Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 1:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Well Well....Is all i can say.....Trinity,Cathedral..and ACCS Thank goodness for these schools...The Mayor filled a law suit WOW again.....Is he going to join any students now to file a law suit???

Posted by JDR (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 4:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

what white kid would fell comfortable in the Natchez public school system? none. i feel sorry for those kids who's parents cant afford private schooling.

its not an issue being around black Americans its an issue being 1 white kid in a class with 29 black Americans. if it was reversed the 1 black American child would feel just as uncomfortable.

Posted by frogprincenessntz (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 5:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)

There was an admitted difference in the two high schools before they were merged. You were expected to do the work at South. I can remember a lot of the talk when the two were mixed. Within years it was lawsuits and hassles over not being fair, so the level of expectation was dropped. At that time parents who wanted a good education for their children only had one option. Many had to take on extra jobs to afford the tuition. Many grandparents went back to work to help. Education expenses were more important to meet than new housing or cars.

This was not the first time the expectation level had been dropped. When my children attended South Natchez, Class of 87 and 88, they were expected to have achieved a certain level of education, but it was not anywhere near as high as expected of me twenty-odd years before at Vidalia High. I worked at the School Board office after graduation, when the original desegregation order came in. In my opinion, black education had been under funded for years, and was not as good as at the white schools. The best outcome would have been to gradually start the mix at the first grade level and bring all students up to the same level. This also would have put the kids together before a lot of attitudes had been formed. The powers that be chose not to do that. They immediately mixed all schools causing hard feeling amongst the students, both black and white. To be brutally honest, black students did not want to give up their school any more than the white students. They wanted an equal education. Because of the way the mix happened, all educational levels were dropped, and it does not appear that the lost ground was ever recovered. I had two young girls from Natchez High apply for jobs several years ago. Their resumes stated that they were members of the Beta Club at the school. The grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors in the resumes were appalling. There is no way they would have qualified for the Beta Club at Vidalia High is the mid sixties. That in a nutshell is why you see so many Cathedral uniforms on the student help downtown. When you go there, you understand you will get educated and no quarter will be given. You will do the work or get out. Consequently they get a much better education.

Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 6:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)

HUMMM ....and they cant figure out whats wrong with the public school system....THANKS BUCKET !!!!! sounds like the same problem with natchez regional.

Posted by babev1 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 6:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Thats is what is wrong with the Natchez Schools!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad I don't have any kids in school here anymore. Alot of the kids are being pulled out and are being sent to Colin to get their GED's because the Natchez Schools are so bad.

Posted by youneverknow (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The Mayor's article explained a lot i didn't understand.
It's not about the student's, it's about i finally got what i wanted and deserve.

Posted by padlock (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I think that the mayor did what he felt was best for his kid as other parents were probably too afraid to be as bold as he was in wanting to have his son to have the same oppurtunity as the white kids.
One white kid in a class with 29 black student or 1 black kid in the class with 29 white students should not make a difference it's all about diversity!!!!!
Natchez, after all these years still isn't ready for DIVERSITY.
Everyone is entitled to a good education.

Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Okay, I went to NORTH Natchez and graduated and we were ALSO required to do the work, we couldn't slide by and at that time, we had HARDCORE teachers, the good ones! But then again, school was also a place where you could get your hide tanned too! I place my academics and collegiate schooling up against anyone who went to a "better" school. I was in the LAST class to graduate from North Natchez, and we were quite upset that our school was being basically chopped off. See, I visited South Natchez on occasion and just did not see this perceived "perfection" that so many touted. There were some kids in my neighborhood, who went to South Natchez, and they were black, so IT was a choice, as far as I am concerned. To me, the worse thing they did was to kill off North and South Natchez High school, for the mess called Natchez High. So many of us then, knew this would be a mess. As for the one white kid in a room full of blacks, I gather that is how many blacks felt, when REAL segregation ruled, and they braved going to schools where they were not wanted.

Also, finally, maybe this thing was bigger than what we (myself and my classmates) thought, but as 12th graders at the time at North Natchez, we felt they were ruining a good school rivalry, I used to love the North and South games, but also, to that affect, I don't feel either way, my education was slighted in the least, because I made the choice to further and complete my education at predominately black institutions, namely one of the greatest, Jackson State University! I had offers to USM and Miss. State, but I did not feel like being ignored on their campuses, unless of course, I was an athlete. I feel from child to a teen, to a young adult, my parents and I made the best decisions for me, in education.

Posted by kpage1 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Do I hear a hint of regret in West's comments? He said it didn't turn out like he expected. Welllll. Now he's got this mess on his shoulders, along with the other few families who pushed for it. I remember well when this was happening. The way I remember it, the kids wanted to keep their schools the way it was. And it wasn't even a matter of black and white. Almost every student was satisfied with the former arrangement. Now an entire generation, almost 20 years of this, has suffered. They claim it will take many years to level off. How many other kid's education will suffer while this is "settling down"? I guess the next generation can expect low standards, too.

I think West knows he screwed up.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 2, 2008 at 8:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)

If I read it correctly, the mayor has given up on the public school system.

He wants to build monuments. Built it and they will come. Well, we have monuments that are costing the taxpayers and our tourists.

Maybe, just maybe, we need a change in local elected leadership!

