The Children are the Losers in Cops in School Fiasci

The Children are the Loser in the Cops in School Fiasco

An umbrella group, Mass. Human Rights, of which I am a member, is reviewing the City’s policy of full time police officers in the schools. Some in the group think that the police have not helped in terms of safety or education, and the police have actually caused harm.

M.G.L. Chapter 71 Section 37 P requires that a School System have in place a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Police Department.

“The superintendent and the chief of police shall enter into a written memorandum of understanding to clearly define the role and duties of the school resource officer which shall be placed on file in the office of the school superintendent.”

Because of the political hysteria, based to some extent on racism, some in the City Council and the School Committee of Worcester ordered cops into the school without a MOU and any understanding of the cops' duties or restrictions. This action was not well thought out and now the City is out of compliance with the statutes. Being out of compliance might mean that all of the students arrested were done so unlawfully at school with right of private legal action.

Police Chief Gary Gemme has stated to the local press that he feels that the vast majority of people supports cops in the schools.  Unfortunately for us Chief Gemme is spinning as he offers no evidence of this assertion. The Mass. Human Rights group is collecting signatures for a petition on the issue with over 100 signatures at last count.

Police Gemme has made another spinning assertion in that he says the cops in the schools are doing good. Without a MOU it is not clear what the cops are doing. There is no evidence that the cops are improving safety or education. There are several reports, including an ACLU reports, that shows cops in the schools are a source of students leaving school and then going into the “school to prison pipeline” Many of these students are from poor and minority neighborhoods.

On the issue of the MOU Chief Gemme asserts that he does not want the cops to become school disciplinarians. The facts show that the cops are already the school disciplinarians. According to the Public Safety Liaison Officer for the Public Schools, Robert Pezella, most of the arrests of students was for disruption and disorderly. Disruption is not a crime anywhere and should have handled administratively per Chapter 222. Disorderly is vaguely defined and subjective. The actions of the students should likely have also been adjudicated under Chapt. 222.

The cat was let out of the bag when Mr. Pezzella stated to the local press that the MOU would likely not be approved until after a safety audit was completed.  The question Mr. Pezella has unintentionally pointed out is why cops were put into the school BEFORE the Safety Audit.

To a certain extent this fiasco of putting cops into the school is being covered up. Mr. Pezzella has not mentioned how parents, students, teachers, principals, and advocates will have input into the so called Safety Audit or the MOU. 

This following statement from Mr. Pezzella is also troubling.

“There’s a fine line between disciplinary and public safety and in some cases, student unrest could lead to a possible arrest of a student,”

Like his misstatement about disruptions, student unrest is not a crime either. For teenager it is normalcy. The question arises about a possible bias on the part of Mr. Pezella’s thinking about students. The use of the phrase “fine line” is curious as the statute makes it clear that cops are not authorized to enforce school policy, only law enforcement and security. Everything else should be administratively adjudicated.

''School resource officer'', a duly sworn municipal police officer with all necessary training, up-to-date certificates or a special officer appointed by the chief of police charged with providing law enforcement and security services to elementary and secondary public schools.

There were at least two arrests at the middle school level. I find it hard to believe that at this age children had to be arrested at school and that there was no other means to solve problems.There should be a City policy against arrest children at middle or elementary schools.

At least 19 students were arrests at Worcester Public schools between September and November 2015. It is clear that the arrests of children are on the rise, but as can be inferred from Mr. Pezella’s statements, most of those arrests could have handled in house.

The losers in all of this are the children in Worcester Public schools who are compelled to go into an environment in which they can be arrested on the most frivolous or subjective of reasons without recourse to their rights found in Chapter 222. The environment is filled with police officers who do not know for certain what they can or cannot do because there is no MOU. An environment created by the racist rants of some City officials.                            

The Changing Meaning of Thanksgiving

The Changing Meaning of Thanksgiving

Like everything else, Thanksgiving changes; nothing on Earth stays the same forever.

