Senate Sketches # 1203

Senate Sketches # 1203

by

Senator Hank Sanders

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Forty some years ago, there was a television commercial so powerful I still remember it almost word for word and image for image.  A Caucasian man stands up and says in a very authoritative voice, “You can pay me now,” and holds up a $4.95 auto oil filter.  He continues with the words, “Or you can pay me later,” as the image of a tow truck pulls a car with a blown engine into a repair shop.  The blown engine will obviously cost hundreds time more to repair.  We have the same option with school dropouts:  we can pay a little more now or we pay a lot more later.

The costs of school dropout has a high price.  We know about school dropouts making a lot less money and therefore paying less taxes to support local, state, and national governments.  We have seen how school dropouts are often in greater need of public assistance and experience more health challenges.  We have heard about school dropouts being more likely to be involved in drugs and crime and ending up in jail or prison with the public paying the bill.  These are indeed high costs to pay.  However, I want to explore an even higher cost.

The highest cost we can pay for anything is with our very lives.  And one high cost of school dropout is life itself.  Too many murders are the cost of school dropout.  This point is so critical that I want to explore it in detail.

I realize that some will object to this writing because it may adversely impact the image of our community and hurt recruitment of industry and jobs.  However, the cost of violence which results in multiple deaths is too high not to address it directly and openly.

Selma has one of the highest murder rates in Alabama.  We are a city of 20,000 or so.  Dallas County has 46,000 including Selma’s 20,000.  Yet, we have had the following number of murders:  5 in 2002; 17 in 2003; 13 in 2004; 9 in 2005; 5 in 2006; 8 in 2007; 10 in 2008; 6 in 2009; and 4 to date in 2010.  That is too many murders under any circumstances.  We must do better.

I did some research to see how many of these victims were high school graduates.  As best I can tell, of the 76 murder victims from 2002 to June 19, 2010, most did not graduate from high school.  Several were still in school and one was too young (3 years old) to have started school.  This is not a scientific survey but the correlation between murder victims and school dropout is too real to ignore.

Then I looked to see how many of those accused and/or convicted of murder were school dropouts.  An even higher percentage did not graduate from high school.  That’s also a correlation too powerful to ignore.

Those killed lose their physical lives.  Those convicted of killing lose their physical freedom and the utility of their lives.  And the families of the victims and the perpetrator suffer greatly and lose a lot.  We are all diminished in one way or another.  The cost is just too high.

I am deeply concerned about violence in our community.  I am greatly concerned about violence that claims lives.  I have tried to do something about it.  I participated in “stop the violence” marches.  Some time ago, I went from house to house with other community activists.  I spoke out about violence and murder.  I prayed about it.  I now think that we must attack the problem at a level deeper than talk and even protest.

I am not naïve enough to think that school dropout is the only factor in these killings, but it is a powerful factor.  It plays into poverty and low value on life.  Therefore, we must do much, much more to stop school dropout if we want to break the cycle.

I know first hand how difficult it is to keep students in school.  I know from my personal experiences as:  a parent by blood; a parent by foster relationship; a community parent by heart; an attorney who represented students, teachers, and school boards; and as a community leader and elected official.  School dropout is a great challenge to school officials, parents, and the community because it is complex.

Many students drop out while others are put out or pushed out.  It pains me every time a child is put out of school.  But I recognize that schools often don’t know what else to do.  If they don’t put truly disruptive students out, they feel that they risk losing an entire class and ultimately the school.  We must do better, much better because the cost of students dropout is simply too high.  Sometimes the highest cost is paid – life itself.  We can pay a little more now or pay a lot more later.

Ultimately, it does not make any difference whether a child drops out of school or is pushed out or put out.  The end result is too often a culture of violence that claim life after life.

I have tried to help prevent school dropout in every way I know how.  I tried to provide extra resources for high risk students.  I tried to encourage partnership between schools and community organizations.  I have urged schools to tackle the dropout problem but the challenge continues.  I don’t know the answer but we must do a lot better.  If not, we will pay a little now and a lot later.  Please join in the fight to save our children.

Now on to the Daily Diary.

Saturday – I was in my Selma office early working and still made it to Montgomery by 9:45 a.m. for an Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) Board Meeting.  I handled various matters before returning to Selma.  I then traveled to Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, arriving at Midnight.  I also talked with the following:  ANSC President Robert Avery, State Coordinator Shelley Fearson, and Secretary Jeanette Thomas; Barbara Pitts of Auburn; Sam Walker of Selma; James Laster of Birmingham; and Roger Watts of Gadsden.

