Marine escorted from Gerogia school!
I want to thank Neal Boortz for getting the word out about this and also SondraK & Knowledge is Power for helping to spread the word.
He is the story:
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution :
Marine rejected at school
Superintendent apologizes
Mary MacDonald - Staff
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Marine Corps Sgt. Zach Richardson survived Iraq, but not Carson Middle School in Greensboro.
When Richardson walked into the Greene County school last week, he expected to meet some of the sixth-graders who had written to him during his seven-month deployment.
Instead, he was shown the door, coming under the scrutiny of a principal enforcing a policy that requires prior approval for visiting speakers.
Principal Ulrica Corbett told teacher Matthew Lund, the Marine's host and former college roommate, to escort Richardson from the campus.
On Wednesday, after the incident had gotten attention across the nation, the superintendent of Greene County Schools apologized to Richardson and "all our other military personnel."
Richardson, 24, who corresponded with Lund's students while he served in the Persian Gulf, said he is still perplexed about what happened. "I know the principal wasn't trying to sabotage everything," he said. "I don't know what she was thinking."
His treatment, coming a few days before the Memorial Day holiday, led to front-page coverage in the local weekly, The Herald-Journal.
The story, written by 35-year editor Carey Williams and capped with a triple-decker headline, attracted the attention of talk radio and then the nation.
By Wednesday, people from Kansas and Louisiana were calling Greensboro, about midway between Atlanta and Augusta, and asking the editor to fax his story. Most were sympathetic veterans, he said. "The people here, they just can't believe it happened," Williams said. "They respect the soldier."
In his written apology, Superintendent John Jackson said the situation could have been handled differently. The principal, he said, could have allowed the Marine sergeant to speak with students, then dealt with the teacher who did not secure written permission for the visit.
"The thrust that's been placed on it was that he was unwelcome," Jackson said, although he insisted that was not the case.
Richardson, an Athens native, said he had planned to answer questions from the students and had brought combat items they might have found interesting, such as helmets and bullet-proof vests.
Lund had mailed postcards from students in September and December to Richardson and five other Marines stationed at Al-Asad, Iraq.
After Richardson returned from Iraq, Lund said he spoke several times with Corbett about having his friend come to the school. He said he asked for her written permission on May 3, but she never responded. Corbett did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment.
Lund, a first-year teacher, said his students were upset by the events. "Technically, she did her job. But what was right [was] for him to come speak to my kids," he said. "My kids earned the right for him to come speak to them. He certainly earned the right to be there."
It amazes me how some people can treat our Military personal. Richardson's goodwill gesture and offer of thanks to those kids was halted by a government bureaucrat. Her CYA reason "My decision not to allow Zach Richardson to speak with the students on Monday came out of my regard for the safety and welfare of our children." Did she really think that Sgt. Richardson was going to strap a boom to himself and blow up the kids jihad style. I think the Principle needs to think about who she is dealing with again. I am beginning to think common sense is not longer required to be in charge of our schools.
I still want more details, did she in fact ignore the request? If so WHY?
No matter what the reason I can think of NO excuse for treating this Marine with such disrespect. For those of you who read my blog, I don't think you will often call for someone to be fired, but this time I am. You may ask if she should be fired for not allowing this Marine to speak with the students at this school. The answer to that is no technically. What she should be fired for is lack of clear judgement and having no common sense in performing.
I will equate it to the 3 strikes laws in many states... I remember a story about a guy who was going to jail for life because he had stolen a bike. The press was all up in arms about it... How could you send a man to jail for life without parol because he stole a bike. I just wanted to smack them across the head... He is not going to jail for life because of the bike, he is going to jail for life because he was so stupid he stole a bike after getting convicted for two other felonies.
The principle should be fired for the simple fact that she is stupid. Someone with that lack of judgement and common sense should not be in charge of our kids. Alas the local school board is already trying to cover for the principle so I don't expect her to get anything more than public ridicule for her actions. While she deserves much more, I will take what I can get.
