In Which the Author is Pleasantly Surprised

Not so long ago, a new blog formed using the name Lebanon for Truth and Reconciliation. The founder of the blog had left comments at my site and on at least one news story related to the ongoing controversy regarding the LCSD School Board.

The first few posts came slow, but after last night's board meeting, things seem to be looking up for both the blog and for LCSD politics in general, so kudos for LT and their cobloggers.

According to LT, there was a strong showing at the latest board meeting by folks who were no longer afraid to speak out against what's going on. That's fantastic news, and here's why: In cases like this, where this is one group who has very little positive agenda to offer (but has a lot of negative things to say), just about the only way for such a group to "win" is to shout down anyone else from saying anything- something that has quite literally happened at previous board meetings. If that doesn't work, it often becomes clear very quickly that such a negative message doesn't really have any long-term traction.

Now, I wonder, if it's becoming clear that several of the anti-Robinson folks don't have much of a platform beyond "Academies bad! Robinson bad! Football good!" (To be followed by "Unions bad!" the next time contract negotiations occur.) The political tactics present here are pretty universal - distract everyone with your shiny complaint because if they look away they'll realize the emperor has no clothes. Or, circa early 2003, scream "9/11 Al Qaeda! Iraq! Saddam Hussein! Weapons of mass destruction!" any time anyone suggests that going to war (or electing anyone but Bush) would be a bad idea. The comparison, from the point of view of, say, a political strategist, is eerily apt.

LT:

While the jock block/Alexander alliance had planned to exercise a coup, installing their Bo as Athletic Director and principal of the Social Systems Academy, apparently that drive was blocked before the start of the meeting. LT would like to know what stopped the assault.

This blogger would also like to know what derailed that plan. I can hazard a guess, though I have no idea if it's correct.

Two guesses, actually, one already provided by LT coblogger IHDSM:

Because the staff and students of the Social Systems Academy deserve a principal who 'fits' the academy---one who supports and sees value in the arts and humanities. Students choose Social Systems because of the programs in the academy---not because of sports offerings. Is Mr. Yates an avid supporter of the arts? Does he attend high school concerts or plays? Can he connect with the students and staff who work hard to put on these events? Would he put as much effort into fund-raising for these activities as he has put into funding sports programs? Perhaps or perhaps not...

My instinct is to suggest a former football player and one-time Athletic Director would not, in fact, make the best principal for an academy focused on social sciences and the humanities. Go figure. I could be wrong, of course, but certainly the position warrants the kind of search IHDSM is calling for, if for no other reason than, you know, appointing people you like without going through an open process is nepotism.

The second potential answer is that the participants, or at least some of them, got cold feet. Perhaps the estimable Ms. Shimmin is realizing that this whole enterprise has consequences. (I don't particularly hold out hope that Mr. Alexander will ever become a completely reasonable person.)

Or, to throw out a third suggestion, perhaps someone got to the so-called "Jock Block" and convinced them what they were supposedly about to do was wrong. It could have been any combination of the above, or something else entirely. I don't know the answer.

What I do know is that at least for one time, the Board chose not to take an arbitrary and authoritarian action, and that's a good thing. IHDSM's post is titled "Is The Tide Turning?" I had that reaction as well when I read the latest Express story and LT's account of the most recent board meeting. However, I'd like to add a qualifier to that suggestion: While it may be turning on this particular act, as long as the board is so fractured and Robinson continues to provoke such strong emotions through his management style, the tide will come back in. Count on it.