Did students at that South Carolina High School choose education over racial division? Good for them!
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205771)
Walnut Creek, California
October 31, 2015 11:30pm CST
I read today that between 100 and 150 students at that South Carolina High school walked out of classes for about ten minutes yesterday to protest the firing of the "school resource officer" who was videotaped trying to escort a disruptive student out of class earlier in the week.
The student had been disrupting class and refused to leave when asked to by both her teacher and the Principal. The officer was called in, and as he was trying to get her to leave the class, the interaction became physical, and the girl's desk tipped over. Some students caught the incident on video, and it was framed by the press as a "white officer" physically abusing a "black student."
The girl was sent home to the custody of her parents, and the officer was eventually fired. To me, it looks like the officer could have taken more time with the girl, to keep the situation from escalating, but I only saw one brief version of the video. He may have been talking with her before he tried to help her from her desk--I don't know.
What disgusted me was that the press tried to play it up as a "racial" incident, because the officer happened to be white, and the disruptive student happened to be black.
What the students did on Friday was really classy, as was the response of the school Principal. The students, both black and white, left their classes and went to a neutral area to protest the firing of the officer. It appears they value their education more than the antics of one disruptive girl
The Principal heard the students, told them that he respected them for expressing their views, and reminded them that their school (Spring Valley High School in Columbia) is about teaching and learning. He told them that nobody would be suspended for their "protest," and asked them to return to class.
The students did so, in an orderly fashion.
A big round of applause from me for black and white kids working together to engage in peaceful civil disobedience (in the true spirit of Martin Luther King) and to reject the antics of one "acting out" student. And a standing ovation for the Principal for keeping his cool, respecting the students, and getting them back into the classroom to continue the process of learning.
These are the kinds of people who should be visiting the White House.
5 people like this
3 responses
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
1 Nov 15
I read about the protest and I am glad the students did it. For one thing, the disruptive student is disrupting their educations. I also read that there is a video that shows more than just the desk upturning, that the student hit the officer before he finally dumped the desk. But at some point, the cries of racism start to sound hollow and shrill and they certainly don't fit this case.
@TheHorse (205771)
• Walnut Creek, California
1 Nov 15
Thanks, Anja. At some point, I'll look for other videos, because I want to know the context. I read that the disruptive student actually hit the officer, though I couldn't see it in the short clip I watched. Yes, "hollow and shrill" is a good description.
@LadyDuck (458192)
• Switzerland
1 Nov 15
I applaud all those students who proved that they are more mature than all the journalists who only write to make a "scoop". I also watched a short version of the movie and I cannot really say what happened, but of one thing I was sure, it has nothing to have with racism.
@jstory07 (134465)
• Roseburg, Oregon
1 Nov 15
That is nice that they worked together to protest for the policemen.
