Today’s highly interesting read (06/30/20): Don’t replace School Resource Officers, give them more help

Earlier this month the Milwaukee School Board voted unanimously to approve the following:

Be it RESOLVED, That the Milwaukee Board of School Directors terminates immediately all contracts with the Milwaukee Police Department for the services of School Resource Officers and other personnel; and be it FURTHER RESOLVED,

That the Milwaukee Board of School Directors directs the Superintendent to cease any further negotiations with the Milwaukee Police Department for the services of School Resource Officers and other personnel.

Today’s read is from Joey Melvin, an instructor and Region 3 director for the National Association of School Resource Officers and a detective/school resource officer with the Georgetown Police Department in Sussex County. He has spent more 18 years in law enforcement and was formerly deputy director of Delaware’s Comprehensive School Safety Plan. Here’s an excerpt, followed by a link to the entire column:

Some communities across the country want to divert SRO resources to nurses and full-time mental health support. The value of adding health resources to our schools cannot be disputed. However, as an experienced school resource professional, I feel that what needs to transpire is not a transference of focus or funding, but an addition to resources within our schools. In my opinion, replacing one resource with another cannot occur without negative impacts.

As SROs know their communities, they also know their students. Understanding a student’s background and, more importantly, any trauma our students have experienced plays an integral role in an SRO’s decisions. While I have countless stories to support this, I feel compelled to share this one.

Read it all here.

 

We won’t be going

Got this e-mail today:

This has been a challenging time for our community, but it thrills me to tell you that the first of our locations, Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993, will reopen on Wednesday, July 8.

Here is what you can expect…

Safety First

Over these past few months, we have taken the time to meticulously reexamine our service, safety, and hygiene standards, down to the most precise detail, in order to deliver an experience that you have come to expect from The Bartolotta Restaurants.

One of the first things you will notice at Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993 is our new courtyard, La Terrazza, a relaxed, socially distanced outdoor dining experience where you can enjoy an authentic Italian meal under the evening sky.

Outdoor and indoor seating has been arranged in a way that allows for privacy and distance; and additional safety measures include:

  • Face masks required for staff members and guests
  • Reservations required (reservations will be held for 15 minutes) and temperature checks upon entry
  • Touchless payment options and QR codes to view menus on smartphones
  • Custom safety partitions between tables and booths
  • UV-C technology that actively seeks and destroys microorganisms in the air and on hard surfaces

Enhanced cleaning of dining tables with every new reservation

Today’s highly interesting read (06/29/20): Why Derek Chauvin May Get Off His Murder Charge

Derek Chauvin is the former officer who was charged with charged with second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter following a bystander video showing Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck.

Alexander Kueng, Tou Thao and Thomas Lane – the other officers on the scene – are each charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter. Kueng and Lane helped restrain Floyd while he was on the ground while Thao looked on and failed to intervene, according to a criminal complaint filed June 3.

Today (June 29) Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill agreed that public commentary on the case has reached inappropriate levels, specifically noting that people aligned with the prosecution are pushing it toward a change of venue.

“It’s in everyone’s best interest” that no public statements about the case be made, Cahill said, noting that they’ve come from family, friends and law enforcement officials. “What they’re doing is endangering the right to a fair trial. They need to understand that.”

A look at the video shows actions by the police that are undoubtedly reprehensible, disgusting.

But is this a slam dunk case? Proving intent to murder is difficult in the court of law.

Today’s read is not meant to persuade or take a side. It is, as the title suggests, highly interesting.

One  news outlet details the inherent problems with the Minneapolis case. In an article titled “Why Derek Chauvin May Get Off His Murder Charge,” Medium reports:

The video is unquestionably horrific.

But in our rush to condemn an aggressive use of force and pursue justice for George Floyd, we have ignored crucial information which is necessary in judging the conduct of the officers. While nothing can absolve George Floyd’s death, these facts do cast doubt on the appropriateness of a murder charge for Chauvin, and paint a more nuanced picture of the events leading up to the tragic encounter.

There are six crucial pieces of information — six facts — that have been largely omitted from discussion on the Chauvin’s conduct.

Read the entire column here.

 

 

Guest Blog: Black Lives Matter? Tommy Thompson Can Make them Matter

Black Lives Matter? Tommy Thompson Can Make them Matter
By Guest Blogger Bob Dohnal
Publisher Wisconsin Conservative Digest

We are not going to get into the debate about Black Lives Matter vs All Lives Matter, Granny’s life matters, but zero in on the problem.

I love black people to work with. We, society, have shown that low expectations of our inner city kids has failed them.  Society has felt that they cannot succeed, so they do not.

