Blog Stage 6: The STAAR Test 

I have to agree with the topic discussed in The Lone Star Blog, written by Jennifer- one of my classmates. She mentioned issues of replacing a level exit test, formerly known as TAKS, with what is now known as STAAR. I remember when I was in high school, I took the TAKS test before graduation. Instead of learning any new material, we only covered study guides to pass this test. I understand the academic concern of wanting the graduating class to pass it. In the other hand, a simple test does not fully incorporate the capacity of a student. Many score poorly in tests but are excellent on hands on projects. Its a broad topic to analyze and write about the pros and cons of the issue. So the article was a good starting point on this ongoing education dilemma.

How Much Is Too Much Force

Citizens tend to put their trust in officers of the law. The state allows these individuals to take care of their community and provide safety. We feel secure when walking into a place surrounded by police members, thinking the right actions will be done if necessary. They are trained to defend the public and make sure laws are being obeyed. On the other hand, it’s the state giving too much power and decreasing the voice of the regular citizen?

A recent case broadcasted on the Fox 7 news explains the concern of a mother. This happened in San Antonio, Texas. There is a video posted on YouTube that shows the dishonorable actions of an officer, who with extreme force placed a 12-year-old girl down to the ground. The floor was cement and injuries could of have been possible. This could of cause the child to have lost her life, get a head concussion, or other mental illness.

It’s understandable when the officer is using their power to defend themselves and the victims. Sometimes older adults put the lives of these officers in danger and enforcement is applied as the only source possible. In opposition to those extreme scenarios, violence from these public officials can be prevented, in my opinion more than 60% of the time.

To be a simple argument from two middle school girls, the way the officer responded can just be seen as unnecessary brutal force towards a young child. Despite the fact, the mother has all the rights to be upset. Even if her daughter was not severely hurt, seeing her child unconscious and defenseless was disturbing. It’s an image that has no answers yet. I put myself in this mother’s shoes and realized that I would have made exactly the same choice. Parents have the right to request answers and justice for these alarming displays of excessive force and expect legal action to prevent future incidents like this to occur again. These concerns go worldwide.

The 2013 Global Corruption Barometer, published by Transparency International, reported that people worldwide have the perception that the five most corrupt institutions are political parties, the police, public officials, the legislature, and the judiciary. Is the government doing anything to prevent these issues that go unspoken? How much force is too much for these public officials? As citizens, our voice should matter. This could decrease many fatalities that go unreported around the country.