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Jonetta Rose Barras: Safety, sanity: Slip sliding away
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Related Topics: WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Save us from handwringers, panderers, preservers of ineffective public policy and the American Civil Liberties Union. They all want to play dodgeball and hopscotch with criminals. They haven’t seen a thug they didn’t want to “give some love” — never mind that thug may have just robbed an old lady or shot a kid.
Even after District leaders’ declaration of a crime emergency, people continue to be killed or physically harmed. Youth under 16, facing a 10 p.m. curfew, still haunt the streets at ungodly hours looking for their next thrill — stabbing someone in Georgetown or Adams Morgan.
The ACLU sees curfew enforcement as a civil liberties recruitment tool; the organization gives new meaning to the term “ambulance chasers.” (I confess a long-standing disagreement with the ACLU over its penchant for getting in the way of citizens wanting safer streets.)
Others in the city inject race, suggesting that elected leaders only act when a white man is harmed. Still others see dead presidents and an opportunity to feed at the public trough; they want money for nebulous programs whose effectiveness has never been evaluated. The city already spends nearly half of its $7 billion on social service and public safety.
But these special interests groups aren’t the only obstacles to order and sanity in a city touched by a killing fever. Metropolitan Police Chief Charles Ramsey is equally to blame, as are Mayor Anthony Williams and his 13-member bleeding heart back up singing group known as the D.C. Council.
During discussions around the overly praised crime emergency legislation, Ramsey asserted that the MPD wasn’t out to arrest youth for stealing gum at the 7-Eleven. Too bad. It should be.
Growing up in New Orleans, my grandmother Rose’s favorite axiom was, “If you lie, you’ll steal; if you steal, you’ll kill.” Each time she made that statement, she was posting a danger ahead sign. The slope is extremely slippery. The loss of morals, values and ethics begin with the smallest, seemingly insignificant action.
Zero tolerance should be the order of the day. The chief isn’t having it. He doesn’t even like the phrase. This aversion to aggressive policing has the city at the mercy of criminals, thugs and unruly youth whose parents want the government to do what they can’t or won’t do.
In Williams’ first term, he promised zero tolerance. He also promised an administration keen to the broken window theory, which argues that abandon buildings, trash-strewn streets and gaggles of unkempt people on corners are invitations to criminals to set up shop. The policy is unpopular, especially in African-American communities. Williams backed away.
Now, he wants to paint the town blue, pass out lots of cash to every open hand and throw up surveillance cameras to catch the action — but only for 60 days.
Have mercy!
Jonetta Rose Barras is the political analyst for WAMU radio’s D.C. Politics Hour with Kojo and Jonetta. She can be reached at rosebook1@aol.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
7:26 AM MST on Fri., Feb. 22, 2008 re: "Calling what you do in the classroom teaching"
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Lisa said:
Do a grammar check -- you have a who/whom problem in the first sentence of the 6th paragraph. Are there no editors around?
122 agree | 110 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Ms. Barras, Please stop straddling the fence!!! One minute you are heralding Rhee as the best thing since slice bread and now you speak the truth...A woman WITHOUT a Plan
114 agree | 125 disagree
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Examiner Reader SL said:
This article truly addressed the major issue that continues to cripple the school system and drive highly qualified teachers from educating in the district. There is an urgent need for accountability starting all the way from the top. Without significant changes, it we will only be like a bandaid being placed over an infected wound.
216 agree | 218 disagree
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Right...tell me another one said:
You know this is not going to be popular, but although Janey had the rights ideas on curriculum, you swear he was a paid consultant and never managed staff. He did not set a mission, did not review employees based on if they lived up to the mission even his own Declaration of Education and for that reason did a disservice to those who are/were talented in central office. Because he failed to set the tone. After awhile the bullies would take hold. The people who were in their cars at 5:01pm, and took Friday's off as they "worked from home" all week. He fired maybe one person--whose work was such an embarassment --she was barely literate and was asked not to return by a parents group. Her position Head of Communications. (I could not make this up). But who were talented, head of accountability, deputy business officer, community liaison all left when they were great talents.
254 agree | 235 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Unfortunately Assistant Superintendent Francisco Millet's story is common in the District of Columbia Public Schools. I can name another Assistant Superintendent who shares his style and attempts to intimidate teachers.
252 agree | 249 disagree
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Karen Dickerson said:
The earnest attention being paid to the current state of the DCPS is long overdue and much welcomed. Many residents undoubtedly applaud the sweeping reforms Chancellor Rhee and the Mayor plan to institute and recognize that not everyone in the system is inept, an idiot, or even a crook. Going beyond simply making it “look pretty” will be a drastic cultural change and a tragic blow to those comfortable with the status quo, as well those unaccustomed to be held accountable –not to mention being charged with the task of actually having to think. Being “progressive” is daunting and yes, even “troublesome” for some, but when one takes into account the increase in the number of charter schools in the District (only a few of whom actually meet federal student-performance benchmarks), Fenty’s and Rhee’s initiatives represent a unique opportunity (if not a noble undertaking) to improve student performance rates and provide students in the District—the Nation’s Capital—with a world-class educat
277 agree | 229 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
When will Ms. Rhee announce the leadership team that she has assembled. There are people showing up but no one has been formally introduced, at least, to the employees in the trenches. Ms. Rhee couldn't tell the council what the duties of her transition team would be but she could give you the salary "range" not even the job title so I guess they will just "do what their supervisor tells them to." Millet is a whole different creature but he isn't the only parasite in the school system. Building moral is not a concern of these people even though Leadership 101 dictates a collaborative environment for effective change.
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Mike Licht said:
>Re: Drilling down in D.C. schools< Anonymous Examiner Reader: it is not that everyone in the central office of DCPS is an idiot or a crook but that the lack of rational structure wastes the talents of any of those people with experience and credentials you cite, so they cannot possibly serve as assets and help students. If an agency with so many Budget Analysts cannot spend Federal Grant funds legally or purchase textbooks on time, and a system with so many Curriculum Specialists cannot teach children, it is indeed time to clear out the central office and start over. The sooner the better.
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Examiner Reader said:
Frankly I am sick and tired of the media portraying everyone in central office as an idiot or a crook. There are people at Central with experiences and credentials who are assets to the system and help students. In fact, due to the lack of communication from the Rhee administration to the current central office staff (perhaps based on their mistaken belief that all are incompetent) many excellent people who ARE employable in top jobs in the area are leaving. When will that story be told?!
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Examiner Reader Ms. Betty Lewis said:
Why don't we let the court seperate the lies from the truth. Lanier moved to fast on her personal vendetta against the Commander. Bauman from the FOP is an idiot, Lanier assigns police and the cars and the bikes, not the Commander. We know that all the trashing of the Commander's reputation is coming out of Lanier's office, maybe the investigators that are working on the Commanders case will uncover the true reason that Lanier was picked for Chief, knowing that she is not the brightest star in the sky . Why has Lanier surrounded herself with Commanders and Assistant Chief that had domestic charges filed against them ?
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