Posted by Mucasplug (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I find it amusing that they lifted the court order because segregation had been achieved. That is hilarious!! Its all a power play. It was a takeover of the school system for black employees, nothing more. It's all about money, Kids mean little. West and his cronies got the jobs. The Children that graduate from Natchez Public Schools have poor prospects for jobs and successful lives. A few well placed people got themselves and their friends well paying jobs and power. It happens this way every day all over the world, because gullible people let it happen.

Posted by kpage1 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

You can say that again, gemccull! He seems to have a habit of making messes everywhere he goes! Now that they are catching up to him, who will clean them up? It may be unfixable today, but imagine how many other kid's education (an entire generation) will suffer from his forcing the change way back! Very costly mistake.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 2, 2008 at 9:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Kpage, I am one who thinks the public education system can be fixed and that at least two private schools would have to close.

But it going to take a commitment from our elected officials and the community to make it happen. When I say a commitment from our local officials, I mean they get up everyday wondering/thinking about how to improve public education.

Oh, yes, the elected have a board of education but that is not enough. Our elected should be at all PTA meetings, should attend all school board meetings and most importantly, should be the cheerleaders at/for the public schools.

Ok, I am off the soap box!

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Now gemccull, you know those two private schools aren't going to close. They make way too much money to even think of that. Remember people, there is another option, the one I am always talking about - HOMESCHOOL!

Posted by DSGB (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

For all of you who claim you know what happened 20 years ago, here is the skinny on the situation. I attended North Natchez with Kareem and many other highly educated children and high qualified teachers and administrators who pushed us to excel in life. I am sure the same type of education was going on at South Natchez. The thing is we were forced to become one family in less than 60 days and that was the first mistake of the court system's ruling. There was abundant pride from the students, faculty, and community for both schools and everyone was happy. What it boiled down to was that there were more Advanced Placement classes being offered at South that were not offered at North and we wanted a piece of that "educational pie." That was the equality that those parents wanted for us and fought for us to have. BUT when we did get together the TWO schools became ONE and we had a great 1989-90 school year. Everyone made friends and it didn't matter about the race. We still had that school pride and we had the advance placement classes we wanted. It became real world and the students embraced it and made it work. I was only there for one year but I can attest for my classmates when I say it was a move for the best but the way it happened wasn't the best. What has happened over the last 15 years is clearly evident as I read comments on this board, some of you still perceive that black kids can't learn at the rate of white kids. We all know Standardized tests are biased and some instances kids don't test well. I ask you to walk the campuses and see if you sense any school pride. I remember the trophy cases showing classmates what others have done, the school fight songs and alma mater--ALL OF THAT IS MISSING!!!! I remember grouping kids based on ability to push one another not just because he or she is black or white--where is that now???? If you put an honors student in a class with others not on his or her thinking or work level they become lost in the system. There used to be rivalries in the classroom that produced good quality students, now we lose those students because they become bored or disinterested.

When you give students a reason to want to perform for you it makes educating them easier because it reflects them. You see the pride the students have at Trinity, Vidalia, Cathedral, Ferriday and other schools in the area. When you set foot on any campus in Natchez you are immediately met with the tension at the door and no kid should have to deal with that. Get rid of those teachers who don't have the students best interest at heart and get teachers who will push these kids to excel. Get rid of the trouble makers and make examples out of them, stop letting them ruin the educational process because you want federal funding. Basically we are pimping our own kids for a dollar in the Natchez Adams School District and my question is WHERE AND TO WHOM IS THAT DOLLAR GOING????

Posted by youneverknow (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)

what parent will be home to teach there children. It take's two pay check's to live. Remember no industry, no health insurance.

Posted by silly_willy_24_7 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

wouldn't it be terrific if ole bucket could hop on his trusty ole bulldozer and level the school system back to when it was successful? back to before he and his clown crew made the decisions that have not only hurt natchez and adams county, but 20 years of education as well.

i graduated from South Natchez Adams High School in the early 80's, and i had many friends from North Natchez Adams High School. We all understood that there was supposed to be this rivaly between the two schools, but that was for the weeks surrounding our yearly football game. for those weeks, we had heated discussions of who was better. after the game was over, we were back to being friends again.

all through my school years, i saw parents all over the schools i attended, visiting classrooms, volunteering to help teachers, tutoring and mentoring students, even if their child was not in the class. i wonder how many adults today even bother to visit a public school campus, and if it involves their child, is it only to go cuss the principal and teacher out for their child's bad behavior and poor grades? is their absence from the schools these days from lack of concern, or are they afraid to open their eyes and see the mess? it seems that the school administration does not want to pull their noses out of the sky long enough to see the carnage around them.

