19 Year Old Dies Because Guards Refuse To Help Him, Meanwhile, Wardynski Still Hasn't Figured It Out

In today's entry I'm going to be addressing two different things that are affecting my own hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. Both stories are locally directed, however, if you are someone who reads my blog outside Huntsville, there's no reason the stories don't apply to you. There is universal messages to be taken from them and I know that the kind of things that are happening in these stories are not just local.

I would also like to start off by making the point, I am not pro-AEA, I am not Pro-School Board, I am not Pro or Anti Casey Wardynski (pertaining to the second matter, at the bottom of this post), and I do not care about Right Wing or Left Wing. I type, and write, and preach what I believe is right both morally and logically.

These kinds of things are happening all over the United States and it is our job as the citizens, not the police's, not the government's, and not the courts'. It's ours.

The first story is of a 19 year old kid that was in a Madison County jail. He was arrested for using a counterfeit 100 dollar bill in July of 2013. He argued that he didn't know the bill was counterfeit, which seems perfectly reasonable to me. Unless he was somehow involved inn a deeply-rooted, conspiracy-esque counterfeit system, odds are he had no idea.

It is a very common thing to happen in our society. However, the system was not merciful because a month before he had been caught stealing Star Wars DVDs.

When Deundrez Woods first arrived at the prison, he was in a perfectly normal state of health. However, as time progressed, he began hallucinating and was becoming unable to communicate. It was stated he had a "severe and sudden change in mental functioning".

He had a harsh infection in his foot that had become gangrenous, but was not treated properly, and, for the most part, not at all. To quote Challen Stephen of the Alabama Media Group;

"Instead of receiving treatment, the suit states, Woods was placed in a 'medical observation cell' on Aug. 6, 2013. He had no access to water after Aug. 12. There is no record of him eating after Aug. 14. No nurses visited him after Aug. 14."

His rotting foot began to stink severely, however, all guards did (instead of giving him proper medical attention like any sane person would) was drag him out of the cell, spray him down with water, and put him in a different cell. The official complaint read;

"Woods went from normal, to aggressive and disruptive, to barely responsive, to all but dead as correction and medical staff watched."

Three times last year similar obstruction of medical attention happened in Madison County jails. Nikki Listau received a broken femur after she had fallen from her bunk but was denied medical attention. Tanisha Jefferson died of an ignored bowel obstruction.

All these deaths were perfectly preventable with easy, east steps. However, Madison County jails have withheld as much medical necessity as they could to preserve funding.

That sickens me.

Jeff Rich is the attorney for Madison County and said that all three cases were being "vigorously defended". I hardly believe that Jeff Rich believes that it was acceptable for these people to be left dying helplessly on a jail-cell floor. However, he is getting paid so why does it matter what's right? That, readers, is why I ask you never to leave justice up to lawyers and judges.

They can be corrupted with money, personal sway, and any other imaginable factor. Justice is not swayed by money and politics though. That is why it must be carried by the people.

The next topic falls into a category which I have talked about previously, and did have some backlash from the aggrieved. Casey Wardynski.

If you don't know who Wardynski is, I previously described him as a "militarized, power-flexing, dictator-like superintendent with disregard for any sense of individual rights or privacy".

This past week, students in his district have been warned the superintendent's wishes to crack down on cell-phone policy. A mass email was sent out to the local teachers, which I was given a copy of. It stated this;

"Allowing students to bring to school electronic devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, pagers, or other audio/video devices, is a privilege afforded by Huntsville city Schools. Use or visible possession of any such device during school hours is strictly prohibited except by permission of the Principle or in the case of devices issued to students by the District for educational purposes. In addition, students may use devices for instructional purposes with the specific permission of their teacher. An acceptable use form, including instructions and conditions, will need to be signed and additional restrictions may apply. The use of electronic devices may not disturb or impede extracurricular activities.

 The Board permits restricted and conditional access to, and use of, its technological resources, as well as personally-owned decides for instructional purposes only and not for personal use. Students may use only accounts, files, software, and/or other technological resources that are assigned to, provided, or approved for him/her.

The Board reserves the right to place conditions on, restrict, or prohibit the use of personally-owned technology resources, including all electronic devices ans storage of media on its property. School officials may read, examine, or inspect the contents of any such device upon reasonable suspicion that the device contains evidence of an acted or suspected violation of the law, Board policy, the Code of Student Conduct, or other school rules, provided that the nature and extent of such examination shall be reasonably related and limited to the suspected violation."

First off, Huntsville City Schools, no one still uses pagers.

Also, if you didn't quite follow all that, don't worry. That's because the entire statement is full of vague and multi-interpretational bureaucratic lingo so that the people in charge can demand they have a broad-spectrum range of power, when they don't.

It's not news that the current-ruling generation doesn't approve of technological progression in their schools. Wardynski tries to show his ability to adapt to modernism by flashing the flag that he gave his students personal laptops. However, the reality of that move was that it was purely for the superintendent to try and get his spotlight time. Which he did receive, despite the fact that dramatic transition was narrow-spectrum, poorly executed, and mercilessly restricted.

The reality is, he doesn't approve of the age of technology any more than his peers. Once his successors come into office, over time, cell phones, like many other banned-electronics, (based off my own prediction) will be widely accepted in schools.

So for now, we will continue to see more recent technology be rejected by schools. I had a very brief email conversation with the author of An Army of Davids, How Markets and Technology Empower Ordinary People to Beat Big Media, Big Government, and Other Goliaths, Glenn Reynolds about the introduction of educational reform through technological advancing.

I asked Mr. Reynolds if he thought we would reach a point where the people needed and wanted this change, but educational leaders would refuse to make it and create a problematic era of education. He said;

"Yes I do, and it's beginning to happen. But there is a massive resistance."

That is the situation that they have now created for us.

So let me act as a median for my fellow students. We, as students, cannot insist that they do not have the power to search us, deny us full access to information access, and ignore our own rights to education and privacy.

However, we can insist they should not have these powers. We have the power to make change, and we should be the ones making it, right? We are the only ones it truly affects! Next, though, it will be our kids, and our kid's kids. So, do not individually mumble under your breath that they do not have the right. Instead, collectively, and wholeheartedly civilly disobey, because that is our job and our right as the next generation.

Encrypt your phones, set your passwords, and fight back against dictators like Wardynski and the like. And when they demand you give them access to everything, look them dead in the eyes and say no.

That applies to everyone. Not just Huntsville students, not just children, but to everyone who has ever found themselves powerless. Civil disobedience is the way out.

That's all for today, and I'll be back against tomorrow with another post!

"Heard joke once: Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Life seems harsh, and cruel. Says he feels all alone in threatening world. Doctor says: "Treatment is simple. The great clown - Pagliacci - is in town. Go see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. "But doctor..." he says "I am Pagliacci." 

Good joke. 
Everybody laugh. 
Roll on snare drum. 
Curtains." -Rorschach, Watchmen