Category: Politics

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Moving Ahead With School Safety

Parkland residents have offered suggestions on how to keep the city’s Broward County Public Schools students safe in the wake of last February’s shooting that killed 17 people. Municipal officials have been aiding the school district through a process that has involved a town hall meeting and focus groups. Parkland officials hired an independent company Ft. Lauderdale-based Conceptual Communications, to conduct the process.

“We don’t want to do anything that would alter the integrity of the data,” city spokesman Todd DeAngelis said, adding that is why the city hired an independent entity to run the process. A total of 78 people participated in six focus groups on May 29, 31, and June 2.

DeAngelis said Conceptual Communications employees were to synthesize comments, suggestions, etc. emerging from the focus groups. Then, Conceptual Communications planned to hand the information over to the city, which would, in turn, provide to the school district with the information. DeAngelis said the city could receive a report on the focus groups as early as June 16. After city officials hand over the report to the school district, “that’s the end of the process from our standpoint,” DeAngelis said.

In mid-May, the city initiated a two-step process to gain resident input on school safety. The first process was a town hall experience. Parkland officials invited residents to participate in one of several ways. They could show up in person at Pine Trails Park to record a video message up to three minutes. It would outline “their suggestions on the topic of school safety related to Broward County Public Schools located in the City of Parkland or complete a digital survey on the same topic,” according to information from the city.

Residents unable to attend the May 14 town hall experience had the chance to complete a digital survey online, from May 11 through 15. DeAngelis said residents who participated in the town hall were asked if they’d be willing to partake in one or more focus groups through a randomly selected process. Information from the town hall would “serve to direct the focus group discussions,” the city spokesman said.

Nearly 80 people participated in the aforementioned six focus groups held at the end of May and in early June. Neither the town hall experience nor the focus groups were open to the media. DeAngelis said city officials decided that offering residents the chance to voice their opinions was the right thing to do.

“We just wanted to facilitate a process to ensure their voices are heard,” he said. The spokesman noted that school-age residents who live in Parkland attend Broward County Public Schools. Furthermore, their parents are “heavily invested in the schools,” he added. “If the voices of the residents of Parkland were absent, it would seem conspicuously so,” DeAngelis said. “The superintendent has indicated that he is looking forward to receiving the information,” he said, referring to Broward County Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie.

“Our community must find a way to learn and move forward from the tragedy that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas,” Runcie said in a prepared statement through a district spokesperson. “The town hall meeting and the focus groups offer a way for the Parkland community to come together, work together and hopefully, stay together to find answers and make change. We welcome this process and its potential for healing.”

The shooting at Stoneman Douglas spawned an impassioned response from not just local youth, but students nationwide. Local students marched in the area and in Washington D.C. advocated for stricter gun laws and restrictions, encouraged people to vote, spoke out on national television, met with President Trump and other high-ranking government officials and conducted protests.

March for Our Lives was a student-led demonstration in support of tighter gun control. The event took place on March 24 in Washington D.C. with more than 800 similar events throughout the U.S. and around the world.

Although several school shootings have taken place following the Feb. 14 massacre at Stoneman Douglas, youth are keeping up the fight. March for Our Lives is now a website with resources. (https://marchforourlives.com).

Its mission statement reads: “Not one more. We cannot allow one more child to be shot at school. We cannot allow one more teacher to make a choice to jump in front of an assault rifle to save the lives of students. We cannot allow one more family to wait for a call or text that never comes. Our children and teachers are dying. We must make it our top priority to save these lives.”

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The Dark Side of Historical Figures

“Never meet your heroes,” warns the colloquial adage, it’s message laden in hindsight. The only people who give such advice are the ones who wish they had taken it. Unfortunately for Americans, many of our most cherished heroes harbor inconspicuous characteristics that may leave some people second guessing their idols.

Among some of those famous controversial figures was Henry Ford, the automobile tycoon of the early 1900s. Today, we credit him with his success as the founder of Ford Motor Company and as the installer of the first moving assembly line. However, fewer know of his devout anti-Semitic views, ones that he propagated using his platform as a successful businessman.

