Oh, For Pete's Sake...

Doubling Down On Stupid

I want to make clear from the outset that I was very, VERY fortunate in my teaching career. My bosses (superintendents and principals) were almost all men and women who cared deeply about young people, and who did their utmost to create and nurture a school environment that was good for both students AND teachers.

That said, I am also aware that not everyone in the educational system is like that. More specifically, I am aware that there are school administrators (and teachers) who seem unable to resist the totalitarian impulse. A recent headline-making example of this sort of thing took place in Mississippi, where a local school superintendent had criminal charges filed against some folks who cheered or called out when a particular kid's name was announced at the graduation ceremony.

Now, I have been to dozens of high school commencements, and more than a few college commencements as well. Almost invariably the official in charge will ask the audience to hold their applause until everyone has received their diplomas. The reason for this request is that these occasions tend to run not unlike a factory assembly line, with the reading of each graduate's name followed closely thereafter by the next graduate's name. The concern is that cheering for your own kid might prevent others from hearing the name called right after your kid's name.

I am not unsympathetic to the desire to make sure every graduate's name is heard, but as someone who has read the names at dozens of these ceremonies, I can tell you that if the reader knows what she/he is doing, it's no big deal to pause for a moment if there is a response to a particular name before reading the next one. I always told each student not to walk up for their diploma until they heard me announce them. It ain't rocket science, folks. Any school district that wants to do so is welcome to hire me to either read the names or teach the reader of their choice the proper way to do it. My rates are quite affordable...

I am also mindful of the etiquette of the situation. That is, if you've been asked politely not to do something, it is a bit rude to do it anyway. I don't think a bit of cheering here and there ruins such ceremonies, but that doesn't mean the request for holding applause and cheers until the end is inappropriate. And, for the most part, people comply. But I don't think anyone is especially surprised at the occasional outburst of family pride, and I think very few people take serious offense when it happens.

What makes the story from Mississippi more noteworthy, to me, is that when given an opportunity to reflect and do the sensible thing, Superintendent Foster chose instead to double down on the stupid, refusing to withdraw the criminal complaints and actually defending the original decision. Despite his claim that filing criminal charges was not intended as a punishment, it clearly was. And, as is often the case with folks succumbing to the totalitarian impulse, the perpetrator hopes to induce conformity in the future by taking the harsh action in a very public way. It isn't about "solemnity," or "dignity," or any of the other principles Superintendent Foster mentions. It is about enforcing compliance with his vision of what the ceremony should be like. That's all.

Someone needs to make clear to Superintendent Foster (and his school board, if they truly did approve of his actions) that they're behaving shamefully. Perhaps they can find someone on Angie's List who can remove the sticks from their asses...

"You bipeds can be awfully foolish sometimes."

Don't I know it. As District Attorney Arthur Branch once put it: "Okay, what's dumber than 'stupid'?"

Today's Title...

...is an idiom, a phrase completely lacking in literal meaning, but useful nonetheless to convey a thought. In this particular case, that thought is exasperation. Essentially, the expression is a euphemism for sterner oaths that might be offensive to some hearers. Have I mentioned how fond I am of the endlessly entertaining English language?

Another Trip to PetSmart

"I'm so...*sniff*...SO very hungry...*sniff*..."

So, when I got home from mass yesterday, I sat out on my patio for awhile enjoying a vanilla latte from Starbucks (I treat myself to one every Sunday). I wanted to see if any birds would visit the new bird feeder if I sat very, very still. None did, but I noticed a red squirrel sitting some distance away, looking at me intently...

"Oh puh-LEEZE! Tell me you didn't fall for that!"

Like a ton of bricks. That means another trip to PetSmart today, to see what they have for squirrels...

Things That Make Me Happy: Glass-Half-Full Edition

Out at Kauffman Stadium yesterday afternoon, my beloved Kansas City Royals salvaged the final game of their weekend series with the Texas Rangers. Up 3-0 in the 7th, the bullpen wobbled in relief of Jeremy Guthrie, and the game was tied at 3 heading into the bottom of the 8th. Salvador Perez changed that with his 8th home run of the season, and Greg Holland pitched a perfect 9th inning (on just nine pitches) for the save. It wasn't a great home stand, but fortunately Minnesota and Detroit haven't been playing great, either. The Royals are still only a game out of first place in the division despite losing 9 of their last 12. They begin a three-game series with the division-leading Minnesota Twins tonight in Minneapolis...

"Me golpeó la pelota de béisbol muy lejos."

Housekeeping

I had hoped to have the pages archiving the Thoughts for the Day and weekly recommendations for books, videos, and music, but Blogger is being stubborn about doing what I want. Soon, I promise...

I did want to remind you that comments are always welcome. To add one, just click the link next to the timestamp at the end of this post, even if it says "No comments" (that only means there haven't been any today, not that they're not allowed). Also, I am hopeful that from time to time you will follow the hotlinks in these posts. I do spend quite a bit of time on those, in order to enhance your experience. It's certainly possible to enjoy this blog without clicking any links, but you miss out on some neat content that way...

Until Next Time...

I've been on a soundtrack kick lately, I know, but I've always admired the way certain movies and TV shows are able to incorporate music into their storytelling. When I directed plays, I usually tried to do something similar (more on that some other time). Not every soundtrack consists of orchestral scores written for that particular movie or TV show, of course. Because one of my all-time favorite TV series, Justified, just ended a remarkable six-year run a few weeks ago, I've been listening to both of the show's soundtrack albums quite a bit lately. The first album features mostly songs that played prominent roles in specific episodes, while the second album has songs but also a lot of the thematic compositions from the show's composer/arranger Steve Porcaro.

It was a tough choice what to pick for today's send-off. I almost pulled the trigger (pun intended, always) on "Gunslinging Rambler" (which really ought to be called "Wordslinging Rambler," since the song is a rap/boast about the singer's deadly prowess with words) by the insanely good bluegrass/hip-hop group Gangstagrass. But the show's theme song, also by Gangstagrass, resonates so well with my life at the moment that I couldn't resist. Enjoy...