I have been so busy with my family and working with the folks opposing the move of Woodbury Elementary to Crosswinds (if the district acquires it) that I've not had time to post the latest on East Ridge High School's commemoration of the Black Panthers.
At the last school board meeting, the Superintendent, Keith Jacobus, made a point to alert the (maybe) twelve people in attendance that the Black Panther issue is closed. He went on to say that the blog (yep, this lil ol' blog) is "threatening" and that Principal Aaron Harper is under "personal attack."
Imagine my surprise when I watched the meeting video and heard that they are calling this blog "threatening," and that they had also taken care to remind us that our "children are watching." Curious as to what they thought was threatening about reporting on a controversial incident in a local high school, I decided to read over all the previous posts on the matter to determine what, if anything, could be construed as such.
Here are my conclusions:
1. There is NOTHING threatening about the posts in question. Unless one reads the comments where I am personally attacked and called names by people who apparently believe that one cannot stand up to a school administration, and say "Hey, are the Black Panthers really a group that should be commemorated in a school-wide PA broadcast? Isn't this something that should be taught in something like, oh I don't know, maybe an American History class where the full context of the group, its origins and what it meant to America in the 1960s can be fully explored?" Those comments are threatening, but to me, not to anyone named in the posts.
2. If the children are watching and/or reading this blog, which a) I doubt (my own kids don't even read this blog) and b) if they have, then at least we know that they have received a more rounded education on who the Black Panthers really were rather than the sanitized "The Black Panthers were militant socialist revolutionaries who also started free lunch and medical programs (huzzah!)" as was heard on February 14, 2013 at the school. Perhaps if the children (who are watching, doncha know?) have read the blog, they've learned some American history of which they didn't previously know. Which makes this truly the educational opportunity Mr. Harper kept saying it was in the first place.
3. Obviously, Alinsky tactics are alive and well even in our local governments. Calling a person who is spreading light on the truth of actions/behaviors/etc. "threatening" is tantamount to telling them to "Sit down and shut up!" It is a favorite tactic of Progressives when they are upset that their actions have been called out to the public. As long as their actions can remain unknown and unreported, they can continue to do what they want without public scrutiny. The problem is that they forget that they work for us. We pay their salaries and their pensions and their benefits, so if they really believe that they won't be held accountable, it truly is time for people to stand up and let them know that WE THE PEOPLE ARE WATCHING.
MNHOCKEYMAMA You've entered our world now; unless otherwise noted, all posts are my thoughts/opinions/musings; callin' it like I see it.
Liberal leadership is thought to use unsavory “Saul Alinsky” tactics of prior years to thwart the will of the people. Perhaps it is time to use these tactics in return or prepare ones self to combat these tactics.
ReplyDeleteAn honest man has nothing to fear. The distortions by the school administrators and the majority of school board members only add to the injustices incurred to our community and the school. A Principal this unaware of Marxist teachers, drug use in the classroom, sex in the restrooms, racially divisive announcements and other "student led" activities should be dismissed.
ReplyDeleteYou are seeing first hand the typical response/attacks from the left.
ReplyDeleteEric
After reading in this blog that the superintendent proclaimed the Black Panther incident closed, that the principal at ERHS was feeling threatened under personal attacks, and that our children are watching, I went back to review the video of that board meetings, re-read the articles in the Woodbury Bulletin, and all the past blogs related to the issue.
ReplyDeleteI found nothing threatening at all. What I did find is a number of concerned parents and Woodbury citizens raising a heartfelt concern about the inappropriateness of a morning announcement. I also saw the school and district administration acknowledge the incident, subtly agree that there was a lack of oversight, then deflect the criticism on the basis it was a "student led event". Now, there seems to be an attempt to shame those that continue to ask for transparency and redress of the grievance.
Dr. Jacobus's comment of "the children are watching" was directed to the parents and citizens that have continued to talk about the issue. The take away message I heard was for them to sit down and be quiet. As for the children that are watching will see the responsibility of taxpayers (parents and citizens) being exercised as the right we possess in a free society. The power of those in charge is not ordained by the state but delegated by the citizen electorate. With the children watching, it is our responsibility to teach them that open civil discourse is hallmark of our Republic through which we resolve conflicts (even at the local level). With the children watching, the administration should have shown how to admit when they have been wrong through leading by example - take responsibility (simply saying you do, does not make it so), take action by redressing the grievance openly, and change the process to assure similar situations don't occur in the future.
There are many issues facing this school district that need collaborative support from the taxpaying community of parents and citizens. The superintendent, the administration, and the school board have been given the stewardship of this district and our children's education. It is not a fiefdom over which you rule.
Signed,
Liberty&Freedom4All