Unfortunately.........I couldn't resist
I didn't attend school today, but yesterday, this thread and the conversation that ensued made for an excellent lesson plan. To be honest, I learned quite a bit from just about everyone's response to this thread. I also asked my own kids, (yes predominantly african american and one spanish) how did they feel about the situation that happened. We watched the video together, and discussed it (though not as much detail as I would have liked). The surprising idea about it all is that many of my kids have had a similar situation happen to them. Anywhere from Minnesota to Wisconsin. Pretty much in the same detail.
The other half of my class also stated that the video was a racial motivated incident whether overt or obvious.
I also asked them, did they think I was playing favoritism based on race.
They asked me (to my surprise) how could I not.
Another surprise about this, is that after viewing the video. About 20% (or 4 students) of my class actually agreed with putting the child in handcuffs (or wristbands or whatever you want to call them) due to the fact that they believed that the police simply wanted to calm her down.
I also asked a few friends of mine did they view the video. And finally did they agree or disagree.
Another fellow teacher who is also a black male, stated that at first and emphatically that he agreed. That he would have called the police and put her in handcuffs due to the fact that she obviously had not learned consequences for her actions before.
Then he rebutted and said police presence was a good idea, wristbands weren't.
Florida the state? I'm sorry, not a stellar history of civil rights there. (Strikes a political nerve!!)
Race? If little Johnny (the white boy) as quoted to me by one of my not so objective (as if I'm one to talk right?) friends, had acted the same way, he would have simply been having a bad day, and that he has a few problems and that "he's really a good kid."Received a timeout and a phone call home.
The idea of it not making the news? Your right it wouldn't have, because little Johnny would have never been handcuffed.
My points.......as follows
She is a spoiled brat. I can't dispute that.
Her mother is questionable, (God only knows I have seen that same woman in my classroom each and every year and each and every year she swears up and down that I am picking on her kid) in her mothering abilities. I also say questionable, because I try to NOT judge other parents. I have no idea what goes on in their home, and unless they volunteer information, I feel as if I am being intrusive and judgemental at the same time.
I like to think that much of time that I am objective and fair. I have always had friends from all sides of spectrum, when I went away to college, I made friends with people I would hardly ever believe that I would speak to, because they didn't exist in my own world.
However, history does precede ME gentlemen. We have seen this type of situation every year, for hundreds of years. It has always been the same with no change. It has always boiled down to race and what would happen if that same child was white. You know what, many of you would too.
In other words, when most of US see something like this, how can we NOT think it's about race??
It's always been like that before.
It'll be like that next year.
And the year after that.
What has REALLY CHANGED?
That "we all get along now?"
It has gotten better. I'll be the first to admit.
And then when I get pulled over in my own neighborhood that I live in, that I pay taxes in, that I plan on sending my own children to school in that's when I regress to the above.
Oh yeah, he just wanted to see where I was on my way to this time of night @ 1a.m.
I drive a white Ford escort ZX3.
No tint, no rims, no stereo.
No, I didn't hire a lawyer or call my local news.
Why?
Because that's what we live with daily.
No choice.
The same state that this happened in, has a HISTORY of civil rights violations. (COUGH COUGH GEORGE BUSH) (COUGH COUGH HIDDEN VOTER BOXES IN PREDOMINANTLY BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS)
We have evidence, examples and been made examples of.
That's why I "lean on the race card."
That's what the majority of you (not personally you) have shown us.
I live the "race card."
I get up with the "race card."
I go to sleep with the "race card."
I make love with the "race card."
It's not something I can turn on and off.
I didn't have a choice and if I did, I wouldn't choose to be any other way.
If I offended anyone here, that's fine.
If you choose to "boycott" me based on my replies to this conversation, thats fine then too.
You are just advancing the widespread theory amongst many of us.
As long we nod our heads look down at the ground, agree then we are safe to participate in whatever activities that involve us cooperating with one another.
The instance that we make a viable argument based on facts, history, examples whatever then instantly we "play the race card and leaning on/and or using our race as a crutch."
It's happened before, it'll happen again.
Guaranteed.
The girl was black, surrounded by three white police officers, who handcuffed her for throwing a temper tantrum, put her in the back seat of a police car for 1/2 hour so she wouldn't hurt herself due to her trashing her school and school property.
Against school rules? Obviously.
Should she have deserved some type of consequence? Definitely.
Is mom making an ass of herself on TV by hiring a lawyer and going public? Possibly? (Depends on how you see it)
Is the punishment harsh? Yes.
Is it deserved? No.
Could it be racially motivated? Yup.
And that's where I stand.
But all in all, I look for education in all things possible, believe it or not I have learned quite a bit here.
Vicious 6-Excellent points.
Mr. Wren, I too extend that courtesy (email me when you have your first child too, see if your perspective has changed any then)
Bruce, I'll take full responsibility for EVERYTHING I have said.........boycott away..............
Thanks
Steven (black male father and teacher who has keeps the race card as his trump card) Chambers IV.
