It's time to call a hoodlum a hoodlum

A school board member in Pinellas County, Florida is involved in a bit of a controversy. It seems that there is a small but hardcore group of so-called students at John Hopkins Middle School who are causing all kinds of problems and disruptions.

The school board member, Janet Clark, had the audacity to refer to these so-called students as "hoodlums." Oh crap.

Along comes the NAACP and the... International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement (?). Apparently, referring to unruly and incorrigible students as "hoodlums" is racist if those students happen to be black. Clark had made no mention of race, when she called the so-called students "hoodlums," and the dictionary definition of "hoodlum" has no racial connotation or exclusivity. I believe the NAACP and the Uhurus thou protesteth too much.

The best line from the attached article is from a fellow school board member, Mary Brown, who had the following reason for taking such umbrage at Ms. Clark using the word "hoodlum" to describe these little delinquents:

They might be disruptive. They might be in gangs. They might be many things, but they are not hoodlums," Brown said. "I feel that that statement showed insensitivity to our children, and it certainly did not offer good guidance to our staff.

Imagine if these hoodlums had been caught stealing: "They might have stolen various items from other students. They might have taken a few items and kept them without the owners' permission. They might be many things, but they are not thieves!" Brilliant reasoning, Ms. Brown.

Mark Twain knew what he was talking about when he said, "In the first place, God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made school boards."

Good Day to You, Sir