Yet another reason for school vouchers...

From here:

At least 150 students played hooky from Kennedy High School on Tuesday to demand extra security in their Southwest Side school, saying they'd even welcome cops in the classroom to stem rising violence.

Toting signs reading "Does Someone Have to Die?'' and "We're Scared of School,'' kids rallied across the street from Kennedy in the wake of a brutal beating last week that stunned the school.

Even Jesse Ruiz, State Board of Education chairman, called the assault "disturbing'' and asked the board staff to examine the state's spin on a federal law meant to help students who are crime victims.

Beating prompts walkout

Four Kennedy students have been charged with misdemeanor battery for pummeling a senior honor student and breaking his nose during a March 29 meeting of all seniors in the school auditorium. Witnesses said the attackers threw feces at the victim. The motive was uncertain.

One of my neighbor's cousins went to Kennedy High School in the 1970s. Back in the day, it was considered one of the Chicago area's premiere high schools; but alas, the ghosts of the Great Society have claimed another casualty...

Misdemeanor battery? For "pummeling" another student and breaking that student's nose?

Q. Why were the kids who beat the Kennedy honor student and broke his nose charged with misdemeanor battery?

A. Generally, a felony aggravated battery charge requires use of a deadly weapon or "great bodily harm" to the victim, according to authorities. Police decided the case was a misdemeanor and did not refer it to the Cook County state's attorney's office for possible felony charges, Chicago Police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. She said prosecutors can upgrade the charges if that's warranted.

If that's warranted. Yep, but everyone knows that those poor, misunderstood kids' actions were merely the result of societal oppression.

Let's not forget that the "pummelers" were black, and the "pummeled" was a white student. Black on white crime. Hate crime. Right? Guess again:

Q. Was this a hate crime?

A. Although the victim was white and the alleged attackers were black, "there doesn't appear to be any indication that this would be a hate crime," Bond said.

Nope, no hate crime here. Just some black guys beating up on a white guy. The concept of a hate crime is reserved for the other way around, right?

This incident is emblematic of a public school system run by a corrupt political machine.

Yep. School vouchers are looking better every day.


(Filed under Daley, from the plantation)