In 1919, just two years after the U.S. entered the war against Germany, Ford bought a local Michigan newspaper that began publishing a series of articles entitled: “The International Jew: The World’s Foremost Problem.” The same newspaper referred to jazz as “Yiddish moron music.” His close friend Thomas Edison, credited today with the invention of the modern lightbulb, also at times expressed bigoted comments aimed at immigrants and Jews.

Fords racist ambitions caught the eye of Adolf Hitler himself, Hitler even including Ford as the only American by name in his notorious autobiography, Mein Kampf. The German dictator once referenced Ford saying: “You can tell Herr Ford that I am a great admirer of his. I shall do my best to put his theories into practice in Germany. I regard Henry Ford as my inspiration.”

Ford and Edison weren’t the first nor the last prominent American figures to publicly display their bias.

John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie are acclaimed today for their considerable success in business, however, at the time of their success, they were amongst some of the most hated men in the country. Both families dealt with intense labor conflicts. The Homestead Strike of 1892 against Carnegie Steel involved thousands of workers in Pennsylvania fighting for their rights as laborers. On the other side of the country, Rockefeller Jr. was accused of orchestrating the Ludlow Massacre in 1914. Despite these negative altercations, today these men’s families are better remembered for their business attributes, with renowned testaments to their achievements reflected in Rockefeller Center or Carnegie Hall.

From the political realm, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, are remembered today for their incredible battle for women’s suffrage yet forgotten for their blatant racism in that same fight. They were possibly the two most prominent forces fighting for women’s rights in the 1850s, yet both were recorded on several occasions pushing white supremacist viewpoints to support their platform. Anthony publicly opposed the Fifteenth Amendment, giving black men the right to vote in 1870. She once said in a meeting with abolitionist Frederick Douglass, “I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for a Negro and not the woman.”

Even Albert Einstein, who is often reverently remembered for being a benevolent genius, was recently discovered to have severely racist stereotypes littered among his private travel diaries. Written between October 1922 and March 1923, he makes several offensive generalizations, including one that called the Chinese “industrious, filthy, obtuse people.”

It can be disheartening to hear about some of the ways these widely admired figures conformed to the cultural milieu of their times. We want to believe that they would hold some of the same ideals we do today, but instead, we find that many of them succumbed to the negative influence of blatant racism and bigotry. People are complex; history is perhaps even more so. Things that are complex deserve to be investigated; they must be met with a reasonable amount of skepticism, so that we can appreciate the good and criticize the bad.

We must treat the past with the same standard of judgment that we hope the future will someday pass on us, for better or for worse.

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MSDSTRONG: LEARN FROM THE NRA

It started with the incessant sounds of sirens – police cars, ambulances, emergency vehicles, fire engines – racing past the office windows. Then one of our staff received a phone call, the distraught caller informing the staffer of the shootings at Stoneman Douglas High School and asking if the staffer’s grandson was safe.

I immediately connected to the Coral Springs Police Department streaming broadcast and listened with horror and disbelief to the mostly dispassionate, professional voices of the dispatcher and police officers, talking about the still unclear situation at the high school. The only good moments were the reports of probable suspect in sight, soon followed by suspect in custody.

As the hours and day passed we, along with the nation and the world, watched the constant replays of scenes of terrified students being escorted from the school buildings, and of fearful families and friends waiting for news and to be reunited with loved ones.

The following weeks were filled with highs and lows: the inspiring, passionate, heartfelt eloquence of so many of the MSD students on and off TV, voices heard around the world; the many memorial and funeral services for the victims. Nor will we forget the debates, confrontations, marches, and protests involving students and political leaders.

And then came the reality – the politicians and their photo ops and mealy-mouthing, and worst of all, the blame game. I won’t play the blame game  –  I don’t have the facts (nor do I think does anybody else yet other than the published details of the murderer’s interactions with the school and authorities) and haven’t researched the law. But the politicians … Where to begin?