When my daughter Darcie was in Grade School, she was rather disconnected, even though we thought she was very smart, got low grades.  While pushing her one time to study, she told me: “maybe I am just not that smart”. We disagreed.  Later she went on to become an Olympic Silver Medalist and an MD. So much for smart.

I have been lucky, all my life, to work in the pharmacy. We work with all races nationalities, sexes etc. and have really profited from it, because of our interactions with all kinds of people.

We have seen the mothers of inner city kids be just as concerned about their kids as any of our friends over the years.

That is why Tommy Thompson and Jim Sensenbrenner developed Chapter 220, open enrollment, choice; all fought against by the Dems/Left. Their concern was for their unions, about money, power and bennies, rather than the school kids.

In 1974, when assisting Bill Dyke for governor, we developed a plan to bust up MPS into 18 parts, to let the neighborhoods run their own schools. The teachers union ran MPS, along with the Left, the administration, and local politicos.  They failed the kids for the last 60 years or more.

WE pushed Chapter 220, open enrollment and choice. The Left opposed all of them. Kids cannot read, yet the Left still goes on to battle these programs that we pushed to help kids and parents.

Watch every year at budget time what is yelled about by the Left: Money, more money, more money.  Ever hear anyone talk about leadership and programs for the kids?

That is why we do not believe that the racists are on the conservative side. They are actually in the belly of the Left, who are the Urban Progressives that ripped the Dem party from the Blue Collar families of this country.

We know that the conservatives work for the kids. Tommy and Trump believe in these kids and so do we.  Kids are kids. They want to absorb education so we must give it to them. Around the world they teach kids far poorer than those in the inner city of Milwaukee, the 8th most violent city in the country.

The Left has failed our kids. Now we see the crazy wild eyed Left take over Tosa schools and build brick monuments for $314 million dollars in the way of new buildings but fail to teach the kids. Tosa has fallen from top 3 in area to 33rd or lower in Metro area. How many programs will need to be cut to pay off these loans?
The Left is far more interested in indoctrinating the kids to Left wing politics and spending more money on education then getting the job done. We had better results academically, with one room schools, than 12 districts in Wisconsin do now.

Why has the Left failed these kids?  Because they do not care about the kids. Only 54% of the money in education now goes to the class rooms.  They only care about their votes so they keep them penned up in the inner city and demagogue them into voting for them with lies.

The Real RACISTS are those that rule the LEFT wing cities and states. They know that if these kids get jobs, education and think for themselves, they will lose their votes and it would be the trash bins for the Left.

To get kids out of the ghettos, they need education and jobs and the Left failed them on both counts.

Look at all the cities and states that are run by the Left.  What do they have in common?  Poor managers, leaders, crime, drugs, human trafficking, lousy schools, national disgraces.

Arne Duncan called MPS a disgrace.  The Left and Tom Barrett did not care. Just keep on building toys like trolleys and Forums.

What do they want?  More money for their left wing programs and more money to the administration like in Tosa, but not to the kids.  A child is terrible thing to waste. That is why we are so happy that Tommy is now the top dog in education in Wisconsin.

Tommy will come down to these schools, churches  and energize the kids, the families, to learn to read, push for excellence, opportunity, show the kids freedom to become what they want, education to get out of the ghetto, and give everyone equality.

The Left has badly failed hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin kids in 12 districts and Evers was in charge of it all.

The news media has failed us.  Although the Journal has run lots of columns by Alan Borsuk, which I read, nothing ever happens.

 

MPS is third rail in Wisconsin politics.  Alberta Darling and Dale Kooyenga introduced a very modest bill to push for MPS improvement and it was killed, exactly what I told them would happen.  The Left, teachers union, administration, unions, Barrett do not want change. They want votes and if the kids can read they would never vote for them.

As Charles Barkley has said: “We were poor 50 years ago, we voted for Dems and we are still poor”.  Trump could fix that but they are scared to death he might. Now the conservatives must take the lead and fix the education for these kids, pushing aside the Left, if we have to do so.

 

That is why we are so excited about Tommy.  He inspires people to achieve.  He, like many of us, came from the farms, started by their forefathers in the 1850s, and did not have inside toilets till early 1950’s.  They showed us all how to achieve and solve problems. We all need people to lead that can solve problems, not with slogans, but with action. Tommy is all action. He has more good ideas in one day then most of us have in a lifetime, so let us get going.

 

The road will be rough just like Trump has in DC, because there are lots of people that are more concerned with themselves than with the kids.

WSJournal 6/22/20: Power of Personal Agency by Ian Rowe who writes:

“Our mission is to empower students we educate, most of whom are inner city, and low income homes. We want them to become whatever they want to be, regardless of the actions of any oppressive majority. And the black men who are succeeding in the U.S. are disproportionately likely to have done three things: graduated from college or served in the military, found full-time work and married.

