Civil Discourse

Normally I would leave it to Evie to wax upon civil discourse as she is a stronger expert in the area. Yet the following story has compelled me to comment on the topic.

Below is report of the suspension of three young ladies for uttering “vagina” publicly during a literature reading.


CROSS RIVER, N.Y. -- A Westchester, N.Y., public high school has suspended three 16-year-old girls for saying the word "vagina" during a reading from "The Vagina Monologues."

John Jay High School Principal Richard Leprine said the girls were punished because they disobeyed orders not to say the word "vagina." The school is in Cross River.
Their stand is being applauded by Eve Ensler, the author of "The Vagina Monologues," who said the girls were right for "standing up for art and against censorship." Ensler called the school's position "a throwback to the Dark Ages."
Ensler, a graduate of Scarsdale High School, said she called the girls to support them.

Honor students Megan Reback, Elan Stahl and Hannah Levinson, included the word because -- as Levinson said "we knew it was the right thing to do. Since we're comfortable saying it, we should make other people comfortable saying it."
The excerpt from "Monologues" was read Friday night, among various readings at an event sponsored by the literary magazine. The girls will all serve one-day, in-school suspensions Wednesday.


Though vagina was in the text they were instructed to leave it out as it could offend some people. The Principal’s response was over the top and counter production to the education process and civil discourse.

In a civil democratic society we need to be engaged in civil discourse so that we have an honest hearing and understanding the views of others. Our education system, our schools, civic clubs and places of worship should be helping to facilitate civil discourse. Vagina is not an offensive word. By restricting its use we end up making it a taboo word. Human sexuality and sensuality is part of our nature, but unfortunately we keep putting up barriers to helping our youth and ourselves from having a balanced view on such matters. Instead we marginalize such matters as a taboo and only to whispered in darkened corners lest others overhear us.

Though some people will be offended for various reasons, in that process of civil discourse we must accept such that there will be some who will be offended. Because I might be offended, of have been offended, on a matter should not then mean that it be removed from the public schools. Once we try to eliminate offending people, we are removing a wide array of matters from public discussion. We all become losers in such an environment.

What I find to be disturbing is that those who would be the first to complain to the school that vagina should not have been used and thereby support the Principal are the first to get upset if a student were to be suspended for talking about Jesus Christ in a classroom or in the cafeteria. Do they not see how the two are linked?

I am heavily influenced by my Wesleyan heritage that holds that public civil dialogue is healthy and welcomed. In the classroom I attempted to get my students to embrace a phrase I have been using since grad school, “let us agree that we will disagree agreeably.” And by disagreeing agreeably on a range of matters, we are all richer because my views have become more rounded, knowledge enhanced and my appreciation for my neighbor deepened.

As an aside, it think that Ensler’s “Dark Ages” comment is equally over the top. She does herself and her cause a disservice to her cause. He reaction is equally as wrong as the school’s. Her comments brings harm to those who seek to have a more balanced approach to education and to civil dialogue. Who she has well served are her strongest opponents by giving them another example of why they hold their views. Ensler has reinforced the fears of her opponents instead of seeking to disarm them.

That is how I see it.