Birmingham Police Officers, employed as School Resource Officers in Birmingham City Schools, routinely use chemical weapons against schoolchildren to enforce basic school discipline. Mace was used against schoolchildren who were completely restrained and not a danger to themselves or anyone else. Adults taunted the children and celebrated their punishment.
The Birmingham City School System is 96% African American.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has filed a federal class action lawsuit targeting the use of mace as a means of basic school discipline. The SPLC had previously raised the issue with the Birmingham School Board which was unresponsive, prompting the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges violation of constitutional rights through the use of chemical weapons.
Conservatives have long campaigned to rid the country of public schools. The public school system is the principal method for members of the lower economic class, often African Americans, to escape to the middle class and beyond. The lack of an education maintains African Americans as lower class citizens. The use of chemical weapons and the accompanying hostility is having the effect of driving African American children out of the school system, preserving the current elite class.
If the public school system is eliminated, only the elite will be able to afford private education for their children, maintaining their current status. The public school system is the keystone in America’s ability to claim it is the land of opportunity.
H/T: Southern Poverty Law Center.
-David Drumm (Nal)
Perhaps it’s already been mentioned here, but rumor has it that The Family Research Council is taking on the Southern Poverty Law Center.
It might help to explain the article that was posted to another site, as well as the nature of some of the comments.
CarolinaJoe,
You’re right about the GDP. What’s really needed is a chart that compares public money spent per student normalized to the cost of educating that student.
That’s a big if.
There’s the cost factor, private schools are more expensive than public schools because, all other things being equal, the profit is an additional cost to the student. Without federal oversight, the religious right will institute prayer proselytizing in the classroom. Without federal oversight, there is no assurance that private schools won’t be segregated. Without federal oversight, there is no assurance that private schools will take care of special needs students. The list goes on.
What we don’t need is more private institutions sucking at the government teat.
Hi Nal – in response to your 4:47pm post: The figures you link to refer to amount spent per student as a percentage of GDP. Yes, we may spend a smaller percentage of GDP when compared to other nations, but our GDP is so large that even a smaller percentage of the whole ends up being more per student.
GDP comparison
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_gdp-economy-gdp
Current per student figures in dollars
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2010/section4/table-ifn-1.asp
I’m not sure how demanding accountability and school choice is considered apathetic, but I can see how demanding responsibility might be considered hostile to those that don’t want responsibility. Might the general lack of measures on performance by teachers and administrators promote mediocre performance? We are all human and subject to failings – when negative consequences are removed for bad behavior you are likely to see more bad behavior.
Finally, I don’t really see this as a left or right issue. Both sides can agree on the need for accountability in public education – accountability for teacher performance and accountability when it comes to financial waste in the system.
As for making schools private- if private schools produce better results, then why not make the switch? Which is more important – results for our kids or unions? Personally, I’m fine with letting each individual state handle their educational system as they see fit. Get the federal government out of the mix.
Nal, et al…..
The education issue is very prevalent in the midwest. Betsy DeVos has spent millions to elect candidates that match her beliefs…..Vouchers for charter or private or faith based schools was aimed at a couple of things….going after the public schools. Why? Because of the insurance dollars…Billions to be made….the NEA and AFT each have State Charters, whether it be the Texas Education Agency, Michigan Education Agency etc….its the right to control the insurance dollars…a number of years ago direct assaults were made on the various agency’s…no wrong doing was found…so, the next strategy was to go after the place where the money was….I will say that race had nothing to do with it….
It was sold by the fear factor….