Jordan's Blog

Barney (the 1st Dog) is an equal opportunity biter. It seems that before recently biting the finger of Ruther’s reporter John Decker, Barney bit the wrist of Boston Celtics publication director Heather Walker in September of this year. Could it be that Barney is in need of the Dog Whisper Ceasar Millan or Dr. Phil? Actually, given the two year long presidential campaign where democrats and the news media have jointly bashed President Bush mercilessly, blaming him for every misfortune that’s ever occurred on the plant, its understandable the Scottish Terrier might be a bit testy. After all, he is about to lose his White House home to an as yet unknown hypoallergenic (politically correct and liberal, I'm sure) democratic dog. Now it’s difficult to say what Barney might have been thinking when he bit the Celtics publication director, maybe it was simply a case of mistaken identity, he thought that she was a reporter like Decker, or worse . . . a democrat.

It’s good that the election is over. Otherwise the media would have exploited Barney's little nips as a means to further demonstrate an out of control and a downward spiraling Bush presidency. However, it could be that Barney, in his own way, may be showing to the world that, unlike his master, he is not a lame duck dog and that his bite is still just as good, if not better, than his bark.

We have sent men to the moon and brought them home safe. We have cell phones the size of a deck of cards that can take photos, videos, text message, and connect to the internet. We have GPS that can locate where we are to within a couple of feet and help navigate us around the world, and yet we can’t make a voting machine that is simple to operate, reliable and accurate. Could it be that we don’t want to?

Imagine living in a country where you have no right to privacy and can be accused of wrong doing based solely on the flimsiest of circumstantial evidence and statements from secrete informants and witnesses that will never be identified and whom you’ll never be allowed to confront or challenge. A country where you can be indicted and put on trial without being entitled to any defense and where the safety of your family and your livelihood are put in jeopardy, and where you’ll be convicted with no chance or right of appeal. Some third-world country with a police state you think . . . not hardly. Such occurrences take place everyday right here in the United States.

What US Government agency is responsible for such blatant violations of a person’s rights you ask? It’s not a government agency. It’s been called the “Forth Estate,” better known as the news media, the alleged watch-dog of government, guardians of democracy, defenders of public interest and a very real threat to our county and its people. The media has thousands of outlets, and through editorials, commentary, and questionable reporting practices the power  to influence our lives, the political process, and our judicial system. It has the ability to manipulate facts, perceptions, thoughts, and emotions. It can, through speculation, implication, innuendo, omission, questions asked but left unanswered, target and indict without probable cause using unnamed sources, unsubstantiated and/or illegally obtained evidence, try and convict in the court of public opinion without due process. It has the ability to influence our judicial system by contaminating jury pools. It doesn’t require search warrants or recognize the right to privacy. Protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, the media has few, if any, constitutional restrictions, having powers not possessed by any government body or law enforcement agency . . .city, state, or federal.

We’ve just seen how the news media can influence the out come of a presidential election. Of course the media’s involvement in the political process is nothing new, its been going on for decades. What’s different now is that the media no longer makes any pretense about its political bias and influence. I’m sure that President-elect Obama and the Democratic party are very appreciative. But if history is any guild, they might want to remember that the power that elevates you can also bring you down. Those who fear big brother and his imagined fleet of black helicopters, I suggest you might be wise to be more fearful of big media and its very real printing press. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

“Kansas City, Missouri, School District interim superintendent Dr. Clive Coleman is new on the job, but he's already facing angry teachers (who have worked without a contract since July) now claim the district is not negotiating a new contract in good faith. . . .The district wants to allow school principals more flexibility, and have offered teachers a $1,500 bonus. However, the union says they want guaranteed yearly raises, not a one-time bonus.”

The US has fallen behind many other countries in math and science. Most everyone understands how important it is to educate our youth, not only for their future, but for that of our country as well. If we are to maintain a competitive place in the global markets and remain a superpower, it’s an absolute necessity. Good teachers and schools are a key factor in the education process, but they’re not the only factor. Simply throwing money at education is not the solution. If it were, the 1.3 billion in taxpayer money spent on the KC School District under the direction of Federal Judge Russell Clark during the 1980s should have made students in the district the best educated in the nation. It didn’t and the program failed miserably.

Good teachers have the ability to motivate and inspire students, but to accomplish that mission teachers and students have to feel safe in the classroom where a learning environment can exist. Educational problems experienced here in KC mirror many of those seen across the country. We can’t solve the problems in many of our schools until we find a way to solve the problems outside of our schools, or find a way to keep those problems from infiltrating our schools. Educating the youth of today depends as much on dealing with social issues as it does academic issues.

We’ve engaged in an assembly-line approach to public education with very little, if any, quality control. Until we find a way to get parents back involved with the education process, it might be better to take a strong tough-love approach and focus efforts on educating the few that want an education and who have the outside guidance and support needed, and to remove those whose presence in the classroom are a disruption and hindrance to the learning of others. We need to get back to rewarding student achievement, not merely keeping attendance.

I don’t begrudge teachers a good salary. Their role in our society is vital. Standards for teachers should be high and they should be paid commensurate with their education level, experience, training, teaching skills and classroom accomplishments. This will help bring back confidence and respect for the teaching profession. But to ignore and/or reward failure demoralizes and jeopardizes the entire profession.