My, my, my! Kate Long, a local Batavia parent (charged with harassing the Batavia Board of Education and Batavia schools superintendent with e-mails and correspondence over the lack of a satisfactory, according to her, Spanish language teacher at the Middle School), is resurrecting shades of the "N.Y. Times" newspaper, the legal concept of "prior restraint," Daniel Ellsberg and the "Pentagon Papers," calling up an appearance of the spirits of Mario Savio and Berkeley's "Free Speech Movement." The only thing missing is a rising from the dead of the eminent judge, Learned Hand, to decide the case of Ms. Long vs. the Batavia Board of Education.
A veritable "three-ring circus" right here in Batavia, N.Y. energizing the 2023 holiday season? You decide! (Nothing like it since the imbroglio over the Christmas manger scene in downtown Batavia at, I think, the old City Hall, what year, I forget!)
I do have to give Ms. Long credit for being someone who actually seems to be an individual who genuinely and sincerely cares about, and is immersed in, the quality of the education her child is receiving in Batavia (this from media reports covering the case); and also credit to the BOE reawakening from its customary preference to just being left alone, or debating politely and with incredible seriousness, the monumental topic of the merits of artificial turf versus natural grass.
Ms. Long "annoying?" Maybe. The BOE having to deal with "annoyances?" Heh, really, comes with the turf, er, job, doesn't it? And as for her emails to be construed as "alarming," I doubt very much that they can be interpreted as threats, and anyway, I haven't heard any screaming sirens or bells or warning whistles piercing the peaceful airs of Batavia during the period of the allegedly harassing emails streaking, Valkyrie-like, across the internet to the inboxes of the Board/school's superintedent! Have you?
So, I'll step in here and play the part of Lenny Bruce (another spectre from the past) producing something of a "menage a trois" for this peculiarly Batavia contretemps: I posit that Ms. Long provides a refreshing, even relaxing, respite from the constant and tiring and infantile din of local Buffalo Bills fans rotating daily between heartbroken abject despair and foaming-at-the-mouth unhinged, exhilarated madness, concerning their beloved, but overplayed (outplayed?), team!
And Batavia Board of Education, also, honorable Batavia school superintendent, I ask you both to stand up in your "landmark case" newfound spotlight, and hire a Chat GPT "large language" AI deeply learned (not the same as Learned Hand), to impart instruction of the Spanish language to our eager and ready-to-learn Batavia students as well as provide an imaginative and respectful introduction to Spanish culture, for the youth that of Cervantes, Picasso, and the dances: tangos and flamencos and sambas and rumbas. Three aspects of that culture which are serious, yet lots of fun, too! (Incidentally, qualities that seem to be missing from present-day American culture)!
Donald Weyer, Batavia
