This just in from my buddy Dan Goldman who is still on the ground in South Carolina
Now I promised you a good story and here it is...
On Thursday when I went back to Stratford High School, I had a rather unexpected encounter. I started the day out as usual, passing out DPA's information, SSDP's stickers and a few of the SSDP t-shirts that I had left. At one point, a pair of teachers walked passed and I offered both of them the pamphlet and booklet. One of them asked "What is it?" and one of the students around him answered, "It has to do with keeping our school drug-free." A heavy-set man whose name I later learned was Mr. Green, took both the pamphlet and the booklet. The man next to him, a younger, smaller teacher whose name I later learned was Mr. McCombs refused my offer. In my youthful exhuberance, I said some snide remark to the effect of, "Way to set an example for your students by remaining ignorant." I know I shouldn't have said something like that and I didn't even think he heard me, but I was mistaken. Read on...
Now, after most of the students dispersed, I did what I did the day before and walked through a muddy foot path, about 30 feet over to the school grounds to pass out a few more flyers. As I was walking back through the foot path to my car, I saw both of the teachers again and I kindly offered my last pamphlet to Mr. McCombs, who had neglected to take it before. This time he was very upset. He wanted to know why I would say what I said to him about staying ignorant. He said, "I've been to college and I've been teaching for 4 years, don't you think I may know a little something about keeping kids drug-free?" I said, "You may know a little something, but you probably haven't been exposed to what's in this pamphlet, so why don't you take one and find out?" He told me he didn't have time to read one and I suggested he do what most people do and put it in his pocket to read when he does have time.
Mr. McCombs continued to wonder aloud why I thought it was necessary to undermine him in front of students and I continued to wonder to myself how one snide comment can undermine the authority of a teacher who has their attention every day for an hour? Now at this point, the two teachers began threatening me with this whole issue of tresspassing on school grounds. Since I was in fact on school grounds momentarily without permission, I really didn't want to get into it with them. I was about to leave with the excuse of another appointment (which was true, Ian Mance was arriving around 4:30pm and I wanted to see him as I've been staying at his parents' house for the last week) but then they made me an offer I couldn't refuse....
They offered to take me to see Principal McCrackin. Now, last week Mr. McCrackin had sent home a letter to parents offering to meet with any of them that still had concerns about the drug raid. However, according to the parents I've spoken with who've tried to meet with him, he's always busy. So I didn't think I would have the chance to meet the man behind the myth, and when the chance just presented itself like that, I thought it was too good to be true.
Well, like everything too good to be true... It was! As I walked through the school, continuing my witty banter with the two teachers, we entered the principal's office and to my surprise, there were two officers of the law instead of one Principal. Immediately, one of them, a very big man named Cpl. Aucoin demanded my identification. Now having just seen BUSTED, I wasn't immediately inclined to give it to him. However I did tell him my name and I showed him the materials I was distributing. I asked Cpl. Aucoin if I was free to go and he said, "No," that he was detaining me. The two teachers insisted they caught me tressassing and I corrected them and explained they encountered me in between the back of strip mall and the school grounds on that muddy foot path. Then, in came McCrackin...
I'm not sure how many of you have seen a picture of George McCrackin, but he's in his mid to late 50's, I would guess, dark hair that's greying but looks like he colors it. He's about 5 ft. 7in tall and maybe 170 lbs. He's a short, stout man, the kind with a Napolean complex of sorts. He looks tired beyond his years, like a man who has been at his job for too long. He's been principal of Stratford High School since it opened 20 years ago and before that he was assistant Superintendent of Schools in North Charleston and a principal and teacher for years before that, so the man has been in education for quite some time -- his entire adult life, in fact.
That he cares for children was evident from speaking to many people in the community, but that he pre-judges people and labels them "good" or "bad" and then acts towards them accordingly, was also quite evident from speaking to his students, especially those who were at one time "good", but then did something to get themselves labeled "bad". They speak quite insightfully about how he treats his students.
Upon speaking to Mr. McCrackin and being threatened with an arrest for tresspass, I decided to give up my ID. Cpl. Aucoin ran my ID as Mr. McCrackin disappeared with his two teachers to persumably view the videotape from one of the school's 70 surveillance cameras. He came back and said he had evidence I was "on his campus." I admitted to passing out a few materials to 6 students, said as much to him and apologized for not knowing I needed his permission to pass out flyers. (It wasn't as sarcastic as it sounds when you read this, honest.) He then asked me where I was parked, I think because he wanted to nail me for parking in "his lot" as well, but unfortunately as I told him, I was parked in the strip mall parking lot, which is off school grounds. Cpl. Aucoin asked if I saw the sign that said "For Customers Only" and I explained that I had purchased my lunch at the Subway in the strip mall, so I was indeed, a customer.
