Security And Discipline In New Orleans Charter Schools Makes Many Students Feel Unsafe

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,, Race,, Schools,Leave a comment

Asha Lane is an 18-year-old senior at the International High School of New Orleans, a charter high school. Asha wanted to find out why New Orleans charter schools don’t always feel nurturing. We live in a dangerous city, but when does security feel unsafe?

…“On social media, we see security guards slam kids on the floor, and at my school it happens as well,” says Asha. “We fear that could happen to us at any moment. The school is tense. The security guards yell and treat us like we’re inmates. They routinely grab students by their shirts, and they’re big guys, so they often physically pick kids up off the floor. When there’s a fight, they don’t hesitate to tackle students.”

…“It’s like they’re trying to solve violence with violence. And we’re not in a prison, this is school,” Ronnie says. “We’re supposed to be here to get our education. If you want to teach us something, how about you teach us not to solve violence with violence? And stop putting your hands on us and we might stop putting our hands on each other?” 

“Our society is moving in a direction where it’s not safe to go to church, a movie, and school,” explains [Edna Karr Principal] Clay. “And so to take a position not to ensure safety for kids, when they just want to learn, especially when we recognize crime stats in the area and what’s happening, is irresponsible.”

“Principal Clay puts a good spin on his school, but what he was saying didn’t match what I was hearing from his students,” says Asha.

…“How do you reference security at your school?” Asha asks. “Do you say security guards? Or do you say—”

“Oh no, it’s EKPD.”

“EKPD. What is EKPD?”

“Edna Karr Police Department.”

…“Violence is always going to be a concern at any school,” says Thena Robinson Mock. “I think, though, that what we have learned over the years in implementing more positive disciplinary responses to violence is that tightening up one’s police, metal detectors, actually runs counter to this message of peace and calm and a nurturing learning environment. And that’s really what’s needed in order to either prevent violence or address it.”

Security And Discipline In New Orleans Charter Schools Makes Many Students Feel Unsafe | WWNO

sigh….

Heartwrenching moment 18-year-old woman asks her ‘father figure’ to become legal dad 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Modern Parenting,Leave a comment

The emotional video, filmed in Chicago,  shows Lauren surprising Joe on the day of her high school graduation party by giving him a box of official adoption papers.

Heartwrenching moment 18-year-old woman asks her ‘father figure’ to become legal dad | Daily Mail Online

Awww…

If this doesn’t move you, you have a heart of stone.

Dispelling Health Concerns: Hillary Clinton 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

Hillary Clinton has staved off countless rumors about her health in the past month, and the bout of pneumonia that forced her to leave a 9/11 memorial event this weekend only compounded people’s concerns. The Democratic candidate had no choice but to address the matter, and she just did it in a big way: At a campaign event this morning, Clinton ripped out her femur on stage and proved that it is unbreakable.

Okay, so this is pretty much a masters course on how to take control of a story.

…The Trump campaign has remained silent about Hillary’s strong femur, which suggests that her medical condition is no longer a viable talking point for Republicans to hit. Needless to say, this is an impressive win for H.R.C. Only a politician like her could take a potentially detrimental controversy and turn it into an opportunity to show exactly how ready she is for the Oval Office.

Dispelling Health Concerns: Hillary Clinton Rippe… | ClickHole

Heh

Feyisa Lilesa: Ethiopian protest runner lands in the US – BBC News

On By peanutgallerynhIn Africa,, Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

Ethiopian Olympian Feyisa Lilesa, who said he wanted to seek asylum after staging an anti-government protest in Rio, arrives in the US.

…The marathon runner crossed the line in second place with his arms above his head in solidarity with Oromo activists who are staging protests in Ethiopia.

He repeated the gesture later at a press conference, saying his life would be in danger if he returned home.

The government has been accused of brutally cracking down on protesters.

The country’s Information Minister Getachew Reda told the BBC at the time that he had nothing to fear and would be welcomed home as a hero.

But speaking after the race, Mr Feyisa said he might be killed if he returned.

Feyisa Lilesa: Ethiopian protest runner lands in the US – BBC News

Sigh…

Of Arab and Ajam

On By peanutgallerynhIn Middle East,, Religion,Leave a comment

But the fresh tension in the relationship of the two states practically means that this year Iranians wouldn’t be able to perform Haj, which is one of the fundamental elements and institutions of Islam. The row started with a strong statement by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei with severe criticism of “incompetence of Saudi royal family” in the administration of Haj. The response to his statement came from the Saudi grand mufti who declared the Iranians to be out of Islam. As if this was not enough he also labeled Iranian leadership to be “enemies of Islam”. The gulf between the two countries was never wider than it stands today as both sides are using religion to promote their own hegemony.

Of Arab and Ajam

hmmmm

Hillary Clinton Exposed The Emotional Tightrope Women Constantly Walk

On By peanutgallerynhIn Chick Stuff,, Domestic Affairs,Leave a comment

The reason this particular interview with Clinton rings so true to so many women is that even women who never go into political or public life of any kind learn to do a carefully choreographed emotional dance.

