Moral Editing 101... While We're On the Subject

The mother of one of the teens that bullied Phoebe Prince to suicide is defending her daughter:


1.) "Phoebe was calling her names," Angeles Chanon told the Boston Herald, speaking of her daughter, Sharon Chanon Velazquez, 16, who is charged with stalking and violation of civil rights resulting in bodily injury. "They're teenagers. They call names." 


2.) "My daughter didn't do any of those things, but I guess we have to fight," Chanon said of the charges. "My daughter's not a violent kid." 


3.) While she acknowledges her daughter was once suspended from school for verbally abusing Prince, a new student from Ireland, Chanon insists her daughter never harmed Prince physically or urged her to hurt herself.


4.) "She exchanged a couple of words with her," Chanon told the Herald. "My daughter never fought with her or said, 'Go harm yourself' or 'I hate you.'" 


5.) "We have strong values, and I don't like injustice, and injustice includes bullying or being racist," the suspect's mother said.
(New York Times)


 Dear Mrs. Chanon,


 Besides the fact that you're already discredited by complaining to The Boston Herald, stating that "they're teenagers" and this is what teenagers do- call each other names- sets a caliber of ignorance for yourself, clearly you don't realize the seriousness of the situation. Violence doesn't equate to just physically harming someone. It comes in all forms- verbal, mental, emotional, etc. A 15-year-old kid is dead. Take responsibility for it. I know admitting that your child could possibly be involved in such a moral and legal violation of civil rights makes you look bad. But deal with your parental insecurities elsewhere. No one wants to hear your "fight". Anyone could see where your daughter gets her shit-for-brains from. 


Sincerely, 
 A

Is There At Least A Bartending Class?

As much as I'd like to encourage the versatility of America's education and entertainment industry.... Really?! Philadelphia's Harambee Institute of Science and Technology Charter School is one of the most successful of the 67 charter schools in the city, educating about 500 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. And yet... the school's cafeteria has opened as a nightclub every weekend for god-knows-how-long (their liquor license expired in April 2008, so probably since a few years before that). I guess city officials couldn't figure out whose fault it was- the school's or the landlord's, but either way, it was somehow kept under wraps. It even had a name: Club Damani. Seriously, this is no joke. A charter school was operating as a bar on the weekends. This is what the citizens of Philadelphia are paying for. The question I have, besides who the hell is gonna pay for this, is if it was at least 21+.

School/Bar article. Stupid.

Nothing Says "Welcome to America!" Like A Good Bullied Suicide

Yesterday, the Boston Metro's headline, "Will Justice Be Served?",  covered a headshot of 15-year-old Phoebe Prince. Phoebe moved with her family to Massachusetts last August from Ireland to be closer to relatives. Over the past five months of attending her new school, South Hadley, Phoebe had been harassed, threatened, and tortured by fellow students, all of this apparently following her dating a guy on the football team. Typical. High School drama gone too far. In January, 2010, Phoebe's little sister found Phoebe in a closet. She had hung herself. Now, charges of violation of civil rights are being brought on the teens that caused all of this bullshit, resulting in expulsion and perhaps jail time. Good. But this isn't all the justice that needs to be served. The faculty of South Hadley had been aware of the bullying against Phoebe and there were many complaints to the administration from Phoebe's mom. Clearly, there was some failure on the part of the teachers and present authority. Associated Press reports that the school administration will be carefully watched because of their lackadaisical efforts of prevention, while teenagers, minors... children... take all the blame. Let's be a little more aware of our responsibility. This story is honestly resulting in jail time for kids and a slap on the wrist for adults.

Principal In Detention

 A few weeks ago, Marshfield High School was under a legal microscope after the principal publicly posted a list of the students who failed the first semester....Nice, huh? I was watching this broadcast at home and I almost fell out of my chair. Through many hallways of the school were multiple copies of a list of students names, their grades (freshman, sophomore, etc), the semester, and their average- all of which were below passing. The principle had claimed that he only did this to encourage the failing students to put in a better effort. Although...I think I might feel like bullying them into getting better grades isn't the right teaching method. Instead of understanding the importance of their education and the long-term effects of their grades, the kids are actually learning how to not be humiliated. It was a breach of respect and another example of how shitty the authority of public schools can be. Not to mention the identified parents, who in "a fight for [their] kids" allow Fox 25 to interview them about their exploited children. Brilliant. To stress how frightening it is to have your child put on blast for their bad grades, you, as a parent, go on national fucking television? So that now everyone (in school or not) who knows your child will know that they were one of the failing students. Our educational leaders are morons. Our journalists are morons. Our parents are morons. And they wonder why the seeds of this country can't figure their shit out?