The traditional history of Thanksgiving is that of the English Pilgrims migrating to America and landing at Plymouth on December 11, 1621. During that winter the Pilgrims or Puritans lost 46 of their party of 102. The others would too have perished, if the Native Indians did not have pity and provided them with corn and other food stuffs.  With the help of the Native Indians the Puritans learned to farm and had a bountiful harvest in 1622. There was a celebration of bounty that Fall.

In 1676 Thanksgiving changed. Charlestown Massachusetts proclaimed a Thanksgiving for the victory over the “ heathen” Indians. This was the end of the King Phillip War in which the town of Quinsigamond, now know as Worcester, was burned to the ground. The Colonialists from Massachusetts and Connecticut killed most of the Native Indian children at Turner Falls in Massachusetts.

The Revolutionary War found Thanksgiving changing once again. This time in October 1777 there was celebration of the Colonialists victory over the Imperialist British at the Battle of Saratoga. All 13 Colonies participated.

 George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1789. Abraham Lincoln set the last Thursday of November as the date of celebration for the good fortune of the American Civil War. It was proclaimed to be a legal holiday in 1941 by Congress as the United States was entering World War II.

 Besides the traditional and sometimes religious celebrations there is a new meaning of the Day of Mourning for the Native Indians who have died do to imperialism and colonialism. This view of Thanksgiving is gaining acceptance, especially among the young.

When I think of Thanksgiving this year I think of my two friends Claire  and Scott Schaefer Duffy who have taken a vow of poverty. They live on less than $6000. 00 a year. Although they have their wants, as we all do, they live a good life. They make do by not living extravagantly and by socialization of needs. Essentially they do without or they share resources with others.

Today might be the time for all of us to do the same. Conspicuous consumption has led to the development of a world economy that creates poverty, war, disruptions, racism, and the destructive forces of global warming and climate changes. There is a need to reduce our standard of living. Some of us will have to share a car or get on a bus. We will have to eat more locally grown food. We will have to share our work.

The point of no return might have already been passed in terms of climate change. When the ice of the polar caps melts the temperature of the oceans will increase more rapidly than most of us can image.

This Thanksgiving I will be thankful to all of the people who have rejected the temptations of the profit driven economy and conspicuous spending to live a life where human resources are more valuable than that which glitters. I am thankful for having a family and friends.  I will be thankful for being able to still write these words.

Worcester, Hiding Its Policy on Police in Schools

Worcester Is Hiding Its Policy on Police in Schools

A small group of parents, students, and activists met on November 18, 2015 to discuss the City of Worcester’s policy on the duties of police officers in public schools. Earlier in the year the City Council voted to put a full time police officer in each of the five Worcester Public High Schools.  The Worcester Public Schools and the Worcester Police Department are required by statute to define the policy regarding police in schools in a document called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). So far no one from the City, not the Superintendent, not the Mayor, not the City Manager, or the Police Chief has responded to requests for the MOU.

During the discussion several people said that because the policy of full time police in schools was implemented in a panic based on false assertions that the schools were unsafe, there was no time to think through the legal requirements. The required MOU likely does not comply with State laws at this time. Mr. Pezzella, public safety liaison for the Worcester Public school, said in October 2015 that the current MOU is outdated and needs revision.

The Mass. Human Right Commission (MHRC), a nongovernmental organization, functioned as the umbrella from which the people in the meeting will advocate for justice for the students and parent. Although not officially representing their respective organizations, there were people from the NAACP, an UU Church, Progressive Labor Party, a Latino group, a student group, and a social agency.

Ruth Rodriguez, a local activist, gave background to the “school to jail pipeline”. She said that some in the corporate world were financing programs designed to have schools fail. The children would then be more at risk for incarceration and poverty.  She stated that Latino children are most adversely affected by suspensions and expulsions, although every child in poverty was at risk.

Charter school, Ms. Rodriguez is also against charter schools for siphoning resources from public schools.

