Humpday Happenings...
Okay, so it's nice and cold outside this morning (blame "global warning"), and the shopping days left until Christmas are now down to NINE, but we've no shortage of oddities and otherwise insane behavior out there.
Stupidity it seems also never takes a holiday.
So, with that said, let's have at it.
** Welcome to "Gitmo-North", folks, or should we say welcome to Thomson Correctional facility, located a mere 150 miles outside of Chicago (another haven for criminals and criminal behavior).
The President has it in his craw to go and bring about 100 detainees from our war on terror...I mean the OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY PLAN right here to OUR shores, and stick them (where else?)...right here in the Heartland of America.
Now, you have to stop and realize that this particular correctional facility has been sitting relatively IDLE for quite some time. You heard me right...it's basically EMPTY...imagine that, an EMPTY PRISON...who'da thunk?
(especially with domestic crime on an increase)
Here's the link to their site:
http://www.idoc.state.il.us/subsections/facilities/information.asp?instchoice=tom
And while this prison has been collecting DUST, instead of convicts, it's been a drain on the local economy. (who knew?)
Now, I find it ODD that another, more over-crowded facility hasn't sent anyone there. It has been done in the past all across our nation.
Like the time Philadelphia sent a sh*tload of it's prisoners to a facility about 40 miles south of Williamsport, Pennsylvania (a once very nice town of about 30,000 people, nestled in the mountains of North Central PA). Concessions (read serious $$$) were tossed around, and the prisoners went away from Philly. Over-crowding solved for the time being there.
Well, when the prisoners got out, they remained in the Williamsport area, and lo and behold, crime went UP there.
Now, we have what amounts to prisoners of war coming well within our nation's borders, and given "refuge" in middle America. (I'd rather have them go to Middle Earth and see how they fare against some ORCS...LOL)
And the state of Illinois is OK with this, citing needed revenue issues (We don't need no stinking JOBS...we just need stinking camel-jockeys with a penchant for blowing themselves and others the hell up, right?), and that having these "detainees" at Thomson would help the state (To do what? Explode?)
These are not civilians who robbed a 7-11. They are ENEMY COMBATANTS, taken during a conflict we like to call WAR, and should be treated as such, which means NOT bringing them to OUR shores aka the place they're trying to DESTROY.
I don't recall ANYONE from the Nuremberg Trials coming to America to be incarcerated...maybe it was because most all of them were EXECUTED for WAR CRIMES...'ya think?
I can see Goering or Goebbels sitting their asses in Alcatraz for 30 years at the taxpayer's expense...that dog would NEVER hunt.
We bring known terrorists to OUR homeland, while at the same time, are trying to convict 3 NAVY SEALS for doing the job we trained them for, in the same conflict...WTF is wrong with that picture?
We USED to call it JUSTICE...wonder when it went on an extended leave?
** The Internet has been a useful tool for many, and a podium for those with something to say. For still others, it's become an outlet for perversion, debauchery, and crime.
Welcome to the 21st century, people.
The latest gig to hit the ether is something called "cyber-banging".
Rival gangs post to YouTube, Myspace and Facebook, with threats to others, challenges, and celebratory shenanigans.
Waving guns about, tossing money, and cussing every other word, these thugs promote their "thuggery" through video "greetings".
Here's a link to the story from CHICAGO (with video):
http://www.wgntv.com/news/coverstory/wgntv-coverstory-cyber-banging-dec14,0,6888638.story
Many think this is something "new", but here's a link to a story from New England back in 2006:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/04/16/cyberbanging_its_called_but_gang_threats_are_real/
And here is a link to another story from TULSA, OK:
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Gangs-Go-Cyber-Cops-Cracking-the-Code/HLLQRo-6U0Cx79N9Ufav0Q.cspx
Police across the nation have been tuning into this, and now we hear about the FBI "tapping" into accounts (monitoring is the correct word here) on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. This action has some in a panic, as they claim their 1st amendment rights are in jeopardy.
