Tony Zirkle Defends Speech to Group Celebrating the Anniversary of Hitler’s Birth

Black Political Thought’s Idiot of the Week:

Indiana Congressional Candidate Tony Zirkle

Well, our politicians continue to break every record by sinking to new lows. The latest idiot, Tony Zirkle of Indiana’s second district, is defending his speech to a group celebrating the anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s birth. He said that he appeared because he was asked to. Zirkle said that he did not know much about the neo-Nazi group and that his intention was to talk on his concern about “the targeting of young white women and for pornography and prostitution.” This is the person who is seeking to win an election. Mind you, he was standing in front of a painting of Hitler, next to people wearing swastika armbands and with a swastika flag in the background while he gave his speech to the American National Socialist Workers Party in Chicago. What he did is crazy and an insult to the many people whose families were impacted in some way by the horrific and barbaric reign of Adolf Hitler.

Of course, he had to throw black a bone to somehow prove that he was not “racist” by saying that “I’ll speak before any group that invites me.” “I’ve spoken on an African-American radio station in Atlanta.” So, I guess he feels that he had validated his position of being inclusive to the point of total ignorance.

Porter County Republican chairman Chuck Williams denounced Zirkle’s appearance at the gathering.”He certainly doesn’t hold the view of the of the Republican Party,” Williams said. “I don’t know why you would stand up in front of a picture of Adolf Hitler when millions of Americans fought against that kind of oppression.” The event was not the first time Zirkle has raised controversy on race issues. In March, Zirkle raised the idea of segregating races in separate states. Zirkle said he’s not advocating segregation, but said desegregation has been a failure. Zirkle received 30 percent of the vote in the 2006 primary, losing to incumbent Chris Chocola, who was defeated in the general election. Zirkle said Tuesday that winning the election is not his primary goal.”My primary purpose is to educate and inform,” he said.

His constituents need to run away from this man and not even give him the time of day. It is quite obvious that this man is out of touch with reality or he is just a bumbling idiot seeking to give his office, if elected, a bad name. I did a little digging around to see who this man really is. For starters he attended the Naval Academy and has a degree from Georgetown. He went on to be a top prosecutor in Indiana, crusading against Internet pornography. So, I am guessing that in his book segregation is more of a problem to him than Internet pornography!

Zirkle, believes — among other things — that whites are victims of a “genocide,” that the races should be segregated into different states and that pornography is a Jewish plot against women. He said that he’s running for Congress to combat “the genocide of the white race” that pornography is causing — an “unholy pornocaust” against white Christian women. Let’s see now, were these women forced to do this? He believes the solution to STDs and out-of-wedlock births is to separate blacks and whites into segregated states, but he says that’s fully in the tradition of the party.”The original Republican party” felt the same way, he said. “Abraham Lincoln called for African-Americans to be deported back to Africa.”

“What most people don’t know about me is that I’m the father of three beautiful Jewish Christian children,” he said, explaining that his wife had converted from Judaism to Christianity. “I’m obviously not going to be out for gassing innocent Jews.” Yet he blames Jews for much of the plight of white women in America. “The massive number of Jews in the [pornography] industry basically brag about it,” he said, asserting that “most of the early porn stars were Jewish men.” Zirkle said he doesn’t expect to win on Tuesday, but “winning is not my primary objective. My primary objective is to educate and inform.” Educate and inform who? Obviously idiots like himself. Just think this man claims to be a Christian father. What is he reading in his Bible about love and inclusion for all? Hypocrite.

This mindset is scary and the reality is that we have idiots like this running around and saying they are Christians. Imagine him being a prosecutor and trying a case involving blacks or Hispanics. And to think that people have come done on Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr.’s statements and have called him a racist! Congressional wannabe, Tony Zirkle, you are Black Political Thought’s Idiot of the Week!

Filed under: Adolf Hitler, Idiot, Racism, Segregation, Swastikas, Tony Zirkle

Did the Clinton Team Have a Hand in the Damaging Spectacle of Rev. Jeremiah Wright National Press Club Appearance?

