Right Opposition

Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee should be applauded for demonstrating solid leadership of the local school system. After years of malaise it’s nice to see someone taking charge. Of course leadership comes with headaches and Lee has a few.
His decision to close the K-1 center in Fairhope angered many parents and they will likely not soon forget it. K-1 is a historical landmark that means a lot to the people of the colony but it is proving expensive. It’s disappointing that it needs to close but not surprising. Lee could have ignored K-1 but then that wouldn’t be leadership.

His next big project seems to be a reconfiguring of the elementary and intermediate schools in the county to drop student/teacher ratios. In some cases class sizes for a single teacher would drop from 35 to 22. That’s a 37% drop in the ratio. He deserves much praise if it pulls it off. It will take a year and you can bet there will be extreme controversy over the plan. Attendance zones will have to be reconfigured. Watch for loud complaints about this one. But in the end, Lee’s plan should be approved.
Leadership is never easy and it always brings trouble. We think Lee is to be applauded for his work.

The United States Department of Justice, the supposed legal watchdog for all Americans is not watching for all but for a selected class of victims. Kerry Picket, writing in the Washington Times says President Obama’s recent speech on bullying which promises federal protection against bullying, only protects certain people. A white male who is heterosexual would not fall under any provision of the protection, according to Picket. We suggest you read the linked article for specifics.

This is similar to DOJ’s decision to drop prosecution of a black activist who was caught on tape shouting racial epitaphs and taking a confrontational stance against white people while standing in front of a polling location.

It’s time for the President and Attorney General Eric Holder to read a few lines of the country’s founding document. The Constitution proclaims equal protection under law – not just protection for those who most supported the President in the last election.

What do you think?

Libya blinked.
The regime of Muammar Qaddafi has ordered an immediate stop to military actions against protesters. For days and days the unstable ruler has used his military, including fighter jets, to assault rebels throughout his country. The north African nation has been awash in blood as he fought back those who sought to eject him from power.

What happened to bring this sudden cease to military actions?

It wasn’t the United States. We have been content to ride along in the backseat of the car while Britain and France led the way toward a military no-fly zone. We were happy to let the most ineffective organization on earth, the United Nations, declare that force could be used to enforce the no-fly zone.

It wasn’t President Obama’s leadership that stopped Qaddafi in his tracks for there has been no leadership. Aside from a late speech to two our President has not stepped up to the plate. He made no decision and waited for someone else to lead.

Now here is the burning question: What if our President was a leader and stepped up two weeks ago and ordered a unilateral no-fly zone? How many lives would have been saved? How quickly would this human disaster has ended if Barack Obama could make a decision?

Does this mean that Britain and France are in the ascendancy or that America is in the decendancy?