I am pretty certain that the FEDS (in this case) are going after the GANGS and not John & Jane Doe (unless they provide good reason & suspicion for electronic surveillance).
It does open a floodgate of possibilities, though...
Where do we draw the line?
Can ONLY those criminal elements be targeted without infringement on NON-criminal speech and expression?
What EXACTLY might constitute "criminal speech" now...or in the future?
Would such practices by the FEDS lead to greater loss of liberty?
I wouldn't panic just yet...unless you're a "banger".
** FWPD still has not arrested anyone in connection with the string of "dollar store" robberies, but perhaps if someone was checking Twitter...and Facebook...and MySpace...they might turn something up.
After all, idiots like THESE just LOVE to brag about their "accomplishments"...don't they?
I'm just sayin'...
** If you thought NCLB was bad, wait until you see the "next step" in the plan to dumb down the population...
Educational systems across the country are to involve themselves in a plan to "grade the teachers" according to STUDENT performance...!!!
Hey, I don't make this crap up...read the news.
Now, I will grant you that there are SOME teachers that just do the minimum required by law...you find such people in EVERY line of work from law-enforcement to construction to accounting (and everywhere in between), and those people are usually weeded out by the system. That's why we have TEACHER evals...and OFFICER evals, etc.
Well, this "new deal" smacks the faces of all the good teachers.
If you have a class of HONOR students, the teachers can often "cruise-control" their way through the course...the STUDENTS will seek to learn on their own with a minimum of nudging.
If, on the other hand, you have a class of remedial juvenile delinquents with more attitude than brains, that's a whole other ballgame.
You cannot simply "mainstream" these kids with good, hard-working students. But the educational system DOES, and with great abandon.
They would much rather grade a TEACHER on the performance of a mixed class like I described, which needs a lot more SPECIAL ATTENTION, than to call the KIDS in question, OR their parents.
Education has THREE major components to success.
1) Students
2) Parents
3) Teachers
Compromise ANY ONE of the three, and the educational process WILL break down.
And children with psychological or emotional issues such as anger, slothfulness, or a lack of respect cannot be placed in a similar learning environment as kids who are a lot more normal.
That's why we USED to have schools that addressed such issues. THAT was called SPECIAL ED in my day.
Children with physical impediments were also sent o schools that could more properly address THEIR needs and concerns. That's why we have SCHOOLS FOR THE DEAF...or BLIND.
We even had schools for the MENTALLY IMPAIRED.
But today, we just toss 'em all in together for the most part, and EXPECT the SAME results AS IF they were ALL normal...
Not to take away from kids with a zest for knowledge, but that's not fair to everyone, especially the teachers.
You cannot teach to the few, and ignore the many.
If you TRULY want NO child left behind, then provisions have to be revisited to endow ALL children the same opportunity, and that means specialized schools (because all children do not learn at the same pace)...not some cookie-cutter educational system that takes away from those who DO achieve and gives it to those who do not WANT to, or otherwise cannot, just to balance the scales.
Everyone in life cannot be a winner...that's just the way it works. Everyone has to find their OWN path in what THEY choose to pursue, and hopefully not harm themselves or anyone else along the way.
Teaching ALL the students well enough to handle the burdens of adulthood IS possible, but not by grading the educator (that's what reviews are for anyway), but by grading the system AS A WHOLE, and that does mean teachers, but moreover, it means the STUDENTS AND PARENTS as well...all three together.
Anything less is going to be a recipe for educational disaster.
Lastly, tonight at 8PM (Eastern time) on ABC, is another showing of Disney Prep & Landing, so set whatever video recording device you have at hand. And watch it with the kids...it's a fun half hour and one I'm sure you'll all get a kick out of.
So get out there and get that shopping done, beware of terrorists coming to a jail near you, look out for Dollar Store robbers, watch for impaired drivers and careless people in general, thank your childrens' teachers for doing a good job, and don't let me catch ANY of you out there "cyber-banging", kapeesh?
You're better than you think you are...as is this country. Time we let the rubber meet the road in that regard.
Do well today, be alert on the roads, and...
Stay safe out there, America.