Those Who Can [Behave Like Human Beings] Do, Those Who Cannot [Behave Like Human Beings] Should Not Teach

It used to be that teachers were sort of your surrogate parents for the eight hours or so each day that you spent with them. They taught you things you would never use again--or at least not think you would every use again--like Alegbra and History. But they also gave you life lessons, sometimes just by example.

Not so these days, at least for one teacher. 

Ukailya Lofton, a seven-year-old girl, saw a picture in a magazine of a fun hairstyle that she really loved, and she begged her mother to let her have the same look. Luckily for Ukailya, her mother is a hairdresser, and was able to give her daughter the fun, and fruity, hairstyle she wanted.

Lucinda Williams attached a bunch  of colorful Jolly Rancher candies with elastic bands to the ends of her daughter's braids just in time for class picture day at school. Ukailya proudly showed her friends he new 'do,' and was thrilled that one of her teachers asked her if she could take a picture of her hair.

But that teacher, whose name is not being released, posted the pictures on her Facebook page, along with some comments mocking Ukailya. Another Overton Elementary School parent who is Facebook friends with the teacher saw the comments, and forwarded them to Lucinda Williams.

The teacher posted the photos, and then commented, "Right, this is for picture day."

One of the teacher's Facebook friends commented, "If you are going to make your child look ridiculous, the least you can do is have them matching." 

Another said, "I laughed so hard that my contact popped out."

Adults, laughing at a seven-year-old girl's hairstyle. Is this what teachers do? Tear down a student's self-esteem for a few minutes of fun on Facebook?  School spokesperson, Monique Bond, says, "This was a good teacher, but this was a case of poor judgment. It will warrant disciplinary action."

The teacher apologized to Lucinda Williams, and took down the page, but Williams is not satisfied. The teacher has yet to apologize to Ukailya, and has yet to receive any sort of disciplinary action. Lucinda Williams has hired a lawyer and said she will sue the Chicago Public School District.

This isn't the right message to send to her little girl, either. That every time someone makes fun of you, you run to a lawyer and sue. The lesson to be learned is that, no matter what age, people can be cruel, and say and do mean things, but they should own up to those mistakes and apologize for them. Especially if you're a teacher and you've hurt a little girl.

Ukailya says she was disappointed in her teacher's reaction to her hairstyle: "I feel sad that she put my picture on Facebook. I don't think she liked it." 

No, Ukailya, she may not have liked it, but she didn't have to make fun of it either.

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Paradise Lost

The other day I posted about Sacramento, and its treatment of the ever-increasing homeless population there. Homeless people are arrested, and their meager belongings held as evidence. The crime? Being homeless.

I thought I'd seen and heard it all.

Then I read about Honolulu. This little bit of paradise holds the #8 spot the list of Top 10 Meanest Cities towards the homeless. But it seems this dubious honor has gone unnoticed by city counselors.

You see, just this week they introduced a bill to prevent the homeless from sitting or lying down on Oahu sidewalks. Not people, just the homeless. It appears that Honolulu City Councilors feel that keeping homeless people out of sight is good for tourism. Maybe yes, maybe no, but what does it do for homeless people, other than shuttle them around like they don't exist or don't matter?

It's a disgrace that in this country we treat our citizens this way. it's a disgrace.

And in further efforts to keep the homeless moving along, Honolulu has been systematically removing benches from parks, retrofitting bus stops and installing concrete stools. Anything to hide the homeless from the tourists and make paradise seem, well, like paradise.

This new legislation, introduced by Councilman Charles K. Djou, comes on the heels of another outrageous piece of legislation, dubbed the "Body Odor Bill".

You read it right. Body.odor.Bill. It is designed to prevent people with a body odor from riding on public transportation. Luckily, this piece of asshattery legislation was quickly withdrawn.

It's insane that we treat people this way. many of these people are mentally ill, or have addiction problems and they could use help, not intimidation. They could use a place to stay instead of being told to move along or get off the bus.

This is disgusting.

This isn't paradise.

And this shouldn't be happening in America.