the anomoly of school yard bullying...

If an adult makes life miserable for co-workers, this is called "creating a hostile work environment" and is called "sexual harrassment".

If a school yard bully makes life miserable for classmates, this is called "a rite of passage".

If an adult committs "sexual harrassment", said adult can be sued, fired, black balled and may even get jail time.

If a school yard asshole -er- bully "creates a hostile school environment", then he or she will not only get away with it but his/her victims will be told "grow a thick skin" or "shake it off". What if the victims can't grow that thick skin and are never able to shake it off???

If an adult physically assualts another person, said adult can

1. be tried in court,
   
2. be fined,
   
3. be jailed and even
   
4. sued!
   

If a school yard bully assualts another student, the bully gets his rocks off and the victim get betten. The school district (in the town I live in) has a simple policy.

Everyone in a fight gets suspended!

I didn't say those who fight back. I said everyone!

That means the victim who doesn't fight back is suspended.

The victim who fights back is suspended.

The school superintendent said "this was to prevent fights". She didin't seem to get my point when I said "if a victim is suspened for fighting and suspended for not fighting, then the victim might as well fight back".

I was told "the student could get hurt worst that way".

I replied "fighting back could reduce the victim's damage level."

The superintendent, a woman about 8 years older than me, could not seem to comprehend my point...

There was an 8th grade girl (Mexican) who beat up an 8th grade white girl in school. The white girl did not fight back. Both girls were given three (3) days suspension. With a display of brilliant ill logic, the bullying bitch blamed the victim for the two of them getting kicked out of school. A couple of days later, the bullying bitch ambushed the white girl off campus and beat her so severely that the white girl was put in the hospital and dropped out of school from fear!

The school system refused to take any action against the thug because the beating took place away from school!

SO: Here is my proposal!

Use cameras to determine who is beatting other students. Then, prosecute the beatting bullies to the fullest extend of the law and jail them!

After all, why should "children" be allowed to beat and abuse their classmates with impunity???

"El Presidente" discovers gas price gouging!!!

The big news items is that "EL Presidente" has just discovered that price gauging is occurring at the gas pump!

Wow!! Who'd have thought that???

Well, maybe those of us who had to drive cars last September after the oil men took advantage of the Katrina disaster to jack prices! But, I can't blame "El Presidente" and "El Presidente number two-oh" for not noticing. They are, after all, Oil Barons!

It's a damn shame that in spite of President Carter's attempts to start alternative energy programmes more than 25 years "our" Congress didn't do a blessed thing about alternative energy. Now, when even the "Red State" people are pissed at the pump is "El Presidente" making a feeble attempt at placating the public...

the fuss about illegals...

?I really have no fuss with “illegals” coming into the country to find work. The American Indians probably were rather pissed off at all those European, African and Oriental folks who came onto their land. (For those who might care, a number of White folks were brought over as slaves. Oops, they were "Indentured Servants". The original Blacks were also “Indentured Servants”, folks who were given life long indentures vice the 5 or 7 year “indentures” White folks got. Many people don’t seem to realize that an Englishman’s “7 year indenture” could be increased if the Master said his “indentured servant” hadn’t met the “conditions of indenture” [this per the History Channel].)

Many of my neighbors are Mexican “illegals” who came up here to find work. They are very good neighbors who stay out of trouble, try to raise their children well, pay their taxes, participate in their communities and generally make fine neighbors. I’ve got no problems with them.

On the other hand, it is the “native born Mexicans” who seem to be joining the gangs and putting their fucking graffiti on various buildings. However, there may not be that many gang members. It probably doesn’t take too many young jerks to spray paint stuff like “MCB” (the name of one
gang) on walls. It supposedly means something like “Old Devils” but they’re known locally at “Momma’s Crying Babies”. This second definition apparently really pissed off the MCB members who are in Junior High or Senior High school. (I think the phrase “middle school” is rather assaine.)

Back to my original diatribe: my paternal grandmother legally immigrated over from the “Old Country” in 1919 (the South of England actually) and the rest may have been legals as well. I don’t’ know.

The sudden fuss about “illegals” by the Republican National politicians sounds like a distract or by desperate people. I can’t argue with that; the Republicans are going to have to run against Democrats who will castigate them for letting the current Presidential Incumbent run loose. It
won’t be pretty but it will be amusing. I suspect that our history would be a bit more peaceful if my President, Al Gore, had been allowed to take office in 2001. I also think the Congressional Republicans would have impeached President Gore by now for “allowing 9/11" to occur. (I could be completely wrong, “this is just my opinion...”

I do know that a couple which has entered this country and is doing a good job of living and working here should be given all considerations for citizenship. My impression is that Mexicans do assimilate and become good citizens. (Then there are the Arab Muslims who can’t seem to get
beyond their “Nation Of Islam” and apparently refuse to assimilate. That is a rant for a different day. I do have a headache and my dog probably would like me to walk him...again...)

a peaceful rally...

We had a Mexican rally yesterday. The rally began at Wright Park and instead of marching down 2^nd street to Senator Roberts office, they went down 4^th street. This was a courteous action. Going down 2^nd street would have tied up a major traffic artery in town and going down 4^th street would (and did) cause very little inconveince.

My wife's office (a corner office!) overlooks the parade route and she admitted to spending too much time watching the show out her window.

A couple of her co-workers, both green carded Mexicans whose children and grandchildren are natural born citizens, didn't come to work.

It was all very peaceful and probably didn't get counted in CNN's listing of "rallies."