…Women know that to receive respect in a professional setting means being articulate and assertive, but not aggressive or angry or b*tchy; warm and inviting, but not fake or emotional; passionate, but not threatening. Essentially you have to demand a seat at the table, while making those around you feel like they pulled that very seat up to the table for you.

This outward emotional modulation matters because it’s something all women must learn to navigate, and then keep up forever. And it feels damn satisfying to hear a presidential candidate articulate what that feels like. 

Hillary Clinton Exposed The Emotional Tightrope Women Constantly Walk | Huffington Post

Sigh…

Cast-Out Police Officers Are Often Hired in Other Cities 

On By peanutgallerynhIn American Injustice System,Leave a comment

An Oregon officer was barred from taking another police job after a charge involving a child. Three months later, he was a police chief in Kansas. Experts say it’s a widespread problem.

Cast-Out Police Officers Are Often Hired in Other Cities – The New York Times

Sigh…

It’s like morally-tainted Catholic priests with guns and permission to kill on whim, being hidden and protected by an organization more intent on protecting its members than it is fulfilling its espoused role in helping society and the citizenry.

Hajj Prep: Search Soul, Buy Sturdy Shoes, Pay the Dentist – The New York Times

On By peanutgallerynhIn Middle East,, Religion,Leave a comment

“You may get shoved out of the way by a burly Turkish woman,” my brother continued. “A man might think it is his God-given right to pee in front of you. Just be patient and know why you are there in the first place.”

He called a few days later: “Listen, I forgot to tell you something.”“Do your business before you go anywhere,” my brother said, describing how he once had to wait two or three hours to move perhaps 50 yards to a hotel. “Toilets, toilets, be very conscious of where they are and how you can get there.” Diarrhea is an ever-present threat. “You might need to find a quick escape route to a bathroom.”

My father chimed in: “Buy your dates in Taif,” a Saudi city near the holy sites. There, he said, “they only cost a couple of dollars a kilo. If you buy them in Mecca or Medina, it’s around $35 a kilo. Everything is more expensive there.”

And then, Arwa, who made the journey in 2004, refocused me.“The spiritual feeling overtakes” these earthly issues, “the people that rip you off, the men that are sexually assaulting people in front of you,” she wrote on WhatsApp. “It takes over all of that. It’s beautiful and unforgettable.”

Hajj Prep: Search Soul, Buy Sturdy Shoes, Pay the Dentist – The New York Times

Wild.

R.I.P. Political Journalism (1440-2016) 

On By peanutgallerynhIn Domestic Affairs,, Media and Culture,Leave a comment

A candidate who wallows in bigotry, who incites violence, who verbally abuses his critics, who is a self-avowed threat to the free press, who trashes U.S. generals while praising Vladimir Putin, who demeans Gold Star families, gets less negative coverage than his opponent, a lifelong public servant who is one of the most accomplished and admired women on the planet.

It is an unfathomable reality.

…Within weeks of her presidential campaign announcement in 2015, the terms used to describe her in major “non-partisan” publications included “slithering, imperious, musty, petulant, paranoid, stale, scornful, regal, devious, deceitful, robotic, and abnormal.” 

During the course of 2015, it was obvious that actual reporting on her policies would take a back seat to toxic narratives about her character. Many of those corrosive narratives have their roots in carefully tested message frames concocted in …opposition research shops funded by conservative[s]…

  • A male candidate is smart, while Hillary Clinton 
    is “calculating, scheming, crafty, manipulative.”
  • A male candidate values privacy, while Hillary Clinton
    is “secretive, suspicious, paranoid, uncommunicative.”
  • A male candidate takes strong positions, while Hillary Clinton
    is “polarizing, divisive, alienating.”
  • A male candidate deserves the benefit of the doubt,
    while Hillary Clinton is “untrustworthy, dishonest, unethical.”
  • A male candidate is an achiever, while Hillary Clinton
    is “over-ambitious, will do or say anything to win.”
  • A male candidate is diplomatic, while Hillary Clinton
    is “inauthentic, disingenuous, fake, unlikable, insincere.”
  • A male candidate is solid and unflappable, while Hillary Clinton
    is “machine-like, robotic, abnormal, cold.”
  • A male candidate is a confident leader, while Hillary Clinton
    is “inevitable, defiant, imperious, regal.”
  • A male candidate is experienced, while Hillary Clinton
    is “old, out of touch, represents the past.”

…Lauer held Clinton and Trump to entirely different standards, aggressively grilling her on her emails while letting Trump dishonestly claim that he had never supported the Iraq War. He repeatedly interrupted Clinton as she was speaking, while treating Trump with sheepish deference. Lauer’s segment with Clinton looked like an antagonistic debate; his segment with Trump looked like a polite conversation.

Lauer spent so much time on Clinton’s emails …that he later had to rush her through her response on ISIS, a real national security crisis.

R.I.P. Political Journalism (1440-2016) – Shareblue

hmmmm