There is another bizarre story out of our public school system where a school official at Denair Middle School in Sacramento, California told 13-year-old Cody Alicea to remove an American flag from his bike because of fears that it would trigger “racial tensions.” According to this interview with the Superintendent, Cody has now been informed that he can display the American flag after a review of the supervisor’s decision — and a national outcry.
I remain perplexed by such decisions of officials. As with the mindless application of zero tolerance that we have seen on drugs and guns with absurd results, I cannot imagine why an official would view the solution to such a threat as being to silence the student’s first amendment rights. This is akin to saying, “your free speech is bothering a bully, so stop speaking.” If there is a student or students who will turn violent at the sight of an American flag, they need to be removed from the school. Ironically, Cody has been flying his flag on his bike for two months but was told to strike the colors just before Veteran’s Day. Nice timing.
There is no indication of whether the superintendent considered the decision by this official to be fundamentally at odds with free speech and good judgment. Superintendent Edward Parraz agrees that “the First Amendment is important” but adds “[o]ur Hispanic, you know, kids will, you know, bring their Mexican flags and they’ll display it, and then of course the kids would do the American flag situation, and it does cause kind of a racial tension which we don’t really want. We want them to appreciate the cultures.” The evidence of such appreciation of other cultures appears to be forced silence. It is rather easy to achieve the appearance of cultural harmony when when students are told to be silent on their cultural or national values. The idea is to promote pluralism with the expression of different views — not claiming success by avoiding any expression (and rejection) of views.
The official insists that he or she was trying to protect Cody, but that is a rather sad statement when students are taught that they should hide their views to avoid being attacked in our public schools. If that is the reality of the situation at Denair Middle School, the entire school needs to be placed under special supervision with added measures to protect the students and their free speech rights.
Source: KCRA
Jonathan Turley
ekeyra:
“Until then your “staunch egalitarian” stance is in direct contradiction with human nature.”
and that is the problem with all collective philosophies. Those types want to beat the egalitarian into you. It would be a nightmare and those lunatics would be in charge by virtue of their willingness to use brute force to beat the equality into you or kill you if they cant.
Those who believe in egalitarianism are nothing more than brutes at odds with nature, unable to use reason and therefore rely on violence to achieve their “noble” goals.
Oh and buddha, when you discover a way to make everyone on earth the same height, the same weight, equally attractive, equally talented, skilled, and motivated ill take egalitarianism seriously as a philosophy. Dont forget sexual partners. I mean wouldnt it be truly unfair if some people had sex more than others. Id love to hear your solution to that one. Until then your “staunch egalitarian” stance is in direct contradiction with human nature.
“What, in fact, is “equality”? The term has been much invoked but little analyzed. A and B are “equal” if they are identical to each other with respect to a given attribute. Thus, if Smith and Jones are both exactly six feet in height, then they may be said to be “equal” in height. If two sticks are identical in length, then their lengths are “equal,” etc. There is one and only one way, then, in which any two people can really be “equal” in the fullest sense: they must be identical in all of their attributes. This means, of course, that equality of all men – the egalitarian ideal – can only be achieved if all men are precisely uniform, precisely identical with respect to all of their attributes. The egalitarian world would necessarily be a world of horror fiction – a world of faceless and identical creatures, devoid of all individuality, variety, or special creativity. ” – murray rothbard
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/nj_teacher_punked_by_okeefe_i_felt_like_i_was_rape.php O’Keefe is at it again. This time it is teachers.
anon nurse,
I haven’t seen the movie The War on Kids. To be sure, there are some schools that may not be good educational institutions. Our schools are a reflection of our society. I’m sad to say that many children come from dysfunctional/abusive families and live in violent communities. Please don’t get the idea that all or most of the public schools in this country are such terrible places for children. For some children, I’m also sad to say, school is the BEST part of their day.
In all my years spent in education, I met and knew many teachers who were dedicated to the students under their care. They and I took our educational and our “in loco parentis” responsibilties very seriously.
ekeyra:
we don’t want minorities educated in private schools or schools where vouchers might be used. Bad for our business when they end up attending Harvard and Yale. We especially don’t like the private schools which operate on a limited budget and have very good outcomes.
Yours Truly,
A Public School Teacher
Thanks again, Buddha.
(Yep, let’s give credit where credit is due…)
Buddha,
What’s the Bill Hicks joke? (In the meantime, I’ll look it up. 🙂 )
Whether it’s an original scenario or not, something seems to have happened to Obama and, given the mess in which I’m currently involved, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.
Something’s going on and, whatever it is, isn’t good.
(Thanks for enlightening me…)
ekeyra,
Thanks for posting the War on Kids videos. I saw a story about the documentary last year, but hadn’t seen any of it. It’s profoundly disturbing…, as is the reality of what’s taking place in our schools.
