Note:
Yes, you're right. There should
be a new Raging Pencils 'toon today. (It's
April 15th, hint-hint.) And there will
be... soon.... I promise.
The Mismanagement
---------------
College
Test.
 When
I was in college I needed to make some
extra pocket money so I applied
to become a resident assistant of my
dorm.
An RA,
in case you don't know, is the person
who keeps an eye on his fellow students,
offering aid and counseling when needed
or applying a little
muscle when good sense is in blatant
disregard. No one likes the RA but someone's
gotta
do it.
I thought I had the job in the bag when,
during the interview with the then-current
RAs, I was asked how I would handle students
who
were
antisocial
or spent too much time alone in their
rooms. My
solution was to require them to engage
in team sports with other members of
the dorms. Who, after, wouldn't like
to play a little touch football or chase
a softball across a grassy field on a
lovely spring day?
The RAs solemnly eyed one another,
nodded in agreement, and I was dismissed.
As it turns out it was a trick question,
designed
to
fathom
the
depth
of my fascistic
tendencies, and my solution to keeping
the metaphoric trains running on time
was
found to run counter to the ideals of
academic
and personal freedoms.
This was the first time I ever tried
to assume a position of authority and
I
failed.
In retrospect, I see their point.
It's sad, then, to consider that mere
college students had a seemingly better
grasp
of the human
potential for excess then your average
police department. I understand that
most police departments employ at least
a
modicum of psychological
testing for new recruits but we still
get the occasional Michael Slager. But
what should we expect when we give the
police unquestioned latitude when it
comes to meting out summary justice? How
many times can they put on the ring of
power before they lose all empathy and
shoot first, last, and always?
=Lefty=
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