When Ignorance Rules, Incompetence Reigns
　
As we look back in history and recall the peaks and troughs of Mankind’s continued ascension up the ladder of Evolution - our advances and accomplishments - an honest inquiry into ourselves reveals that our lowest and most disgraceful rungs were reached when the vices of Ignorance ruled the hearts and minds of our nation and so-called leaders, thinly veiled as ethical virtues as these ruling Placebos of intelligence basked in their own vainglory while the masses followed along in sheepish lockstep.

Common sense gave way to common ignorance as the consistency of high principles succumbed to the inconsistencies of low people, trading freedom for security, equality for intolerance, and justice for politics, who, lacking the competence to intelligently appropriate a means of surpassing the bar way beyond the level of mediocrity, instead, found it to be more ideal and essential to simply lower the bar to meet it.

As a result, the children of this country now find themselves reciting a pledge of allegiance that is even less believable than the nursery rhymes they recite soon after, reflective of a self-righteous culture of low standards and low expectations that prepares it’s children for the same while audaciously proclaiming itself a “World Leader”, indicating that when Ignorance rules, Incompetence reigns.

Ancient and recent history provides more than enough documented examples of the innocent many suffering at the hands of the ignorant few. However, for a recent example of its continued practice and propagation, one need not to look any further than the remote town of Gastonia, North Carolina, where a 9-year old child, Emanyea Lockett, was suspended from Brookside Elementary school for sexual harassment for calling a teacher “cute” and/or “fine.”

When adolescent crushes and compliments are shared between children in reference to a teacher, and then are interpreted as sexual harassment by someone presumed wiser - particularly a compliment that is as benign and lacking in any degree of threatening fortitude as the word “cute” is - then, not only is the intelligence and competence of the persons in power questionable, but so are the standards and principles that provided the platform and allowance for such intolerant stupidity to exist and thrive in the first place; both of which are in desperate need of reformation and/or removal.

Considering this degree of asininity, one has to wonder that if the tables were turned and it was the adult that referred to the child as “cute”, would such a comment/compliment constitute a form of sexually harassment or pedophilia? If so, then there are tons of gushing parents peering through nursery windows who potentially may have “pedophile” soon etched next to their name.....as my facetiousness finds little humor.

But in the immortal words of Forrest Gump’s mother, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

This culture of Intolerance - which is a form of ignorance - has sadly grown rapidly over the last several years, finding comfort and expression in the false guise of vigilant patriotism and proud heritage, exposing the likelier underlying truth and reality that this distorted mind-set has always been there - lurking - just simply awaiting the first opportunity to come forth and discriminately spread its human stain.

And considering that Emanyea Lockett is an African American child in the South, the South’s ominous, inescapable, and not-so-far removed history overshadows and offers stark parallels to the Emmett Till story; a story of a young African American boy in Mississippi that was condemned, brutally murdered, and tethered to the bottom of a lake by white men for whistling at a white woman.

Apparently, a whistle was a form of sexual harassment then, and the word “cute” is now. Again, not-so-far removed.

Of course defenders of the school’s actions will say that this comparison is unfair and excessive, but so too were the treatments of Emmett Till and Emanyea Lockett; both establishing that the vice of Ignorance is the fundamental and consistent common denominator in the exercise of such intolerance, and the recent action at Brookside Elementary school serves only as a karmic reminder that such ignorance will rule and reign repeatedly until a revolution of intelligent compassion prevails.

A teachable moment is only useful to the degree that at least one of the people involved is smarter than the moment itself. Unfortunately, such a person did not seem to exist on this day at Brookside Elementary school.

So, be inspired. Be led by principles and not people. If we each thought better, then we all would do better.

Tungz