Last night I read an article about some of the students from Spring Valley High School in South Carolina protesting and staging a walk out to get school resource officer Ben Fields his job back. For those of you who haven't turned your TV, radio, computer, or smart phone on in the past couple of days, Bens Fields is the "man" seen in the infamous viral video knocking a teenage girl on the floor and then dragging her across the floor because she refused to follow his orders. Seems pretty cut and dry to me, another overzealous white officer with a history of violence uses unnecessary force against an African-American child and gets punished for it. Sound simple, seems simple as far as I'm concerned. So then, why do these children want "Officer Slam" back. Oh, I forgot to mention that "officer slam" is Fields nickname. For good reason I assume.
Do these children know something that we don't? Are they ignorant? Or was there more to the story than what was seen on tape. To be perfectly honest I really don't care. I'm convinced that a white girl would have never been treated that way, and even if she was it would still be absolutely wrong. But I also believe that if she were a white teenage girl there would be little if any discussion at all in reference to her provoking Field's reaction. With that being said, although my opinion has not changed, as I was writing this, I saw some disturbing footage that could quite possibly provoke a violent reaction. Footage that prows that if children are not disciplined they become little monsters who reek havoc in the classroom.
PR
WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DIDN'T GO TO SCHOOLS LIKE THE ONE DEPICTED IN THE VIDEO YOU SHOWED. MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YEARS WERE IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE TEACHERS WHIPPED YOUR BUTTOCKS, AND SENT A NOTE HOME TO YOUR MOTHER. MY MOTHER WOULD BEAT ME FOR "SHAMING" HER AND MY FATHER WOULD GIVE A "TALK" WHICH WOULD WANT ME TO JUST HAVE A BEATING BECAUSE HE WOULD TALK FOR SO LONG, AND ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY HAD DONE FOR ME. MY FATHER'S YOUNGEST SISTER WORKED IN THE SCHOOL AS A TEACHER, AND SHE WOULD GIVE ME VERY UNKIND LOOKS AND MY MOTHER'S OLDEST SISTER WORKED IN THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA--SHE WOULD JUST SHAKE HER HEAD. NOW, I WAS NOTHING LIKE THE TEENAGERS IN THE VIDEO--THEY CURSED, AND THREATENED THE TEACHER. MY ONLY CLAIM TO FAME WAS THAT IF ANOTHER STUDENT BOTHERED ME, I HANDLED IT. OTHERWISE, I WAS THE PERFECT STUDENT, ON THE HONOR ROLL. NOW, "OFFICER SLAM" MIGHT HAVE A PLACE IN SOME OF THE CLASSROOMS OF TODAY. I REMEMBER AT LEAST 20 YEARS AGO WHEN LESLIE STAHL OF "60 MINUTES" USED A BODY CAMERA TO FILM A CLASSROOM IN THE BRONX. IT WAS WILD--THE TEENAGERS WERE PLAYING CARDS, SMOKING, ONE YOUNG MAN GOT UP TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND THE FEMALE TEACHER TOLD HIM THAT HE COULD NOT LEAVE THE ROOM WITHOUT HER PERMISSION--HE WALKED UP TO HER AND BEGAN CURSING HER--THE OTHER TEENAGERS THOUGHT THAT IT WAS FUNNY. I THOUGHT IT WAS FRIGHTENING--THIS WAS 20 YEARS AGO! IN HIGH SCHOOL I WAS IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY.---NO PROBLEMS. NOW KIDS ARE TAKING GUNS AND KNIVES TO SCHOOL, THEIR KILLING THEIR TEACHERS AND THEIR FELLOW-STUDENTS. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS. THE PARENTS MUST BEAR THE BLAME. THEY BRING THESE CHILDREN INTO THE WORLD WITH NO CONCEPT OF WHAT A CHILD'S LIFE SHOULD BE LIKE--THEY CURSE, DRINK AND DRUG IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN; THERE IS OFTENTIMES NO WORK ETHIC--I SEE NO END. PERHAPS, "OFFICER SLAM" DOES ACTUALLY HAVE A PLACE, SOME OF THE STUDENTS (THE ONES WHO ARE NOT ACTING OUT) THINK SO. I DON'T KNOW.
ReplyDeleteYou're right today's parents seem to have no concept of what it is to raise children with innocence, common sense and discretion. I thought that as a parent my biggest challenge would be keeping my children from being influenced by the rampant disregard for morality in the media. But as it turns out, their peers who's parents have not protected them are just as bad as anything on TV or on the Internet. I pick up my 9 year old daughter from school and she asks me questions that I thought I would not have to answer for years. Why? Because one of her class mates called the other gay, or talked about how their father comes and goes and only stays with them sometimes. My point is, people do not realize that the vast majority of the time children's behavior is a directly reflection of their parents behavior.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Home Schooling is the answer for those parents who want to protect their children because, after all, the Bible says that the devil is going "to and fro to see whom he can devour". I know that it is not realistic for some households because two pay checks are sometimes needed; and I know that children need socialization amongst their contemporaries but Home Schooling appears to be more attractive to me than ever before.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good idea in theory. But a friend of mine home schools his daughter, and he says that it is very expensive. But I suppose no more expensive than going out to dinner a few times a month or spending hundreds of dollars on video games. Definitely something to keep in mind.
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