Chaos Reigns Supreme

There has been so much chaos and controversy going on with DeKalb County Schools right now, we can barely keep up with it.  Do not misunderstand that statement to mean that we are surprised about anything that has happened.   Sadly, none of the sorry state of affairs in our school system surprises us any longer.  We're just a bit astonished that there are not laws in place or authorities in uniforms anywhere in our entire nation who act as some kind of watchdog to prevent these crimes or investigate the causes of such waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars.

There are people taking our money and using it however they want.  But, remember, "bad guys" are not required to look a certain way.  They can be perfectly nice looking folks who even wear business suits or have the prefix of "Dr." before their names.  But, they are just as capable of stealing your money as the guy you might imagine creeping down a back ally in the dead of the night.

Actually, the first description should scare you more than the latter because the well-dressed, seemingly trustworthy, upstanding citizens who is robbing you blind is more likely someone you know.  The "wolf in sheep's clothing" so to speak is much more likely to be a real threat to your neighborhood's safety or the money you thought you had tucked away safely in the bank.  The second description of a thief is more likely just a figment of your imagination.

Much of what is unfolding right now is EXACTLY what we have predicted.  There are no bragging rights here.  We would rather be wrong than to have to watch events unfold in the manner we have expected.  We wish we never had to peer into the corrupt political world that is causing our very core systems to crumble.  But, then again, we did not go looking for a fight.  "They" decided to pick on us, sneak things past us, tell us lies and play political games with very real consequences for average people like all of us.  "They" just didn't expect any of us to be able to figure it out.  These people do not understand the word "no" and think that the laws the rest of us follow do no apply to them.

We wish we could stop it.  We wish we could make it all go away.  But, "we" can't do anything without stronger unity on the side of what's right.  We cannot convince anyone to help us when the actions of the very people we want to help call their own behavior into question.

Try to explain some of these issues and you will sense the frustration:

1. The PTAs do not have "open mike" discussions or encourage much participation from the community at-large.  In fact, they now put on performances for the parents and faculty and encourage "face time" between parents and teachers, but real issues are not discussed in these open forums.  Why?  On the surface PTA parents are all "rah-rah" and "go team."  Underneath, they are just as concerned as everyone else.  And, you will likely notice they are yanking their kids out of school, or moving away from DeKalb, just as fast as the rest of us.  
2. Community opposition groups appear out of "nowhere" and then disappear.  In the case of the cell towers from a year ago, we can only assume that some of the active groups who were upset have either received the answers they wanted and agreed to keep quiet.  Perhaps the tower location has moved a few hundred feet or the design has been changed so it will not be as obvious.  But, perhaps the new location is now closer to your home instead of someone else's.  Or, maybe your concern was more about the radiation levels your family would be subjected to and not just the way the actual tower might look.  
3. Georgia Power is putting high-voltage power lines everywhere these days.  Look around you.  Think of all the energy-efficient appliances and cost savings measures that have encouraged conservation over the past decade and decide for yourself if it makes sense that we are still needing MORE power when the number of our homes has not changed and the way we use electricity has actually resulted in lowering costs.  Where exactly are these large, high tension power lines going?  And why?
4. The school system is investing in technology instead of people.  They want to tear down schools and buy more buses.  
5. The DCSS wants immediate and costly loans on the millions of dollars voters approved in SPLOST IV.  And, these requests are coming after Dr. Cheryl Atkinson's blathering on about "pay as you go" plans and "fiscal responsibility."  But, then again, she has several personal bankruptcies that she would rather you not know about.  And, her track record in her job has left more than one school in her wake now facing financial hardship and possible state takeover.
6. History is repeating itself.  If we could look outside our own little worlds every now and then, we would easily find stories about the exact same issues going on here.  We could read about how these actions have worked out for Lorain County, Ohio, or Kansas City, MO, where they were given a bottomless pit of funding and still failed in the end.  

What should you do?

Well, that's up to you, but here are some things to think about...

If you do not have the answers you were looking for initially, do not expect anyone else to find them for you. Even we cannot stop a cell tower in someone else's community.  We are just doing whatever we can to try and warn you about what might be coming.  But, you have to get involved and stay involved.  It is as much an individual battle as it is a team effort.

What's the "right" thing to do?

The lines between right and wrong can sometime get blurred when politics are involved, but when you consider how the results of your actions might affect others, you will be able to keep a clear head before making any decisions.  And, if you are still unsure, just look into the eyes of any child you know and remember that children have the same rights as adults for their protection and safety, but they do not have the ability to speak for themselves or comment on public policies, even when the outcomes directly impact them most of all.

It is up to us as the adults here to stand up for the children.  Do not allow yourself to get roped into the game or compromise your values.  Right is still right, even when no one else appears to be doing it.  And wrong is still wrong, even when everyone else is doing it.

GTCO-ATL is working to provide a summary of recent events with links to relevant news articles, so please check back with us frequently or join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Get.the.Cell.Out.ATL