Siri's World Presents The Dissenting Opinion: rules

Showing posts with label rules. Show all posts

Friday, September 25, 2015

The Rules Do Not Apply To Jerry Moran

As we are all aware, Pope Francis is in the United States, and visited Washington, DC yesterday. As only a few of us are aware, taking pictures is against the rules in the Senate Chamber on the house floor is prohibited. According to Rule IV of the Senate, it is unbecoming decorum for a representative to snap photographs there. In 1963, the rule was suspended in order to obtain the very first official picture of the United States Senate in session. Later, that same year, National Geographic requested permission to take a picture there. But guess who began snapping photos while the Pope Francis addressed the Senate, without bothering to request permission? If you guessed Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, you guessed correctly. Mr. Moran, like many other Kansas Republicans, is possessed of an idea that rules and laws that apply to others do not apply to him. Others followed the unprofessional example he set, but Moran was first to determine that senate rules are not really meant to be followed.

When this rule was first made, the internet and social media did not exist. It was merely considered rude and distracting to take pictures while members of the house were speaking, listening, or taking notes. Now that we have digital photography, mobile phones, and social media, it is not only rude to snap pictures in certain places, particularly using flash; there are other considerations. In 1981, Pope John Paul II was almost assassinated. Suppose someone with a motive to harm any person in that building had been lurking near all of the hoopla yesterday? Jerry Moran's pictures of the Pope, where he was standing, and the entire building; and his immediate uploads of the same to Twitter could have given the wrong person a perfect opportunity to "case" the perimeter and determine the exact position of every person on the floor. In essence, Jerry Moran could easily have contributed to an assassination attempt or a murder by not following the rules. But then, Moran does not appear to think that rules are important. Did he actually have an ulterior motive, or was he just setting a bad example for fun?

Friday, January 30, 2015

Arkansas Teachers Can Go Commando

An Arkansas school board actually issued an edict requiring that all of it's teachers wear underwear. No spandex, either. And underwear was not to clash with clothing, or reveal panty lines. The question that apparently was not asked when the school board in Little Rock voted on this nonsense has to do with what the author of the edict was actually thinking when he wrote it! Probably not academics!

So anyways, the teachers all got mad and complained, and now the school district in is receivership. The state has stepped in and taken over, and now teachers are free to choose their own underwear again. Or go commando. Greg Adams, the president of the Little Rock School Board, is disappointed. Some of the high schools in that district were also found to be under "academic distress", and the imposition of non-spandex undergarments did not promise enough improved learning for the board chairman, Sam Ledbetter, who, despite Adams's disappointment, stated, "At some point, you just have to go in a new direction."

Looking at all the problems experienced by public schools nationwide, and all the reasons a school district could go into receivership, it amazes your blogger that a state would actually take over a school district over teachers' undergarments! Are bra straps really that important? Geesh!

Sunday, August 24, 2014

In Case You Weren't In Church On Sunday

Can anyone say "overkill"? Responding with the words "bless you" when hearing a sneeze is not what our forefathers had in mind when they agreed upon separation of church and state. This Tennessee classroom has obviously gone overboard in giving a child in-school detention for instinctively using those words when a classmate sneezed. Now; if she seriously believed the archaic German/Christian superstition that one's soul disappears into the mists via the sneeze whenever this happens, and had reiterated that failing to say "bless you" could lead to eternal damnation, there may have been a slight violation; but this did not happen. Perhaps along with "overkill", she should say "gesundheit" next time.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Judge Straightens Out Teen Who Sues Parents

In a completely unmerited and absurd case, a New Jersey young adult has moved away from home and taken her parents to court in a silly-assed attempt to sue for tuition for private school, car insurance, and....of all things.....allowance. Where is the eye-rolley when I need it? This young woman reached the age of eighteen in October, yet is still in high school. Because her parents impose a curfew and insist that she do chores, she moved away. Not wanting to play games with their daughter, the parents decided that since the car is not garaged at their home (sound familiar, Laura?) and since their daughter is not living with them, her car insurance and tuition are her responsibility; and they have duly stopped paying. They also stopped giving her an allowance.

Bravo to the judge for taking a common sense stand on this nonsense! Laura McNish, county attorney of Marshall County, Kansas should really pay attention here. Insistence upon respect from one's children for laws and policies concerning automobile insurance is not child abuse, and neither is the imposition of curfews and the requirement of chores. Parents also do not owe their children cell phones and Ipads, McNish. Restricting the use of such devices may make human trafficking more difficult for predators, but it is not child abuse. Conversely, unrestricted use of motor vehicles granted by negligent parents to unlicensed drivers does not, in any way, equal love.....Laura!

