Jackson Jambalaya

They may have a point. JPS students are not held to any codified academic or behavioral standards. They operate in a vacuum. Neither the parents, the students, or the administrators have any objections to the band's performance. They feel that it sends a message. JPS cannot be salvaged.

If an A rated school had performed this skit then there would have been major cause for concern. This is a tempest in a teapot in that JPS cannot violate non-existent standards. And besides........who REALLY cares what JPS does? The short answer is NOBODY!

So what are they going to do if the MHSAA doesn't rescind the suspension? Are they going to sue? If I were the MHSAA, I would tell them that they can want/demand in one hand, shit in the other and see which one fills up faster, but the suspension stands! I hate it for the kids, because they were probably just doing that they were told to do. But, it's high time that somebody(ies) be held accountable. If we are going to live in this hyper-sensitive PC world, then you had better be able to accept the repercussions if & when you offend somebody else. Anybody with an ounce of functioning brain matter should have known that performance was not going to go over well in Brookhaven less than a week after those two LEOs were killed.

Excellent commentary KF !

I disagree the "children" should not be punished.

They knew the message being sent in their "skit". Bad decisions have consequences. Thanks goodness this decision was made by a body outside JPS, or nothing would have happened.

Based on the recent "F" rating given Forest Hill, they don't need a band.

Unavailable

This video can't be embedded.


Watch on Facebook · Learn More

Ok, what's the workaround here? A lot of JJ posts with videos that can't be viewed.

Looking at it in three different browsers. What browser are you using?

As I've said before, I agree with the band director being suspended. It was a stupid move and yes, it was horrible timing.

Now as far as clearing out house from the students to the Superintendent, keep it. Those kids shouldn't have been suspended. No one has yet told me what the actual issue was. LEO were killed, was it the skit? Was it the prop guns? What was it? Because if it's the guns, I don't want to see any Senior Portraits with rifles. Nor would I want to see our Governor signing bills with a pistol on a bible beside him.

Kingfish, last week you used the Trayvon Martin shooting as an example, and this week you are using the Confederacy. Neither one of those had anything to do with Police shootings. Why are YOU bringing race into this? I thought this was about LEO's?

I would let the band have one last home performance, toned down, and have senior night and be done.

First of all, they (band members) are Not "children" just 1 should have said "Hey - you know this just might Not be a good idea", and could have brought it up in private with the band director (I' bet you anything that he (Band director) does Not keep up with current news!
for once I agree with the administration. Well Done.

@Theca Jones, I agree with you. Especially on the point that Kingfish is bringing race into the discussion. Kingfish, could you explain why race has anything to do with this situation????

Punish the adults and move on.

Oh I dunno, maybe all the discussions by Shaun King, the Root, and other minority commentators and social media about white cops gunning down blacks. Gets pretty racial.

Anyone thinking the students could go to the director and suggest changing part of the band show is living in a fantasy world.

Punish the director - and hope it holds up it court even though it isn't likely - and move on.

Help me out Republicans. Tell me why you don’t think you are special snowflakes who have to stay in their safe place where the mean band kids can’t hurt your feelings.

As far as I can tell, Brookhaven is majority African-American. (according to the US Census). The school is also majority African-American. So I don't really get all this "Republican" or "Whites vs Blacks" angle on this story. Brookhaven as a whole was outraged at not only the shooting but this 'show' by the band.

Brookhaven is a "C" district. JPS is an "F" district. I guess that police shootings are just taken seriously when a district has a measure of accountability. In the "c" district, police deaths are mourned. In the F district, it's always the fault of the police.

First I believe the band director and any other school employee involved should be terminated with no severance pay or benefits.
I am sorry that the students will lose the pleasure of participating in the band, but they need to find out that actions have consequences. Elementary school students are children and are expected to blindly obey (up to a point) whatever teachers tell them to do. High school students should be mature enough to distinguish the difference between right and wrong. “We were just following orders” is not a legitimate defense to excuse what is so obviously improper and disrespectful behavior.

Looking at the whole picture the kids do need to be reprimanded, but it’s excessive to suspend the entire band as opposed to the main players. I guess that since the band is a unit there is little choice. I hate it for those who were not actively in the skit as well as those who directly participated without reporting this to parents or other school officials.

