meeting confidential. Counselor then immediately contacts principal and parents, and girl is promptly expelled (no longer allowed to attend class, particpate in any school function, attend graduation or have name listed on program with fellow graduates). Parents threw a fit, threatening legal recourse, and girl was given diploma in early May.
Now, I understand that the school doesn’t want to retain the student and look like they are condoning premarital sex. I also respect the truth of the inherent danger of spreading scandal. However, this was the worst kept secret at school, and no one was allowed to discuss it with the students. What could have been an invaluable lesson on the importance of chastity, the concept that sexual activity can have life altering consequences, was ignored and swept under the rug. What a lost opportunity. During the same time as this was going on, the school was conducting their (convoluted and vague) instruction against abortion (because they didn’t want to address the topic at all—did they fear it would give the students ideas? Heck, we were teenaged girls going out with teenaged males, what did they think? We had IDEAS, what we needed was true GUIDANCE and INSTRUCTION!) for the junior classes. Result? *Every single student I talked to said that the experience showed them that 1, you CAN’T trust counselors in school and probably out, and 2, you’d better get a quiet abortion if you become pregnant because you will be kicked out of school.*
This confusing and contradictory lesson that my fellow students learned is still burned on my heart to this day. It could, and should, have been handled so much better. Our parents were spending thousands of dollars for their daughters to receive a Catholic education, and to be brutally frank, we learned nothing. Just watered down mush, with an unhealthy dose of relativism.
Sorry for this convoluted posting. It just infuriates me that when these things happen, they are not dealt with openly and honestly for all. Sweeping things under the carpet and ignoring the whispers only ensures that it will happen again and again, as well as fostering the notion that the school is run by a bunch of hypocrites. TELL THE STUDENTS, TELL THE WORLD: As an institution committed to following the teachings of the Magesterium, we believe that premarital sex—and abortion—are grave sins. While we applaud the student’s decision to uphold the sanctity of life by not terminating her pregnancy, we also hold that allowing her to return while pregnant looks like condoning her other behavior. Therefore, we will not allow the sin of scandal [something else that should not have to be explained] by having her return to the school proper, but we will allow her to continue her education through our institution, but at home.
Stop the secrets.
To finish my post, and make it relevant to what Dom was mentioning about media bias (sorry, Dom, got sidetracked):
If only the institutions that get caught in these situations would be forthright and open with their statements, instead of namby-pamby wishy-washy excuses that sound as weak and indefensible as this particular school has presented, then the media would actually have more to hide, and therefore vulnerable to exposure. Think Dan Rather and Newsweek. While media bias still exists, there are more vulnerable than what they are trying to set up.
IMHO, anyway.
It just shows how media un-savy schools, diocesean offices, etc. are about how this gets spun.
Alysha Cosby is another victim of Catholic schools, like that Muslim girl with the scarf.
I’m not on the same page as Dom here, it appears to be an uncharitable act on the schools part and the school’s side of the story does not persuade me. If the mother (or her mother since Alysha might be a minor) has a different view of the health concerns of a pregant girl, she could have been the option of signing a wavier of the school’s health concerns. Perhaps the school was being set up, but they should have know they could have been.