Unfair Suspensions?

I read an article in the USA Today this morning that seriously got my attention.

The headline read: Black students nearly 4x as likely to be suspended.

The article (or the author thereof) went on to discuss the inequality that resulted due to students missing out on education, by being absent from school at a disproportionately higher percentage of days than white students.

Really?!?

I can not be the only person who read that and wondered why? Don't get me wrong, I'm not surprised at the number, I just don't know why no one seemed concerned as to the cause of the suspensions.  Could it possibly be that the black students were committing 4x as many school offenses as white students?  That the black students were missing 4x as many days at their own doing?

Maybe instead of insinuating white privilege (as usual), someone should be looking at why 4x the number of black students just can't seem to follow the rules.

Should we ignore violation of school policies just so we can get that ratio down?  Give me a break.

Image Control

I heard portions of a speech made by Secretary of State John Kerry where he felt it necessary to defend President Obama's failure to reassure Americans on the aftermath of two terrorist atrocities, in Belgium and in Pakistan.  He continued to express how America needs to change our image of being a bully.  We apparently need to work on the way in which we're viewed by the other countries of the world.  Consequently, the president continued his diplomatic visit with an historically hostile regime, while Americans were shaken.

I have a simple question:  WHY?

Why do we need to concern ourselves with the way we are viewed by other nations?  What do we care about the way in which they perceive us, real or imagined?

Our government needs to be concerned about keeping us safe, and if they're unable to do that, at least make us feel like we are.

Political correctness has soared to ridiculous heights when we're more concerned about our image than our well-being.

Let's be sure we don't offend those who are out to do us, our way of life, and our allies, harm.