Kirbyville

I guess we all knew this blog was coming. It just had to be.

I guess what sort of surprised me was how long it took for the lawyers to get organized to file the lawsuit. It could be, they wanted to get their " ducks in a row" before they actually filed the suit.

Folks, this could happen anyplace.

There is so much politics in schools. And the smaller the school district the more the politics comes down and effects the people in the classroom. 4A or smaller it is bad. I know, I spent except for 2 years of my career in small ISDs.

We seem to forget how political schools are.

There are people that the "upper" echelon want to "get rid of" for whatever reason.

There are people who they want to put into a job. ( I don't think you know how many people, all over the State of Texas are in jobs...teaching because they "know someone." And in truth, they are a  liability.)

There are people they just don't like for whatever reason...Sometimes, they get rid of people because they are too well liked and well, they may pose some form of a political threat.

I often wondered at what point in time I was going to lose my job to a local's child with a 'freshly minted' Political Science or  History BA/BS and I would be moved out of my position as "gubmint" teacher. ( And it was my understanding there was member of the community who wanted me put in another job, on a different campus, so their child could be "gubmint" teacher....Luckily, the kid did something else than teach.)

The lawsuit is out of Jasper County. It is in Jefferson County and Jefferson County is more often than not going to rule in favor of the plaintiff.

No, it is going to be interesting......I wonder if there will be an attempt to "settle out of court" so this suit will....." Go away?"

For whatever reason?

Only in Jasper, Newton County?

I am sure I will upset some people with the blog. It's been a while since I have "hopped off the rails."

And in truth during my time "in county" I could not speak about it with most of the teachers as they were generally natives.....( I thought it was just me, but I got to talking to another non-native and they too were amazed at how stuff was different. And sometimes that different was out of the mainstream of the rest of society.)

And I am not saying that bad things don't happen in say, Orange or Jefferson Counties.....But is is like just to our north it is taken just a step beyond.

And I am not saying there are not good folks living up there, there are "salt of the earth" people there....

But....

A lawsuit involving a Jasper County school district in which a resignation letter is alleged to have been "forged." And have " Best in the state" handwriting experts ready to testify to that fact.

A murder in which the body is hauled off. And thrown in the river. Like they won't float up...Is it just me, or does it seem like people haul more dead people off to hide the body in East Texas than anyplace else? Why on earth would you want to drag around a dead body in your vehicle? ( Been telling you for years, ain't nothing good ever comes out of an affair. Oh, it may seem like fun at the time.....But people get hurt in the end...There's a sermon there....)( And I forgot, they set the person's car on fire)

Who on earth decides to burn stuff down after they burglarize a residence? Don't they know they've have committed a second crime to cover a first crime......Making the law look for them that much harder?

I don't know......Now some nit-wit in my community will read this and go...."Hold my beer."

Makes No Sense

No, it doesn't make no sense.....Or as one headline on the story wrote it, " It makes no cents?"

There are now more $100 dollar bills than there are $1 dollar bill.

And this just has occurred. I thought perhaps during the cocaine "heyday" of the 80s and 90s, the drug dealers would have the $100.

No, the first time that the $100 was larger in number than the $1?

2017.

The Federal Reserve, who issues Federal Reserve Notes(paper money) does so, on demand for the particular bill.

I know that the former Sec. of the Treasury Lawrence Summers has called for the end of the $100 bill. To try and slow down the drug trade, and people avoiding taxes.

But why all of a sudden in the last couple of years the influx of the $100.

By the way, the average $100 bill is in circulation over 17 years, the next largest denomination, the $50 only 8 years. ( They LOVE the $50 in Europe. They had rather have it than the $100. I am not sure why, but when we travel now, rather than carry the $100 to exchange, we carry $50s. Who am I fooling, everyone takes a credit card now....)

There are a couple of other reasons for the need for $100.