I finally watched the video, and something else disturbed me. A toddler could be heard screaming NO in the audience, and later saying that’s what he gets.

Even if the LEOs weren’t killed this would’ve still been irresponsible. I’ve heard that the skit was practiced well in advance without the props. Did the director sneak them in after approval, or was there an oversight in the approval?

From wapt.com:

“Let me be clear: We all understand the bad timing for the field show considering what happened to the law enforcement officers there in Brookhaven. However, we are against any punishment toward our children,” Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks said. “I don’t think anybody’s job should just be thrown out because of bad judgment. Yes, let’s talk about it, let’s discuss the wrong, let’s discuss how we can be more considerate, but we want to keep the program intact. The children suffering are being punished on behalf of bad judgment, or a bad decision, does not need to happen.”

Mr. Banks has summarized the problem perfectly -- don't hold students or staff accountable for anything and for God's sake, don't punish them in any meaningful way. Better Together JPS? Nope, sos...

KF has it right -- bad leaders have to be held especially accountable. Fire the damn principal right now. Did he/she not know about the show? I'll betcha the next principal will...

So many excuses, so much rhetoric, none of which defends the actions of this school performance.

1) whether or not the band director knew about the Brookhaven police officers having been shot or not (they claim he didn't know, and if he is that bad out of the loop of what's going on in this state, he shouldn't be teaching, but that's another discussion for another day) doesn't have a damn thing to do with the appropriateness of this performance. Imitating people shooting cops for the purpose of shooting cops (BLM ??) is not an appropriate performance for a public school body to do on the public square. Its not art in that scenario - and it certainly doesn't reflect anything to do with the First Amendment and these weak, incorrect claims of "Free Speech". Trying to justify this action under that claim shows nothing but ignorance of the concept, but who's surprised at that.

2) Suspending the band for an inappropriate performance by the MHSAA is nothing new; same kind of punishment has been meeted out before by MHSAA for much less inappropriate actions of a school associated group (athletic team, academic team, etc.)

3) Trying to lay the blame on the Governor because he refuses to singlehandedly take down the flag is a big ruse; obviously the flag has nothing to do with this issue but why let an opportunity with a mike go by without using it for other purposes, hey Rev?

4) What the hell does a killing in Chicago have to do with justifying this performance? Actually, no more than the claim that eight people were shot by cops in Jackson this year. Bother to look into the situation of those cop's actions, or is it just that no cop should ever use his gun? Guess the Rev thinks that there is no crime except that committed by cops in Jackson. Whatever, it has nothing to do with this 'skit', and certainly doesn't justify it.

5) The band director might be a great soccer coach, and a great band director as these folks looking for their time on stage claim - but obviously he doesn't understand his role as a teacher. Yes, he should be fired, as well as anyone that knew of this program. If in fact it has been performed before Brookhaven, all the administration of Forest Hill should be gone.

6) Aaron Banks, who I'm surprised didn't use this podium to announce his 2021 campaign for Mayor, certainly has to pontificate on this issue - poor kids won't be able to get a scholarship to JSU band since they won't be playing this year. Yes - actions have consequences, Mr. Banks. Maybe now they can make their case to the JSU band director (oh, wait, he's been fired too hasn't he) that they've learned their lesson and won't do anything inappropriate in the sexual exhibitions of the JSU band "skits'.

The fact that this was done in Brookhaven has brought it to light, which is a shame for all those involved particularly in Lincoln County. But thankfully they did perform this idiocy there so that the authorities could put a stop to this blatent political display of their BLM for the rest of the season.

And - the lie that its based on a movie needs to stop. This scene, or anyting like it, is not in the movie that the band director claims. But what difference do details and truth have to do with it.

First, Kingfish did not bring race into it. The supporters did.

Second, I taught in JPS 10 yearsd ago, and it was clear then that students were not being taught to respect law enforcement, It is not surprising that no student spoke up about this being wrong.

Third, how can we expect anything in Jackson to change when the city has ashats like this as community "leaders?'

The pastor should know that any apology followed by "but" or "however" doesn't come across as being sincere.

