‘Turkey Lives Matter’

Hooray for the Wisconsin State Journal. Once again, Madison’s newspaper of record has spoken up and spoken loudly on an issue of public safety raised by your Squire in the daily newspaper one month ago and many times here at the Manor. The State Journal’s Sunday editorial does not coat with sugar:

It’s hard to imagine a worse marketing campaign for the Madison School District than: “Enroll your child here. We’re getting rid of our school police officers.”

… For more than a year, the Madison School Board has inexplicably allowed uncertainty to fester over whether it will keep police officers in city high schools.

That needs to end — now. The School Board should emphatically assure the public, parents and students that it will keep at least one Madison police officer in each high school, plus security guards, to build rapport with students, help settle disputes in peaceful ways, and respond quickly to emergencies.

We credit also Mitch Henck’s timely op ed for stirring the consciences Madison’s daily newspaper. And for our friend Paula Fitzsimmons’ tireless advocacy.

School board to demand no guns; SILENT on cops

The Madison School Board meets tomorrow, Monday, February 26, at 6 p.m. at the Admin Bldg., 545 W. Dayton Street. (Agenda here) In the wake of Parkland, Florida, school safety is on the agenda, as it should be. But not Police in Schools, as it should be. No, that would be too germane. First, Supt. Jennifer Cheatham is scheduled to give an update on school safety. Let’s see if she talks about the brawls at all four city high schools over the past two weeks. After that, the seven-member Board of Education will take up a feel-good resolution that demands:

The immediate passage of comprehensive legislation that effectively addresses our nation’s persistent and pervasive gun problem – legislation that would make universal background checks mandatory, ban assault weapons, ban aftermarket “rapid-fire” devices, keep people who are subject to domestic violence protection orders from having guns, and prevent the possibility that any student, teacher or parent would ever possess a gun on school grounds.

We cannot help but wonder if Madison public school alumni visited a supermarket in the tony new high rises on East Washington Avenue Saturday. This from Chief Koval’s police blotter:

1:10 p.m. Saturday, February 24 — MPD officers and a sergeant responded to Festival Foods, 810 E Washington Ave, for a group of protesters in the store in the meat and dairy department. Officers arrived as the protesters were leaving the store via the liquor store exit. The Festival Foods manager advised that the group protested meat slaughter — Cows’ Lives Matter” — and held packages of meat in customers’ faces and yelled “Murder!” as they did so.

The manager also added that today’s group was similar to the group who protested “Turkey Lives Matter” on Thanksgiving Day. Officers warned a representative for the protesters not to return or face trespass citations. The manager wished to pursue trespass complaints only if the group returns.

Priorities, people!