Gwen Davis, a Worcester resident, whose children went to North High School, said that cops in the school are a part of the school to prison pipeline and these are some of the issues of the BlackLives Matter civil rights movement.

Dr, Sonya Conner, a professor at Worcester State, said she thought that the way the City Council was able to ram through the policy of cops in the schools was to divide the teachers from the students. She thought that the group should reach out to the teacher’s union on this issue.

Another speaker said that the ACLU in Boston has helped with the effort regarding the MOU by providing outlines and guidance for the writing of MOU.

The guidelines from the ACLU indicated that

1. Police should not be used in any school discipline as these are covered by Chapter 222 of the Acts of 2012 and not the criminal statutes.

2. The police should be trained in childhood education, especially adolescent behavior.

3. The police in the school should receive training in disabilities accommodations for children.

4. There should no arrests on campus for any reason other than public safety emergencies.

The MHRC has been collecting signature on a petition to City Council and the City School Committee regarding the City’s policy of police in schools and planned to present the petition to City Council and the City School Committee after Thanksgiving.

The group also made plans to write to the Parent Associations of the high and middle schools to make a presentation about the MOU and the rights of parents and students found in Chapter 222. Another suggestion was to leaflet the students at the City high schools with hopes of getting the information to parents.

There is no apparent reason why the City is hiding its MOU, except that it wants to keep the students, parents, and the public ignorant of its policy or its lack of policy. This policy information is in the public domain.  Let us hope the City authorities respond in a positive way to this effort that can only help all concerned, especially the children, and reduced the City’s liability exposure.

His Excellency Charlie Baker and Refufees

Governor Baker’s Fascist Stunt

On November 16, 2015 Charlie Baker, the Governor of Massachusetts, proclaimed that he would not accept any refugees from the Syria Civil War. Twenty four other Republican governors made the same proclamation.

The actions of these governors are a political stunt. Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, said that he would not a 5 year old refugee from Syria. States have zero authority in regards to immigration. Immigration is exclusively a Federal area of governance. Governor Baker has misled us in thinking that he has some power over refugees from war. This is certainly dishonesty on his part.

This dishonesty continues when His Excellency Mr. Baker uses the pretext of public safety to justify his false and malicious remarks. When he made his so called “proclamation” it was already known that not one of the attackers in France came from Syria. All of them were born within the European Union. One of the victims of the attack was from Syria. 

Governor Baker’s actions have likely done more harm than good in that it creates resentment and anger.  Already there have some push back. It is likely to be more push back.

His Excellency’s actions and their pretext are further evidence of the racist tendencies of Republicans and their Tea Party constituents. Please recall that His Excellency Mr. Baker also said he did want Hispanic children refugees from Central America coming to Massachusetts.

There is a history of racist anti immigrant fervor in Massachusetts. In 1854 the so called “Know Nothing” Party aka American Party won elections and was strongest in Boston. The Know Nothings consisted only of White Protestant men and they oppressed everyone else, including Catholics, Jews.  foreign born, women, and Blacks. Governor Baker seems to be following, at least partially, in their footsteps.

In the early Twentieth Century there was what was called the Red Scare in the United States after the Bolsheviks founded the Soviet Union in 1917. Immigrants, some of whom had socialist ideas, were arrested and deported in what are known as the Palmer Raids. Emma Goldman was caught up in this oppression and deported to Russia.

During World War II many Jews fleeing the Nazis were turned away by the United States and forced to return to Germany where they died in the Holocaust. In the 1990s the Haitian boat people were refused entry into the United States and were force to live for years in the Guantanamo Bay concentration camp.

His Excellency the Governor of Massachusetts has shown he has little compassion and a tendency to fascism. He did not speak of the refugees as people in need.

 It would make sense for the Governor to step back his proclamation. He is smarted then to follow the other Republican governors in what seems to be a locked goose step into a moral morass. He should welcome the Syrians and other refugees. He should make their transition to their new homes in the United States as smooth as reasonably possible.