Any facsimile of a gun is forbidden at school or on school grounds, period. Why any adult with a modicum of sense would allow this on another school's grounds is beyond belief. The students knew this and the band leader knew this. Perhaps the band should be allowed to perform a Christmas concert or other things school related, but to march at a game again this year, No. Band could still be taught and credits earned; band letters should still be given out.

3:01 PM This is definitely about race. If some wealthy white kids in Madison County had done a similar skit in poor taste they would have received 99.9% support of the community who would have screamed artistic expression and free speech as loud as they could. The only reason this even made the news is because it involved black students.

Race was brought up by the rev in the video link. He apparently does not support the JPD or Chicago police either. I did not understand the connections he tried to make at all.

WRONG. 6:03, the punishment would have likely been worse. The band director would have been fired in your imaginary event. Before the night was over.

NOTHING BUT BLAA BLAA BLAA.......
WHEN DID THIS SKIT, OR PROGRAM SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA???
And when did marching bands get into the theater business?????????

Band is a ticket to college for a lot of kids. There are Forest Hill band alum in at least two university bands I know of. The possibility of losing a scholarship is a pretty high price to pay for listening to your teacher. Turn this into a teachable opportunity to have a dialogue with these students. Right now all that is happening is enforcing the message that no one outside of JPS cares about these kids.

@6:03 Your comments illustrate the difference between white communitites and black communities. In a predominantly white community, this would bring outrage, no matter the race of the offenders. In the black community, it's shrugged off if the offender is black. I f the offending party is white, all hell breaks loose.

Penalizing the band will not prohibit any student from getting a scholarship. No college is "scouting" kids at performance. Band scholarships are based on individual auditions. Once agin, the "community leaders" are using a false narrative (lying) to push their agenda.

According to the reports released yesterday, about 15% of Forest Hill students can read at a proficient level. I'd get behind the community "leaders" if they were raising hell about this.

The adults in this situation failed the students. But its not the first time and its not the last time. I'm sure some Forest Hill band students are reading these comments, so let me speak directly to them:

You are not destined for failure. Every one of you can make the decision right now to better your life and either get out of Jackson or make Jackson a better place. The adults in charge of your city, your schools and even some of your churches have failed you. Start educating yourself. Start asking questions. If you don't get answers, seek them elsewhere.

You have to do better for your city. The people who have left aren't coming back. Its up to you and your peers to change the future. If you continue to blame others for every issue and act like your community leaders did today - then your children will face the same issues you are facing.

Take back your school. When you are directed to do something like this, speak up and say NO. Its not right, no matter what your belief is. When your math teacher is lamenting about something political, remind her that the state test is in a few months, and only 9% of your school is proficient in Algebra. When your Sunday school teacher is lamenting about Trump, tell them that the gospel transcends all politics. When your friends tell you that Jackson doesn't have a movie theater because of racist whites, remind them that upkeep on a nice theater like Madison and Pearl has is expensive enough without hoodlums tearing stuff up. When you go to Madison and Rankin and Clinton and play on nice turf fields - its not racism that got them, its communities of people who pay their taxes who fund those facilities.

If a white academy had done this, the academy would be forced to close down

I agree, Kingfish. Except for one part which is at least half of JPS high school students don't know anything about the US Civil War.

Theca it's the whole disrespect for authority/uncivilized thing.

JPS kids can be really disrespectful to white JPS teachers. If a black teacher was treated that way at St. Andrew's or Madison Central by a white student they would probably be shunned/jumped by the white kids and then expelled.

Half of Jackson is lost.

If two black cops were shot and killed by a white guy and then a white school went to said town and performed that skit somebody would probably get charged with a hate crime.

Think

6:03 probably lives in a small bubble and probably reads on a fifth grade level.

Why have the city higher ups not said anything about these fake guns on school grounds???? Besides maybe a fake one within arms reach of a JROTC teacher when is that legal? To the Madison haters, at a white school if you point a fake gun at someone you're probably in deep crap.

JPS was trying to wait until everything died down so they could do nothing. Glad MSHAA took the bull by the balls.

