Posted on 03/01/2003 8:21:59 AM PST by dts32041
Fire In the Hole
Hard to believe it's been just 12 years since Maine and, specifically, Bangor were the toast of patriots everywhere for the rousing round-the-clock welcomes given to troops passing through Bangor International Airport as they returned home from the Gulf War. Today, we are just toast.
The furor that has engulfed this state the last few days - the one about Maine schoolteachers harassing and taunting the children of military personnel - will one day serve as a textbook example of a how a mistake turns into a media frenzy. Today, it is just hurtful.
It started with the Maine Army National Guard conducting help sessions at family assistance centers in Portland, Augusta and Bangor in recent weeks for the 300 or so families of troops being deployed for possible war in Iraq. From that came a local television report Friday in which Guard officers said there have been a dozen instances in which teachers, staff or students had taunted or been insensitive to the children of military personnel, although nothing even resembling evidence was offered.
More stories followed during the next few days. Some focused on the alleged outrages committed by unnamed teachers at unspecified schools - an unnamed teacher's assistant somewhere who may have told a soldier's child that soldiers are unethical suddenly was the most famous person in Maine. Some stories described efforts by Education Commissioner Duke Albanese to work with educators and the Guard to prevent future problems and to ease any hurt feelings.
No matter, because by Thursday, the story had gone national and Maine was the most despised state in the nation. Rush Limbaugh was excoriating Maine, as were Bill O'Reilly, Oliver North and every other conservative commentator with a keen eye for dastardly unpatriotic acts, especially when committed by that especially suspect group - public schoolteachers. The Wall Street Journal picked up
the story, with the helpful headline "Great Moments in Public Education." The Washington Times added its two cents - and in the process inflated the number of alleged outrages to "more than 30." Hundreds of e-mails from throughout the country are flooding newspapers across the state with the writers offering many suggestions
- some painful, some physically impossible - on what this unpatriotic state should do with itself and its
treasonous teachers.
For amazing, eye-popping journalism designed to fire emotions and spark vigorous comment, this story has it all. Except for facts. The Guard will not make public, or even make known to education officials, what teachers allegedly taunted pupils or even what schools harbor such rotten behavior. That horrid teacher's assistant could be anywhere or nowhere. The only other incident given any degree of specificity is that a school staff member may not have been appropriately sensitive to a pupil needing early dismissal for the send-off of a parent. Meanwhile, in what must be a first for school-based outrages, no irate parent, aunt, uncle or grandparent has come forward to put any sort of face to what remains faceless rumor. Now, Guard officials say they are conducting a fact-gathering process. Now?
The Guard has a duty to assist the families of deployed troops as much as possible. If the Guard confirms instances in which children have been hurt by thoughtless comments, it should strongly make its concerns known and to expect the utmost cooperation from educators in ending it. But by expressing its concerns in the form of allegations it was not willing to substantiate, the Guard inadvertently left a live grenade lying around and the national media ran by and pulled the pin, wounding the state and a profession. Don't expect a return visit by the national media to this charred landscape when that fact-finding process is complete.
Just Remmber Bangor is the hometown of William "Strange" Cohen and he could do no wrong.
BTW that which happened 12 years ago was totally voluntary, no government involvement.
And what was it several days ago, when the kids were being harassed?
Y'know what I think? I think these people in Maine--including this "editor"--are just upset that they got caught. I always hoped that during this war, we wouldn't see a repeat of how the Vietnam troops were treated here at home. I'm just stunned that Hollywood and other liberals learned little or nothing from that sad episode.
Just to speculate on another possible perspective here; The NG and State people are well aware of the high level of public outrage, and people such as those we see in here giving detailed accounts of how they think that the involved "educators" ought to be dealt with no doubt give pause for concern that if and when names and localities are divulged, these "suspects" (which you know they really are until convicted under due process) well being, if not very lives, might well be at significant risk.
Say what we will, but there are some very good reasons other than a "cover-up" (which I suspect too, by the way) to play these cards very close to the vest.
For example; avoiding prejudice in a potential Jury pool when and if (not holding breath here) one of these cases goes to criminal or Civil Court.
Evidence has to be gathered and handled in a particular and fussy kind of way, or it will be thrown out of Court.
Despite what we might think of the ME NG Brass or Education Wonks, they do NOT want anyone getting hurt - or worse - over this. And frankly I have to concede them this one point; I am - and think it safe to say WE (The FReeple)- are looking for Justice. I'm not sure if they really are - but neither of us want bloodshed.
And yes, actually; I sense that it has come way too close to that point already.
By protecting the guilty, as the Bureacracy seems to be doing, they are implicating the innocent, which I really think probably most Teachers still are.
If I were a Teacher, I would very much resent not only the degradation by association of my professional public image, but the compromise to the safety not only of myself and my colleagues, but perhaps my Students and Family as well.
Withholding Justice is apt to do just that - if not more.
They are not doing themselves or the reputation of Maine's Teaching Community any favors with that move, IMHO. But what do I know.
Hopefully, some sort of investigation is still going on, and if it is it will be conducted discretely behind the scenes - as it should be. If it is done right, the "Justice" we are looking for should be forthcoming in due season, and hopefully the issue can be resolved.
If, on the other hand, the "Powers that Be" have pulled all plugs on attempts to investigate, confirm or debank reports, and resolve these abuses, then the fuse will keep smouldering.
And only God Knows and time will tell where the residual frustration and rage of the agrieved will present itself... and on whom, or how.
It's not over, by a long shot.
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