I came across an interesting article that ties Hillary Clinton’s campaign in some way to the ridiculous side show Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. put on during his appearance at the National Press Club. So, let’s forget his speech and the histrionics that followed at the press conference. Let’s take a peek at who was seated next to him at the head of the table at the National Press Club event….Rev. Dr. Barbara Reynolds, a former editorial board member of USA Today, who currently teaches at Howard University School of Divinity and above all, the ordained minister was the organizer of the event. There’s more…. She is an ardent longtime booster of Senator Hillary Clinton. So, while I am not here to back Obama or accuse the Clinton campaign of orchestrating this nightmare at the press club, but it bears mention because this event was very damaging to the Obama campaign. Was this a nefarious manipulation by Team Clinton? Very interesting.

Reynolds has been quoted as saying, “My vote for Hillary in the Maryland primary was my way of saying thank you” to Clinton and her husband for his administration’s successes. Reynolds has also noted critically of Obama that “it is a sad testimony that to protect his credentials as a unifier above the fray, the senator is fueling the media characterization that Rev. Dr. Wright is some retiring old uncle in the church basement.”

So, while I cannot accuse Dr. Reynolds of doing anything shady, one thing that is abundantly clear, is that Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. is an egomaniac who craves the spotlight. For what it is worth, Barack Obama and his campaign knew that Wright would have been a problem for the campaign and I think he distanced himself a little too late. Just my thoughts, you be the judge…

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Barack Obama Vehemently Denounces Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., Is it a Little Too Late?

I wondered when Barack Obama would vehemently denounce and separate himself completely from Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. He finally got some backbone to do it today. I am sure he was prodded into action by the realization that his poll numbers were in a free fall. I was encouraged by his statements, but I felt they may have come a little too late and I was a little disturbed that it took him over a year to fully denounce Rev. Wright. The problem, however, is that Rev. Wright has a right to speak up for himself, no matter how inflammatory or idiotic he sounds. Barack Obama can only distance himself and emphatically state so. I think a lot of damage has been done already and the issue many people will continue to have is the fact that he had a 20-year relationship with this man. It seems weird to me that he did not see any behavior that could have been considered insulting or inflammatory.

According to media reports, Barack Obama used his strongest language to date to condemn Wright’s controversial sermons, which have remained a burden on his campaign since they became national news a month ago. Wright spoke Monday at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C., which was such a bad move on his part that I don’t think he will ever recover from coming across so bombastic and idiotic at the same time.

Obama said that “I am outraged by the comments that were made, and saddened over the spectacle that we saw yesterday,” Obama said. “The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe they ended up giving comfort to those who prey on hate,” he said.

Wright has capped off a weekend-long set of public appearances at the Press Club, returning to the spotlight and casting an unwanted shadow over Obama’s campaign. Wright used his appearance to taunt reporters, criticize his country’s foreign policy and suggest that Obama only distanced himself from Wright out of political posturing. He also said that if Obama became the president, then he would go after him too because he would now represent the government.“If Reverend Wright thinks that that’s political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn’t know me very well — based on his remarks yesterday I may not know him as well as I thought either,” Obama said.

Shortly after the Wright controversy broke, Obama condemned his pastor’s sermons but still kept him at an arm’s length, saying Wright was “like family” and he could no more “disown” him than his own grandmother. He disputed characterizations of Wright as his mentor saying: “He was never my spiritual adviser, he was never my spiritual mentor — he was my pastor.”He said he is still a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago but noted the controversy “obviously has put strains on that relationship.”

It will be interesting to see if Obama can put the Jeremiah Wright quagmire behind him or will it continue to dog him into the Fall, if he is the nominee. He seems to be a bruised candidate to me, at best and if these attacks continue, then I hate to say it, John McBush will be the next president, unless Hillary Clinton can some how eke out a win. I think many Democrats are left scratching their heads after the tug-of-war that just ensued between Wright and Obama. I am not so sure that I can trust Obama 100 percent with the running the country, since it took him such a long time to come to the realization that simply shrugging his shoulders and saying that Jeremiah was like an uncle, would make the situation go away. The straw that broke the camel’s back is the connection between Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan, who is considered a very controversial leader to many.

As an aside, I was a little taken aback by Barack Obama’s statements that he would not meet with Hamas leaders. But wasn’t he the same person who said he would meet with his enemies? This situation with Jeremiah Wright, the subtle vacillating on the issues and a lack of concrete policy issues, has made me wonder what Barack Obama will truly bring to the table. I guess he can’t be worst than President Bush, but can he beat McBush in the Fall. For what it is worth, I think Hillary Clinton would give McCain a tougher fight, in light of the whipping that Obama has recently suffered, but I could be wrong.

