Churches Blow Hot Air

Sunday morning I watched part two of Bishop Gwin’s Love Corner Experience sermon, speaking briefly on out of control children in schools. Bishop Gwin advised the congregation and those who watch his Sunday morning show to call the church when their kids are disruptive. He spouted the normal, mundane bunk black churches offer of counseling and tutoring. What shocked me is when Bishop Gwin told the parents to call the church instead of taking off work because “we got this.” He further went on to advise the children not to act out in the classroom disrupting everyone else learning just because they don’t understand the material.

Whereas normally I am okay with Bishop Gwin’s sermon for he makes me laugh, think and research I have to disagree with his oversimplification of the education problem and his one sided blame and responsibility being place upon the children. I also believe that in this hour of crunch as true child advocates are working diligently to extend the consent decree, publicly acclaiming that educational disruption is that of out of control students will greatly have an adverse effect on much work.

Waking up every day with thoughts of Champaign Schools succeeding in pushing my daughter out in hopes to destroy her life as well as our family, today’s sermon reminded me of the lack of communal assistance, support or mediation. As I recall my boyfriend calling out the black churches two weeks ago at a community summit, Bishop Gwin reaffirmed Devin’s observation that these supposedly non biased entities have their hands deep in Champaign School District pockets.

Being as it may, this oversimplification of an out of control student merely “not understanding ” makes me wonder what other half truths are being spoken by church officials. Yes I guess my daughter did not understand when Barkstall and Carrie Busey School were improperly writing and implementing her Individualized Education Plan. Yes I guess she did not understand when so called “professionals” were attempting to reclassify her disability until they realized they might be facing litigation. Yes I guess she did not understand when she was being tackled to the ground in restraints by these witches who call themselves educators. Yes I guess she didn’t understand when she had to live with the terror, pain, turmoil, chaos and confusion in both her waking and sleeping life. So Yes she and I did not understand and I guess those million of students who do not graduate high school each year do not understand.

Unfortunately our opinion, as well as many other voiceless faces, do not matter because we live “poor” as Connie Gonzalez of the Mental Health Center so boldly written. So let me enlighten you to those who also do not understand but do matter. First I introduce the United States Government Accountability Office who recently compiled a report on Seclusions and Restraints because they do not understand. Also the House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee did not understand when they held a special hearing on May 19, 2009 to address these perpetrators who disguise themselves as teachers. The California Federal Court must have not understood either when they awarded Craig and Ann Gaydos $700,000 for the Cupertino School District’s maltreatment of their daughter. Finally I guess Toni Price did not understand when she asked House Representatives how an abuser (actually murderer fbecause her child died by the hands of a teacher) in Texas can relocate and teach in Virginia public schools without reprimand.

Those are just a few people who matter but do not understand. So African American or “black” churches however you choose to address yourselves today, please take into account the true issue before placing blame upon a population of people you think you know. The fact is unless you have been through or currently going through the opposition, resentment, torment and deception do not offer a simple solution to an obvious skewed problem.

Peace, Love and Bliss

Angel-Ah