**UPDATED***

Tonight on Uncommon Sense Radio we will have Tom Tobin of the St. Petersberg Press and Sharon Chandler of Yes2Kollege on the show to discuss this issue.

Details:

97.7 KDEE-FM
5-6pm

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The St. Petersburg Times reported on an incident where police put an out of control, five year old girl in handcuffs. Was it justified? Let’s go to the video tape ...

OK...maybe this tape doesn't show the whole story. But the sight of a child being put in handcuffs does strike and emotional cord. I don't know that this was the right course of action at the time. But not shown on this tape is the following behavior:

She tore papers off Dibenedetto's bulletin board and desk. She climbed on a table four times. About an hour had passed since she refused to participate in a kindergarten math lesson, which escalated into a series of defiant and destructive acts.

The tape, which lasts about 30 minutes, begins with Dibenedetto alone in the classroom with the girl, saying the child's name frequently as part of her commands.
"You need to stop," she tells her, using her hands to make the sign language signal for stop. "You don't get to wreck the room."

Using her radio, she calls for help from teacher Patti Tsaousis. She also asks the school office to call the girl's mother and tell her the school will have to call Pinellas Schools police if the behavior continues.

Word comes back that the mother would not be able to make it until 3:15 p.m. It is shortly after 2 p.m.

A short time later, the girl is heard off camera breaking a ceramic or plastic apple on Ottersbach's desk.

"Oh, you broke her apple," Dibenedetto says. "That is so sad."

Throughout the 23-minute segment in the classroom, the assistant principal tells the girl many times to stop, that her actions are "not acceptable." She tells her she needs to take her to her office to prepare for her mother's arrival.

The girl responds to each request with a curt, "No." When the girl reaches out to strike them at times, Dibenedetto and Tsaousis tell her to stop and hold their hands up in defense.

Incidents like this are playing themselves out in classrooms across the country. Although, very few probably end with a child in handcuffs, you would be surprised by the epidemic of out of control school children defying and attacking adults. Yes, the balance of power has shifted in schools. And most teachers, as well as administrators are powerless to take back their rightful place as authority figures in the schools.

When I was in school, it was a given that the teacher was the authority figure in the classroom. This basic assumption is no longer the case. As a former public school teacher I have seen students defy, curse at and in some cases even attack teachers and administrators. Where do you think these children are getting the idea that it is ok to physically attack adults? At home!

Discipline and respect for authority is primarily taught in the home. This is where a child learns that there are consequences for their choices; good and bad. They also learn that there are boundaries and limits to their behavior. They also learn the concept of respect for authority at home.

When I was growing up, I never thought of calling adults by their first name. My parents always taught me that to do so was to put myself on their level. And that until I was grown (supporting myself and paying my own way), I was not on their level. Yet today, I cannot tell you the number of times I have had an adult introduce me to their children as “Craig”. Such a minor interaction may seem insignificant. But it is just one of the many ways that we undermine the concept of authority in our society.

We have bred a lack of respect for authority. Television, rap music and violent video games have shouldered the brunt of the blame, but who is letting these youngsters partake of this trash? Pop culture is not the only culprit. We as parents are partially to blame! We have given into the mentality that we should be friends with our children.

Let’s be real! Our children do not need more friends. They need parents! They need parents who love them enough to discipline them; to teach them self-control and respect for authority. They must learn that every choice they make has consequences; good and bad.

If we, who claim love our children, do not teach them these lessons; they will be forced to learn them from a system that does not love them; the criminal justice system. And I do not relish the thought of my child in handcuffs. Do you?

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Also of interest: A commentary I wrote a few months ago "Train Up a Child" further discusses our role as parents.

Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com

(Washington DC; Monday April 25, 2005 7:00 AM local time) Yesterday’s Washington Times featured a story on Hold Their Feet to the Fire, haven’t checked today’s Post yet. As I type this Fox News Channel is doing a segment on Hold Their Feet on Fox & Friends.

Spent last evening first at a John & Ken event. A couple hundred people from around LA are here, including the family members of several people murdered by illegal aliens. John told us that from LA alone there are more than 800 outstanding warrants for murder outstanding against illegal aliens. Mexico either has or knows where most of those people are but is protecting them and will not cough them up to US authorities.

From there we spent time with Chris Simcox (Minutemen), California State Assemblyman Jay LaSuer (R-San Diego), and Melanie Morgan, Roger Hedgecock, Siobhan Guiney (Move America Forward), Kathleen Antrium (San Francisco Examiner) and others planning our attack on illegal immigration.

There are more than 400 people here from California, many from the Sacto area, and many more on their way into town this morning for a 9:00 AM rally at Lafayette Park. Roger & I will be speaking at that event. From there our citizen army will swarm up to the Hill.

Listen to KFBK tonight at 7:00 when I’ll be live from Capitol Hill. Long list of folks for you to hear from and I’ll be taking your calls.