Now at this point things got really weird. See earlier that afternoon, as school let out, a bunch of kids were speeding around the parking lot and burning the rubber on their tires. Then the police came and chased one of them. I believe Mr. McCrackin was rightly concerned with this incident, but seemed to place the blame in a strange place. (Does this sound framiliar?) When I told them I bought my lunch at Subway, he went on about how he was going to have that place closed down and what a dangerous situation it was causing. I couldn't understand how a sandwhich shop could be responsible for high school kids doing stupid things in their cars, but I guess it makes sense somewhere in McCrackin World.
After he ended his subway tirade, I got to explaining about the "Safety First" philosophy and from what he said to me in response, I can say with 100% certainty that this man has lost his grip on reality. He told me he knew "Just Say No" wasn't working because they have Red Ribbon Week at school and although it's a school of 2700 people, there were 20-30 who were just going to do what they wanted to do anyways. I was honestly shocked that this man who has been an educator all his life, believes that there are only 20-30 students using drugs at his school. I spoke to at least 20-30 kids every day after school and I know I'm not hitting the lion's share of the drug using population at that school (most of whom are overwhelmingly marijuana smokers only), just the ones who happen to walk home that way or hang out in that area after school. So with what must have been a look of stupified incredulity on my face, the unexpected happened...
George McCrackin told me to turn around and put my hands on my head with my fingers crossed. He said he was going to search me, as he had the right to search anyone in his school. He asked me if I had anything in my pockets I shouldn't have. The whole time I'm in utter disbelief that I'm being detained and searched by the principal of Stratford High School, Mr. George McCrackin. The irony was too much.
After emptying my pockets and picking my pants back up for me (my belt wasn't tight enough) and not finding anything of interest in my pockets other than cash, keys and scraps of paper, I was told to sit down. He was still looking through my stuff when he asked me, "Who's Steve Silverman?"
(I had Steve's name on a list of voicemail messages to return.) I told him "Mr. Silverman works for an organization called "Flex Your Rights" out of Washington, DC. It teaches young people to assert their constitutional rights during police encounters." Neither the cops nor the principal looked too thrilled to hear about that.
There was another cop in the room this whole time, but he never said much. His name was Detective Brooder, and he used to work for the NYPD's bomb squad. He took much more interest in my ID than anyone else and kept bending it, I suspect to see if it was fake. (Earlier, when I was pulling out my ID, Cpl. Aucoin thought my expired International Student ID card was another license and he wanted to see that as well.) These folks in Goose Creek law enforcement just aren't too bright. At least on these two most recent searches, they're 0 for 2!
Before I left, Mr. McCrackin took two copies of DPA's pamphlet and an SSDP sticker. He told me he would read the pamphlet even if I didn't believe him (which I assured him I did) and I apologized for not having anymore copies of the "Safety First" booklet on me to give to him. I then realized he took the copy of the pamphlet that had the names of the teachers and staff I had just encountered written on the back and when I asked for it back, in exchange for a different pamphlet, I was told, "I didn't need to have the names of his teachers." As if it was going to be so difficult to remember all four names.
A tresspass warning was filled out with my name on it and my picture was taken by Cpl. Aucoin. ("No smiling!" he told me.) After he snapped my mug, I was given the warning which I was told to sign and I was reminded that it didn't have to be this way, they could have had me arrested, if they wanted. Now, having not lined up local counsel in advance, I wasn't too eager to spend an evening in the Berkeley County jail and frankly, I'm glad it didn't have to come to that. Before I left, I was also told to stay away from the strip mall behind the school and that I would be "run out" if I tried to come back there again. I guess tomorrow we'll see about that! I left the principal's office, walked off campus towards my car and on my way I ran into a few more students back in the strip mall parking lot. I told them what happened and we had a nice laugh
Dan Goldman
McCrackin Victim #108
Preacher man don't tell me heaven is under the earth; you don't know what life is worth;.......If you know what life is worth, you will look for your's on earth.
--Bob Marley
