Political Gumbo: Words and Emotions

A lot has been said about San Rafael Elementary School Principal Rudy Ramirez.

Ramirez went on a tirade after the school’s head custodian was handcuffed by police, who were armed with non-lethal weapons.
The entire thing was sparked by a 911 caller who said he saw someone jump the fence carrying a backpack.

I don’t want to get into the police response. That’s been discussed ad nauseum.

This is a column about words and emotions.

Right now we are getting two kinds of letters in the virtual newsroom, and lots of each.

Ramirez detractors say this is not his first go around with this kind of speech.

His supporters say the words were wrong, but he was angry and he has done a lot for the school.

If memory serves, I have never met Rudy and my daughter did not attend San Rafael, so on the latter, I take their word for it.

On the former, neither anger nor passion is an excuse.

Every racist in the Deep South during Jim Crow was passionate and angry as they fought to maintain their hate-filled way of life.

And we’re all aware of the language dripping with contempt and vitriol.

Words have power and they come with responsibility.

It is when we are the most emotional, that we must use the most self control and watch our speech.

I tell my 13-year-old daughter Lauren all the time, “One of the key signs of maturity is understanding that just because you have a thought, it doesn’t mean you have to give it life with your words.”

We all have to do better with tact and self control.

Especially Black and Brown people who are always under the microscope.

I watched my boss at the old PW go off several times on management.

Nobody had a problem with it.

I lost my temper in the newsroom just once in almost 20 years, and people damn near stopped, dropped and rolled under their desks.

I’m a Black man and for that I am judged differently. Of course I have had to run faster and jump higher.

But that’s all the more reason, I have to control my temper and watch my words.

That’s the way the world works. In the words of Tupac don’t blame me I was given this world, I didn’t create it.

Great lyric and I’m not a rap guy.

Ramirez has to learn that lesson.

Let’s say the entire incident happened on a Monday after school and several students were playing on the campus nearby when the same incident occurred.

Follow me here, and after the incident Rudy showed up and the same words were uttered:

“I bet if he was white he wouldnt have been treated like that … fuck these nosy ass white neighbors, how about when it was white kids jumping the fence vandalising [sic] classrooms and drawing dicks on the walls and leaving beer cans on the roof, no one calls.”

That’s the quote, or one of them.

Let’s do a word substitution, take out the word white neighbors and replace it with the N word.

Would that be okay? Not in the House of Dre.

Let’s suppose in the Monday scenario it was an elementary school student that said the words.

Would Ramirez have been okay with that?

I doubt it.

Some of my Black friends are quick to point out Rudy is right.

Of those people, three work for themselves and the other five don’t have jobs.

Breaking News, if the district fires his ass being right won’t pay his mortgage or put food on the table.

Ramirez has to communicate his frustrations in a way that allows him to lead by example.

That’s what leaders do, Black, Brown, White .. all of them.

Yes, I appreciate Ramirez’ apology but I need more from him. I need him to do better, and think before he speaks.

People will scream that he was responding to the racism of the police.

I watched the six minute video, what am I missing?

By the way, if you’re a white progressive don’t try to explain racism to me.

I’m a Black man living in America, I understand it just fine. I’ve lived it.

When you scream you’re woke, all that says to me is you were asleep before. So keep stepping.

Ramirez could have had a conversation with Chief Clawson 15 minutes later and gotten all the information on the matter he needed and still voiced his frustration.

Now more than ever we need Black and Brown leaders in the district.

Lead by example.

Do better with your words and emotions Rudy.