There are pathways to power for young black people. That’s why our nation’s educators must help black girls and boys cultivate a sense of personal agency and convince them that their deliverance is determined more by their own actions than by the incantations of a newly enlightened majority.”

 

We know that kids can learn. Charter schools were set up and are very successful in doing that. Manhattan Charter School is doing that.  Predominantly Black and Hispanic kids are doing better than public school kids and beating schools where kids are in far higher income bracket.  They’re a huge threat to the Left Wing dogmas of education.

In New York, teaching in the same building, the charter school kids wipe out the public school kids achieving proficient levels of 81 to 100%  The Left, the unions, the teachers are fighting these charter schools.  Deblasio attempts to wipe them out. They do not care about kids. Save the kids and our future.

The latest pro-life news (06/29/20)

THIS WEEKLY BLOG PROMOTES A CULTURE OF LIFE

Don’t miss our closing heartwarming story every week!


From Pro-Life Wisconsin

From WI Right To Life

ALSO:

If They Weren’t Before, Conservatives are Officially Done With Justice John Roberts

Supreme Court abortion case – why coming election so crucial to pro-life cause

Americans’ Abortion Views Steady in Past Year

AND FINALLY, LOVIN’ LIFE…

 

Thanks for reading!

My Most Popular Blogs (06/29/20)

Here are my most popular blogs from last week, Sunday – Saturday:

1) Possibly coming to a classroom near you: BLM

2) President Trump will lose because…the polls say so!

3) Today’s highly interesting read (06/23/20): Obeying The Law Is For Suckers

4) Empty rally seats? True, but…

5) The latest pro-life news (06/22/20)

6) WI offers guidelines for reopening schools

7) All Lives Matter…or Black Lives Matter?

8) 2ND UPDATE: 30 seconds of celebrating America = a $3,000 fine?

9) Goodnight everyone, and have a drive-in, park, and ACTION weekend!

10) The Barking Lot – America’s Finest Dog Blog (06/27/20)

Culinary no-no #658

Culinary no-no began on Father’s Day 2007, a beautiful summer day, when I wrote about grilling brats. And eating brats. And topping those brats. I was inspired by my wife, Jennifer who, in my admittedly unscientific opinion, ruins brats by squirting ketchup on them. Other dining taboos quickly came to mind. The original idea was to take this concept only a few months, till the end of summer and then pull the plug. Then the unexpected happened. People started reading Culinary no-no. Lots of folks. So we keep doing the no-no.

Ever want to start a friendly (hopefully) argument? Just mention a place you think serves the very best pizza.

Today’s Milwaukee Journal had an insert announcing the winners and finalists of their 2020 Top Choice Award. The public was asked to vote in more than 100 categories from March 8, 2020 to April 8, 2020. as you can imagine the Restaurants category had surprises. I found some.

Sandra’s on the Park on Forest Home Avenue in Hales Corners garnered a total of 14 awards, either as Winner or a Finalist.

The Explorium Brewpub in Greendale was right behind with 13 awards. Both are great spots, so I’m not picking on them, but I couldn’t help but wonder as I perused all the results. Let’s focus on the top awardee,  Sandra’s on the Park and where it came in #1:

BEST OLD FASHIONED

Better than…

Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge?

Or…

BEST BBQ

Better than…

Saz’s State House? Saz’s wasn’t even a Finalist.

BEST OUTDOOR DINING

Better than…

Or Harbor House?

BEST PIZZA

Here we go. Better than…

Calderone Club?

Dom & Phil’s DeMarinis Original Recipes?

And I could go on and on.

BEST SEAFOOD

Better than…

Harbor House?

BEST FINE DINING

Better than…

AND FINALLY, BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT

Better than…

Just sayin’.

But if you really want an egregious no-no, consider a finalist in the BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT category was…Ian’s Pizza.

One school of thought is, that in general, lots of these voters had no idea what they were thinking.

Another point, and I can’t prove it, is that, with all due respect to their legions of fans, Sandra’s on the Park and the Explorium Brewpub did a better job of going all out to get people to enter and vote. They certainly can’t be faulted for that.

THE COMPLETE LIST

CULINARY NO-NO BONUSES

Wish I didn’t hate oatmeal

ICYMI, Culinary no-no #657

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos of the Week (06/28/20)

A pictorial week-in-review posted every Sunday.