Let’s make one thing clear at the outset: We are not suggesting the repeal of the 2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution or taking guns away from law-abiding citizens. We know that many households in Parkland own guns. We also know that there were more than 1.7 million concealed weapons permit-holders in Florida in 2017. What we are supporting is awareness of the 26th Amendment and using it to accomplish the stated goals of the SD students.

Amendment XXVI: …The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age… 

 This brings us to the NRA. “Founded to advance rifle marksmanship in 1871, the group has informed its members about firearm-related bills since 1934, and it has directly lobbied for and against legislation since 1975. It has been called “the oldest continuously operating civil liberties organization” and “one of the largest and best-funded lobbying organizations” in the United States. Observers and lawmakers see the NRA as one of the top three most influential lobbying groups in Washington, D.C. Over its history the organization has influenced legislation, participated in or initiated lawsuits, and endorsed or opposed various candidates.” (Wikipedia)

According to the NRA’s 2017 press kit, American Rifleman, its leading magazine mailed to every member, had an “audience of 5, 560,000.” The actual membership of the NRA is estimated to be about a million less. But it is the “audience,” which is much more than a million, which makes so many politicians mealy-mouthed and wary of doing what may be best for the people they supposedly represent, like banning ARs (defined by Merriam-Webster as “a gun that can shoot many bullets quickly and that is designed for use by the military”).

The strength of the NRA lies not in bankrolling candidates; in fact, since 2000, the NRA’s donations to current members of Florida’s House and Senate amount to zero.  Its strength lies in the grades it gives elected officials and candidates, ranging from A+ to F, that reflects on how their voting records, public statements, and responses to a questionnaire line up with the NRA’s own positions, including gun rights. (Governor Rick Scott, a probable candidate for U.S. Senator in November, has received an A+ rating from the NRA during all his years as governor.)

Voting bloc — a group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group of concerns to the point that such specific concerns tend to dominate their voting patterns, causing them to vote together in elections.

The NRA will support, by mailings, print, and digital advertisements, etc., any candidate seeking election or reelection that has an A+ rating. It also solicits its “audience” to support these people. This is single issue voting, bloc voting. Whether you love or hate the NRA, it is extremely successful at what it does. No level of outrage will come to anything if the NRA can continue to dominate gun control issues. Adopting its tactics would be good place to start.

The grassroots — the ordinary people in a society or an organization, especially a political party

In the 2016, there were 26,913,000 people aged 18-24 in the U.S. For the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, 50.85 percent registered to vote, 39.4 percent (10,603,722) voted. This is 7.76 percent of the total votes cast. I’m not smarter than you, I’m not as media aware as you, but I have lived longer and seen more, and I tell you, you must start at the grassroots! You will not change the political “bes” or “wannabes” only with protests or speeches. Instead, use your smart phones and computers. Continue to reach out to your contacts on the various social media, have them reach out to their contacts…everybody may not agree, but if you contact enough people, you will have a voting bloc.

Urge them to register to vote as early as they can. Urge them to learn the issues and the positions of the candidates on these and other issues they feel important at all levels – local, state, and federal (all too frequently, the local councilman really wants to be President of the United States). Urge them to vote in all elections, at all levels.

Low election turnouts historically favor well-organized single-issue constituencies, such as the NRA. If you support gun control, take the same cue. Turn those coveted “A” and “B” grades from the NRA into a weight around politicians’ necks, and the “F” into a badge of honor. Register to vote and then actually cast a ballot.

But this is not enough. In today’s society, one “hot” issue is soon displaced by another. To keep the issues that are today important to #MSDStrong, you must build, build, build. The NRA has been directly lobbying and influencing voters for more than 40 years. You have only been doing it for months. Yes, important battles have been won in Tallahassee: the age to buy a rifle or shotgun has been raised to 21; a three-day waiting period has been imposed on the sale of rifles and shotguns; the use, sale, or possession of bump stocks has been banned. But the bill contains a controversial provision long desired by the NRA that would allow school personnel to be armed under a voluntary program, and, most importantly, a ban on assault rifles and high capacity magazines was rejected.

