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)
Elaine,
I’m talking about the basics (food preparation to base security) to manufacturing and specialized training. Shipyards are a good example of where privatization is very effective.
I don’t agree with the use of mercenaries (like Haliburton/Blackwater). Unfortunately, that’s a side effect of not having a draft.
We need personnel. The only way to get them is by draft or hire mercenaries. I think the draft is the best way to prevent this country from engaging in an unpopular war. I don’t think Bush would have invaded Iraq had many of his soldiers been drafted.
^^^^^ I won’t be able to respond for a while. I promised some friends who recently had a house fire that I would lend them a hand this afternoon. They didn’t lose the house, but they did experience a lot of smoke damage.
FF Leo,
Old habits die hard. I always had high expectations for my students. I felt I had to hold myself to the same high standards.
BBB,
BTW, I wrote nothing about R&D. I was referring to military contractors like Blackwater/Xe, KBR, Halliburton, etc.
BBB,
I wrote in regard to the privitization of military functions/responsibilities: ““I wouldn’t say the privatization of such things has been a success story.”
You responded: “For the most part, it has been very successful.”
How so?
Just my humble opinion regarding typos. Very intelligent people herein should not bother correcting typos unless the typo/grammatical error is from a quoted reference or possibly, if someone requests a clarification. I understand that you want perfection in your posts but I—for one—do not care even if an educated, smart, intelligent teacher, lawyer, or whomever makes a mistake. Pedantry can be a vice and this humble advice comes from one of the once-worst recovering pedants.
(Dadgummit! MS Word says that my first sentence is fragmented and I have tried for an hour to revise it; however, I will try to take my own advice—for once! Oh, and I have run at least 3 spell checks to ensure I aint dun no rong wurds ner emperfect grammer…) Now, I just gotta make certain that I do not step on any sidewalk cracks and…and…and…
There is no beaten path. The comment section has a life all its own, it can go in any direction. One of the things I like about the comments on the Professor’s blog.
Elaine,
“We’ve privatized a lot of the functions/responsibities that were once under the purview of the Department of Defense/Pentagon.”
It remains the most effective means of achieving advancedments in technology.
“I wouldn’t say the privatization of such things has been a success story.”
For the most part, it has been very successful. The problems occur when the distinct functions of each are no longer identifiable.
“It sure has helped some private companies enrich themselves with taxpayer dollars.”
It has also ended in many going broke. R&D is an expediture that is best utilized in the private sector. The winners may make out like bandits, but that’s what provides the incentive.
My previous comment was a bit off the beaten path…
“The public school system is the keystone in America’s ability to claim it is the land of opportunity.” -David Drumm
Here, here to that.
“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.” -David Drumm, as well
Good for the SPLC for taking action. And let’s get started at the top, by prosecuting Bush/Cheney et al — they set such a fine example for the would-be sadists among us…
Elaine,
“I came from a family of little means. If there had not been a state college in a nearby community, I never would have been able to afford a college education.”
I don’t see why a state college (funded by taxpayers) is any different than a privately run state college (funded by taxpayers). Privatization changes who is the owner/operator, but it should not (if properly implimented) change access or availability. That’s what vouchers are for.
I would never be in favor of privatization wherein low-income students would not be able to have access to at least the same level of education that is available today.
Nal,
Thanks!
You’re correct about the war on public schools.
It’s two posts in one. People can comment on the macing, or comment on the war on public schools, or comment on my connecting the two.
All the comments have been excellent.
Elaine, you can login and edit your typos in the comments. I’ve done it a couple of times. 🙂
This story breaks my heart and brings back memories, some of which I’d rather forget…
Several years ago, I worked in a residential “community” for troubled children and saw some pretty awful things… Ultimately, I submitted my resignation, with regrets, even though I adored the kids. It was a losing battle, but I also knew that my nursing license would be in jeopardy if I stayed — in part, because I was responsible for the actions of the unlicensed personnel whom I was supervising.
I fully documented the abuse that I witnessed. After leaving, I notified the appropriate parties at the state level. There was an investigation and some sanctions ensued, but I’m guessing that things haven’t really changed all that much. I witnessed quite a few adults behaving badly and harming children, physically and psychologically. (There were many good people employed by this agency, but not enough of them… and the turnover rate was high, as one might expect.)
And this was one of the better facilities…
Elaine,
I’ll stipulate that is true. Perhaps a clarification is in order – Arguments against public school funding are a teabagger distraction from the more legally salient point of abusing children, who is responsible and why they aren’t all in jail.
As a beneficiary of both public and private education, you know from past conversations that I support both but expect equal standards in both output and acceptable behavior of staff to children as well.
Spelling correction!
“We’ve privatized a lot of the functions/responsibities…”
That should have been: We’ve privatized a lot of the functions/responsibilities…
Buddha,
I don’t think the discussion about privatization/funding of schools is a distraction. Nal brought up the importance of public education in his post.
Alabama will use whatever means it can to codify class and suppress class mobility.
BBB,
FYI: I was a public schoolteacher for more than thirty years.
I came from a family of little means. If there had not been a state college in a nearby community, I never would have been able to afford a college education.
I’m in agreement with what FF Leo wrote: “There are some aspects of society that are inherently governmental functions—and accompanied by law enforcement, prisons, and fighting wars—schools should not be privatized.”
We’ve privatized a lot of the functions/responsibities that were once under the purview of the Department of Defense/Pentagon. I wouldn’t say the privatization of such things has been a success story. It sure has helped some private companies enrich themselves with taxpayer dollars.
Jay has addressed the salient point.
The funding of the schools is teabagger distraction.
The only real issue is using violence against not just children, but restrained children.
Former Federal LEO,
“I simply would not have had the opportunity to reach my station in life if school privatization had been the norm.”
Why not?
Elaine,
“We all know how well banking and financial regulations worked to prevent a financial meltdown in this country.”
We also knew how to put things in place that would help to prevent it. The Glass Steagall Act, repealed by a Republican Congress and Bill Clinton was one of those things.
“If private and parochial schools had to address all the problems that our public educational system is faced with, they would find themselves in the same state/situation as many of our troubled public schools.”
I don’t doubt that for a minute. I just think that competition might help to provide more initiative to correct them.
Most teachers I know would say that the problems at school are the result of what is going on at home. The last paragraph of your comment seems to agree with that.
Just because something has been a public function is not a good enough reason for it to remain public.