I think that Obama feels that he must justify to others that his “blackness” should not be viewed as a threat. Let us not forget that many of the things Rev. Wright spoke about are true. The black church has been an institution in the lives of most blacks in the United States and for pundits to come in and say what is politically correct simply doesn’t sit well with many folks, and rightly so. So, in essence, when Obama said America was “offended” by Wright’s harsh language, he wasn’t speaking for or to Black America. He is speaking to White America. His campaign is in trouble and they are scrambling for every white vote. He has proven one thing, that he is a politician, as Rev. Wright said. Rev. Al Sharpton said that he was very proud of Obama for coming out and speaking on the issue. What else was he to do? He had no choice and it took him over a year to try to put his association to Rev. Wright to bed. I truly want to see Obama make history by becoming the first black man to be elected president, but at the same time, I don’t want to see Wright denigrated to prove to white voters that Obama is not a radical. If Wright was truly like a “big uncle” to Obama, why couldn’t he just pick up the telephone and work it out? Just my thoughts, you be the judge….

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Noose Found at Secret Service J. J. Rowley Training Center

Well, the noose-sightings continue. The latest dust-up over the hanging of a noose comes to us courtesy of the U.S. Secret Service at its its J.J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville, Md. The Secret Service has placed an agent on leave after an African-American employee reported finding a noose hanging at the service’s main training facility outside Washington D.C. The service has acknowledged “an allegation of misconduct” at its facility and that it placed the employee on administrative leave last week, pending the outcome of an investigation. The employee is a veteran agent with the Secret Service, according to fellow agents.

According to media reports, the noose was found by an officer in the uniform division of the service during the week of April 14. That division protects the White House and surrounding grounds. The discovery comes as U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson considers whether to sanction the Secret Service for failing to turn over evidence in a long-running discrimination lawsuit filed by Atlanta native Reginald G. Moore. Her decision is expected next month. Moore and nine other plaintiffs contend that the Secret Service created a racially hostile atmosphere that tolerates discrimination and routinely discriminates against black agents seeking promotion in favor of white agents who score lower on promotional exams.

Nearly 60 black agents have submitted sworn statements to the court in support of the lawsuit’s allegations. Robinson has already sanctioned the service three times since the discovery process of the lawsuit began 3 1/2 years ago. That is a really big problem for the Secret Service that has prided itself on being an inclusive “club,” where the color of one’s skin is irrelevant. Talk about practicing what you preach!

Co-workers, who said they could not speak on the record because of Secret Service rules, said the suspended employee is a white man. The African-American officer who allegedly found the noose is not part of the lawsuit, but the lawyers representing the plaintiffs say it reveals how the “good ole’ boys network” at the service works to intimidate black employees.

Jennifer Klar, a lawyer with Relman & Dane, is representing the plaintiffs with lawyers from Hogan & Hartson for free. Klar said that “this incident of racial hatred is troubling in an agency that has the important duty of protecting world leaders of all races, including our own leaders such as Barack Obama and Condoleezza Rice.” “This racist incident is a reminder that long-time discrimination in the Secret Service has created an atmosphere where such hateful acts occur all too regularly,” she added.

The fallout gets even more intense. Carrie Hunnicutt, an inspector in charge of searching for documents sought in the lawsuit, testified in February that she destroyed original evidence sought by the plaintiffs by placing documents in a “burn bag” just two days before she was scheduled to testify in the case. Justice Department lawyers defending the service have said that the destroyed documents should not be considered lost evidence because Hunnicutt transferred information from the documents to a computer database.

It seems that this noose incident is part of a bigger problem at the Secret Service and the alleged cover-up by the Justice Department seems to be typical of the Bush Administration. So, where you least expect to find racism rearing its ugly head, you find it in the Secret Service. Shame, real shame.

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Parents of Madeline Neumann, Who Chose Prayer over Medical Care, to be Charged for her Death

This is a story I wrote about sometime ago. It still breaks my heart that parents could be so callous as not to seek proper medical attention for their obviously sick child. They chose to pray instead of taking their daughter, Madeline Neumann, to the doctor for a condition that was relatively easy to treat. I applaud the district attorney, Jill Falstad for her decision to charge the parents with second degree reckless homicide.”It is very surprising, shocking that she wasn’t allowed medical intervention,” Falstad said.

