aefenglommung (aefenglommung) wrote,
aefenglommung
aefenglommung

Even in West Virginia

When I saw a Facebook posting on Jared Mancum, saying the 14-year-old was arrested in his West Virginia Middle School for wearing an NRA t-shirt, I double-checked it against other news sources; after all, this is the Example Too Good to Be True for people with a certain idée fixe. Alas, it is all too true. Here is another news source's article.

http://www.ibtimes.com/jailed-nra-t-shirt-w-va-student-jared-marcum-14-arrested-after-refusing-remove-nra-shirt-1206805#

It appears that the incident was foisted upon the student by an obnoxious teacher. I've met many of his ilk: little tyrants who see the school environment as their personal fiefdom, in which they can demand their thralls (students) parrot their slogans and modify their behavior to suit the notions of the enlightened philosopher-kings who are given charge of the young on behalf of the State.

There are not, perhaps many teachers like this, but then, it doesn't take many. For the Degreed Dullards who run public schools give the little pismires leave to inflict their prejudices upon the students, and by extension, the community from which the students come. Many more teachers are possessed of greater talent and/or greater courtesy, but to their chagrin are lumped in with the petit commissars in the public view.

No doubt when local churches played the leading role in communities that is now played by the public schools, there were clergy who were just as obnoxious as the teacher in this case. And in Abu Ghraib, there were those placed in charge of prisoners who made up their own methods of handling them that embarrassed us all. Perhaps it is in the nature of things that little people with their little axes to grind are attracted to positions in which they can inflict their own view of the rules upon those who cannot fight back.

UPDATE:

I see by latest posts that Jared has returned to school, with 200 friends all wearing NRA shirts. No explanation and no apology from the school (did you expect one?); charges are pending in juvenile court and will probably not be pursued.
Subscribe

  • On being Wesleyan

    In the run-up to the big Methodist breakup of 2022-present, there was a lot of talk about being “Wesleyan.” I mostly heard it from progressives, who…

  • Feelings

    One of the features of Protestantism – and evangelicalism especially – is its appeal to feelings. There is a danger here. It is very easy to assume…

  • Expectations of Members in the GMC: Giving

    Continuing in my musing on how to set expectations for members in a Global Methodist Congregation (as now required by BODAD), we come to giving.…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    When you submit the form an invisible reCAPTCHA check will be performed.
    You must follow the Privacy Policy and Google Terms of use.
  • 0 comments