Posted by ideucate (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

As a former student of North Natchez, I am extremely appalled at a comment posted stating that we had lower standards/expectations and did not have to do our work. This is miles away from the truth. We had teachers that DEMANDED nothing short of excellence everyday from every student. We had numerous National Merit Semifinalists every year, students that scored above 30 on the ACT, went to NASA ( John Foster ), law schools, medical schools, etc. Our instruction was definitely not dumbed down and unlike now WE TOOK PRIDE IN OUR NORTH NATCHEZ HIGH SCHOOL BECAUSE IT WAS OUR FAMILY !!!! We were also taught to be polite, respectful, mannerable, God-fearing, and mannerable. We did not havemany fights as well because we had more respect for the school than to do that. Kids would settle their differences in their neighborhoods before school. You also hated to miss a day from school as well because it was truly the place to be. For clarity, Kareem West was a junior at North Natchez High so it is untrue that he was the only black in a white class. Hid dad wanted him to have white classmates which he did have for ONE year at NHS. This was the worse thing that ever happened to the black community in Natchez because we lost our sense of FAMILY and we do not have the IT TAKES A VILLAGE MENTALITY anymore.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)

This article shows how just a few idiots can screw up everything. They never had vision to look down the road and see or estimate the results of their actions. And to think, the man who destroyed our public scools is now TOP DAWG in Natchez. You know sometimes I think what is wrong is the people of Natchez. People have to bring change, I just don 't think that there is enough here who want it. This economy/scociety is so browbeat and hard pressed in this part of state is sucks, and most people just let it happen. Look at Fayette most people don't know but at one time it had a great school system and bustling economy. Did you know that when the space shuttle first launched in the 80's the pilot was from Fayette. You think Ferriday is a speed trap for tickets? Hell, they built hwy 28 around Fayette so you wouldn't have to go through it anymore it got so bad . Look what desegregation did to that city. Welfare and lawsuit capital of the south. Go walk through the old Natchez cemetary and look where people were from who are burried there, all over the world, we just don't have any people with vision any more to get away from the status quo, or to say "hey we screwed up" or "we did it wrong" or "we have tried that and it didn't work". Boy I wish I could get in City Hall or the school board for about six months, I would clean it up with no pay.

Posted by Aldeberon (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Definitely a complicated issue. I'll start with the fact that we're white and my two children have been in the Natchez Public School System since pre-school. We've all made a lot of good friends over the years thru the Natchez School.
Now the problem I see is the perception of an inferior education in the public schools. All I can tell you is that my two are decent students. They work but they don't kill themselves doing it. Without any prep for the ACT test they've both scored a 22. That's not a great score but it is pretty respectable. Natchez School System must have taught them something along the way.
My point is that Private School education is overrated and Public School Education is underrated. The truth is somewhere in the middle.
I don't have any answers to Natchez problems, I just want everyone to remember that we all love our kids and want each and everyone of them to do well in life.

Posted by SayItRight (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 10:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Instead of getting in there and volunteering and networking with other parents and showing that you can be cooperative and that you share the same dreams for your children - you sue or you remain angry and emanate bitterness. When you try to force people to accept you instead of joining with them in a positive way, why would you think that they would want to work with you and be around you in the future? They won't. If they have a choice they'll go where they think they have a better chance at getting what is best for them and their family. At that point, they don't care about you and never will because you made it clear at the beginning that YOU is all you care about.

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on March 2, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks Teach, DSGB, and ideucate for the insights. It seems like one thing the diversity crowd cannot see is the cultural difference in different races. How is cultural pride a bad thing, and how are programs aimed at denial of fundamental realities a good thing? Real diversity would admit these differences and let them flourish.

It is ridiculous to assume that one race or social class cannot learn at the same rate as another. But that is the basic assumption behind so many educational programs that are federally funded and mandated.

Politiicans are also pretty thick when it comes to realizing that coercion creates resistance.

Utopian dreams like the 'build it and they will come" philosophy we hear so often from local politicians are nothing more than a grab for more power and money, all based on a creation of Hollywood.

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 2, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Private school, home school or public school?

Each parent makes a decision about what is best for their child/children. Our public schools loose resources for each child that is not in public school.

It is a fact that it is hard (if not impossible) to promote Natchez to potential employees and employers with our present situation.

I used the wrong phrase in an earlier post, "fix our public schools". I should have said that we need "to improve our public schools."

It can be done!

Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on March 2, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

In my comment above, "Our public schools loose resources" should read "Our public schools lose resources".

Sorry for the error!

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)

youneverknow - how many parents are both working just to be able to pay for private school? Work staggared schedules, work from home, do whatever you have to for your kids - you won't regret it.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The present man by the name of West created the problem and it is still a problem and the voters of Natchez elected him as a representative of the city as Mayor! He is determined to run again! Natchez needs to wakeup! Think about it? He is still confused!