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Listen to 1530 AM KFBK weeknights from 7-10 PM for details on how you may join in me banging pots and pans for immigration reform in the very belly of the beast, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. this April 23-28!

Mark Williams is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, and Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. His work appears in this publication, on Fox News Channel and nightly on Sacramento’s 1530 AM KFBK radio. For more on Mark and his background visit his web site.

OK, I know it's been a long, pleasant time but I am going to start posting again. Like I mentioned earlier, I will probably not post everyday. But you can once again come here to find my opinions, opinions based on limited fact-checking and spur-of the-moment emotion.

Today I'd like to lash out at the city leaders in Sacramento. For too long they have failed in their roles as leaders in terms of making Sacramento a world-class city. The city's "champion", mayor Fargo, talks the talk but...you know the rest.

Here are the key areas where the city leaders are failing:

First, the arena debacle. Yes, I understand many people in the area don't want to even partially help fund an arena. Too bad for you, I say. As a city leader, your job is to do what is best not only for the people but for the city. A new arena is a must. But Fargo and the city council have caved in to the whining by Sacramento-area residents. Everyone opposed to the arena being publicly funded is living with a second class mentality and show little civic pride. So, the city leaders leave the arena plan to the Sheriff? Pathetic. Show some leadership[ and convince people why a new arean must be built.

Second, the riverfront. For years the promise has been a vibrant riverfront a la San Antonio. What do we have today? A water intake facility. Granted, it is a helluva a nice one, but not a place I'd like to spend an evening. Why the Sacramento river is not lined by retail and residential is a no mystery, it's a tribute to a lack of vision by our leaders.

Third, the city made no effort, even symbolicly, to try and get teh Oakland A's to relocate here. The A's are unhappy in Oakland and the fan base here would be terrific. To be fair, though, many residents would probably complain that it may cost them 10 cents here and there if a stadium were to built. But again, that attitude goes back to our leaders failing to instill pride in area residents.

Lastly, a slew of new high-rises are being proposed in downtown and mayor Fargo actaully said that she wonders how high is too high to build. It is that kind of short sightedness that will forver keep Sacramento in the second-class city category. The city must start approving the projects immediately. The approval process in Sacramento is badly broken and must be reformed. And, screw the historic value of the burnt-out hellholes on K. Street. The city must enact eminant domain and destroy those "historic" bum havens.

That is all for now. If you agree please write your city council member and demand they start bringing more than endless tract housing to Sacramento. If you disagree, you need to re-evaluate why you have no civic pride.

The Wrong Blog

Out of SMF early this morning, 2-hours late. Weather on the Eastern Seaboard and FAA crew flight time restrictions causing a Jet Blue equipment swap that stranded us in Sacramento until almost 2 AM (for an 11:20 PM – night before – flight) After 10 PM SMF is like the Bangor, ME. Airport in Stephen King’s Langoliers. By 11 PM you’d have better luck getting a drink in Utah than finding martini, a cup of coffee or even a stick of gum in Terminal A.

The people of Jet Blue couldn’t have been better. After years of suffering the likes of United and US Sacreways this was a breath of fresh air. But air we had plenty of. Our A-320 got slapped around the sky like a Spanish Galleon in a typhoon from take-off until we hit Western Nebraska 2 & ½ sold hours of being slammed around and up and down. I have never experienced anything like it in all my years of flying.

On arrival at IAD the car and driver that I had arranged for picked us up and got us to our Capitol Hill hotel where we checked in and dashed across the street to catch up with Roger Hedgecock, Melanie Morgan, Lars Larsen and the couple hundred listeners who made the trip from California.

People are excited! Roger, Melanie, Buzz Patterson, Holly & I, and a few others from the Left Coast are getting together later with a key republican congressman to plot both our immigration reform plans, and to jar loose John Bolton’s nomination to the UN.

More to follow…also, the show live from DC this Monday through Wednesday.

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Listen to 1530 AM KFBK weeknights from 7-10 PM for details on how you may join in me banging pots and pans for immigration reform in the very belly of the beast, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. this April 23-28!

Mark Williams is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, and Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. His work appears in this publication, on Fox News Channel and nightly on Sacramento’s 1530 AM KFBK radio. For more on Mark and his background visit his web site.

**TONIGHT** (Thursday April 21st) I will be on ABC's Nightline representing the Recall of Judge Loren McMaster. This is the Judge who said it was ok to create counterfeit marriage.

This recall effort has been getting a lot of attention nationwide. And will likely get a lot more as the people wake up to the reality that we must deal with an out of control judiciary.

Starting next week I will be publishing a series of blogs on why we should recall Judge McMaster and the importance of putting the judiciary back in it’s place.

So stay tuned!!!

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Craig DeLuz

Visit The Home of Uncommon Sense…
www.craigdeluz.com