Welcome To Second Grade, Please Check Your Guns At The Door

I've been hearing about this story all day, so I decided to give my 15 cents.

Samuel Burgos, from Miramar, Florida, was expelled, and has missed nearly two years of school, for bringing a gun to Pembroke Pines Charter Elementary School West, in Broward County.  In an age following Columbine, it is easy to applaud this.  Good enough for him.  His parents should be ashamed.  But here's the catch.

The gun was a plastic toy.  It fires plastic beads.  And it remained in Samuel's book bag during the entire time he was in school, until it was discovered by school officials.  According to the boy, who was 7, at the time of the incident, he had been playing with it over the weekend, and in an attempt to hide it from his brother, he placed it in his book bag and simply forgot.  Sounds like a 7 year old to me.

I guess in a world where keeping our children safe has become a daily struggle, the school's zero tolerance policy for guns and the mandatory expulsion that goes along with that policy can be seen as clearly understandable.  But there's still a such thing as common sense.

I agree that the school should have punished the boy, because even accidentally, he should have never brought the toy to school.  But it's a TOY...I mean, come on.  I think this is a case where the system overstepped its bounds.  Kicking the boy out of school for a mistake that any 7 year old might easily make seems a bit extreme.  Now he's forced to be homeschooled by his parents (who are not teachers), and miss out on all of the very experiences that our society says are indispensable to a child.  The only option offered was sending him to an alternative school for "at risk" kids.  Sounds unfair.

I understand policy, and feel like policy should be enforced.  But as people, we sometimes err in our judgments, and policy can often be flawed.  These are the times when we correct our mistakes, and change the policy.  If policy is allowed to be rewritten, which is like giving it a second chance, shouldn't a 7 year old boy be allowed the same courtesy?  A hearing later this month will determine whether or not that is the case.

(The school has changed the mandatory expulsion part of its zero tolerance policy to only include firearms...but after Samuel was expelled.)

Maybe I'm just naive, but I think this punishment was entirely too harsh, and needs to be corrected.  Feel free to comment.

Much love,
Marcus

(P.S. --- check out the entire article on the story, as reported by CNN, here http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/06/toy.gun.expelled/index.html)

Day Gone By, In a Blur: Ode To Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

It was late, but as an insomniac, I'm up and remember things I didn't do, when it hit me.

This is a quick apology to the few loyal readers that I have.  I promised I wouldn't neglect this blog and I have pridefully attempted to keep that promise.  Shit happens.  But to make it up to you, here is Tuesday in a blur.

It's a fact I've yet to share, but I am a sports fanatic, and nothing brings this out more than football season.  Minnesota Vikings fan, since nearly forever, and loving my team in spite of the 1-3 record.  (I am considering a trip to Hattiesburg, MS, to find out where the hell Brett Favre left his mojo at...lol)

So in the spirit of football, I must say: Chicago Bears fans...do I really need to say a word?  All of the perfect insults have been buried in the new Giants stadium along with Jay Cutler's poise at quaterback.  I mean 10 sacks...damn.  I haven't seen such poor protection since James Toney tried to do MMA.

Which brings me to the Miami Dolphins fans...and yeah, they beat the Vikings, but by what some crazy turnovers and a good goal line stand...take away the long catch by Brandon Marshall and it wouldn't have been a game...but after Monday night...hmmm, let's see, these guys protect the ball like the cast of Jersey Shore protects their good reputations (if you've seen the show, do I need to explain?).  Four tunovers and a 31-7 second half.  I guess suddenly the name Chung means more than nightmares of an aweful 80s song.  But cheer up.  You might be able to convince Lebron to suit up and make some plays.

Here's a quick song, no doubt what the abovementioned fans are thinking of the Bears and Dolphins performances:

	The Pretty Reckless - Make Me Wanna Die .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

"Make Me Wanna Die" --- The Pretty Reckless

which, interestingly enough, is an awesome song.

But anyway...about to go count sheep or something...lol...have an awesome night.

I'm Sorry I Can't Focus On The Argument, But The Way You're Rolling Your Neck Is Giving Me Whiplash

This is a quick lesson/word of advice for all the fellas.  Lean in, and pay attention, because I will only say this once.

*** When a woman gets mad, there's absolutely nothing you can do. ***

You can't apologize enough, you can't talk your way out of it, you can't pluck the moon from the sky and hand it to her on a platter of roses.  There is nothing you can do.