Posted by wakeupnatchez (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

THANKS MAYOR WEST FOR ALL YOU DID TO ENSURE BLACK STUDENTS/WHITE STUDENTS RECEIVE AN ADEQUATE EDUCATION. WE ALL MAY NOT LIKE THE WAY IT WAS DONE.IT JUST TOOK A MERE 36 YEARS FOR THE RULING HANDED DOWN IN 1954 BROWN VERSUS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO REACH NATCHEZ. SEPERATE BUT EQUAL "IS" UNCOSTITUTIONAL. WHENEVER THERE IS CHANGE OPPOSITION IS GREAT. STATUS QUO IS WHERE THE OLD SOUTH STILL LIVES. YOU PEOPLE IN NATCHEZ NEED TO GET WITH IT. THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE STATE IS OFTEN THE MOST OVERLOOKED IN TERMS OF INDUSTRY AND MOVING TO THE 21ST CENTURY BECAUSE OF THE BACK WOOD THINKING. NO MATTER HOW SMART A PERSON IS IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH FOR YOU. IF EDUCATION WAS A MAJOR FACTOR TO ANY OF YOU, THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD NOT BE IN THE SHAPE IT IS IN. WE ALL KNOW TRINITY AND ACCS WAS IN FINACIAL TROUBLE AND YOU NEEDED BLACK STUDENTS TO KEEP YOUR DOORS OPEN. YOU RECEIVE FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDING BECAUSE UPFRONT IT APPEARS YOU DON'T PROMOTE SEGREGATION. IN REALITY WE KNOW THAT IS NOT TRUE. YOU DID NOT BUILD THOSE SCHOOLS SEEKING A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR YOUR CHILDREN, YOU BUILT THOSE SCHOOLS BECAUSE YOU (WHITE) THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPERIOR TO BLACKS. DON'T THINK OTHERS ARE NOT AWARE OF YOUR UNDERHANDED DEALIINGS. TO INDICATE BLACKS CANNOT COMPETE WITH YOU ACADEMICALLY IS TRULY LIVING IN THE CONFEDERACY. THE ONLY PLACE THAT KIND OF THINKING IS ACCEPTABLE IS NEXT MONTH DURING THE SPRING PILGRIMAGE. BEECAUSE MAYOR WEST AND OTHERS BELIEVE BLACKS ARE "SOMEBODY" YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT. YOU CAN'T ACCEPT THE PROGRESS MAYOR WEST HAS DONE FOR YOUR TOWN BECAUSE HE IS BLACK BUT YOU SAT BACK AND LET ANTHONY MORRIS AND OTHERS TEAR DOWN THE ONE THING YOU NEEDED TO SURVIVE "PUBLIC EDUCATION". THAT'S NOT VERY SMART. I HEARD OVER THE SUMMER DR. MORRIS SHUT DOWN SUMMER SCHOOL AT NATCHEZ HIGH SO ALL THE STUDENTS WENT TO ACCS. YOU MUST ALL LOVE HIM. WHO GOT THAT MONEY? ALL EYES ARE UPON YOU MARCH 11.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The race card has been played again?

Posted by DSGB (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We continue to blame Mayor West, who at the time just wanted what all parents should want for their kids, the best education possible. It was not Phillip West that ruled that the schools should merge into one, it was not Phillip West that ruled it should be done immediately without looking at the effects of it down the road--IT WAS OUR FEDERAL COURT SYSTEM!!! Why do we blame Phillip when this community as a whole has failed public education. We have forced out our young to go and be productive elsewhere which leaves you with those who don't share the same values about education, politics, change and growth. The school system is our way of changing what Natchez is but I see now the kids we have in school today are the products of the uneducated, the blind, and let's leave things as they were then. Most of you on here think because your kids go to private school, there situation is better and that public school is a farst and waste of your taxpaying dollars, well that is your fault. Quit bickering and complaining and help to work toward change but that is to much to ask because most of you like to look down your noses and throw out stats to show how bad things are. Well among all things bad there is some good and we have to work to make sure the good influences the bad.

The Natchez Adams School District is a misguided entity now with poor, very poor leadership and if something is not done then we will lose the next generation of kids. I want for all of these naysayers to stop talking about what can't be done or what has been done and do your part to make it better!!!!

I leave you with a passage from the poem The Bridge Builder by W.A. Dromgoole:

"Good friend, in the path I have come,"
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
The chasm that was naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim----
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him."

Let's build a bridge for our youth rather than shake, rattle, and tear it down!!!!

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

West filed the lawsuit/he knew what was coming! Don"t blame the federal Court system!

Posted by wakeupnatchez (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

you can't sweep racism under the rug and pretend it is not there. FACE IT, DEAL WITH IT, SOLVE IT. ARE YOU UP TO THE CHALLENGE?

Posted by sickofit (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)

just to look back in time it was our current mayor and thank goodness he is no longer in office george harden who got everything started back in 1989. it would have seemed everything was just how they would have wanted it. north natchez was almost all black students and south natchez was mostly white. it really did not seem to be any problem until west and harden stirred the pot and then things ended up like they are now. i really thought things were going just fine until then. actually i think i was more of a slap in the face of the black people here more than anything else. I know we can all remember when both schools had sports programs that were always ranked in the top ten in the state. now they can't even spell ten.
THANKS MAYOR AND GEORGE HARDEN WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU HAVE DONE

Posted by kayce (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I can remember my cousin being apart ot that first class to graduate from Natchez High, along with Kareem. I think Mayor West had good intentions and I know that some of the best educators were from North Natchez. I can remember being a young girl hearing my cousin talking about teachers like.. Doc Northington, Mrs Pat West and Mr. Oliver. I had the pleasure of being educated by all three at Natchez High. I can remember Mrs. West being the first English teacher to expose me to Richard Wright and other African American authors. I can remember Doc Northington not only teaching Algebra II but he taught life and Mr. Oliver didn't need a textbook because Biology was in his heart. In the society we live in, diversity is important and until Natchez embraces diversity rather than running from it..Natchez will remain a "Certified Retirement City".

Posted by sickofit (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 12:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

why not blame philip west even though he not the only responsible party in the downfall of the public school system as we knew it here once upon a time. i don't care where you were 20 years ago, you can't tell me when you were in school at north natchez and found out you would be graduating at south natchez you weren't mad as hell. everyone was going to school where they wanted. back then was there a central alternative school? we all know the students there are on their last chance to get an education. i amain the schools almost everyday working and you would not believe some of the things i have seen. say what you want but seeing it in person will make you glad you graduated before 1989. if west has anymore bright ideas for the public school system maybe he should keep them under his hat.