1) Protesters Tuesday night wrapped chains around “Forward,” the bronze statue of a woman located at the State Street corner of Capitol Square in Madison, and pulled her down around 10:45 p.m. The sculpture is a replica of a Jean Pond Miner sculpture cast in 1893 and installed in the Capitol in 1895 that was designed as an allegory for devotion and progress, the embodiment of her home state. Photo: Emily Hamer, WI State Journal

2) Protesters attach a chain to the statue of President Andrew Jackson to pull down in the middle of Lafayette Park outside the White House as someone throws a roll of toilet paper during racial inequality protests in Washington, D.C., June 22, 2020. Photo: Reuters

3) Protesters clash with U.S. Park Police after some attempted to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square on June 22, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Tasos Katopodis / Getty

4) A demonstrator kneels as Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies prepare to fire pepper balls, flash-bangs and rubber bullets in a protest against the death of 18-year-old Andres Guardado and racial injustice, in Compton, California. Photo: REUTERS/Ringo Chiu

5) Less than two months after Fincantieri Marinette Marine landed a monumental frigate contract, President Donald Trump spoke to an estimated several hundred workers and invitees in an outside area that normally is used for modular assembly. It was the first time a sitting president has been in Marinette, WI. On April 30, the Department of Defense awarded a $795 million contract to build the first-in-class guided-missile frigates (FFGx) for the U.S. Navy, with an option for nine additional ships. The contract could be worth up to $5.5 billion and construction could continue for 15 years if all the options are exercised. Photo: Marinette Eagle Herald

6) The LCS Cooperstown is filled Thursday with some of the workers who built the ship at Fincanctieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, WI.  “We’re here today to celebrate a resounding victory for all of you, for Wisconsin, for the United States military,” Trump said. “Our entire nation is very proud of Wisconsin. Not long ago the future of this historic shipyard was looking — can I use the word bleak? — yes, it was bleak. It was down to 44 people and was getting ready to close up. And then a lot of good things came out. (FMM) is the mainstay of your community by far.”

Trump said the new contract will benefit FMM’s current 1,500 employees, and enable it to hire 1,000 more workers, along with triggering an estimated 9,000 new jobs through the Wisconsin supply chain.

“It’s one of the biggest contracts you’ve ever seen in the state,” he said. Photo: Marinette Eagle Herald.

7) Tomika Miller weeps over her husband Rayshard Brooks as his coffin is closed at the conclusion of his public viewing at Ebenezer baptist church. Brooks, 27, died on 12 June after being shot by a police officer in a Wendy’s parking lot in Atlanta. Photograph: Curtis Compton/AP

8) People look on as an image of Harriet Tubman is projected on the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia. Photo: REUTERS/Jay Paul

9) Black gun owners take part in a rally in support of the second amendment in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  Photo: REUTERS/Lawrence Bryant

10) A retired Butte County sheriff’s office deputy teaches gun safety to a nine year-old at a summer camp in New Mexico. Photograph: Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal/ZUMA/Rex/Shutterstock

11) President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he participates in a ceremony commemorating the 200th mile of border wall at the international border with Mexico in San Luis, Arizona, on June 23, 2020. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

12) President Donald Trump looks at a plaque after signing it as he participates in a ceremony commemorating the 200th mile of border wall at the international border with Mexico in San Luis, Arizona, on June 23, 2020. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

13) Doves are released during a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Korean War, near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Cheorwon, South Korea. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

14) The remains of 147 South Korean soldiers, killed in the Korean War, are returned home after a ceremony at Pearl Harbor.  Photo: Daily Defense News/ZUMA/REX/Shutterstock

15) A damaged building is seen after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico June 23. The building had already been damaged in a 2017 earthquake. Photo: REUTERS/ Carlos Jasso

16) Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI gestures at the Munich Airport before his departure to Rome. Former Pope Benedict traveled to his native Germany last week to visit his ailing older brother. Photo: Sven Hoppe/Pool via REUTERS

17) People maintain social distance as they ride a roller coaster at Worlds of Fun Amusement Park on June 22, 2020, in Kansas City, Missouri. The park opened Monday with limited hours and reduced capacity in an attempt to stem the spread of the coronavirus as businesses continue to return to normal operations. Photo: Charlie Riedel / AP

18) A visitor admires the view from the Eiffel Tower during a partial reopening as France eases lockdown measures.  Photograph: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images

19) Swiss acrobat Ramon Kathriner performs with the “Wheel of The Death” during the Glacier 3000 Air show, an event marking the reopening of the Alpine facilities above Les Diablerets following the lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Photo: AFP

20) A girl observes a partial solar eclipse on the Mahanakhon Skywalk Glass Tray at the King Power Mahanakhon building in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

21) An image of Marilyn Monroe is created using different varieties of rice in a paddy field in China’s north-eastern Liaoning province. Photo:  AFP/Getty Images