@6:03 PM - wrong! Are you a race baiter?
@6:19 PM - you are very correct.

I admit that I haven't spent much time looking into this, but has Forest Hill issued any sort of statement explaining what the intent of the skit was? What was the message they were trying to convey? Or are they claiming that it was a reenactment from a movie scene with no intended message? I'd be interested in what they were trying to do before I imposed punishment.

For those who have never played in a band, let me make a football analogy.

The coach calls a play and several of the players decide they don't like it because they think it's a dangerous play and someone could get hurt. Do the kids believe that they won't be sidelined for refusing to play if that's the play the kids are being told to play?

Or let's pretend it's military and the soldiers are ordered into a battle strategy they think will get them killed . Do they get to refuse?

When you play in a band and you refuse to perform, the outcome is just as certain. You won't be playing with the band anymore.

Punishing the kids in this one is stupid.

You want kids to respect authority but not follow orders that are bad?

Then give them a workable, safe procedure to refuse without punishment in advance.

We adults are giving our children enough mixed messages as it is! Do as we say, not as we do and we get to decide from moment to moment when we'll drop the hammer or give you a pass is pretty much the formula for bad leadership and role modeling.

I’ve never commented on here before. But, here’s my thoughts for whatever they are worth.

This performance goes beyond LEO being killed so for now, let’s take this out of the equation. Guns are banned from schools, toy guns are as well. I couldn’t take a plastic knife in a school 15 years ago to cut a cake I brought to my daughter’s class. So, how was it that any administrator/teacher/band director allowed toy guns in the school? I get the argument, art is art. But, there’s a time and a place for everything, and a school and/or school performance should not be the place with the school shootings across the country. How do you think the kids that have been terrified in one of those shootings would feel seeing this? It’s just wrong and it would be wrong despite who did it. Race has nothing to do with this. Politics has nothing to do with this. In fact, this should be a teachable moment for the entire area.

These kids are victims. Yes, they are old enough to know better. But, if the very people who spend the majority of their day with them, their educators, didn’t see anything wrong with the performance, then it is likely these kids were not taught right from wrong. They shouldn’t be punished. Instead, there should be someone going in the schools to teach sensitivity, to teach how we should respect each other. These kids need that much more than a suspension. All they will learn is to hold a grudge because “they were done wrong.”

So, please, can’t we find a better solution than to teach hate? I don’t have the answers, but I just don’t think this is the solution.

8:29. true--but it's not like a collegiate band says to a kid-wow, your marching is great. i'm recruiting two tuba openings and eight kids. first two that sign get the scholarship

it's not really going to detract from their futures in marching band.

This should be an opportunity to explain to these kids the need for civility and courtesy when dealing with others. Not necessarily year long suspension but some sort of repercussion so that they learn responsibility. The band director should be suspended for the term. The so-called "leaders" only know how to reinforce the general lack of respect now prevalent among black youth. Many don't respect anything including themselves. This is something we know but don't want to talk about. How about a "dialogue" on that reverend?

Guns, even toy guns, are not allowed in schools. JPS seems to be the only school in the U.S. that allows them. For some reason they think because they are black they have a different set of rules. JPS is a failed school. What happened is just one example of why they are a failed school. Parents should demand the firing of the teacher immediately.

From the way it looks JPS, the teachers and the children, do not learn by their mistakes. Yelling racist has shown them they can get by with many things other schools can't.

Definitely use this as a teaching moment. Fire the teacher to get the message to the other teachers that this is not allowed no matter what color you are or no matter who they try to blame. The band should set out the rest of the year. Maybe the children will learn they can not blame others for their own failings.

A marching band performs "skits"??
Why?
Is tootin' on that horn not good enough anymore?

Lets have a performance about killing cops in a city that just had some cops killed where everyone is anxious and pissed, sounds legit right? This was a fucking statement that some dumb fuck band director was trying to make under the guise of artistic expression and while hiding behind kids. That fucker needs to be publicly flogged for this, then tarred and feathered.

Let's reward the band members with college scholarships. Yea, that's the ticket - rewarding bad behavior.

@8:26 AM Victims? you need to move to San Francisco where your radical/left wing/bleeding heart/progressive/sob sister/I'm a victim, attitude will be embraced.

