Via the NYT: Trained, Armed and Ready. To Teach Kindergarten. (On the one handm I understand the feeling of helplessness, but on the other I can’t see this ending any other way thatn tragically).
A dispatch from Florida via the NYT: Conservatives skeptical of coronavirus vaccines battle to lead a hospital. (Which raises a broader question about too much democracy in the US insoafar as it likely isn’t a good idea to have hospitcal boards be elected positions, but that’s its own issue).
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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@Jen: As comprehensive as that report may be, there is no way they actually have every incident. People get embarrassed when they fuck up and embarrassed people bury their mistakes.
@Jen: Oh my F’n gawd, this category here is a snapshot of America:
Guns Mishandled During Discipline
River Ridge High School | New Port Richey, Florida- December 17, 2019 — A school resource officer threatened to shoot a student trying to leave campus because the officer mistakenly believed the student was being truant. No shots fired. [ Source ]
Barcelona Elementary School | Albuquerque, New Mexico- December 20, 2018 — A school custodian chased six kids who he allegedly thought were trying to break into the school. The custodian pointed a gun at the kids and made threatening statements about shooting them. No shots fired. [ Source ]
ECHO AFL Academy for Learning | Dolton, Illinois – November 28, 2018 — A school security guard pulled a gun on a student after breaking up a fight at school. The guard also threatened to kill the student while holding them by the neck. No shots fired. [ Source ]
An effort to update one of the most comprehensive databases tracking school shootings nationwide is no longer receiving federal funding, according to the project’s top researcher, who says a private contractor recently decided not to renew his contract working on the database.
The K-12 School Shooting Database has been widely cited by news organizations and featured in dozens of academic reports and studies, including numerous analyses of school safety by federal government agencies, including the Department of Justice, Department of Education and the Government Accountability Office.
Since its inception four years ago, prompted by a high-profile school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the database had been supported by the federal Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
But database co-founder David Riedman said a private company contracted by the federal center told him on June 30 that his contract with the company to work on the database, which expired that day, would not be renewed.
Riedman said he believed political pressure played a role in that decision, which came weeks after the database received heightened press and public attention following a mass school shooting in Uvalde,in late May in which 19 children and two adults were killed – the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.
@OzarkHillbilly: “A school resource officer threatened to shoot a student trying to leave campus because the officer mistakenly believed the student was being truant. No shots fired.”
In fairness, I’ve seen the resource officer at both high schools I teach at. I’m not sure either of them could chase ME down if I decided to flee. The warning may well be necessary.
(I won’t go into the “what’s wrong with this picture” aspect of the need for an armed police officer as a full-time school employee. 🙁 )
Scott Lemieux at LGM had that book banning thing covered yesterday,
When they open up the David S. Broder Both Sides Do It Hall of Fame, this will get in by acclimation on the first ballot:
…
(Lemieux paraphrases fairly) “Both sides have made the issue political. Republicans have banned books and sent angry mobs at voluntary readings by drag queens, and Democrats have acknowledged the existence of these things.” Alas, until Andrew Yang is able to take the politics out of politics I fear that this will continue.
The hospital story hits close to home. In fact it is home, the Sarasota Memorial system is my local hospital. Was it Tip O’Neil who said all politics is local? Not any more. The GOPs are making premeditated efforts to nationalize local politics. Besides trying to elect Big Lie people as election officials the FL lege is making local school board elections partisan.
My hospital CEO is a Trump supporter as are many other admin people, but pt care has always come first. They supported masking, vaccinations and once we knew HCQ and Ivermectin didnt work they supported out not using them. If the new board there acts as expected I would resign. The labor market is tight and I could go almost anywhere I want.
Trust people saw this story. We can do abortions once the woman is mostly dead and hopefully before they all dead. Maybe states like Texas will come to their senses, but it will take a miracle.
Regarding the teachers carrying guns, I encourage everyone to review this (frequently updated) list.
Every Incident of Mishandled Guns in Schools
@Jen: As comprehensive as that report may be, there is no way they actually have every incident. People get embarrassed when they fuck up and embarrassed people bury their mistakes.
@Jen: Oh my F’n gawd, this category here is a snapshot of America:
@OzarkHillbilly: @Jen:
Don’t worry. They’ll try to hide the evidence.
School shooting tracking database loses federal funding
@Scott: Same as it ever was.
@Jen: Is anyone else as disturbed at the NEED for a “Guns Mishandled While at School” index as I am, or is this just another new normal? Sheesh!
@OzarkHillbilly: “A school resource officer threatened to shoot a student trying to leave campus because the officer mistakenly believed the student was being truant. No shots fired.”
In fairness, I’ve seen the resource officer at both high schools I teach at. I’m not sure either of them could chase ME down if I decided to flee. The warning may well be necessary.
(I won’t go into the “what’s wrong with this picture” aspect of the need for an armed police officer as a full-time school employee. 🙁 )
@Scott: “An effort to update one of the most comprehensive databases tracking school shootings nationwide is no longer receiving federal funding…”
No
witnessesChild Left Behind?Scott Lemieux at LGM had that book banning thing covered yesterday,
The hospital story hits close to home. In fact it is home, the Sarasota Memorial system is my local hospital. Was it Tip O’Neil who said all politics is local? Not any more. The GOPs are making premeditated efforts to nationalize local politics. Besides trying to elect Big Lie people as election officials the FL lege is making local school board elections partisan.
My hospital CEO is a Trump supporter as are many other admin people, but pt care has always come first. They supported masking, vaccinations and once we knew HCQ and Ivermectin didnt work they supported out not using them. If the new board there acts as expected I would resign. The labor market is tight and I could go almost anywhere I want.
Trust people saw this story. We can do abortions once the woman is mostly dead and hopefully before they all dead. Maybe states like Texas will come to their senses, but it will take a miracle.
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/07/26/1111280165/because-of-texas-abortion-law-her-wanted-pregnancy-became-a-medical-nightmare
Steve