“I guess the transport officer got sidetracked, and that’s all it took…The juvenile was handcuffed with his wrists secured to a belt and his ankles were shackled.” This was Houston County Sherriff Doug Ely’s response to the recent escape of a juvenile. “He bolted down the stairs, out of the court house and disappeared…I was told even though he was shackled, he could run like a deer.” (Warner 2). As reported in this week’s issue of the Caledonia Argus, a seventeen year old juvenile was being transported to the Houston County court house from Red Wing where he was being held. While in the building, the juvenile ran through and out the court house and went into hiding. After an hour, he was discovered in an abandoned upstairs apartment in the city.
I will admit that I found this article quite humorous when I read it. Quite frankly, most people would. When I think about it though, it makes me wonder what would have happened if this juvenile had been a serial killer or rapist. I for one would not have confidence in my local police. If a criminal could escape through the whole court house and into the city, while chained up, what does that say about the qualifications of our law enforcement? Are they qualified? The same could be said for a few teachers as well. I have had, and currently do, teachers that just don’t teach well enough to satisfy the students’ needs. Although teachers teach in many different styles, there are some that simply don’t do their job well enough. Some people just don’t seem right for a job, and there should be stricter regulations for certain professions.
The other day I briefly talked to a security guard at Western. I simply asked how he was doing and talked about the weather. As he left, I realized that he was old. Not mid-forties, but in his late fifties or more. If someone had robbed a teacher, I wouldn’t put my money on the officer catching the criminal. Another officer at Western I saw was not obese, but not in the best of shape. I wouldn’t count on him to chase down a criminal either. After these observations, I did a little research and found that sixteen percent of Sacramento deputies were considered obese. Why? It may have something to do with the fact that there are no physical requirements for being a police officer in terms of strength and fitness. One officer, when confronted with this statistic, stated that with long and stressful officers and often having to eat while on patrol, fitness is the last thing of many officers’ minds. This, however, makes a key part of their job (protecting the public) harder.
Another profession in which some people are not qualified is teaching. Although I have had a good experience with most of my teachers, there are a few that simply don’t belong in the teaching world. One high school teacher would walk into the class and tell her students to read from the text book. When we were done, she would tell us to read it again so that we really comprehended it. While we read, or at least pretended to, she would be at her computer typing away. This was a daily routine, and only once in a while would we get a quiz or test. Naturally grades in the class were well below average because she never taught us anything. Then is occurred to me that if she hardly ever gave quizzes or tests, then what could she be doing on her computer all day? Anyway I ended up with a C- in that class, and I am usually on the honor roll. I only managed to squeeze in a C-because she made some tests open book or open notebook. A current teacher tries hard to teach and although he tries, we students, for the most part, are not doing well. The tests are hard and I am below average in that class. Perhaps a simple teaching workshop would do him well. In both classes I have talked to other students and it is almost unanimous that the teacher needs to improve his or her teaching methods.
I am aware that jobs are often stressful and difficult, but that’s part of the work. If I am willing to work harder in class by studying more, then the teacher should ask students ways to improve teaching ways. If I pay taxes towards public protection, then officers should be physically capable of doing their job. Work is more that doing what is written in a job description, it is preparing you for doing those jobs well. Maybe then I will be more confident in those professionals.
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