Except perhaps admit that you are wrong, but surprise, surprise, this usually makes them madder.  They're irritated by anything you say, and the funny thing is, you might actually be right.  Guess what: It doesn't matter.  It seems like insanity to the rational, and even a bit of an eyebrow raiser to the truly insane.  The best thing to do is take it.  If it's small enough, or enough time passes, she'll eventually get over it.  Otherwise, it might be time to get a refund on those plane tickets for two.

So, fellas, heed my words.  In the eyes of an angry woman, you are always wrong.  So deal with it.  If you care about her, understand.  And the most important thing to do:  Until she stops being mad, try not to fuck up.

Much love,
Marcus

Graduation Day: I Got My Master's in Embarassment

This poem is dedicated to all the kids who have to run home from the busstop, who carry fear like an extra notebook in their backpacks, or pray as soon as they walk into the school that today will be the first day that they don't trip.  I've been there.

Confessions of an Almost Not So Reject

I remember ridicule

like ridicule was Tuesday,

no matter what I did

I'd always run into it early in the week,

I rode to school,

imposed into the middle of the bus,

my social skills made even those delegated to the front

wary, about making room,

I guess in short, my life has seen a lot of empty seats,

conversation, like coordination, often announced my doom

I tripped all over it, ungainly, like my

awkward, lanky stance,

falling face first into the pariah,

known as geek,

they simply couldn’t understand me

because I was always good at math

because I told jokes that no one laughed at

and I talked in too many syllables

because I

liked watching Jeopardy more than MTV

and speaking of tv, I was on it once

a show called Brain Game

(instant invisible)

I couldn’t dance, talked real soft

and never once took the chance

to invite the pretty girls into an atmosphere where

I feared they couldn’t breathe

they couldn’t see me

so I lingered close enough to the edge where

no one would ever ask me to leave

and I was nice enough and likeable,

with enough normal hidden up my sleeve

that every once in a while

I received a smile, a pat on the back from the jock

that understands his homework now

those were better days, when angst steered clear

and I didn’t feel that aching need

to disappear

of course, the bullies always saw me

scoped out from miles like a maladroit oasis, where

they could come and piss their cares away

or syphon out my substance because they knew

I had no choice

even at 5’10 by 15, I was imposing only in voice

except when the force crept out of it

legs getting weak, counting out my very last $10

to some creep who keeps on shouting

(he didn’t have lunch money that day)

just as funny as the things our minds won’t let us remember,

are the ones we keep telling it to forget

like being scared of nothing, forever

or skipping class because, even though you like the subject, you

don’t like being subjected, and have this fear that you won’t enjoy it

not there,

forever a ball in a room full of walls, and

they just love to bounce you off of them

I remember ridicule

like ridicule was Friday,

after a while, thanking God for it

just tends to feel cliché,

it only made me stronger, because it made me helpless

and no one ever wants to feel that way

but I’m different now, still lanky

yet more comfort aligns my stance

I get down on the floor with the best of them

even though I still can’t dance

the fear is gone, those hapless peers

as relevant as their last names, which escape me

now, even when I’m nervous, my voice thunders

echoing all that’s changed

I don’t worry about the pretty girls anymore

and at times, I relish empty seats

as comfortable, hanging out on the stoop with the fellas

as I am debating opinions with teaching fellows

but every now and then, for a moment

when this world seems to be an empty night sky, and

all the of the stars are asleep....

I am returned to ninth grade classrooms

the teacher eyeing my lack of attention

“Mr. Jamison….what are you doing?”

my pencil trembles

as the once averted ears of so-called peers all

suddenly simultaneously listen

“…..writing a poem”….the words stumble from me

“Oh! you have time for poetry, well maybe you could share it with the class”

my heart  beats as hard as the d’s in dissed

as I try to dismiss the barrage of soft laughs

shaky, sweaty palms touch page like

emotions, on the ink-stained tips of pens

I sigh, close my eyes

my heart leaks out in a whisper

“Somewhere there is nothing

And nothing ever matters in the end

I wish, just once, that nothing was everything

then, finally, I could blend….”

Theme Song of The Day, Monday, Oct. 4, 2010

I was in a bit of a funk earlier today.  So many frustrations seeming to get me down, I had to remind myself that I'm strong and as long as I'm breathing, I'm going to keep trying.  This song kept me smiling.

	Kidz In The Hall - Take Over The World .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

"Take Over The World" --- Kidz In The Hall ft. Colin Munroe and Just Blaze

Keep your dreams in sight, working to make them a reality. Take over your world!!

Much love,
Marcus