Well Informed and Educated
“W
elcome to a new winter/spring semester at Hair Did University Schools of Cosmetology and Vocational Studies. The university’s objective for 2013 is to enhance the lives of the disenfranchised masses through critical thinking and quality vocational education. “The faculty and staff at Hair Did University are committed to teaching students how to navigate around a system of spiritual and economic oppression. This is the year for teachers to implement and execute a non-traditional method of instructing students. At Hair Did University, over-crowded classes will transform into large think tanks. Students will be required to take arts, humanities, history and political science classes. “As dean of students of Hair Did University, I will dedicate my time and effort to develop well-informed and educated graduates capable of critical thinking. I plan to achieve my goal with help from concerned members of the Ghetto Science Community Education Board. “So students, get ready for a different approach toward your education. I hired Chief Crazy Brotha of Jojo’s Discount Dollar Store to teach part-time classes in creative store-operations management and theatrical arts. Kunta ‘Rahseed X’ Toby, filmmaker and multi-media artisan, will be your journalism, radio and television production instructor, as well as head of Hair Did University’s Mass Communications and Marketing Department. I’m also honored to have Congressman Smokey ‘Robinson’ McBride teach political science, history and economics. “Remember: Classes begin in February. And I hope to see you at H.D.U.—Hair Did University.�
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January 16 - 22, 2013
°&/8 .EWS COMMENTATOR "ILL /´2EILLY *AN ON THE SALE OF !L 'ORE´S #URRENT 46 CHANNEL TO !L *AZEERA %NGLISH
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Why it stinks: While the parent company of Al Jazeera English also owns Al Jazeera Arabic, the two stations are not the same. Al Jazeera English is a well-respected news outlet in the West. O’Reilly’s quote was part of a daylong FOX rant regarding the sale of Current, focusing on everything from the amount of money Gore stands to make to the fact that the anti-fossil-fuel environmentalist Gore is selling to people in a country that sells a lot of oil—fossil fuels. It saved its big guns, though, to skewer Gore over Al Jazeera Arabic’s antiAmerican sentiment. Conveniently, what FOX failed to tell its viewers is that one of its own big stock owners is—wait for it—Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a nephew of the Saudi king, who also owns a share in the anti-American, anti-Israeli network Rotana. One of the other shareholders of Rotana is none other than Rupert Murdoch himself, majority owner of News Corp., the group that includes FOX News and The Wall Street Journal. That’s a connection you won’t hear on FOX News.
Put Funds into Education, Not Guards
L
ast week, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves went on the record to push the National Rifle Association’s pro-gun agenda in Mississippi. In case you missed it, NRA chief Wayne LaPierre announced Dec. 21 that he had the answer to gun violence in public schools: Put armed guards in every one. As the largest representative of gun and ammunition manufacturers and dealers in the United States, as well as the largest provider of gun training, LaPierre kindly offered the services of the NRA to help make his multi-billion dollar program a reality. On Jan. 14, Reeves proposed allocating $7.5 million in taxpayer funds to begin carrying out the plan. The initial amount, which Reeves wants the Legislature to pass this session, would cover approximately 750 of Mississippi’s roughly 1,050 schools. Schools could apply for the funds, and the state would match up to $10,000 that the schools would need to provide. Simply put, the NRA/Reeves plan would put taxpayers’ money into the wrong side of the equation. Putting armed guards in Mississippi schools, which already have a nationwide reputation for overly harsh discipline—and for running school-to-prison pipelines—will do more harm than good. The state’s zero-tolerance policies create a hostile environment for the very children that our schools are attempting to educate. And, as any parent of a 13-year-old will tell
you, making enemies of our children is no way to create environments where kids are actually open to learning. The state’s hard-core discipline policies have done far more to alienate students than educate them. Adding armed guards, metal detectors and all the rest of the paraphernalia that comes along with weapons is a drain on the state’s economy. Teachers end up being authoritarians instead of educators. Students with multiple suspensions simply get farther behind until all hope of catching up is gone. At that point, dropping out probably looks like a pretty good decision. It isn’t, of course, and these kids don’t just disappear. Where they are most likely to show up is on the dole, in the courts or behind bars in a Mississippi prison. Even if they find gainful employment, a dropout’s earning power and his or her ability to make a meaningful economic contribution to society is radically curtailed. Mississippi loses every time the state makes a decision to put money into the situations caused by decades of systemic racism, poverty and the bigotry of low expectations. More black kids are suspended for minor infractions than whites in just about school district—even the ones that are majority white. More African Americans drop out of school, and more fill the state’s prison cells. Mr. Reeves, you could just ignore that NRA campaign contribution. How about trying different tactics now that we know what doesn’t work?
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