This governor also should be spending more time on fixing the credible problems we have, such as the overloaded DCF, the ill functioning public transportation systems, and inequities of mandatory sentencing.  It makes sense to work on the credible problems, instead of the threats that are not credible.  

Worcester Will Be the Butt of Donald Trump’s Racism

2015 Immigrants Oppose Depostations

Worcester Will Be the Butt of Donald Trump’s Racism

On November 18. 2015 Worcester will choose between Donald Trump and BlackLives Matter. The racist Trump TV circus will be at the DCU Center on that day.  There is a BlackLives Matter meeting at Centro Las Americas about police arresting kids at school on the same day at 6 PM.

Trump will make Worcester MA the “straight man” and the butt of his offensive rants.  When thousands of people show up for his offensive and racist media show, the world will see Worcester as a backwards city full of backwards people. It is said that Worcester County has the largest number of Tea Party people.  Going to the Trump circus will give credence to that perception and have Worcester look stupid.

I guess I should not find it surprising that many people, even some who do not like Trump will go to the DCU center because they like the action and the lights of the TV camera. I suppose it is something of an event.

I think that other people like Councillors Lukes and Gaffney who have similar right wing politics as Trump will go and see him. School Committee women Colorio and Briancharia might like him as well. 

Trump might eventually be as credible as some European fascists who use a combination of racism, misogyny, nationalism, and anti communism to come into power. Poland seems to be the latest country moving in that direction.  Many in the United States are alienated and find it hard to deal with the lowering standard of living and the fact this country will soon have a non White majority population.  Several White Supremacy groups have already endorsed Trump.

The candidate Trump has said that he will create a new national police force of Deportation Enforcement and new forms of concentration camps. How else can you deport 11 million people? He has made racist comments about Mexicans and other immigrants. He has belittled the civil rights movement and he has devalued the contribution of women to society and he has made light of the heroism of soldiers.

 Some progressive people will say that they will go and oppose Trump and this is a good thing. However Trump will bully these good people on National TV and boost of his being a tough guy. The BlackLives Matter activists who met with Hillary Clinton were used by Clinton to further her campaign. It is likely Trump will do the same.

It might be better for people to boycott Trump and his racist circus. It might be good for people to go to the BlackLives Matter meeting at Centro Las Americas and help end the school to prison pipeline. There is no clear Worcester policy for the use of police power in the schools and the arrest of children. The City’s policy should be clarified and revised to ensure that the interests of the children are taken into account. The cops in the schools are not educators and are not trained in the appropriate age pedagogy of children in parentis loco.

Wednesday will tell us much about the character of Worcester.

Paris and theTargetting of Civilians

     2014 peace in Middle East Rally ( K. Ksen)

Paris and the Targetting of Civilians

The killing of scores of Parisians on November 13. 2015 is sad and a symptom of the corrupting culture in which we all live. Every premature death is tragic, especially when civilians are killed in wars in horrific ways. The people in Paris have my condolences and sorrow. The fascist who committed these murders should be arrested and punished.  ParisianLives Matter.

The targeting of civilians in war has its  modern beginnings in World War II. In 1937 the fascists from Japan committed the “Rape of Nanking.” This was followed by the bombing of Guernica by the German fascists in the Spanish Civil and then the so called blitz bombings of London. The Americans killed 100, 000 civilians in the fire bombings of Dresden. The atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima have been characterized as terrorist and crimes against humanity. CivilianLives Matter.

This year drone attacks have killed thousands in “collateral” damage. The civil wars in Syria, Nigeria, Kenya, Yemen, and Palestine/Israel have killed thousand more.  BackLives Matter. 

The civilians who died in conflicts outside of Europe and America, many connected to the Parisian attacks, do not get the same value as has the Parisians killed yesterday.  ISIS kills Muslim people too.

