Comments by curious
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0 of 1 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 21 at 12:09 a.m.
The most important and interesting parts of this article were so brief that I almost wonder why it was written. Specifically, how do you prevent "blowback"? What are the long term strategies they've developed? How does the educational system need to be reformed? At the least it should have provided a website or source for obtaining more information.
Instead, this is a tease and aims to superficially justify what I believe was a serious offense to civil liberties. The crackdown was called "Operation Gator Roll" for the martial arts move that brings submission through an attack to the head. The name alone is enough to cause alienation and even violence. But then there are the innocent relatives, including young children and elderly, who had their heads pinned to the floor, sidewalk or "Dome of Doom" (Earl Warren) while being interrogated. Maybe that could create alienation & blowback too?
And then this op-ed comes along and mentions the crackdown could actually worsen SB's gang issues unless social strategies are employed. BUT it doesn't even give one.
I'm feeling angry - and I'm white, priviledged & quite safe in my westside home. Anyone else tired of blaming youth for the situation we put them in?
5 of 5 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 20 at 1:08 p.m.
Well said. Thank you Ray.
Posted on November 20 at 9:18 a.m.
I was stating that none of MY comments should be misconstrued as referring specifically to Westmont. Obviously other folks have been.
This is not a holy war. It is people who are hurt and angry & need not escalate beyond that.
The sheriff's department has not been straightforward and another institution, perhaps, is letting Westmont bear the brunt of the publics' anger. This is a poor model of integrity for young people.
On Westmont Says Its Students Cleared of Tea Fire Wrongdoing
2 of 2 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 20 at 8:29 a.m.
Thank you, Indy for telling some of their story. This is heartbreaking and that's a good thing since it seems many hearts need to be softened. I've heard locals dismissing the impact of the fire as affecting only rich people with insurance.
Santa Barbara is a diverse community whose wilderness is shared by all. Our actions should reflect that... taking precautions, helping others and grieving together.
0 of 2 people thought this was a good comment.
Posted on November 19 at 11:18 p.m.
ps...and confusion of the issue includes this idea that hatred is being spewed at Westmont. A terrible phrase and frail attempt at martyrdom.
On Westmont Says Its Students Cleared of Tea Fire Wrongdoing
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Posted on November 19 at 11:08 p.m.
1. None of this should be misconstrued as referring to Westmont
2. People are responding with anger & fear because they feel out of control or powerless. This is instructive, not damning. Folks who reply with peaceful/religious rhetoric are also trying to soothe themselves, in an equal & opposite way. Neither approach is superior.
3. Education institutions are political. I worked at SBCC and witnessed them diverting attention from their security guard/rapist incident. While working for law enforcement, I watched UCSB attempt to minimize the Eric Frimpong controversy. At my own college, far away, my life was tossed upside-down by a similar natural disaster. That administration also failed to meet the crisis with integrity. It's an incredibly difficult task, but these educational institutions, like most, have intentionally sought to become surrogate parents. They have pursued parental jurisdiction to varying degrees to increase their authority and leverage on the student body. However, they don't want to be held responsible for their students' negative actions, only their successes. Kind of like alot of parents out there.
The priviledge these students and their school abuse is not a tangible one like wealth but a state of mind. It is a capricious attitude of getting away with whatever you can. Usually this involves much rationalization / justification and attempts to confuse the issue.
On Westmont Says Its Students Cleared of Tea Fire Wrongdoing
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Posted on November 18 at 9:10 p.m.
HEY INDY, stop covering for these young idiots. If this story were about any other subject, it would read "students" not "young adults". Clearly the nameless school is running interference behind the scenes to protect its identity. I can see those politics working with law enforcement, but it is ridiculous for the media (including the Independent) to perpetuate this little game by censoring itself. By calling the students "students", you raise the question "students of where?" and the school doesn't get to hide quietly.
RAY, you reported here that the fire was due to carelessness and mention twice that the students thought they had put it out. Who cares?? Again, making excuses for criminally stupid behaivor. No one should be smoking a cigarette in the foothills, let alone having a bonfire. The bonfire is the issue, not how it was extinguished.
Coincidentally, a 16 year old suspect was arrested yesterday for arson causing the Gap Fire. I can accept that there are crazy, dangerous people out there. What angers me far more are 10 dangerous students who ignore common sense and clear warnings because of their priviledge.
Our community should not be providing them with excuses or blowing smoke like sevendolphins does in suggesting defense arguments. Fire officials are forensic scientists who gather precise data. Stop making up fantasies to absolve their guilt. If they went to that bonfire even for 5 minutes, they are to blame.
Posted on August 16 at 9:15 p.m.
I was impressed by your entirely heterocentric perspective. Besides your blanket use of she/he pronouns, the line, "a surprising number turn out to be gay", clearly didn't consider that the cyber-stalker may identify as queer.
Of course you can't explain the gay "thing" since you don't seem to consider it existing outside of illicit googling. Once we stop assuming people's sexuality, *even* people we're sleeping with, it ceases to be either static or shocking.
Posted on February 13 at 12:47 a.m.
The "life-shattering injustice" is the one committed by Frimpong supporters in their debase attacks on the survivor's character.
This motion is a Sanger smoke & mirrors show. Alcohol was not a "central issue" in this case. Sanger made it one in an attempt to discredit the survivor and distract from the mountain of evidence against Frimpong. The survivor is not on trial, her alcohol consumption is irrelevant and her testimony unnecessary due to the physical proof of rape by Frimpong.
Those of you who arbitrarily decide his guilt or innocence are showing disrespect for the dedicated professionals and jury who have labored over the details of this case.
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Posted on November 21 at 12:32 a.m.
I truly hope you don't ruin the character of Jesusita & upper Cold Springs like you did with lower Cold Springs. The waterfalls and pools are completely exposed and the trail feels like a thoroughfare. I doubt it was made any safer by ripping out all the brush that kept the falls secluded. Why did you have to carve out multiple routes to the pool between the 1st and 2nd crossing? Do horses need to get down there too?
It's a shame that Forest Service $$ paid for that destruction. There are many hikers and mountain bikers who've put their differences aside to work hard on the trails.
Why does one guy get to be the trail god or the decider?
On The Trail Tools Are Being Sharpened