@ 11:51, bingo, that is EXACTLY what he was doing. They stated this was added in as part of the developing skit as games went on over the season and this was the first time this part was performed.....purposely ...in Brookhaven post shooting.

College recruiters don't go to high schools on Friday night to watch the band.

I wonder what the kids in the FH band will be told about the reason for the suspension? Probably that whitey was just looking for an excuse to shut them down for a while. I expect this will be an opportunity to learn something about taste, civility, manners, ethics, and RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE'S ACTIONS that will be missed. As many others have stated, there are consequences for one's actions.

JPS was going to sweep this under the rug. What is JPS teaching the kids? "Different rules for different people." 'Nuff said. With this kind of "leadership" Jackson will never be great again (reference intended).

Can Gov. Bryant still authorize the Miss. Dept. Of Education to take over JPS?

Gov. Bryant needs to authorize some soap to his body coz he stinks.

Just goes to show you why their culture is failing because they think all of this is right. So no they can’t blame anyone that they grow up and end up in prison

Most Band scholarships are very small. Band members in college can seldom hold part time jobs because of band practice. Also, they have to pay for dry cleaning their uniforms and keep their shoes in top shape as well as their instruments. They do not benefit much from the athletic funds and most of us cannot imagine attending a football game without a band. Actually, they are unsung heros of most colleges. Nevertheless, what happened at FHHS must have consequences. It was very crass, hurtful, and actually unlawful (think zero tolerance).

I attended the state regional high school band evaluations at Pearl High School on Saturday, and couldn’t help but notice that several of the bands used fake (wooden) guns during their performances. No one complained or commented about the fake guns on school property.

As many have said we will always have this problem in Jackson as long as people want to defend anything they do by well look what happened in the 50's. Sometimes you just have to say we messed up and learn from it. I am glad Kingfish pointed out the scene was not in john Q because I was like I saw that movie and never saw Denzell shoot a bunch of cops. But until Jackson starts being accountable it will continue to deteriorate.

Republicans on Kavanaugh: He was just a boy in high school, who cares if he raped someone. So he likes beer and girls, who doesn't?

Republicans on black kids in high school: I'm triggered by these offensive statements. They should all be prosecuted even the superintendent. Why we're at it, the state should take over the whole district and then build a big wall around it.

Put Theca Jones in charge of JPS. Who the hell names their kid Theca anyway?

BTW, 10:29 - How are you able to insert 'republicans' into this whole scenario? Didn't you mean 'white people'? You don't even know what the MHSAA is, much less its racial makeup or how they might have voted. Face it, you're a racist.

I honestly, seriously wonder why Kingfish would allow this post. What's it's connection to the story? What sense does it make? How did it add to the discussion?

"Theca Jones said...Gov. Bryant needs to authorize some soap to his body coz he stinks."

Disagreeing with or even disliking the Governor (and I fit both categories) is one thing. Comments like Mr. or Mrs. Theca make no sense and add nothing. Childish.

Folk's there is a lack of institutional control at this school. The very next week I was in attendance at a volleyball game this school played in.

The coach argued every call, slammed down her clip board. Walked onto the court and tried to show the official up.

How sad this is what these children must learn.

He's trying to be funny.

3:23 pm: I bet no one was pointing said fake guns at anyone either. Isn't that the first rule of gun safety? Do not point your gun at anyone - even in jest, even if gun is unloaded? I am not talking about those who have to point their guns because they are law enforcement, military, or in self defense.

At 3:41 AM. I wasn't referring to the MHSAA being republican. I was referring to the racist republican commenters here. Thanks for trying though racist.

@10:29 come back to us when one of these kids is 50 years old with a stellar work history and a Republican is attempting to destroy his career because he participated in this outrageous band routine. Until this, your analogy is WAY off the mark.

Great point @12.39 and someone mentioned earlier that Kavanaugh raped the lady even she never said she was raped. She said she was held down which I don't think happened either. That was like when the lady yelled at the Senator Flake do you want to hear my story, with all respect lady what does your story have to do with Kavanaugh unless Kavanaugh attacked you also