The House just “P-T’d” a bill that would allow students to claim conscientious objector (the Blogster is not kidding) status to avoid dissecting animals in class. The Blogster remembers Richard Dawid’s class at Stamford High 40 years ago with some fondness, although he could not summon up a memory of the aroma of formaldehyde wafting from the dead frog of yore.
Anyway, after a half hour of debate, where Republicans pointed out the shortcomings in the legislation, House Majority Leader Denise Merrill, D-Mansfield, called for it to be “passed temporarily” for either death or urgent rewriting during the waning days of the session.
The bill would let students off the hook if they could come up with a letter from their parents describing their kids as conscientious objectors. The Blogster recalls that tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the Kent State University shootings by the Ohio National Guard, back when a conscientious objector was a draftee, or draft bait, who opposed war as a theory.
Anyway, the legislation would require schools to offer alternative assignments, including computer study or life-like models. The money aspect of the bill got Republicans thinking of school districts having to cater to the squeamish.
“In adopting this we are in some respect misleading ourselves that we don’t live in a flesh and blood material world?” asked Rep. John Hethrington, R-New Canaan. “I think that we’re deceiving ourselves. I’m afraid that this amendment, which will become the bill, will give false assurance to students as to what they’ll face in the world.”
Hetherington said that the term conscientious objector was not defined; leaving the Blogster the hope that opposition to the Vietnam War could become criteria for skipping high school biology in the 21st century.
Rep. DebraLee Hovey, R-Monroe, put it more succinct terms. “Suck it up,” she said.