Last week, 18-year-old mother and high school student Myneshia Johnson died after she was hit by a stray bullet in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. By all accounts, Myneshia Johnson’s death was a terrible tragedy, a symptom of gun violence and crime.
"If Booker T. Washington High School has anything to do with it this will be the moment," said Principal Alisha Kiner.
The high school's graduation is Saturday.
Johnson's one-year-old son is set to accept her diploma on her behalf.
[My emphasis]
That bit of news, the fact that Johnson’s small child would receive his deceased mother’s diploma—one she had earned through adversity—drove some dummy named Kelly Griffin to send Principal Kiner an email saying:
It’s gross and infuriating, the idiocy and condescension mixed together. If I were principal Alisha Kiner I would probably be fired for writing an expletive-laden response that would have embarrassed everyone who read it. But, I don’t have nearly the amount of class that Ms. Kiner has:
Open letter to the lady who judged my baby....
Good morning!
Thank you so much for your unsolicited ‘food’ for thought. After regurgitating the washback you just emailed (as it was definitely not ‘food’), I offer the following appetizer, entrée, and dessert for you to consider:
1. Never email a high school Principal, who is also an English teacher, without checking the grammar and spelling in said email. In case no one ever told you, these errors sincerely diminish your validity. #2Timothy2:15 #Study
2. Never send a formal email of rebuke without first “fact checking’ your claims. That’s something else your English teacher should have taught you. For example, who told you that no one knew who the father is? Where were you when he couldn’t stand under the grief on Sunday at the candlelight vigil? How surprised would you be to learn that both the paternal and maternal grandparents have been actively involved in this child’s life since he arrived? #Proverbs6:16-19 #Abominable
3. Stereotyping, as a persuasive device, is an ineffective use of propaganda that allows the person using the device to draw lines around groups of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ people. When you talk about people from the 3rd person point-of-view (‘the attitude and culture of the inner city youth needs…”), you turn those people into objects, which can then strip them of human rights. Side note: I had my first college degree and had been married for some years before I had my daughter, and, even I went out every now and then – without my child. How is it that you know that my student was an irresponsible parent, again? #Deuteronomy10:18 #GodDefends
[...]
6. This baby has only lived one year. He will NEVER know his mother. He will only have what we have shared, the videos that have been recorded, and what people have written to begin to understand the love she had for him. We WILL add this to his treasure chest of memories. #Matthew25:40 #WeLoveKylan
It’s a powerful piece and worth your time.
You can read the whole response below the fold.