People are using it as a means to save. Still don't trust banks, there was a huge jump in the demand for $100s after the financial crisis of 2008. ( I know people who read this blog who keep cash on hand, just in case......More than you know. )

The Europeans are doing away with their €500 bill and money is worldwide is causing the demand for the $100. Some people think it could be negative interest rates in Japan and Europe....There is no real answer why there is a sudden demand for $100......Just something to keep an eye on in the coming months.

"All Are Welcome?"

I have gone here before, but I feel like I need to do so once again. As a matter of fact a couple of people have asked me.

This past week, the United Methodist Church voted not to allow "Gay Marriages" by their clergy.

I know some of you are thrilled by this fact.

Somehow you are thinking that homosexuality is a worse sin than all the others.

I am not sure why your looking at pornography......Or the fact you are now on husband or wife number 2-3-4.....Or you are having an affair....... Or you gossip like mad..... Or you lust after a bigger, better house, or truck or whatever( Commandment 10).....And I am not even going to talk about the other "Gods" you worship, money, drink, that new truck......And the churches are full of these folks.

I don't know why you are a "better" sinner.

I don't know where you want people to go...Or where to worship......Or just what because of their lives.

I know some of you think being gay is lifestyle. I don't. I know men and women that could have people of the opposite sex just swooning, and they do, they are that gorgeous.....But they like their same sex.

They can't pray it away, they cannot "date" it away.....I know, many have tried. They have told me so....It is just the way they are, like having green eyes, or being left handed.

If we are going to be Christian, we have to accept all.

I wonder if our exclusion might be a sin we  can't lose?

Death to Tyranny

This was to be the original blog today.  Last night's events got me all out of whack.

Happy Texas Independence Day!

News

I guess I should not use that as a title. Mom ALWAYS uses it in an email when she lets me know about a family member that has either died or is dying.

As many of you know from last night "the kids" have moved to Austin. When my doctor( he's also Reid's doctor) asked about them, and he found out about the move, he replied, " Why not, it is where the rest of the world is going....It's an eclectic spot."

We are of course concerned about them. And we worry about the future. A large number of my family now lives in Austin, the Hill Country.  I wonder if these two in Lemonville will go that way too? Especially when grandchildren are involved? And I love this place in Lemonville.

Anyway, the house went from a "Rolling Thunder" to a dead silence, and was especially quiet last evening because my wife was at a women's church retreat.

Let me thank a couple of you who live in Orange County, especially Paige Stark for getting concerned after seeing the deputy sheriff's car in my yard with the overhead red/blue lights on.

 The deputy who responded was nice, cordial, professional. 

Thank you for keeping an eye out on the old Govteach.

Even MORE Letters from South Jasper County

Apparently I hit a nerve on the blog from a couple of days ago. And to be honest, it was to be expected.

Sometimes, well, stuff needs to be said.  And I had big reads over the topic.....

Not everyone in the community thinks like you do.....You may want to think so, but no, they do not so....Here is some of the additional mail in the old Govteach's mailbags.

These are in addition to the comments on Facebook.

" I read the blog, but my husband and I are scared the kids will find the blog." 

It is not for kids, I don't want them reading it either. I've always said if I was a pastor I wouldn't let anyone in my church services under age say, age 13-14,  à la Dr Gene Scott.....Sometimes grown folks need to discuss grown stuff.....I also wonder if we push kids in certain churches to be "saved?" I know I made a profession of faith at age 7.....And questioned my salvation for years afterward. I finally came to terms with my faith AFTER seminary.

" My teen reads the blog......"

I wouldn't worry, they'll be alright. I often am on their level. My teenage nephews think " Uncle Kerry Don" is the coolest person on the planet.....They'll grow out of it....

And I received a couple of letters like this....

 "I always thought the Heavens Gates Hells Flames thing was incredibly wrong and disturbing. I went one time in college cause a friend I had that was still in high school was a character in it. Afterward I told her it was a horrible thing she should not be involved in. I was really disturbed by it."

And this....

" I wouldn't let my child go...."  

Look, you have to make your own decision about stuff. I could just see my kid going and coming home shaking his head about the play......Then again, my child looks at the world just a little different... I wonder who he gets it from????


As  always, thanks for reading.