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Just when I thought this society couldn't get any dumber, any less compassionate... along comes news of a teacher who actually cares to educate in a meaningful way being railroaded by a system designed to strip us all of our voice.

Indianapolis school teacher, Connie Heerman, was suspended for a year-and-a-half without pay by her school board in an anonymous vote for using "The Freedom Writers Diary."

Heerman discovered the book while attending a workshop approved by her school and later received permission from the parents of her students to use the book as an educational tool.

A direct supervisor objected to the books use due to language, sexual content and racial slurs in the book.

It's not like any of the above mentioned actually takes place in the school system so why teach about it right?

Our kids don't have sex well before they're mentally prepared, they don't use racial slurs overheard in their own homes and they surely don't use inappropriate language... no, not in this society.

After the ruling school board member Nancy Walsh said, "This was essentially a compromise with respect to sending a message. We all were in agreement that this was insubordination."

Yep, there goes the word insubordination again. The Sanchez Dictionary defines insubordination as; an act of having a mind of your own and a voice in a world that wants you to remain dumb and quiet.

The Perry Township school board's attorney, Jon Bailey said that Heerman, "would never teach again," and after hearing the case stated it was a, "Good and thoughtful decision." I'm sure he kicked himself in the ass for failing to close out Heerman's 27-year teaching career for good.

Guys like that don't like to fail.

This guy wouldn't know a good decision if it pistol whipped him in the face late at night in a darkened alleyway by the same at-risk student who got away because so many teachers could care less what happens to them outside of school.

Erin Gruwell, the California teacher brought to life on the big screen by Hillary Swank in the movie Freedom Writers stated, "The best way to get a teenager to read a book is to ban it."

In this day and age when playing Grand Theft Auto Vice City is more popular than reading a book Heerman should have received recognition and accolades for providing the youth with a book of substance. A book that has the power to educate students about the very real struggle and pain teenagers stuck in the inner-cities face on a daily basis, teenagers anywhere for that matter.

Instead, much like the character Margaret Campbell, played by Imelda Staunton in the movie version of the book. We're stuck with yet another school board that just doesn't get it.

They'll keep hiding the fact that our youth are in dire need of real leaders who understand what they are going through, real leaders who they can relate to, who they will open up to and be educated by.

Instead the students at Perry Meridian High School are left to fend for themselves and figure out lifes obstacles without so much as a sentence of something that actually does make sense.

And that just doesn't make sense!

After the decision Heerman simply said, "I will be somewhere working with young people and helping them develop a voice and believe that they can be productive members of our great American society."

The fact that her suspension was done with a 7-0 vote scares me more than anything. Not one person on that board had the guts to do the right thing.

Oh, well... stay tuned... I'll be writing about another mass murder in some school system that just doesn't get it next week.

Shout out to my home slice April Lee Hernandez, who played Eva in the movie for putting me onto this story...

One Love, Ivan Sanchez - Your Friendly Neighborhood Author