If you are anything like me, you have come to dread the daily doom scroll despite the fact that it has become an integral part of your daily routine. Because of this, I have a policy of going dark over the weekend. Once the "Weekend Parting Shot" is up, I'm out. Although I admit that I take occasional peeks at the news cycle when I am "off-duty," and I usually regret it.
One thing that I have divined, and you likely have, as well, is that barring a cellular change in the cultural landscapes of the nation and the world, things will continue to deteriorate, no matter who is sworn into office in January. Sorry, I would love to insert an optimistic conservative phrase here, maybe something about poll numbers, but chaos is probably a foregone conclusion for the immediate future.
Case in point: in North Carolina, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office are in the process of investigating an incident in which a student at Parkland High School slapped a teacher in the classroom. I could describe the incident to you in lurid detail, but why do that when you can view the incident below since it's on social media? Naturally.
Warning: the video involves violence and foul language, so, using earbuds or headphones or viewing it away from the presence of little ears is advisable.
Wild footage shows a student slap a teacher across the face twice while he taunts her. This reportedly happened at Parkland High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 16, 2024
The sheriff’s office says they are investigating. pic.twitter.com/LpTHGY6B40
Local TV station WXII reported that in addition to an investigation, the superintendent released the following statement:
This behavior will not be tolerated. At no time is it acceptable for students to put their hands on a teacher in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. My focus now is on making sure that our teacher is taken care of and has the support needed to navigate through the lasting effects of this incident.
The principal, Noel Keener, sent the obligatory message to parents, which referred to the blatant act of violence as “an inappropriate and unsettling interaction between a student and a teacher.” The message included the standard disclaimer, “Please know this video is not reflective of our expectations of students at Parkland High School. We are working with district staff to address this immediately and ensure behavior like this is not tolerated in our school and district.” Principal Keener is clearly a front-runner for the Understatement of the Year Award.
You are likely asking yourself why the teacher did not defend herself or take control of this situation. If I had to wager a guess, I would say that she knew she was overpowered and in a hostile environment. She may have known that taking a stand would not only lead to further violence but may have also led to her being branded with the Scarlet R and being forced to denounce her privilege. Or, if she is governed by the diktats of CRT and DEI, she may have convinced herself that her attacker was well within his rights. Better to muddle through the situation without increasing the chances of collateral damage.
As to her assailant, he may have been motivated by some sort of racial animus, or he might have simply been acting on impulse, having come of age in a world in which young people are taught to expect everything of others and nothing of themselves. In this case, he has been done a disservice and has been relegated by his would-be benefactors to something less than human, even if he lacks the self-awareness to realize it.
Hemingway said that one goes bankrupt gradually and then suddenly. We can say much the same about societal decline. For some time now, we have shaken our heads as cities such as Portland, New York, Seattle, and Oakland have descended into chaotic war zones. We correctly surmise that the people in those areas have gotten what they voted for.
What they did not realize was that they were voting for people who were intent on moving the needle toward chaos, be it under the banner of equity, sexuality, or simply change. The resulting chaos, of course, will require more committees, more mandates, more laws, and more controls, since those in charge declare that we are incapable of governing even the smallest aspects of our lives. Scenes like the one above will continue unabated until they are no longer useful for facilitating change.
Go back and watch that video again. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you your future.