Regarding “what happens after you win an election”, your
scenario sounds about right. (Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have necessarily agreed with you, but having been introduced to the darker side of America, I can now say that “I get it”…)
We’re in trouble, that’s for sure.
(The War on Kids
What Ails Public Schools? Better Ask, What Doesn’t? By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS Published: November 18, 2009
http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/movies/18kids.html)
Don’t steal Bill Hicks jokes as your argument.
Nurse, heres what happens when you win a presidential election.
They take you in a room with all the people who got you elected, and have you take a seat. A projector comes on and someone says “roll it”. What appears is the zapruder film from an angle you’ve never seen before that looks suspiciously like the grassy knoll. Then the lights come up and they ask “any questions?”.
Allan Masri wrote:
“That is the reality at many schools in the U.S., brought about by the inflamed political climate of the moment. The nation is teetering on the edge of violence, and the schools are just like the rest of us.”
===================
Yes. And the tone was set by our past “president” and bully-in-chief GWB and his ilk.
Published on Monday, November 8, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
“Damn Right”: Bush Boasts about Waterboarding
by Ray McGovern
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/08-3
excerpt:
Misguided Appeasement
Now, with the Republicans “shellacking” the Democrats on Nov. 2 and returning to power in the House, here’s a question for the outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her main malleable man, Judiciary Committee chair John Conyers: How’s all that appeasement workin’ for ya?
Shame, as well, on the Fawning Corporate Media (FCM) for joining Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in stoking the hysteria that set the stage for the torture and then for caving in to White House pressure to avoid calling torture torture.
Last but hardly least, shame on Bush’s timid successor. Every time I hear that Obama is a former professor of Constitutional law I find myself muttering, “And that would be the constitution of which country?” The President’s soaring rhetoric falls flat fast the moment you stop to ponder how he has betrayed his oath to see to it that the laws are faithfully executed — in this case, by holding self-confessed torturers accountable.
Shame, too, on those of us who decide to remain silent as Bush openly brags about how he personally approved the use of controlled-drowning for interrogation. The Spanish Inquisitors who applied for the first patent on waterboarding had no qualms calling it what it is — tortura de agua.
“Unequivocally torture” is how U.S. Brigadier General David Irvine described waterboarding, after teaching POW interrogation and military law for 18 years.
end excerpt
Mr. Turley,
The most insightful comment you made was this:
“If that is the reality of the situation at Denair Middle School, the entire school needs to be placed under special supervision.”
That is the reality at many schools in the U.S., brought about by the inflamed political climate of the moment. The nation is teetering on the edge of violence, and the schools are just like the rest of us.
Your comment is a little naive, though. There is not enough money to pay teachers or repair schools, but do you suppose there is enough money for supervision for every school with this sort of problem?
You are living in a fantasy world, Mr. Turley, a place where unlimited free speech is possible. But the real world is quite different, a place where the rich are able to buy politicians and racists are able to stir up racial animosity with rallies and tv advertisements, all done with impunity because of rules denying that such speech is detrimental to the body politic.
So what will you say when the rich have bought the government and maintain themselves in power by appeals to racism? In other words, what do you say now? Do you say that everything will turn out for the best in the best of all possible worlds?
ekeyra,
“Elaine, they are different because when you were unsatisfied with the service they were providing you had the choice to send them to a different school. More importantly, you stopped funding the school you were unsatisfied with. Also according to buddha that makes you an elitist for sending your kids to private school. You must be a horrible person in his eyes.”
No public preschool education was available when my daughter was young so I sent her to the Montessori school–which was just a short drive from the public school where I taught. I would have been happy to send my daughter to the public elementary school in the district where I live–but that would have caused some problems for me because I was a working mother. I didn’t want my child arriving home to an empty house after school. Her safety and well-being were my utmost concern. That’s another reason I chose to pay tuition and have her attend the school where I taught. I didn’t have to worry about my daughter–and I didn’t have to rush home after work. There were a number of factors that my husband and I took into consideration before we made our decision about where my daughter should attend elementary school.
Things aren’t always as simple as you make them out to be.
Motivation
Observation
Gyges,
“claiming that a single negative anecdote proves that everyone of something is bad.”
Also known as the “From Each to All” or composition fallacy.
(P.S. Check your e-mail if you haven’t. I sent you an interesting link about Bach.)
Kay,
Same way I explain everyone’s success: A combination of luck, skill, luck, and perseverance.
kay,
See the Twain quote, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” It cuts to the core of your question albeit in Twain’s humorous way. Some people will excel at learning despite their environment simply because it’s their nature just like some will fail to learn even if given every advantage. “Created equal” isn’t the same thing as “equally created”.