Also consider, in several months, many of you will be graduating and moving on throughout the country. How will your voices be continued? Will the passion and determination you exhibit be there then? Will you be deterred or distracted by new places, commitments, friends, and duties? What will you do to continue a contest that will take years; against opponents like the NRA that immediately brought a (probably unsuccessful)  federal lawsuit against the increase in age restriction?

The NRA has great patience. A recent Monmouth University poll found that 50 percent of NRA members polled disapprove of how the grieving Parkland students have handled themselves in the media. Sixty-five percent say the students are not effective advocates, and 61 percent believe they are being manipulated by outside groups rather than expressing their own beliefs. The NRA will continue to support the politicians that vote as they believe, not just in Florida but also on all levels – local, state, and federal. Learn from them; they’ve been doing it longer, and for them, doing it right!

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Black History Month – African-Americans Reflect on their Contributions

February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the accomplishments of the African-American community. Many African-Americans have made substantial contributions to the local community. Tameka King earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and is an assistant principal at Coral Springs High School. She believes it is important to celebrate the many cultures that are represented at her school.

“At Coral Springs High we make it a priority to celebrate all cultures throughout the year, highlighting certain ethnicities during designated times of the year such as Black History Month in February. During February we highlight people of color who have made significant contributions to our world during our daily video announcements,” said King.

The bulletin boards surrounding the Media Center at the high school are decorated to showcase the outstanding contributions. The school holds a Multi-Cultural Show that attracts over 700 visitors annually. In the Multi- Cultural Show students illustrate their cultural ethnicities through dance.

 Black History Month

Celebrating Culture

“It is important to allow students to celebrate their cultures not just in the sense of trying to understand what cultures they bring with them, but also the hidden values that make their worlds feel so rich regardless of their situations or circumstances. While trying to understand the culture of people of color, we also take time to understand the historical context of the expression for people of color,” said King.King loves helping students succeed. “All of our children bring with them such a rich culture, regardless of their financial or cultural backgrounds, so we try to showcase that in various ways,” she said.

A graduate of Coral Springs High herself, King earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Florida State University and her Ph.D. at Florida Atlantic University. She believes coming from a strong family that valued education and work helped her succeed.

There are many stories of success in the local African-American community. Years ago, agriculture was the primary industry in Broward County. Pompano, which later became Pompano Beach, was a farming community when it was founded in 1908. Hazel Armbrister, a member of the Pompano Beach Historical Society and the president of the Rock Road Restoration Group Inc., has studied the history of the area and seen it develop.

“Years ago, people came from north Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, and the Bahamas to work on the farms. The land was fertile and word got out people could get work here. Whole families would come and work on the farms,” said Armbrister.

Eventually a vibrant African-American community developed in eastern Broward County. Businesses, churches, civic organizations, and schools were established. Segregation existed and there were fewer educational opportunities available for African-Americans as many had to spend part of the school year harvesting crops. But eventually this changed. Blanche Ely High School was named after a respected educator in the area.

Some prominent African-American leaders include E. Pat Larkins, who served for many years as Pompano Beach mayor and commissioner. Shortly after he died, a community center was named after him.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored in Coral Springs with a new monument, the first of its kind in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. The monument, located in front of the Northwest Regional Library, was produced by an artist known as Dari. She shares her feelings on civil rights through sculpture and painting. The Lac Du Bonnet Pillar, coral colored granite, stands for equality, freedom of speech, unity, and democracy. The base is made of Mesabi Black Granite. The Raven Black monument stands for the Rainbow Coalition and King’s dignity, teaching, and strength.

Dr. Mark Gendal, chair of the Coral Springs Martin Luther King Monument Committee, is pleased. He believes the statue, which was dedicated in January, represents a commitment by the City to tolerance.

“This monument is a dedication by our entire community that we, according to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream, will make every effort to see each other not by the color of our skin, but by the content of our characters.”
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