KSL reports on a Sandy family whose yard was attacked. The neighbors have been spraying chemicals on the property, and people have allowed their pets to use their lawn as a place to relieve themselves. What are the motives? They believe it’s because they have hung BLM banners and flags that read “Will Trade Racists For Refugees. ”
Let’s get this straight. Nobody has the right to take down, deface, or destroy another’s property. The empty lot is ours and I have removed campaign ads and signs several times. No one can take anything that belongs to another person, even if they disagree with the philosophy.
Flags and signs are intended to provoke a response. It could be a BLM or Will Trade Refugees for Racists Flag, one that begins “In this home, we believe …” or one of those “F**K Joe Joe Biden” flags you see hanging from the trucks’ beds. They do not tend to change people’s opinions but rather solidify them. To provoke someone, people display these signs and flags. If someone objects, they will be called racists, homophobes, communists, or any other type of person. It’s a dare. Sandy’s actions may have caused enough people to commit a crime and essentially attempt to nullify both the right to free speech as well as the right to private property, two rights conservatives strongly believe in. The family did not “demand” it. They knew that these things would cause tension and raise hackles.
Aside note: I know many people who have had American flags or Trump signs stolen or vandalized. We have all witnessed how pro-life and pregnancy support centers have been attacked. I don’t recall any Left member condemning these activities.
Fox News reports that a fourth-grade teacher at William Penn Elementary School has deleted a post on social media from earlier this year. According to student census data, the school is predominantly white. She was asking for opinions on how parents would respond to a classroom designed for “non-White students.” This approach included coloring pages and even a request to delete a previous social media post. She concluded her post by saying that she felt like some parents might have something about it – if my experience is any indication, this year with posh, white parents will be the same. We’ll see.” While she was clearly looking for affirmation and praise from her peers, it seems that she almost looked forward to a fight.
Granite School District has apologized for its mistake and is now investigating.
A student from Fishers High School, Indiana, entered his English/Language Art class. He was greeted by a poster that said “Defund the Police? ” Noah Shahnavaz, his brother, had just passed away. After five years of service in the army, Noah joined Elwood Police Department and was killed in action after only 11 months. Before classes began, the family spoke with the school and they were informed by the staff and administration. Marina Gibson, the teacher, stated that the sign was a student artwork and was a holdover from last year. The sign discusses the pros and disadvantages of defunding police.
According to The Chalkboard Review’s story, Gibson’s activism extends beyond the posters. According to The Chalkboard Review, Gibson shouted “police brutality!” at the police when they arrived to investigate a disturbance caused by a student suspected of using drugs. Chalkboard Review reports that Hamilton Southeastern Schools issued the following statement on August 19, 2020.
Teachers strive to integrate student-driven and relevant lessons into the curriculum while adhering to the Indiana Department of Education’s academic standards.
The display of a student’s previous year’s research project, which listed the arguments for and against “defunding police,” was made in a Fishers High School classroom. The school was immediately notified and the matter was promptly addressed. We are sorry for the pain caused and understand that the school was affected.
We allow students and teachers to explore social issues relevant to their lives. However, through our partnership with local police, we publicly affirm that we stand in solidarity with those who are forced to face dangerous situations every day to protect us.
Emily Abbotts, Hamilton Southeastern Schools Director of School and Community Relations
Chalkboard Review received the following statement from Ms. Abbotts:
Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of School Trustees deeply regretted the damage caused by a student-created research poster. It was placed in one of our high school classrooms. We as a district recognize our responsibility to create safe learning environments for students. Unfortunately, we did not do that in this instance.
It was a devastating loss to Officer Shahnavaz. He was a young HSE School alumnus who had not only given his life for his country but also protected others as a police officer. HSE has apologized to the Shahnavaz family for causing them more pain. The teacher responsible has also apologized and is deeply sorry for inflicting additional pain on her student and their families.
HSE doesn’t advocate defunding police. HSE collaborates closely with Fishers Police Department to provide support for the resource officers in our buildings, traffic officers at our schools, and officers who monitor our community 24 hours a day to ensure that our students are safe. We are and will continue to be grateful for their services. We are safer for our students, staff, and community because of our partnership with the police department.
HSE Schools will take this experience to show how we can do better in the future so that all students feel supported, safe, and accepted.
Hamilton Southeastern Schools Board of Trustees via Emily Abbotts
The Shahvanaz family issued a statement saying that Gibson had not apologized to her son but that he was sorry he hadn’t spoken to her about it.
The old song “Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign” says it all. And we know that signs aren’t there just to raise awareness. They are there to get a reaction, to ferret out anyone with objections so that they can be branded a Nazi racist, sexist, trans/homo/islamo/xenophobe. They will elicit a reaction to justify a predetermined conclusion. Do not take the bait. Do not back down.
