http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2012/05/20/integrated-schools-matter Comments On: Integrated schools matter by Max Brantley en-us Copyright 2013 Arkansas Times. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, Arkansas Times readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact Arkansas Times. robert@arktimes.com (Arkansas Times Webmaster) Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00:01 -0500 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:30:00 -0500 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
However, as I have documented at www.crisisinthepcssd.tumblr.com, and as been discussed elsewhere in this newspaper, the PCSSD is being turned upside-down (again), this time by a trio of white men, and my students aren't blind. They notice this. This trio is "The New KGB," with "K" standing for Dr. Tom Kimbrell, State Dept. of Education Commissioner, "G" representing Dr. Jerry Guess, PCSSD Superintendent ($261,547 personal cost to taxpayers this year, more than a U.S. senator), and the "B," inexplicably, being Gov. Mike Beebe, a "Democratic" governor who is bent on union-busting, even though these same unions supported his campaign when he ran for governor.

Since we have been under federal desegregation monitoring for many years, we often run into what could be called the "Multicultural Police," in charge of making certain we are in compliance with court rulings. At my last encounter with a couple of them, I asked the MPs what they thought of this mixed message to our students.

They had no answers that could properly explain what The New KGB is doing. No one seems to.
Posted by Robert Austin]]> Mon, 21 May 2012 04:44:29 -0500 Arkansas Times Posted by Goof]]> Sun, 20 May 2012 21:51:47 -0500 Arkansas Times Posted by Verla Sweere]]> Sun, 20 May 2012 18:30:35 -0500 Arkansas Times Posted by FSMXNA]]> Sun, 20 May 2012 15:45:29 -0500 Arkansas Times
Because I wasn't taught to be uppity, I have friends from street people on up and it makes life more interesting because each person on earth is like a rare book. And speaking of street people, the other day I was talking to a big Republican when my old friend Paulie walked up. The Republican overheard Paulie talking about living on the street until he gets the disability check he is so deserving of. Next thing I knew Mr. Republican reached in his pocket and fished out some bills and handed the cash to Paulie, then walked off. Yes, he's filthy rich, but I'm still impressed that he gave some money to a scraggly stranger.

Anyway, my kids went to school with "cootie kids" and never came home with cooties. Not only that but most of the "cootie kids" who stuck around became cootie-less over time leading me to believe that education kills the cooties and is the only fix for kids with parents unable for whatever reason to give a damn what happens to their own kids.

Years ago I was appalled by the number of my classmates who moved to the south side of town to escape the cooties. They knocked the same schools that gave them a good education over here on the north side and vowed to never let their kids come in contact with "those kids." Where the hell did that come from? I was with most of them for 12 years of school and can vow that nothing ugly came their way. I think it's just some form of keeping up with the Joneses...a malady I've never suffered from.

Now that so many years have past I see their kids are no more advantaged than my kids. None of their kids have set the world on fire. So it would appear a life with no exposure to cooties produces no superior results, it just means paying higher property taxes.

Like the NY Times said today, the Republicans aren't waging a war on women, they're waging a war on civilization. I for one refuse to go back to 1950. I remember the falling down black schools that dotted the land before integration came. I remember the shacks most of the black kids lived in back in 1964. I remember the ridiculous shock I felt seeing a black man dare to walk down my all white street. It feels more than silly now....it feels wrong because it was wrong. Today we ought to be smart enough to know that integrating everyone is the way to go. This includes everyone, people of color, foreigners, gays, atheists, disabled people, the next Martian, when he lands.

Our history shows dividing up into warring groups makes life miserable and in many cases dangerous. We can't let the Republicans & Fox News reverse civilization and return us to the bad old days. Fear not the cooties, they only live in your mind.
Posted by DeathbyInches]]> Sun, 20 May 2012 13:32:30 -0500 Arkansas Times
This photo sums it up perfectly:

http://weknowmemes.com/2012/05/imagine-how…

Posted by beerforbreakfast]]> Sun, 20 May 2012 12:18:42 -0500 Arkansas Times Posted by Archaeopteryx]]> Sun, 20 May 2012 12:13:10 -0500 Arkansas Times