The price to pay for peace in the World is steep and the price to pay for the endless wars is steeper. All of this talk of striking ISIS or some other group is useless rhetoric designed to placate an angry nationalistic public.  France, Britain, Russia, and the United States do not want to send in millions of soldier to occupy a country for a generation as they did to Germany and Japan.

The American effort to build up an anti ISIS Syrian rebel army was worse than a joke. The 5000 fighters trained by the Americans joined ISIS.  I don’t think a draft would be viable in the United States, despite the chicken hawks.

Even if these powerful countries wanted to occupy vast stretches of the Middle East, ISIS is being supported by Saudi Arabia which sees it as a force against the Shia, and Turkey which is using ISIS to fight the Kurds and other Turkish minorities.

The forces that could stabilize the world were defeated decades ago and have not yet redeveloped; progressive secular humanists no longer are a force in the Middle East and many other countries. The forces needed to stabilize and reverse economic and political disparities, the forces needed to enforce tolerance of religious belief, and modernity for women were destroyed by West in its fight against the Soviet Union in the Cold War.  The CIA and others preferred the likes of Hamas over the seculars in the PLO and Al Qaeda over the Afghan socialists.

Six months from now there will be another 9-11 or another Paris or another attack by Boko Haran. We will all say the same thing about how sorry we all are.  This system we have now is madness for us who live check to check. I suppose the oil companies will make money.  It will take generations for progressive forces in the USA and the world to develop and bring an end to this madness around us.

Worcester Fights Against Racist Deportations of Donald Trump and President Obama

                                  courtesy future focus

Not one more Deportation Rally

April 5th we deliver a resounding and unified message: 2 million, 2 many! Not One More Deportation with cities all across the US.

Please join us for an afternoon of solidarity! There will be scheduled community speakers, artist and information sessions! We are looking for local Worcester support! If you or your organization would like to be a speaker, sponsor or participate in anyway please contact one of the folks at the bottom of page. We really want to make this a community event!

Everyday more than 1,000 people are deported. It is predicted that in April 2 million people will have been deported by the Obama Administration. Amidst Congressional inaction, President Obama and his Administration must understand that our community cannot continue to wait. We won’t continue to wait - especially when the President can take concrete, bold and necessary actions TODAY to turn back the deportation dragnet.

Please join us on April 5th, share this information with your networks.

Today, Saturday, April 5
at 1:00pm - 3:00pm
federal Court House 570 Main Street, between the federal court house parking lot and the Hanover Theatre

“Secure Communities” is Wrong for Worcester

The Secure Communities program (S-Comm) automatically checks fingerprints of every arrested person taken at booking against Immigration databases. Based on these database checks, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) then transfers people suspected of being deportable straight into the detention and deportation system from the criminal justice system.

In the deportation system, people are often sent far away to remote detention centers— with no loved ones or even lawyers to help defend against deportation. ICE claims that this program is intended to remove only the most violent criminal immigrants, but the majority of people affected by this program have no convictions, or have committed only low-level misdemeanors.

Worcester is a city built by immigrants- Secure Communities is Wrong for Worcester!

Speakers and Co Sponsor of May Day 2012

1. Worcester Immigrant Coalition
2. East African Community Outreach
3. Carpenters Union Local 107
4. Neighbor to Neighbor
5. Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center
6. Worcester World Cup / Cultural Exchange Through Soccer
7. Worcester Roots Project
8. EPOCA
9. Progressive Labor Party
10. Stone Soup
11. Worcester Unemployment Action Group
12. Mosaic Culture Complex
13. Occupy Worcester
14. Southeast Asian Coalition’s Youth Effect group
15. ACLU of Massachusetts
16. Education Association of Worcester
17. The Committee for Progressive Legislation
18. African CDC
19. Comite de Vecinos of the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center
20. Iglesia Cristiana de la Comunidad / Christian Community Church
21. Worcester Interfaith
22. African Community Education