Ten–year-old boy was more than the school could handle, so they took him to jail.

I’m fairly certain that when ten-year-old Vinni Barros woke up Friday morning, he didn’t expect to spend the weekend in juvenile detention. But he did. It seems that he became upset over something or other and starting running around, screaming, and knocking things off desks. His teacher reports that he also picked up a metal baseball bat, put it over his shoulder, and smiled at her, which she took as an overt threat. I would, too.  

 

I must mention here that Vinni was in a special needs class which tells me that the school already knew he had some problems, some of which are probably behavioral. In any event, the school officials felt the situation was more than they could handle and called the police and emergency medical technicians.

 

Eventually, Vinni was able to calm himself. But, once the two police officers and three campus security guards arrived, Vinni became upset again and reportedly kicked and spat at an officer. He was then arrested on a charge of felony assault of a police officer and taken, handcuffed, to juvenile detention for a three-day stay.

 

Vinni’s mother, Shantelle Fry, says she had previously met with the school nurse and principal and filled out the proper paperwork. She also says that the school had “emergency” medicine to help Vinni calm down, and she doesn’t understand why it was not given. Neither do I.

 

If Vinni has, indeed, been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and his mother had properly authorized the school staff to administer medication whenever he needs it, not doing so was a bad call.

 

Now, I don’t know the medication Ms. Fry referred to, but it was apparently something that Vinni has used successfully in the past. The CBS4denver web site includes a statement that “bipolar disorder is complicated …”

 

Yes, it is.

 

But then the sentence goes on to say, “ … school nurses typically don’t have the expertise to give out strong behavior changing medication in the context of an emergency”.

 

What? What did that say? “ … school nurses typically don’t have the expertise to give out strong behavior changing medication in the context of an emergency”?

 

The kid was in trouble. He was out of control. He needed help, and the school nurse was supposed to be there to help him with medication, if warranted, at just such a time.

 

Having worked in pediatrics, in schools, and in child and adolescent psych, I know how tough working with some kids can be. How challenging and sometimes even threatening. I have been kicked, slammed, shoved, punched, spat upon, and head-butted. But, having also gone to nursing school and knowing that the school nurse sat for the same licensing exam I did, I know that she had the expertise and was legally capable of properly doing a quick exam and administering medication and absolutely should have administered his med if there was a valid order.

 

Otherwise, she should have called the EMTs and insisted—insisted—he be taken to the local emergency room for evaluation . He should not have gone to the slammer.

 

Denver Public Schools … get your act together!

 

Denver Police … get some proper training!

 

California bans same-sex marriage. That’s wrong.

On Tuesday, California voters voted to ban gay marriages in that state with 52 percent of the vote in favor of the ban.  I’m disappointed.

As a child born and reared in the South, the first time I heard about same-sex relationships was when I heard the word “queer”. When I asked what that meant, usually no one would give me an answer. If an answer was given, the best answer any adult would come up with was that it meant, “boys who like boys and girls who like girls” and the subject would be quickly changed. There were often laughs when someone was called “queer” or, later, “gay”, which further confused me.

Sometime over the many decades since that time, I’ve come to look at the question of who should have a relationship with whom, and I have decided that it is simply none of my business.

It is not my right to be judgmental of anyone.  It is not my right to be the determinant of who anyone is attracted to or involved with sexually or emotionally. It is not my right to look down on anyone for any reason—we are all equal in the eyes of God. And, it is certainly not my right to cause any person to be denied a loving relationship with the person he or she cares for.

It is not my right to do any of that.

Further, to deny a same-sex couple the benefits of joint property ownership or hospital visitation between partners or insurance benefits based on the fact that their relationship is based on love between partners of the same sex is wrong.

It is not my right to judge.

My thoughts and prayers and best wishes are with those who are involved in California’s unjust and inequitable action, and I hope soon the right of same-sex couples to marry will be restored.

The news is good. There is hope.

The news is good. There is hope.

There are many changes that take place during a person’s lifetime, not all of them good. Last night’s news that our government will change was good and welcome.

Growing up in the South, I’m old enough to remember when people of color were not welcome—not permitted—to sit at a lunch counter reserved for whites or use the same restroom or sit forward of the rear door on a bus. Many whites who had what they referred to as “colored help” would not allow them to sit at a table in the kitchen for a meal or even use tableware or dishes that the family used. A young black man or woman could not, would not, dream of occupying the White House. That has changed.

I’m old enough to remember an undeclared and unnecessary war that raged on until close to 60,000 of our young men and young women were dead and someone I loved with all my heart lay dead on the field at the age of 20. Today, we’re fighting a similar war, but I believe that soon our troops will return home to their families and better lives and to protecting the United States honorably.

Last night, the people of the United States did themselves proud—we have elected Senator Barack Obama to the highest office of our land. He is a good man and the leader we need at this time. I have hope that this nation’s wounds will heal and we can return, once again, to being a nation of integrity and honor, goodness and forthrightness.

There is, indeed, hope.