Police Chief Dan Vergin said that Dale and Leilani Neumann told investigators their daughter Madeline last saw a doctor when she was 3 to get some shots. The couple face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Madeline died Easter Sunday at the family’s rural Weston home. An autopsy determined she died from undiagnosed diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment that left her with too little insulin in her body.

Leilani Neumann, 40, told AP previously she never expected her daughter to die. The family believes in the Bible, which says healing comes from God, but they are not crazy, religious people and have nothing against doctors, she said. Dale Neumann, a former police officer, has said he has friends who are doctors. He started CPR “as soon as the breath of life left” his daughter’s body, he said.

Madeline, a straight-A student who was being home-schooled, was in good health until she started getting tired about two weeks before she died, her mother has said. When the situation got worse over Easter weekend, “we stayed fast in prayer then,” Leilani Neumann said. “We believed that she would recover.”

According to a search warrant request, the girl’s grandmother told investigators she had been ill for several days, was “very tired,” and wanted to be held by her mother. By March 22, Madeline couldn’t walk or talk, her grandmother said. The grandmother said she told Leilani Neumann to take the girl to the doctor but the mother said her daughter “would be fine and God would heal her,” the court record said.

This is really crazy and pathetic at the same time. It is okay to be spiritual, but not stupid. Come on. The Bible didn’t tell these parents to be so negligent and so fanatical. The Bible also tells us that we must seek knowledge and counsel. Hello, if you need help, it is fine to get it. Don’t sit there and wait for God to miraculously fix your problems. Okay, so televangelist Benny Hinn may have people think otherwise, but if you want to make the issue religious, God gave man the tools to do things, like become doctors, scientists, pilots, nurses, engineers, etc. These parents should get the book thrown at them for being so reckless and negligent in the death of their daughter. Just my thoughts, you be the judge….

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Rudy Giuliani Broke Promise to Cardinal Egan, Took Holy Communion From Pope Benedict XVI During Recent Visit

While former Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani has seemingly faded into the background, his name has surfaced once again. It seems that Giuliani upset New York Cardinal Edward Egan when he took Holy Communion during Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit. Egan said he had “an understanding” with Giuliani that he is not to receive the Eucharist. The Catholic Church teaches “that abortion is a grave offense against the will of God,” Egan said. The cardinal said Monday that Giuliani broke that understanding when he received the Eucharist during Pope Benedict XVI’s visit earlier this month. He received Communion during the April 19 service from one of the many clergymen who offered the sacrament.

Giuliani’s spokeswoman, Sunny Mindel, said that he is willing to meet with the cardinal but added that his faith “is a deeply personal matter and should remain confidential.” Oh, let us be mindful of the fact that Giuliani is on his third marriage after marrying his second cousin and dissing his second wife, Donna Hanover, publicly, while flaunting his affair with his current ‘Clean Up Lady,’ Judith Nathan, who I might add couldn’t give a speech to enhance his candidacy. Catholics who divorce and remarry without getting an annulment from the church cannot receive Communion.

Egan’s criticism of Giuliani, however, is a rare case of a Catholic bishop criticizing a public figure by name. Most bishops who spoke about Communion and the responsibility of Catholic politicians did so in general terms without naming names.

Do I care what Giuliani did? Nah, but I can see how he “offended” the Cardinal and it shows his disregard for keeping his end of the bargain. Typical Giuliani actions as evident from his polarizing tenure as Mayor of New York City.

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Jacksonville City Councilwoman Glorious Johnson Sets Precedent by Attending Confederate Memorial

Jacksonville City Councilwoman Glorious Johnson admires Abraham Lincoln and the Confederate Flag, so much so that she set a precedent by attending the Confederate Memorial this past Sunday. She joined the Southern side of the Civil War when she lead a local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans singing I Wish I Was in Dixie in honor of Confederate soldiers. Her appearance marked the first time an African-American council member has come to the annual memorial event at the Old City Cemetery near downtown.