Posted by loneconservative (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If the plan is working so splendedly as this article claims, why are they having more problems now than ever before?

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on March 2, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)

wakeupnatchez, it only took 13 years for Brown v Board to reach Natchez, and public education is no where provided for in the Constitution, so no form of it can be unconstitutional. Public education arose out of America's socialist movement. It is understandable that so large a percentage of the black population favors socialist programs since the truth is the mass of the black population never had a chance to live in America as free people, and only achieved a status as federal citizens with the 13th amendment. A federal citizen is something quite different from an American citizen.

At any rate, the reality is now that the majority of public school funds are now under the control of the black population, with only 10% white students. Be happy with that, and do what you can with it. I for one would be very happy if something good could be done with it, but look, every time we turn around West et al are wanting more public money. What did he say would bring white students back to the public schools? New buildings and "programs". Translate that to more public money, because that is what he thinks will solve the problem, along with the hospital problem and the tourist problem, and whatever problem pops up next week.

There are many more reasons for not using public schools than just racial reasons. The federal government has been no friend to the black community, and you should wake up to that.

Posted by ITSME (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Just lost my vote West just another one that will take up for blacks but not whites.

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 12:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have read all these comments and what i got out of them was...West wanted to segregate the schools so there would be more blacks in school.....Now that it is more blacks than whites in public schools and the level is a 2 it is the white peoples fault?????

I went to South Natchez and had friends at North Natchez we never thought they werent as smart as us......What a silly way of thinking....

Teach4peace very good comment.......

Posted by overthehill60 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 12:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The year I graduated from Natchez High School in the last semester a black girl was placed in the school. She was the most unhappy person in the school. I saw her crying on several occasions. I really felt sorry for her, but trying to talk to her did no good. Soon I saw she was not afraid because no one was bothering or threating her, but she was ASHAMED! Why did they choose this poor girl to experminent on I'll never know.
It's just an example of how they use their own young to make racial histoy. This poor girl I'm sure begged not to be put through such shame but the NAACP & Martin Luther King Jr. had other plans & they didn't care what effects it had on the young. Maybe this is why there are so many bitter black today.

Posted by sickofit (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

the segregation in 1989 was exactly what the private schools here needed at that time. the students moving from the public to private schools is what help them keep their head above water and doors open. but is also what hurts us in getting new business here. you better believe people ask about the schools here when thinking about moving here. nobody really wants to have to put their children in private schools and have to pay tuition but then again they want them to be in a place where they don't have to put up with the kids that are only in school because the law says they have to be there. actually it is more like grown up daycare. private school has it problems too but not anything like public school does and they get all the money (county tax money, state, and federal funds) to operate. when a school system has to have its own securtiy force to keep the peace on campus it just doesn't seem right.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Blah Blah Blah, stop the race card and look at the facts. The schools were fine as they were, race relations were good except for the the old "tourist women downtown" and they are prejudice, not only to black people, if you are white and not in the click with them they treat you the same as blacks, I know I have been around them enough. But on the other hand look at the facts, the blacks wanted control of the schools, They got it look at it now, they wanted the highest office in town, they got it, They even got the capital "Jackson" of the state that produced Jeff Davis the President of the Confederacy, look at it now, I am not racist I have many friends of color that would do for me more than a white person. The point is getting in control of something whether you are white or black doesn't always fix the problem. Everybody just need to think before they jump and be prepared for the results of the actions taken. Look around you see the results of poor management everywhere in Natchez. The school system, the hospital, the goverment, the tourism market, when will it end!

Posted by overthehill60 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 2:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Intergration should not be pushed down children throats. Your children should go to school for an education not for the purpose of racistism.
I don't know about other schools in Natchez but I do know the first black girl was placed in Natchez High School in 1967 & she was there AGAINST her will, it had to do with her parents, the NAACP & the issures MLK.Jr was pushing so hard.! Her photo is not even it the year book because she arrived so late.
That poor girl was used & it was definately in a racial act by her own family & NAACP & M.L KING JR.!!!!!!! I'm sure today she is in her very late late 40's to early 50's and I hope she tuned our ok. She was young and we all know she was in no position to decide what was right for her. Everything was the doings of M.L.K. Jr, the NAACP & her parents.

My kids went to Vidalia and they had a good edcuation, now my grandkids go to Vidalia. When they get to the High School it will be different, buy by then they will know whites are white & blacks or black, end of story.

Please don't get me wrong I have some mighty fine black frinds, but I just don't associate with them outside work. And they feel the same way about me.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Welcome to Fayette Southern Division. You made your bed, Phil, now sleep in it.

Posted by triscuit (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 3:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Education districts that didn't desegregate properly from the get-go ALL got placed under court orders. Natchez wasn't the only one. If P. West hadn't done it someone would have. Racism and politics prevented it from happening right the first time, our school district left themselves vulnerable. Now we have paranoia and resentment from the back of the classroom all the way to Braden.

The Natchez-Adams school district has some fabulous teachers, and some superior students. As far as the sorry students and teachers, under-age sex and illegal drugs, well I'm pretty sure the private schools in town have those too.

