Post-Christmas Potpourri
Published in Marietta Daily Journal Dec. 27, 2015
Leadership
in Cobb. It’s time for heads to
cool. Our Board of Commissioners must do
everything within its power to deflate any further blow-ups from the Lisa
Cupid/Cobb Police Department issue.
Cobb County has too much to lose to
allow personal miffs or even legitimate concerns to split the citizenry and
send the county spiraling into the incivility and poor governance that marks
some other counties in metro-Atlanta.
We can argue about whose language
was more intemperate, that of NAACP chairman Deanne Bonner who spoke of “pure
war,” or that of Chairman Tim Lee who charged Commissioner Cupid with “seeking
to create a media spectacle.” One’s
choice of words was as unfortunate as the other.
For that matter, neither were the
actions of Commissioner Cupid very wise when she set out to establish her own
grievance committee to address police behavior.
Her Lone Ranger approach was provocative, advancing her cause not one
whit.
Commissioner Cupid, Ms. Bonner, and
Chairman Lee need to get together. But
citizens need to understand what it’s like to live and work in the
limelight. Public officials must watch their
words at every turn. A single outburst
is forgivable and should not be fatal for any leader. From my observations, all three of these
people are good leaders. They stand on
the shoulders of many other political and community leaders who have created an
excellent county. Anyone who doesn’t
believe this needs to get outside of Cobb County more.
Let’s hope that the New Year brings
these three good people to the table with nothing in mind but to keep Cobb
moving forward. In fact, let’s watch
carefully and see if one of them allows personal plans or wishes to be the
beginning of a downward spiral for a great county.
Ed
Setzler and schools. Rep. Ed Setzler
of Acworth is on to something. At a
recent meeting of the Cobb Legislation Delegation, he spoke on behalf of
constituents who are concerned about block scheduling, particularly as it
pertains to math.
Block scheduling is the name for
longer class periods that meet fewer times a week for 90-120 minutes as opposed
to traditional scheduling of daily 50-55 minute periods. Block proponents argue that block scheduling
provides more time for instruction since so much of a 50-55 minute period is
spent each day on non-instructional things, even such as calling the roll.
Opponents argue that expecting most
teens to stay focused for an hour and a half is unrealistic. Setzler’s concern was that the majority of
students need a more drawn out pace for algebra and calculus than blocking
allows. His point about Walton,
Lassiter, and Pope parents being successfully vocal against blocking is
pertinent. New Year’s prediction: the
Board of Education will be hearing more from parents on the matter and will
need to have a discussion of the advantages/disadvantages of block scheduling.
Republican
timidity, again. Whenever Democratic
Senator Chuck Schumer grins that grin and Senator Harry Reid’s erstwhile poker
face manages a smile, you know they’ve won and Republicans have lost. What’s sad is that Congressional Republicans
are claiming Republicans won as well on the gigantic $1.1 trillion spending
bill.
Good grief! Congressional Republicans lost on everything,
including the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
Republicans are simply unwilling to fight. They are infected with partisanship, that
Democrat shibboleth that is akin to “Come into my parlor said the spider to the
fly.” If Republicans cannot see what’s
driving Donald Trump’s success, then forget unwilling; they’re blind,
tone-deaf, and are absolutely ignoring their constituencies.
2016
will most likely be the year when we know if the Republican Party will live or
die. Right now it appears the nation may
be headed toward a multi-party system, the likes of which has never served
Europe very well. Unfortunate, but when politicians and party big-wigs are
unresponsive to the working stiffs that choose them, they should expect
revolution sooner or later.
Parenting and politics: as goes the home … Parenting
or the lack thereof affects the affairs of every nation. For good or ill, parents set the path for
their offspring and for the culture at large.
Evidence abounds that either too many parents are not setting the right
path or their offspring, when trained well, are simply choosing another path. In “The Collapse of Parenting,” medical
doctor Leonard Sax argues that America’s children are immersed in a culture of
disrespect that touches every area of our society.
Sax is right.
Andy Griffith is no longer the cultural diet. Celebrities and the Internet are. Politics, manners, and respect for others
will improve only when parents improve first.
Sax says forget your child’s self-esteem and teach humility.
Perfectly
good advice for a new year.
Roger
Hines
12/23/15
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