White Youth Workers in Communities of Color

The following g-chat conversation is one between a friend of mine and me. Both of us have jobs of social service at non-profit organizations. I'm a Cambridge youth worker at a local youth center for the rough neighborhood of Area IV in Central Square. She is a program coordinator for a leadership development program dedicated to assisting overlooked high school students into colleges across the nation. We both directly work with youth- she, for almost 3 years now and myself, for about 6 years this August. (I know, I know...how the hell does she have the corporate job? :p) As experienced social leaders, my friend and I have come to translate in our own ways the presence of white youth workers with inner-city youth, the majority of whom is of color. Yes, this is 2010. We have a "black" president, even though he's actually bi-racial. We're past racial issues, at least here in America....but not really. Not completely, anyways- some of us still carry individual racial prejudices and stereotypes, sometimes making how we present ourselves less than respectable. And this is especially dangerous when working with children. What do you think?

This conversation is based around a co-worker of her's who, through his actions and individual presentation, rubs the students and fellow workers the wrong way. Some of the best and most productive racial conversations happen between two different ethnicities, in this case- Mexican vs. Mexican-Irish (I look very white, so by societal standards- I AM more white). Names have been changed for confidentiality purposes...and pardon the french.

ok... whats wrong with him

 Leila: He's just sooo degrading

  and corny!

3:09 PM and i dont mind corny people...when they own that they are corny...but he thinks he's sooo cool with them

  and slips into slang when talking to them

  its unbelievable

9 minutes

3:19 PM me: well

  hes white

  at least hes tryin

  question

 Leila: ughh

 me: did you ever think i was corny?

3:20 PM cuz you know im half white

  and you saw me around the kids

 Leila: no

 me: and you said i was cool

  but was that a lie?

 Leila: you were yourself with them

  thats what i dont get...why people think they have to be someone else arounds kids of color

3:21 PM me: because they think that's the only way they're gonna get the kids respect

  by acting not white

 Leila: but see, what does acting white mean?

3:22 PM me: i mean shit..its gotta be a fact. it takes longer for kids to warm up to white staff then it does for any staff of color

  shits all relative

  should it be like that?

  no

  but thats what some white people fear when they work with kids

 Leila: right....then be aware of that

3:23 PM be aware of how a student might see you differently

  and like you said...gain their respect

  dont disrespect them even more by talking down to themme: well talking down to them is an entirely different converstaion

 me: when its your job, its kinda hard to admit that its gonna take longer for you just cuz ur white

 Leila: then you are just reinforcing what kids already think about white people

 Leila: no its not hard...you face it

  you go in knowing its gonna take you longer

3:24 PM and you are probably gonna have to work harder

  and thats it

  its like oh for once things arent handed to you...and you have to work for them

  im not talking to you directly btw

  just generalizing

3:25 PM me: i know

  its...

  no its not like that

  you have to work for something, its not handed to you

  from experience, kids ive worked with have made fun of staff not for tryin to act differently, but for acting white

3:26 PM and they have little to no respect for them

  "white people be tellin"

 Leila: b/c staff dont have respect for them

 me: sayin shit like that

 Leila: ok so deal

 me: im not sayin its the kids fault

 Leila: deal that these kids all their life have been given these messages

 me: its not that easy

  

3:27 PM Leila: and yes themselves have been given stereotpyes of white people

  its a cycle i get that

  but ive also seen a lot of ugly behavior coming from staff (white staff)

  its unexcusable

  youre the adult

  

  they are the kid

3:28 PM you have dealt with identity and at this point should know your privilege and work towards navigating this system if this is the kind of work you want to be in

  not then play victim to a kids behaivor

  i dont know

 me: so say something to him

  if you see this from him

 Leila: im not his supervisor

3:29 PM thats not my place

 me: but its your concern as a co worker

  and yea, its ur place to voice your concerns

  with people you have to work with and more so, people the kids work with directly

  thats ur place

3:30 PM no?

3:31 PM Leila: yea

  we have already received feedback from students about him

  and how he puts too mch pressure on them and is mean

 Leila: we have relayed that to his supervisor

 me: isnt this a non profit?

 Leila: yea and?

 me: focused around kids?

3:32 PM it shouldnt be about who is who's supervisor

  have a fuckin meeting!

 Leila: this is still a professional job

 me: yea i get that

  be professional about itme: dont use the work fuck

 Leila: while we are a team i cant just say i want to have a meeting about his behavior

 me: why not?

3:33 PM if it affects the kids

  those are all of ya'lls clients

 Leila: right

 me: thats who youre working for

 Leila: i get that

 me: technically ur supervisors..

 Leila: youre preaching to the choir

 me: lol

  i know

  so if they dont like it, figure it out...as a team

  

 Leila: we're trying

 me: ya know obama is just as white as i am

 Leila: yea

 me: i find that fascinating

  cuz by no means would he be labeled white

  but i would totally be

 Leila: funny how race plays into it...its about how you look

  race is socially constructed based on color

  thats it

3:38 PM me: fucking stupid

  i hate that game

  

  

  good luck with him