The funeral I can't get out of my mind this week [View all]

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Last edited Sat Sep 1, 2018, 09:07 PM - Edit history (1)

First this is by no means meant to denigrate either Aretha Franklin nor John McCain both lived long full lives which touched many people. Both got send offs worthy of their lives. Both funerals helped focus the mind on what a moral midget we have in the Oval Office. But neither funeral fully has my attention today. Instead, it is a funeral that had no tv coverage if it even happened. No Presidents, former or current eulogized him, no famous musicians played, no sad children or grandchildren cried for their parent or grandparent lying dead before them. Jamel Myles had no children for he was a child himself. If you aren't sure who I am talking about don't worry I had to google it too. He was the 9 year old child who came out to his mother in the summer, to his 4th grade classmates when school started back up, and then killed himself 4 days later. He won't have a prom, won't walk a stage at graduation, won't find a husband to love him and share his life with. We have no idea what service he might have provided our nation. Instead he is dead and gone.

In the wake of his death, many are asking how could a kid know he was gay at age 9. I think the proper question is why did his classmates hate him so much at age 9. It is the beginning of a new school year for me. On Tuesday a student and her parent will be meeting with my principal to, one hopes, get approval for a gay straight alliance at my school (it will be the first in my county). I have agreed to advise the club if it is approved. I can't help thinking of Jamel's funeral as I go forward with this school year. He got attention for his suicide due to his age. The fact is for LGBT high school students suicidal thoughts and even attempts are common enough to be a near rite of passage. I can only hope, and fight to be sure, that I don't have to go to such a funeral for one of my students.

I hope Jamel is resting in power today along with John and Aretha they all deserve it.