. . . . this is a political post

       I really do try to not be too political.  Well, sometimes I try. Okay, I don’t try very hard to keep my political positions to myself.  All right, I’d get up on a soap box at a roller derby match and give a speech.    I am the avowed Democrat, liberal on most subjects, and a bit less liberal and slightly more moderate in fiscal matters.  I take a lot of grief about my political beliefs, but then I dish it out fairly frequently as well. I’m an “agree to disagree” person, as well as subscribing to Voltaire’s philosophy of “I may not agree with a word you say, but I’ll defend to the end your right to say it.” (that’s the Neighbours paraphrased version).  I try to keep my blog non-political, but tonight, I think I’m going to make an exception.

     I just finished watching ABC News.  David Muir (my very favorite news anchor ever) was reporting from El Paso, Texas, the sight of a hate & racist based mass shooting where the 20 people killed were still lying on the floor of the Walmart behind him.  He also told of a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio where 9 people were killed and countless injuries. Both of the shooters were young, white males. You know, the “all-American boy” types. While not much has been released on the Ohio shooter, major hate-filled rhetoric has been discovered from the Texas shooter.  The discourse in the country has now turned to gun violence . . . yet again.  

     My position on gun control has always been simple.  I don’t want to take anyone’s guns, and by guns I mean handguns, rifles, and shotguns.  Handguns, with some regulation, are a necessary “evil” (no pun intended) at times. Shotguns and rifles, when used for hunting, sports such as skeet shooting, and target practice are fine – again, with reasonable regulation.  But the line is clearly drawn in my mind when it comes to assault-style rifles, drum magazines that can hold 100 bullets, “bumstocks” (which I’m sure I spelled incorrectly), and things of this nature. If you need any of these items for hunting, skeet shooting, etc, then you really need to reconsider whether you should be participating in those.  Hell, you need to reconsider going out of the house without a helmet. Reasonable regulation is a loose term, but I think that some common-sense requirements for gun ownership are needed and negotiable to a point.  

     The primary political portion (PPP) of my blog entry tonight, however, is about the racist tone and rhetoric we see from our leaders, primarily our Republican president, and its negative and tragic outcomes.  And, if you can possibly imagine it, I have a story from my years as an educator to make my point.

     When I first began teaching at Nansemond River High School, special education was just beginning to evolve from the self-contained classroom to inclusion into general education classrooms.  In these days, there would always be one classroom and teacher who taught only specific disabilities, and with a very small student to teacher ratio.  I remember one day going into the ED Classroom. Back then, ED stood for Emotionally Disturbed – today it stands for Emotional Disability.  The name pretty much defines the disability, thus most of the issues were behavior related. I became good friends with the teacher, and one day she asked me to stop by and help her with a filing cabinet, which I gladly did. I wasn’t successful (it was a mechanical need, and remember it’s me who I’m writing about), but I told her that if I had a knife I might could pick the lock (I do know how to do that).  I skipped off on my merry way (well, I probably didn’t skip, but it sounds much more colorful).  

     Fast forward a week or so.  I was called into the Assistant Principal’s office and the door was closed.  I was asked if I had told a student to bring a knife to school. With the assistance of some colorful language that I did not learn in Sunday School, I told the AP that I certainly had not and was insulted to even be asked that question.  The AP told me that a student had told him that “a big white man” had told him to bring a knife to school, that he needed to use the knife, and that they’d he’d asked all the other big white men – I was the last one.  He continued by telling me what had transpired, and why this had become an issue.

     Then it clicked.  The filing cabinet day in the ED classroom.  There was a student in the room – only 1 student, as this classroom was the designed for specialized instruction based on the student’s disability.  He heard me reference needing a knife to pick the lock, so he thought he would be nice and bring me a knife. This is from a student who has emotional and mental health challenges.  I felt so bad for this student in this scenario, and offered my assistance to have charges reduced for him. I do not remember the final disposition of the case, but I often relate this story to violence situations in our world.  

     Just like this student, millions of people each day hear racist, homophobic, xenophobic, anti-feminist, etc, rhetoric from the ones we call our leaders, one leader especially.  Yes, I am specifically and shamelessly calling out President Trump. He calls African countries “shit-holes,” he hopes for immigrants from only the whitest countries on the planet, he tells Americans to “go back where they came from,” referring to their countries of heritage (even though 3 of the 4 were born in the US).  He calls people “slow” and “crazy” and “lying.” And the list goes on and on. These words fall on ears that are often weak and not able to understand, and they take it at full face value. If our president, the leader of the free world, can think and say these things, why can’t I?  And, to take it a step further, wouldn’t it be nice if I do something about it.”  Like killing 20 people in the Walmart.  My friends, it’s happening.  It has happened.  And if we don’t do something about it, it’s going to happen again.  And again.

     Just like my ED student thought he was doing something nice to help out the “big white man” teacher when he brought a knife to school.  

Dear God, please be with the friends and families of those killed in El Paso and Dayton, and in all the other places that have experienced the terror of mass-shootings in the past.  Be with those who are injured, let them feel your hand of comfort and your power of healing.  Be with our country, and help those in power make good decisions.  And God, on a selfish note, please keep me and all those I love safe. Amen.  

Sidney A. Neighbours

Sunday, August 4, 2019