Posted by tcauthen (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

kayce, I had some of the same teachers. You learn any thing from a white teacher?

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 4:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Triscuit, Wake Up!!! Enough said. It is over. The schools are on the way down and no way to turn it around under the present administration and plan. When the state puts them on probation in a few more years, a conservator will come in and clean house. Then there will be a brighter future for the children of Natchez.

If Adams county wants to get smarter about education, SEPERATE from Natchez again and start over.

Posted by tcauthen (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 4:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

wakeupnatchez, What progress has west done for natchez?

dsgb, how are standardized tests bais. everyone hears the samething in the classroom. but certain people don't score as well. That is not bais. IT'S CALLED LEARNING. Ever since desegregation the level of education has gone down. any answers?

Posted by BurningStar (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 4:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Natchez.. what a WONDERFUL place.
I'm thankful that I didn't have to go to school here. I know a lot of people who graduated here and can't even spell words like: MILK.

Posted by peaceout (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 5:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

sad but true!

Posted by elvisss (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My sister was in the NHS graduating class of 89-90. Before her senior year, she was in a college prep program at SNAHS. Early in her senior year, she chose to enter the vo-tech program and work at a local dollar store in the afternoons until graduation so she wouldn't have to put up with the unbelievable things that were now happening at her school -- drugs at break, sex in the bathrooms, and people climbing out of the classroom windows in the middle of class. Teachers and administrators were ignored.

Now NHS is back to the red-dot D days.

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on March 2, 2008 at 6:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For heaven's sake iconoclast, John Dewey was a Socialist! I have read the history.

Rights are internal, that is why they are called unalienable. You don't have a right to education, or to healthcare, or to a low income house, or any of the other entitlements. You have a right to what you get up and go get.

Posted by peaceout (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

OMG!!!!! i'm cracking up right now. if you look at the older posts made by "oldschool" , THEY CANNOT SPELL EITHER. you really should'nt have opened your mouth because you stuck BOTH feet in it when you did.

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 6:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

AMEN Enkikur......

They have a daycare in high school now????? Wow...Whoever heard of such stuff.......

Posted by MSstillwaiting4change (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 7:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Atleast one thing is certain about this town,I can leave it and return in 20 years and nothing will have changed.
This town will still be a small town with small minded people too busy staying small to ever grow into something better.
SAD REALLY,,REALLY,REALLY SAD :{,,,,even if the public school system do pick up with a community like this it's a small drop in a huge bucket of other reasons why Natchez as a whole is and will remain on the bottom of the economic growth scale, or the human growth scale at that.. with having said that I have no more to say..(UGH...{ The way some of you people think SICKENS ME TO THE CORE!!!

Posted by goodwitch2008 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 7:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It might be because of the school system now that people keep sending their kids to our private schools but you can't sit up here and lie to yourself and to me and say that the original reason why all the white kids left public school wasn't because they had to be mixed with the black kids. You can't tell me that their parents moved them out of public schools out of the goodness of their hearts at first. Don't even lie to yourself like that.
It disturbs me greatly that it wasn't until 1989 that our schools were forced to be desegregated. One of my two sisters was born that year and then I was born the year directly after. It really disturbs me that those years were not that long ago.
The south and Natchez in general still has a long way to go when it comes to those deeply rooted racist and/or prejudice feelings. Its not just about the schools..its about how everything in Natchez is done. I can't wait to graduate so I can leave this place.

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The schools were actually desegrated in 1967. I know because I was working for the public school system 1964 - 1970. The restructuring of the schools to supposedly make the black/white ratio more even happened in 1989 with the suit filed by the Wests. As stated in many of the above posts, most of the KIDS were happy with their school and when there was a cross-town game - south vs north Natchez High, there were no problems between the two schools. After the kids were forced to bus to school, sometimes for an hour or more on the bus, the schools were suppose to be equal. This was the second wave of white flight because parents did not want their children to be in a non-neighborhood school or be on the bus for that long of a time. Many black families also protested, and many left for Cathedral or Holy Family.

Posted by rushinghjr (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 7:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm glad I graduated from Natchez-Adams in 1965! The last great class in a good environment!

Posted by the_dude (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Enkikur,
public schools in america pre-date the constitution and the concept of socialism. the puritans of new england passed the Old Deluder Satan law which established public schools and required attedance. public education not being in the constitution simply means it falls to the states to govern it. the founding fathers had no desire to remove the pre-existing public education. jefferson even developed an extensive public education system for virginia he couldn't get passed.
I have no problem with your other statements about entitlements.

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Actually rushing, 1966 was the last great class! LOL

Posted by the_dude (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

natchez,
we need to wake up and smell the fertilizer we are in. the desire to blame the other race will get this town nowhere, fast. don't beleive me, check out the delta towns greenwood and greenville. both are formerly well to do towns with thriving economies and average to good public schools. now the towns as a whole are completely segregated and no economy to speak of, sound familiar? the politics fall along racial lines, sound familiar? can you name a town in mississippi thats growing that does not have excellent public school system? (madison, desoto county, tupelo, brandon, oak grove, etc.)
the deal is natchez as long as we think about whats best for whites or blacks, we as whole will fail. the focus of all politics in this town are silly. the problems are clear, now work together to develop solutions.

Posted by the_dude (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

fire 39212,

the daycare at the high school exists as part of the vo-tech program. a program that is/has been a consant with all vo-tech programs.