According to media reports, it wasn’t an entirely new venue for Johnson, who is considering a future run for mayor. She also has attended the Jackson-Lee Dinner put on by the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The Kirby-Smith Camp of the organization invited Johnson, a former music teacher, to lead I Wish I Was in Dixie at the event Sunday. The song became a favorite anthem of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

“Let’s sing loud and let’s sing proud,” Johnson told the group. During the ceremony, Johnson joined about 60 others who pledged allegiance to the United States flag and then said a “salute to the Confederate Flag.” This may be bothersome to many people because the Confederate flag has been controversial, particularly when elements of it have been used in state flags. The Sons of Confederate Veterans has asked Florida to sell specialty license plates with the Confederate Flag on them.

I am sure that she has managed to rile many people when she said in an interview after the ceremony she doesn’t view the Confederate flag as a racist symbol. She said by talking with members of the organization, she has learned more about the Civil War. “This flag is not a flag of hate, but a flag about heritage and history,” she said. “The people out here are not about hate, but about heritage.”

Johnson, a Republican, cites Lincoln as a fellow member of the GOP. She said Lincoln deserves credit for signing the Emancipation Proclamation that ended slavery. She had to admit that there was probably an ulterior motive for Lincoln’s actions. She said he did so partly because freed slaves would give the Union forces more military recruits.

Whatever your position on the Confederate flag is, Johnson is free to do as she chooses. We have to learn to get along and enter into constructive dialogue to bridge the divides that dog us as a society. She has to walk a fine line and be representative of all the people in her district and since she has dreams of being the mayor, then she has to embrace all people, she can’t pick and choose who she will deal with. Again, I am sure there are naysayers to her actions, but hey, this is a free country. Isn’t this what makes America “great?” Just my thoughts, you be the judge…..

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The Fallout from Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. Continues Ad Nauseum

So, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. is in the news again. What I could not believe was that CNN devoted practically its entire evening, hosted by Rick Sanchez, to feature his speech as the NAACP freedom fund dinner in Detroit, as well as had a panel of analysts dissect the speech. I must say that people will disagree with me on this point, but really, since when did Rev. Wright throw his hat in the ring to run for President of the United States. Every word he says is being dissected. Many would prefer him to crawl under a rock because Obama doesn’t need the headache. I initially wondered why he gave an interview to Bill Moyers, but on second thought, why the hell not? Have we nothing better to do in this country than to make Rev. Wright the focal point of the electoral debate and process? Since when is talking about the government’s policies and attitudes towards many of the issues we faced or continue to face in America a crime?

Rev. Wright called his sermons ‘descriptive’ rather than ‘divisive’ during his speech last night. “I’m not here for political reasons,” Wright said. “I’m not a politician. I know that fact will surprise many of you because many in the corporate-owned media made it seem like I am running for the Oval Office. I am not running for the Oval Office. I’ve been running for Jesus a long, long time, and I’m not tired yet.” Wright received a standing ovation from the attendees at the $150-a-plate fundraiser billed as America’s largest sit-down dinner. He also defended Obama and lashed out at the news media for running excerpts of his heated sermons, media pundits and those who have tried to connect him to Islam because of his full name — Barack Hussein Obama.

“Please run and tell my stuck up stupid friends that Arabic is a language, not a religion,” said Wright. “It’s not a religion stop trying to scare people like you are giving him a religious name.” Wright also was the subject of political dispute on the campaign trail, as Republican John McCain criticized some of Wrights earlier remarks that have recently surfaced, and Obama taking a swipe at McCain. These candidates are focusing on the wrong issues. I have yet to hear any of them talk about how they will improve the educational facilities in the inner cities across the country. I haven’t heard any of them mention how they would tackle the escalating crime rates in America, specifically the gun violence in the inner cities. No, Hillary Clinton changes like a chameleon whereever she campaigns–the ‘real homegirl flava,’ but yet, no concrete plans on these issues.