At least in Kansas, there is a case in Marshall County, styled State of Kansas v. Keith Lynn Henry, setting a precedent in cases involving these elements. Anyone in Kansas who is accused of child abuse for not giving a child a cell phone or an allowance, or for establishing curfews and rules; should refer to this case.

How did this case even moot court? Has the entire nation gone completely insane?

Sunday, September 29, 2013

The Yeast Of The Gods

Resistance is actually futile. If you seriously think you can force those who function at more efficient levels to happily sink to your level, you are quite mistaken. You might try listening, for a change.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Letter To School Superintendent In Kansas

Here's a letter I wrote to the superintendent of schools in the school district that includes my childrens' school. I have substituted the letter X for proper nouns, as identities of individuals and places are not necessary to the point of my letter.

Dear Mr. XXXX,

I was in the office at XXXX School yesterday, returning two of my children to school after an appointment at the eye doctor. One of the first people I noticed, because he was out of place, was a Mr. HXXXX, (I have forgotton his first name) who lives in town, but no longer has any children who attend this school. Not only did his name NOT appear on the sign-in sheet that you told me would remain in the office for any adult who visits the building but is not on the payroll; I am curious about the need for his volunteer services and his qualifications. My children cannot participate in certain sports, because you have spurned my offers to volunteer based on my popularity scores here in XXXX that have little to do with my character or other qualifications, which probably, by far, exceed the qualifications of other parents who volunteer at your school. Have you checked the criminal record of Mr. HXXXX? His two sons, who are both young adults, still live in his house, and I have personally heard them both discuss the use of illegal drugs. Mr. HXXXX was physically present when his sons were speaking. Apparently, Mr.HXXXX does not take prohibition laws seriously. After hearing those comments, I do not allow my daughter to even visit that home to buy Avon from his wife. I don't want my children in that type of environment. Also, I have seen him allow minors, his sons, when they were still in high school, to drink beer in his home. This is not the person I find appropriate to volunteer in the school, and share his "influence" with my children, thankyou very much. Also, since this is such a small town, and since at least one of Mr. HXXXX's children has experienced "run-ins" with the law in the past, in connection to violations of prohibition laws and alcohol, I will contend that your principal, Mr. DXXXX, was aware of this, yet welcomed him into the building anyway.

Since the rules apply stringently to yours truly, to the extent of her own children not being able to participate in sports because the adult/child ratio is unsafe in your school during these activities, and that does not bother you; I am curious to know why Mr. HXXXX, who violates the law in connection to children and alcohol in ways I would never even consider, is welcomed with open arms into your building. Would you please explain the bias to me? Also, why is he not required to sign in, as I do, whenever I enter your building? Why does his wife use your school as a venue for her Avon business? I sold Avon on the East Coast, and would never have considered a school building an appropriate place to dispense product and collect revenue for same. This takes the attention of teachers and other staff away from children and creates an atmosphere of business other than education. It is not safe for the students. Please make it stop.

I have one more question for you. Is this IP number, XXXX, in any way associated with computers in your school buildings? If so, you have at least one teacher who harrasses others for political reasons. My children and I should NOT KNOW where anyone on your staff stands on issues such as abortion, yet we do, and we should certainly not know for whom any of your teachers intends to vote! Please ask them to all be less obvious about their political stances.

Sincerely,
XXXX

............In all fairness, I should convey that the superintendent did respond to my letter, the same day he got it. He told me that the sign-in sheet in the office would be in use from now on, whether the local Kansas folk wished for that or not. He also told me that the Avon Lady would no longer be making stops at the school, as this is against policy for several reasons. I should add that the Avon Lady also never bothers to sign in at my childrens' school, and moves freely through the building as if she worked there or had children there. Neither apply to her.

The superintendent was not able to explain the inherent nastiness and unjust prejudism expressed by these people toward myself and other members of my family. He was not able to explain the constant pressure to vote for a presidential candidate who is not of my choosing. He was also not able to tell me why my children and I even know for whom most of these teachers intend to vote. He and I both agreed that if a child ever disappears from this particular school or is otherwise harmed there, the FBI will be VERY interested in the number of unofficially present adults in the school from day to day, and in their identities, activities, and criminal records. That said, it seems to me that persons who have unlawful recreational drugs in their homes from time to time, and persons who allow minors to drink alcoholic beverages in their homes, should take heed.