Sunday – I was still in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach where I made a morning presentation to the Alabama Association of School Boards Council of Attorneys.  I returned to Selma for a late dinner with Dr. Fannie McKenzie where we discussed education issues.  That night, I took off work to watch the NBA Finals except for one conference call.  I talked with the following:  Lissa Tucker of the Alabama Association of School Board (AASB); Lester Brown and Leo Branch of the Greene County School Board; Dr. Carol P. Zippert of Greene County; Commissioner of Agriculture Ron Sparks; and Consultant Rick Dent. I participated in an 8 p.m. conference call relating to Senate matters.

Monday – I made a 7:30 a.m. Team Selma meeting, 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. meetings in Lowndes County, had lunch with county leaders, and returned to Selma.  I worked on Sketches and other matters and talked with the following:  Senator Zeb Little; Olion Wright of Selma; Dr. Eddie Johnson, Assistant State School Superintendent; Dr. Craig Pouncey, Assistant State School Superintendent; Tawanda Armstead of Selma; Sharon Wheeler of Montgomery; Terry Hargett of Selma; Major Madison of Selma; Sabra Barnett of the Senate President Pro Tem Office; Leonard King of Dallas County; Youlanda Curtis of Washington County; Ginger Avery Buckner of the Alabama Association for Justice; and South University President Victor Biebighauser.  I worked into the night on various matters.

Tuesday – I had breakfast with Selma Businessman Jim Hodo, finished Sketches, and talked with the following:  Selma Mayor George Evans; Deborah Anthony of the Legislative Reference Service (LRS); Etta Edwards of Greene County; Sharon Calhoun of Montgomery; Jackie Osborn of the Alabama Senate Staff; Principal D. H. Robinson of Mobile; Katy Campbell of Tuskegee; and Thomas Figures of Mobile.  I handled many matters, traveled to Montgomery for a radio program on WVAS Radio Station, and returned to Selma.

Wednesday - I was in Birmingham by 9 a.m. for a meeting with several senators and others.  I returned to Selma, worked at my office until 8 p.m. before attending a Banquet for Dr. Gertie Lowe of the Alabama State Baptist Convention Women’s Auxiliary.  In between, I talked with the following:  Consultant Rick Heartsill; Senator Lowell Barron; Senate President Pro Tem Rodger Smitherman; Senator Roger Bedford; Jackie Ward and Jerry Pennick of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives (the Federation); Sadie Moss of McRae Learning Center; Sabra Barnett of the Senate President Pro Tem Office; and Phil Fraas of Washington, D. C.  I participated in a conference call concerning Black farmers.

Thursday – I skipped my usual 2 mile walk because I had to be at my office at 6 a.m.  I worked on various matters before going to Tuscaloosa for a 9 a.m. matter.  I returned to Selma and then traveled to Montgomery to serve as graduation speaker for South University and returned to Selma.  I talked with the following:  District 67 Democratic Nominee for State Representative Darrio Melton; Donald Stewart of Anniston; Abina Billups of Selma; Lobbyist Steve Windom; South University President Victor Biebighauser; Lobbyist John Teague; and Senator Quinton Ross.  I worked into the night.

Friday – I began writing Sketches and talked with the following:  Lobbyist John Teague; Sharon Wheeler of the Ron Sparks Campaign for Governor; Barbara Pitts of ANSC; former Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford; Deborah Anthony of LRS; Joyce O’Neil of Selma; Joe Jackson of Nashville, TN; Franklin Fortier of Z105.3 Radio Station; Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard; Dennis Palmer Publisher of the Selma Times Journal Newspaper; Dallas County Commissioner Curtis Williams; Oli Taal of the National Voting Rights Museum (NVRM); and Ainka M. Sanders of Nashville, TN.  I attended the Ribbon Cutting of the National Voting Rights Museum and traveled to Destin, FL for the Alabama Association for Justice Annual Meeting.

EPILOGUE – Sometimes we hate to talk about painful things.  This is especially true when the pain reflects on us or cause hurt.  As hard as it is to talk about such things, it is even more difficult to write about them.  I certainly experienced this struggle with this Sketches.  But I wrote it anyway.

NOTE: Sen. Hank Sanders (D – Selma) has written weekly columns for papers in his legislative district for over twenty years. They are not available online from the rural, weekly papers which publish them. This column is provided by Sen. Sanders’ office to Doc’s Political Parlor for inclusion in the Daily Headlines.