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"God, you're hot" school board member Keith Ervin not removed from school board. (www.youtube.com)
submitted 7 months ago by to c/nottheonion@lemmy.world
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:disgust: 8
 

Half the school board thinks Keith deserves a third chance (that's right, not his first time making inappropriate comments to a child).

They say only he can decide if he wants to step down. They did vote in favor of censuring him. The rest of the school board members that laughed during the comment and touching of a child faced no repercussion. Some even pretended to be offended during the emergency hearing.

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[–] 5 points 7 months ago (8 children)

Violence is a circle. You do it to someone, they do it to you. The only way to stop that cycle is to kill your target. Now murder's on the table for anyone who thinks a type of person is unacceptable, which is only sensible until it really, really isn't. Operating under the assumption that violence is a reliable deterrent will ultimately get you killed, man. Unless you plan on being the only guy with the nuclear option at your disposal. Good luck with that one.

Peace should be the standard, even when it's hard. Don't get me wrong, there are people I won't shed a tear for when they get hurt. But I would consider the best case scenario to be "a problematic person course corrected before they hurt anyone" and the next best to be "a problematic person learned from their mistakes". That's what accountability looks like imo, and we don't always meet that mark. That's a shame, but not big enough that violence is the only answer we have. We can and should be better than that.

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    You talk of peace but leave out justice because violence is how laws are enforced. Wake me up when you start preaching that private property is violence because until then this is just hypocrisy.

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    I actually don't think violence should coincide with justice. It just does because violence is enforcement, and we don't have a better way laid out for peaceful coexistence (at least, not in the US at present). Violence exists, and one of the most reliable methods of regulating violence has unfortunately been to meet it where it is, with greater violence. Beyond that, we have a tendency to go to great lengths to justify violence against one another, so much so that it's an art in and of itself. I'm well aware how idealistic I'm being in wanting peace as a baseline, but nothing worth doing is without challenge.

    Private property is a can of worms I can't touch right now. But I have ancestors that were considered private property, and existence itself is being claimed by the highest bidders with little that can be done to resist it. You won't find me arguing that private property isn't at the very least directly supported by violence. I'm not quite sure why I'd have to preach about it to substantiate my desire for peace though? I'm engaged in a system I didn't choose, and I find my rebellions where I can. It's hard to exist in these times without a bit of personal dissonance.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

    Honestly it helps me understand what kind of peace you are talking about. Property is a very personal thing for people because of the lack of peace. But consider me awake and listening. Any book or media recommendations?

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  • [+] 3 points 7 months ago (1 child)
    [removed by mod]
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  • [–] 8 points 7 months ago

    I don't think we have yet. Not for this guy, at least. He called a kid hot, in front of colleagues who were amused by it, and the proof is undeniable. I'm sure enough local pressure could get him (and maybe his colleagues) fired, and a black mark on his character would be even better. People should let him know what they think of him everywhere he goes.

    That said, the president and his ilk...tbh that's where I struggle to find the peaceful option. Can't find a better representation of institutional failure. Violence won't necessarily make things better, but I can't shake the feeling we've been backed into a corner.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago

    The first violence is that they arrest parents for child abuse if they don't send their children to attend a school with a pedophile on the board.

    The second violence is a parent grounding their child unless they attend a school run by pedophiles.

    The third violence is that they arrest people if they don't pay taxes to fund the wages of a pedophile in a position of power over children.

    The fourth violence is someone paying money to put a pedophile in charge of children.

    The fifth violence is a child getting sexually assaulted because the perpetrator knows they can get away with it.

    The sixth violence is an adult telling a sexually assaulted child to go back to school because they don't have proof.

    A peaceful world does not look like the present day. A peaceful world is anarchy, where nobody is required to support a pedophile school board member unless they want to.

    What you are asking for isn't peace, it is submission to the status quo and the forces with a monopoly on violence that maintain it even if they are unjust.

    If you want peace, prepare for war. Because a lot of people are going to be violent towards you the moment you stop supporting their violence.

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