Bully gets off; victim disillusioned by so-called role models

The story ends the way the story always ends, when bullies get caught being bullies; they get another chance.  The bully gets away with the bullying.

A judge has decided;

if the bully can manage to not get caught red-handed committing another strong arm robbery for 90 days, the charges over a strong arm robbery the bully committed in broad daylight in front of deputy sheriff, will be dismissed.

There are those who believe a bully, if you give them another chance, will use that opportunity to reform themselves.  Giving them another chance begins with ignoring what they just did.

Because the "first" offense is forgiven over and over again, we are always looking at the bullies "first" offense; they are never held accountable for what could be a lifetime of bullying.  There are no "chronic" bullies and therefore, no need to address a problem called chronic bullying.

Local State Senator Linda Lopez actually sponsored legislation that would wipe a bully's slate clean every year as a matter of law, link.

We have heard from the victim.  His letter, link is heartbreaking.

He is of course disappointed that his "friend" stole from him, hit him and humiliated him in front of dozens of kids.

He is more disappointed in how quickly the adults around him abandoned their so called principles.

I would bet, there is a large poster hanging somewhere in a common area at Rio Grande High School.  It reads in significant part; character counts!

Does it?  Not really, not if you ask the victim.  Most of this kid's friends and adult role models urged him to lie about the robbery for "the good of his community" and a state wrestling title.  He became the bad guy.

As a Character Counts! trainer, I had occasion to give kids t-shirts that on their front and back read;

Stand up for what you believe in ...
... even if you're standing alone.

A kid doing the right thing should never be standing alone.

A kid doing the right thing should have role models in front leading by their example, and beside and behind lending their support.

That circumstance depends upon character education.

The leadership of the APS has utterly abandoned character education and any district wide effort to develop character in students.  There is no concerted effort to provide character education in the APS.
 
The proximate result is bullies, victims, and too many students and adults standing around watching, with no idea what they need to do. 

The leadership of the APS began their abandonment of character education by removing the role modeling clause from their own standards of conduct.  No longer, are adults expected to hold themselves accountable to the same standards of conduct they establish and enforce upon students.

Character education in the Albuquerque Public Schools needs to be examined.  There needs to be open and honest public discussion of standards and accountability for students and for their adult role models.

Standing foursquare in opposition to that open and honest public discussion; the leadership of the APS who finds themselves in an indefensible position. There is no way to spin taking the role modeling clause out of your own standards of conduct, as anything but moral cowardice and corruption.

What are the standards for students?  What are the standards for adults?  Are they the same?  Should they be?  How are they each held accountable to them?

These are legitimate questions that a Journal reporter should be asking, that a Journal reporter could be asking, but that no Journal reporter will be asking.




photo Mark Bralley