Posted by SMiss94 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Class of SNAHS-1986

This is what I remember...Students at North Natchez Loved their school---The students that I knew from North through work and sports did not support the move to segregate. South Natchez was a great school..great teachers..and just a great place to be. I was proud to have gone to SNAHS and I know most of the students in the 80's were proud. But its all a memory--A memory that Phillip West cannot take away no matter how hard he tries. Its ashame what Natchez Schools are now....North Natchez and South all won State Champioships in all the sports categories---What have they done lately. Natchez is if not the worst High School in Athletics. I can remeber Athletes from Natchez playing at all the colleges. And Last..what a great rival North and South were..Just to have it all thrown away by one family(The Wests) and a Judge who made THE worst judgement of his entire Judicial career.

South Natchez Colonels!!

Posted by headchick (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The children in the lab preschool at Fallin are either teachers' children or from the community. They have to meet the same criteria as they would if they were in preschool at West. No students' children have ever been enrolled there.
High school students learn how to work with small children in preparation for careers in education or daycare.

Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Woo Hoo! North Natchez Rams! The Mighty Green and Gold!!!

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Thanks headchick. I knew the kids in daycare belonged to the teachers, but I too thought some belonged to some of the students. Which, I may add, in my opinion would be a good thing to let students utilize the daycare if necessary to be able to finish their high school education.

Posted by silly_willy_24_7 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

the students themselves are the children in daycare, and the teachers are stuck being babysitters because i'm sure that many of the parents seem to enjoy the 6 or 7 hours of babysitting and free meals their children get five days a week!

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

what happened to carrying around sugar babies for that?

Posted by peaceout (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

lol @ sayitloud! did'nt they graduate to the electronic babies? an in-school daycare seems like something you'd see at an inner-city school to me. what's happening to these girls?

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)

go fiqure peace!

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on March 2, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)

For heaven's sake again, iconoclast, read the history around Dewey and where his ideas came from. Plato was a socialist who advocated a two tiered society of elites controlling the less worthy masses. Socialism is as old as humanity.

The objection to socialism is that a person's right to the product of his own labor is the right upon which all others are based; socialism disallows that most basic natural right and institutes instead a series of civil rights that exist at the whim of government.

Democracy is thirty-five klansmen and one negro voting on how to spend Saturday night. Democracy exists only until the voters discover, as has been said before, that they can vote themselves gifts from the treasury, as we do now.

Plato is no hero and neither is John Dewey. They are both proponents of the falsity expounded by social Darwinism and the concept of predestination. Our federal government thinks the same way, that there are in our society those who must start school earlier and be given special instruction and help of all sorts due to their genetic inferiority.

I don't believe those things, that there are genetically inferior races that cannot help themselves. I also don't believe that anyone else has a right to the labor of my body. I paid well over fifty thousand dollars in taxes taken directly from my pay last year. The only reason I consented to this was to stay out of jail. I do not like seeing my money squandered on the manifold foolishness we see both locally and nationally. If that makes me conservative and un-intellectual, so be it.

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on March 2, 2008 at 10:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

google John Dewey socialism and you come back with 35,800 hits.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 10:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Population 22,015 (1980); 19,460 (1990); 18,277 (1998) 16,966 (2005) census estimates for the population of Natchez.. Case closed Thankyou Mr west and all other deadbeats that say Natchez has great public schools. Even the Natchez website lies about the population. YOU DON'T THINK THIS TOWN NEEDS AN ENEMA?

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 10:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

WELL SPOKEN ENKIKUR!

Posted by vidalia1 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 10:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Wake up Natchez I did really enjoy your comments.They were very well stated and made much logical sense.

Posted by Calm_Cool_Collected (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I can't wait to graduate next year from Natchez High School (with Honors of course). I don't plan on coming back to this close minded hole until I am ready to retire in this lovely "Certified Retirement Community". I try to encourage my peers and teachers to read the newspaper online. So they can view some of these negative and at times ignorant comments. I am truly amazed and saddened at the same time. But what do I know....I'm just a product of the Natchez Adams School District.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I pay taxes, too. My wife and I are both self-employed. She is taking classes now to further her career and I own a construction company. I was born on the wrong side of the tracks. I graduated SNAHS in 84 and USM in 94. I had to borrow as much money for my education as some of the people in Natchez paid for their houses.

2 classes I wish I had taking time to take in college were mind-reading and typing. My ex-wives both thought I could read their minds and my typing skills are evident on here.

I got a great education at the public school level in Natchez when I was there. When I went to college, my brother and I both learned that we were ahead of many of the students academically that went to schools such as ACCS and Jackson Prep. We were in classes with these kids and passed them up like they were sitting still. The kids that were in college from North Natchez did very well also.

The problem that phil west did not seem to understand was that people were segregated By CHOICE in Natchez. They lived in a geographical area and went to the equivalent of neighborhood schools. Had he just moved his stupid a- - across town, kareem could have gone to South Natchez, had he wanted too.
He could have gotten a high quality education at North Natchez, if he would have applied himself. He had the very same oppurtunities that we had. I went to trade school 1 year in high school and saw the caliber of students that were at North. Some were amazing and very intelligent. Just like the circumstance at South, the brighter kids rose to the top of the class.