He is the story:
From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution :
Marine rejected at school
Superintendent apologizes
Mary MacDonald - Staff
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Marine Corps Sgt. Zach Richardson survived Iraq, but not Carson Middle School in Greensboro.
When Richardson walked into the Greene County school last week, he expected to meet some of the sixth-graders who had written to him during his seven-month deployment.
Instead, he was shown the door, coming under the scrutiny of a principal enforcing a policy that requires prior approval for visiting speakers.
Principal Ulrica Corbett told teacher Matthew Lund, the Marine's host and former college roommate, to escort Richardson from the campus.
On Wednesday, after the incident had gotten attention across the nation, the superintendent of Greene County Schools apologized to Richardson and "all our other military personnel."
Richardson, 24, who corresponded with Lund's students while he served in the Persian Gulf, said he is still perplexed about what happened. "I know the principal wasn't trying to sabotage everything," he said. "I don't know what she was thinking."
His treatment, coming a few days before the Memorial Day holiday, led to front-page coverage in the local weekly, The Herald-Journal.
The story, written by 35-year editor Carey Williams and capped with a triple-decker headline, attracted the attention of talk radio and then the nation.
By Wednesday, people from Kansas and Louisiana were calling Greensboro, about midway between Atlanta and Augusta, and asking the editor to fax his story. Most were sympathetic veterans, he said. "The people here, they just can't believe it happened," Williams said. "They respect the soldier."
In his written apology, Superintendent John Jackson said the situation could have been handled differently. The principal, he said, could have allowed the Marine sergeant to speak with students, then dealt with the teacher who did not secure written permission for the visit.
"The thrust that's been placed on it was that he was unwelcome," Jackson said, although he insisted that was not the case.
Richardson, an Athens native, said he had planned to answer questions from the students and had brought combat items they might have found interesting, such as helmets and bullet-proof vests.
Lund had mailed postcards from students in September and December to Richardson and five other Marines stationed at Al-Asad, Iraq.
After Richardson returned from Iraq, Lund said he spoke several times with Corbett about having his friend come to the school. He said he asked for her written permission on May 3, but she never responded. Corbett did not return a call Wednesday seeking comment.
Lund, a first-year teacher, said his students were upset by the events. "Technically, she did her job. But what was right [was] for him to come speak to my kids," he said. "My kids earned the right for him to come speak to them. He certainly earned the right to be there."
It amazes me how some people can treat our Military personal. Richardson's goodwill gesture and offer of thanks to those kids was halted by a government bureaucrat. Her CYA reason "My decision not to allow Zach Richardson to speak with the students on Monday came out of my regard for the safety and welfare of our children." Did she really think that Sgt. Richardson was going to strap a boom to himself and blow up the kids jihad style. I think the Principle needs to think about who she is dealing with again. I am beginning to think common sense is not longer required to be in charge of our schools.
I still want more details, did she in fact ignore the request? If so WHY?
No matter what the reason I can think of NO excuse for treating this Marine with such disrespect. For those of you who read my blog, I don't think you will often call for someone to be fired, but this time I am. You may ask if she should be fired for not allowing this Marine to speak with the students at this school. The answer to that is no technically. What she should be fired for is lack of clear judgement and having no common sense in performing.
I will equate it to the 3 strikes laws in many states... I remember a story about a guy who was going to jail for life because he had stolen a bike. The press was all up in arms about it... How could you send a man to jail for life without parol because he stole a bike. I just wanted to smack them across the head... He is not going to jail for life because of the bike, he is going to jail for life because he was so stupid he stole a bike after getting convicted for two other felonies.
The principle should be fired for the simple fact that she is stupid. Someone with that lack of judgement and common sense should not be in charge of our kids. Alas the local school board is already trying to cover for the principle so I don't expect her to get anything more than public ridicule for her actions. While she deserves much more, I will take what I can get.
posted by Buck at 6/02/2005 03:20:00 PM
1 Comments:
I agree. Unless there are mitigating circumstances, she should be fired for allowing her personal feelings to cloud her judgement and for trying to censor a very valid conversation. The kids should be exposed to a real world point of view on the war that their country is currently conducting in Iraq and elsewhere.
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