A Pulpit for Bullies

Providence College in Providence Rhode Island English Professor Anthony Esolen has recently become my favorite writer. His book Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child is a sort of modern-day Screwtape Letters--except with bureaucrats, educrats and technocrats taking the role of the antagonist.

Esolen, who contributes to Magnificat has a great new essay out on the bullying of Christians in the public school system:

On the bullying: the students know that what is going on here is the advocacy of homosexual activity. Many people are bullied, for all kinds of reasons—for being fat, or stupid, or poor, or ugly. If the school wishes to teach gallantry and kindness, why not do so with as broad a sweep as possible? But the teachers and students chose Tyler Clementi as their cause célèbre. Homosexual activists do not say that Clementi was merely the victim of a nasty roommate. Their point—as the students at Howell High School no doubt were made well aware—is that Clementi was the victim of a general disapproval of his behavior. That is, any disapproval of the homosexual life is to be construed as homophobic, without regard to reasons or persons. That is precisely the message conveyed by the purple T-shirts.

The point made here probably isn't groundbreaking to any of us. Esolen's mastery of his argument, however, might be quite helpful for those of us struggling to defend marriage and the natural moral law.