Quote for the day…

As a kid, I used to watch “The Wizard of Oz” and wonder how someone could talk if they didn’t have a brain. Then I got social media. – iFunny

Today’s independent commentary deals with these issues:

• The Western Word Poll
• North Middle School
• Best Birthday Ever?
• Super Bowl LVI

THE WESTERN WORD POLL:

Now that Super Bowl LVI is complete, this week’s poll question asks, “Should the Monday after the Super Bowl be a national holiday?”

Results will be posted later this week.

NORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL:

A parent of a child at North Middle School in Great Falls was very upset about a test that his daughter was given and commented on Facebook, “My daughter goes to north middle school and was given this test to and was told if she chooses wrong she is biased. What the hell are they trying to teach these kids?”

I can only imagine how embarrassing this must be for a middle school student to have their parent post this information instead of calling or emailing the teacher and/or administrator for an answer.

Even if the parent did not get the answer they wanted from the teacher/administrator, there are other ways to get an answer besides posting it on social media. There’s a chain of command.

As far as I can figure, it was one of the tests HERE.

A local elected official fanned the flames by linking the post to their personal social media account. Anything for publicity.

I won’t be posting a link to the parent’s Facebook page. I won’t give them more attention.

After a review of their Facebook page, the parent who is so concerned about the test likes “Trump Republicans,” “Impeach Joe Biden,” “Newsmax,” and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” among other things. There’s also no college or high school listed, so maybe that’s a sign (LoL).

The “education experts” chimed in with their opinions about the test with name-calling and calling it “critical race theory” and saying mean things about educators. There was a lot of hate in the comments.

Some eighth-grade students commented and defended the teacher and the test. Good for them.

We have some right-wingers in the Great Falls community who seem to want to use any issue to make it political. It tarnishes the community’s image. We have some of the best public schools in the nation here in Montana and Great Falls.

As I mentioned earlier, the parent seemed to be looking for attention. All the parent did was create an issue for their child and the teacher. We can be better than this.

BEST BIRTHDAY EVER?

I celebrated my birthday last week. I don’t publicize my birthday on social media because I figure those who really care will remember it.

On Thursday, my wife gave me a card wishing me the “Best Birthday Ever.” Later that evening, I tested positive for COVID.

I had a fever with chills, a headache, my eyes were burning, and I had a cough. I started taking acetaminophen (1000 mg) every eight hours, and I drank lots of water and slept.

As of this posting, I am feeling much better. I hope to be back to normal in a few days.

I am glad I got vaccinated and boosted, or the effects could have been much worse.

I am not sure if it was the “Best Birthday Ever,” but it was one I won’t forget.

SUPER BOWL LVI:

It was nice to see the Rams defeat the Bengals in the Super Bowl 23-20.

Former Eastern Washington star Cooper Kupp was the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP). Kupp had eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns. He carried the ball one time for seven yards.

As for the Bengals, I guess there’s no victory cigar for QB Joe Burrow. Yes, the Bengals beat my Chiefs twice this season. I felt they were just a little too cocky after whipping my Chiefs, so I was happy to see them suffer a defeat. I imagine their 15 minutes of fame is about to end. They were 10-7 going into the playoffs, and I suspect their AFC North rivals (Ravens, Steelers, and Browns) will be better next season.

Check out the box score HERE.

Now we enter that dark, cold, sad, and lonely time called the off-season. That makes me sad.

## WEAR A MASK INDOORS IN PUBLIC PLACES ##