The dead has arisen. John McCain criticized Wright over comments he made comparing Marines to Roman soldiers who killed Jesus, and comparing Al Qaeda flags to the American flag. Of the Roman comparison, McCain said, “It’s beyond belief. And then of course saying that Al Qaeda and the American flag were the same flags. So I can understand, I can understand why people are upset about this. I can understand why Americans, when viewing these kinds of comments, are angry and upset.”Obama campaign spokesman Hari Sevugnan said McCain had “broken his word to the American people” in his criticism of Wright, according to a statement from the campaign. “By sinking to a level that he specifically said he’d avoid, John McCain has broken his word to the American people and rendered hollow his promise of a respectful campaign. With each passing day, John McCain acts more and more like someone who’s spent twenty-six years learning the divisive, distracting tactics of Washington. That’s not the change that the American people are looking for,” Sevugnan said. Hello dude, this is called gutter politics at its best. The Republicans used the Swift Boat to derail John Kerry. They used Willie Horton to derail Mike Dukakis and they tried to derail Bill Clinton, but look who got the last laugh there? So, to the Obama people, let’s not be dumb and naive. This will not go away, so dig in and be prepared to be in this for the long haul.

So, while Wright may have said some inflammatory things, I cannot say he is totally wrong about his statements. Yes, the American government has done many things wrong and inhumane things. We cannot just sweep this under a rug and wish that it goes away. We are constantly reminded of injustices on a daily basis. For example, President Bush led the country into Iraq on a lie. We are spending billions of dollars a week and stretch our troops thin to occupy Iraq and fight a never ending war. We have ignored the infrastructure in America. We have falling bridges, a deteriorating prison system, a deteriorating credit and housing market, serious and escalating job losses, rising gas prices, a weakened dollar and I could go on and on. So, Rev. Wright is not the problem. He is a nonfactor in the race for the White House. Yes, Barack Obama may have handled this wrong initially, but this is getting really old and a major distraction. People, the issues please. CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, find something else to focus on. Oh yeah, they are in it for the ratings!

Let me just give some props to Roland Martin and Soledad O’Brien from CNN for the way they handled the speech. While pundits were spinning this speech, they said he was trying to define himself as the person who he really is, not the person the media has come to portray him as. It was a funny speech and he raised some important issues in the speech, namely the fact that linguistically, there is a serious problem in America, that is not just attributable to blacks. Wright didn’t hurt Obama. If Obama is hurt, he did it to himself. Just my thoughts, you be the judge….

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Church Prays for Relief at the Pump, What’s Wrong with that Picture?

I came across this ridiculous story on the Fox News website. Isn’t this a bit much? Why not pray to end the war in Iraq? Rocky Twyman, Prayer at the Pump Movement founder, has launched a campaign to pray for lower gas prices. He said that many of his congregants have been affected by this.

To my readers, it would be interesting to hear your views on this. I find it as ridiculous as when Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue prayed for rain on the steps of the Capitol in Atlanta. I think this is ridiculous, but that is just my opinion.

Watch out, the Prayer at the Pump movement might be showing up at your local gas station! Aren’t these people missing the real reason for the escalating gas prices?This is too funny.

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Florida School Board Member Jay Wheeler Tells Parents to Spend Money on School Clothes Rather than Cigarettes, Alcohol

Jay Wheeler, an Osceola county school board member, has drawn fire from some parents after he suggested that they spend money on school clothes for their children instead of purchasing alcohol and cigarettes. His comments were made in an e-mail response to parents’ complaints that they cannot afford the new uniforms mandated by the Osceola County School District, which is located in Florida.

He wrote that “everyone can afford Wal-Mart and if they can’t, they need to think about turning off their cable TV or stop buying alcohol or cigarettes and spend their money on their children.” Parent Maria Quintana said Wheeler’s e-mail is insulting. “I have a job and sometimes it’s really hard. You have to struggle,” Quintana told MyFOXOrlando.com. “And to have them say something like that is really degrading.”

Wheeler stands by his comments, saying people should get serious about education and put their children first. “I thought it might be a wake-up call and I think it’s something people want to say but were afraid to,” he said.

I grew up in Jamaica and we wore uniforms to school. It was a very cost-efficient process. My mother made sure I had five uniforms, as they were white. Students were easily identified on the streets and it was the standard of the island. This is a rather controversial subject to some parents, but I wish my kids wore uniforms. There would be less competition as to who dressed better and in the latest fashions. Above all, it would save a lot of money on what parents have to spend each year on clothing for their kids. I don’t find what real gist of his statement offensive. Some parents will grumble about anything. Instituting a school uniform policy is not a bad thing. His reference to cigarettes and alcohol is a little off-color because not every parent smokes or drinks. Just my thoughts, you be the judge……

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