Here in Chicago, we have two $100 million-plus baseball teams that can't hit, and a hockey team on the brink of its first Stanley Cup title in nearly 50 years. But the team that's been in the headlines is one that isn't even allowed to play. Of course, I'm referring to the girl's high school basketball team from north suburban Highland Park which won’t be competing in a tournament in Arizona in December because school officials claim that "students' safety or liberty might be placed at risk because of state immigration law."
The school is obviously making a political statement but is trying to defend itself by hiding behind the student's safety ruse. When the story first broke on Wednesday, District 113 Assistant Superintendent Suzan Hebson told the Chicago Tribune that the trip to Arizona "would not be aligned with our beliefs and values." As the father of two young boys who will soon be enrolled in public schools, this is one of the more chilling statements that I've read in a newspaper in a very long time. Pardon me, Madame Hebson, but how are you so certain that all of your students and their families share your politically correct "beliefs and values?"
Someone in the school district obviously recognized that her statement made bad copy, and by Thursday the bogus "it's not political, it's the safety of the students" spin was rolled out in full force. In order to buy this safety argument you'd need to swallow the notion that police officers in Arizona are going to be pulling over school buses to ask for papers, bringing paddy wagons to high school sports events, and perhaps even raiding schools themselves. No rational person can honestly believe that this is how Arizona is going to enforce S.B. 1070.
But irrational fear and paranoia are inevitable given the media coverage of the new law.
About Me
- TheRightFieldLine
- A farm boy in Minnesota, I acquired my first rifle at 5 and my shotgun at 9. At 10, I was living in Duluth, in a tough neighborhood. So I sawed off the barrel of my rifle and whittled a pistol grip. The farm boy was now ready for life in the city. In the army I expanded my repertoire to the M1, the bazooka, machine guns and other things that make loud noises. It was a blast, and I didn't have to pay for the ammo. Along the way, I broke bones playng football and spilled blood on hockey rinks. No regrets. Sports were a blast. Still are. I spent two years at two elite universities, but got my education at the University of Minnesota. A career journalist, I loved my craft until it took up social emgineering in the mid-90s. An industry that had welcomed bright, witty and irreverent free-thinkers was suddenly filling up with not-so-bright leftist zealots on a mission. So I quit. Since then, I have skated, roller-bladed, skied, sailed, canoed, worked out, traced my family roots, honed my churlish side and set up this blog. The old instincts are coming back. Life is good.
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