See https://www.themarshallproject.org/2016/07/11/is-philando-castile-the-ultimate-casualty-of-driving-while-black.
See “Minnesota Police Officer’s ‘Bulletproof Warrior’ Training Is Questioned”. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/us/minnesota-police-officers-bulletproof-warrior-training-is-questioned.
I do know personally that expectations of what someone might say can lead to a gross misunderstanding of what a person actually said.
Between my junior and senior years in college, I took a job at Ohio Oil in Findlay, Ohio. My intention was to learn more about computers.
Unfortunately, I had a difficult time finding a room for the whole summer. I stayed in two or three private houses before I found an apartment above the bank that owned the whole building. About a week or so after occupying the apartment the bank asked me if I would swap my apartment for a smaller one occupied by a couple.
I left word at the bank president’s office that I had moved enough for the summer and would stay put until school started.
A day or two later, the bank president knocked on my door. He was somewhat of a curmudgeon and I expected a bit of chewing out. The first words I heard from him were “How’s the bastard doing?” This from a pillar of his church! I said, “Excuse me?” and I heard him say again, “How’s the bastard doing?” I said “Excuse me?" again. This time I clearly heard him say, “How’s the bachelor doing?”
Now we had a friendly discussion about my staying put and he accepted my wish.
How often do people in tense situations completely misunderstand what another person is saying?
I speculate that Philandro Castile simply said in a normal voice, “I have a gun.” He was stating a fact to avoid conflict. Officer Jeronimo Yanez, pumped up from his “Bulletproof Warrior” class, heard, “I HAVE A GUN!”
I do hope many police departments are seriously thinking about paying for their officers’ training at for-profit classes that have no accountability to either the government or the general public.
Every killing diminishes all of us, whether it is terrorists who think a whole class of people should be killed, whether it is a government that drops bombs the kill innocents, whether it is madmen that shoot indiscriminately into crowded venues, or whether it is a hyped-up police officer with an itchy finger..
See also “Quote on violence” http://magree.blogspot.com/2016/07/quote-on-violence.html.
Showing posts with label Robin Washington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robin Washington. Show all posts
Monday, August 08, 2016
Sunday, May 06, 2012
Who's to blame for "failing schools"?
Several weeks ago, Robin Washington, editor of the Duluth News Tribune, emailed me that he was helping on the Duluth Budgeteer and that they needed some letters. He wrote that it should be about something in the Budgeteer.
I looked at the Budgeteer again and didn't see anything that I could write about. I thanked Robin and wrote that I didn't have anything in mind. Of course, later I did. Bill Gronseth, Superintendent of the Duluth Public Schools had written a column, and I came up with the letter below.
However, somebody else did write a letter that was published. This week I emailed Robin that if my letter had not been published this weekend, I would post it here, which precludes it being published in the Budgeteer according to its rules about prior publication.
My submission was:
A Duluth school superintendent and board decide that a major investment should be made in school buildings. The decision is contentious with much opposition to its scope and funding. A private company makes a nice profit from the project.
Some of the money for the project has to come from the classroom costs.
The Minnesota Legislature decides that it can't pay all the local school aid that has been scheduled. Now there is even less money for classroom costs.
Many of those who show up to vote on a school funding referendum turn down any increase. The additional property taxes would have made up some of the costs.
Now the Duluth Public Schools have to figure out how to provide some instruction with the funds they do have for operation. To do so, they are increasing class sizes, lengthening class periods, and cutting out music and art which have a proven record in helping boosting learning skills.
The net result will be that fewer students will do as well in school.
Who's to blame? The teachers, of course!
I looked at the Budgeteer again and didn't see anything that I could write about. I thanked Robin and wrote that I didn't have anything in mind. Of course, later I did. Bill Gronseth, Superintendent of the Duluth Public Schools had written a column, and I came up with the letter below.
However, somebody else did write a letter that was published. This week I emailed Robin that if my letter had not been published this weekend, I would post it here, which precludes it being published in the Budgeteer according to its rules about prior publication.
My submission was:
A Duluth school superintendent and board decide that a major investment should be made in school buildings. The decision is contentious with much opposition to its scope and funding. A private company makes a nice profit from the project.
Some of the money for the project has to come from the classroom costs.
The Minnesota Legislature decides that it can't pay all the local school aid that has been scheduled. Now there is even less money for classroom costs.
Many of those who show up to vote on a school funding referendum turn down any increase. The additional property taxes would have made up some of the costs.
Now the Duluth Public Schools have to figure out how to provide some instruction with the funds they do have for operation. To do so, they are increasing class sizes, lengthening class periods, and cutting out music and art which have a proven record in helping boosting learning skills.
The net result will be that fewer students will do as well in school.
Who's to blame? The teachers, of course!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)