So here’s a story that got me steamed. Two “think of the children!” nitwits, Deanna Stepp and Wendy Apple, of Middleburg, PA, are raising a stink because a high school teacher there also writes romance/erotic fantasy novels. The teacher of 33 years — apparently well liked and respected by her students, according to a Facebook page in support of her — writes on her own time, and does so under a pen name.
But according to these two moral crusaders:
“We are not questioning Mrs. Buranich’s teaching credentials. We are not even questioning her ability as a writer … . What we’re questioning is that the two jobs are not compatible with one another.”
That’s according to Stepp. Oh, and it gets better. According to the second member of the brain trust, Apple, what this teacher is doing “is unethical, totally unacceptable. Period. It just sort of sickens and saddens me to know everybody’s sort of looking at this like, hey, this is OK.”
Wow. I’m almost left speechless by this. And as anyone who knows me knows, I can go on and on and on and on.
I can’t claim to have anything good to say about Deanna Stepp and Wendy Apple, of Middleburg, PA. I find their actions loathsome and can only assume those actions are a reflection of their overall character. Their comments are the kind of small-minded, utterly stupid thing you expect to hear only from the most low-class of people. To what extent this describes them as people I cannot say, as I don’t know them, but that’s certainly how I feel about their comments.
Yet that’s not why I’m writing this. Instead, it’s to suggest people offer their support to this teacher and writer. I’ll be frank when I say I’m sure I wouldn’t enjoy her work. That stuff just isn’t for me. But that’s not what is important. What is important is for her and her school district to know that she shouldn’t be harassed out of a job she’s held for more than three decades because two women have sticks lodged far up their nosy posteriors.
So spread the word. Tweet it. Go check out the Facebook page. I know it’s not much, but it’s something.
Because screw everything about this situation.
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..if I sigh, exasperated, over this I'm liable to let loose a raincloud over my exhausted withered husk. I loathe the fact I live in the same state as them.
Aren't they essentially equating the teacher to a sex offender?
On a positive note? These women are likely the type to raise strongly repressed and/or rebellious children. Advantage: Art. Give the kids a decade or so and I bet we'll see good things from them!
You know what? You're probably exactly right on your positive note about this … and that's a VERY nice thing to consider!