Next time you don't like the school system phil, MOVE YOUR A_ _ SOMEWHERE ELSE We would like to suggest Chicago or points further north than there.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Now, how do we fix the situation at hand TODAY?
First, start next year seperating the males and females. Many schools are doing this with great success all across America today.

Secondly, stop trying to get every student ready for college. Get some of them back in trade programs. Over half of them will never see the inside of a college, unless the go there to see a sibling graduate. Stop wasting teachers time in Calculus and Biology on kids who we all know will be dipping fries at McDonalds or pushing buggies at Wally World after they drop out.

Set an example for the rest of the state, instead of paying a bunch of budget-draining consultants that give half-baked ideas on educating every kid for college.

AND DO IT NOW!!!!!!!!

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

In my neighborhood, a black teenager walked next door in our yard uninvited, struck up a conversation with my grandaughter. He said, Man your a hot number, when you gonna give that stuff up whitegirl. That,s the way a lot of women young and old are talked to by young black men.
The same thing happened to my wife once in a convience store. He told her he liked her round bottom and did she like to date white men, he didn,t even know her and didn,t care. So please some of the black leaders explain this behavior to me. I also hear quite frequently in walmart young blacks walking around without any buggies, pants draggin the floor saying some of the filthiest cursewords imaginable. How to we as a society condone that or better yet make it okay or say it didn,t happen. Which it did. I was there on all occasions. It,s not the color but what they say and their actions which go unpunished or even questioned most of the time because someone fears reprisal or we will hear that word that,s been rode to death a zillion times, racist. What group,single,male or female of any color should be allowed to do those things and not be held accountable. No wonder most want their kids in private schools. It,s not the color but the filthy words and lack of respect, shoving past people and daring them to say anything, if they do. They scream racist. If they don,t then they do as they please. Go through Walmart and stay a few hours and just listen to the language in there and observe the kids running and walking around and the way they talk and act. And especially their language.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

They also need to post the names of the kids that were responsible for all the fights and bringing guns to school. Then the record will speak for itself.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

This is free America for right now at least. We can homeschool our kids if we want. The goverment has and always will foul up anything they touch. especially schools.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If you have a filthy mouth around anyone or make sexual remarks in public loudly to strangers and pull on your pants in between your legs in the presence of anyone.
It wouldn,t matter if you were chartruese orange with a Dodge blue racing stripe. You still would need to be held accountable for having no respect for humans of all races.

Posted by priya (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)

With the education today, and preschool in the high school is most of the children when they graduate our having babies. to get more state aide in helping them raise their children. what other vo tech programs our in the high school. I agree if a teen has a baby because they need someone to love them. let the high school students help see how it is unfair to have a child when your a child. Ive seen parents that are proud to be grandmothers because their daughter is 14 years old and having their grand child. I understand why children are having children because what kind of jobs are out there to support a family. ( I call it social services) you get more with the more children you have. When the job opportunities increases the income in Natchez and Vidalia there will be probably less teen pregnancies. Who will get more of the money from the retirement community and gambling community. Not the people that need it. Retirement community will need the younger generation someday but if they chase them off. the younger people wont be here to support them.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)

KICK THEIR BUTTS OUT/HOLD THE PARENTS ACCOUNTABLE. I WOULD MUCH RATHER THEM SITTING AT HOME WITH THEIR PARENTS OR WALKING THE STREETS SO THE COPS COULD GET THEM RATHER THAN THEM STINKING UP THE CLASSROOMS!

Posted by priya (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My children went to school when the majority of the students were white. Any time something went wrong the black students complained it was racism. I work and when adult black people dont get their way they call it racism. I went to a driving course a few years back to have points taking off my driving license. A Black person said the only reason she got pulled over was she was black. Than why did I get pulled over because I was white. Oh come on everyone. If you do something wrong its not because of the color of your skin. Its because your not adult enough to take the responsibility to know you took the chance and got caught. Nachez and Vidalia are a beautiful place to be. If we all took the time to smell the roses. do we care what color they are.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)

They,re standing on the corner
and they can't speak English.
I can't even talk the way these people talk:
Why you ain't,
Where you is,
What he drive,
Where he stay,
Where he work,
Who you be...

And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk.

And then I heard the father talk.

Everybody knows it's important to speak English
except these knuckleheads.

You can't be a doctor
with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth.

In fact you will never get any kind of job
making a decent living.

People marched and were hit in the face with rocks
to get an education,
and now we've got these
knuckleheads walking around.

The lower economic people
are not holding up their end in this deal.

These people are not parenting.
They are buying things for kids.
$500 sneakers for what ? ?

And they won't spend $200 for Hooked on Phonics.

I am talking about these people who cry
when their son is standing there in an orange suit.

Where were you when he was 2 ? ?

Where were you when he was 12 ? ?

Where were you when he was 18,
and how come you didn't know
that he had a pistol ? ?

And where is the father ? ?
Or who is his father ? ?

People putting their clothes on backward:
Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong?

People with their hats on backward,
pants down around the crack,
isn't that a sign of something ? ?

Or are you waiting for Jesus
to pull your pants up?

Isn't it a sign of something
when she has her dress all the way up
and got all type of needles [piercing]
going through her body?

What part of Africa did this come from??

We are not Africans.
Those people are not Africans;
they don't know a thing about Africa.

With names like Shaniqua,
Taliqua and Mohammed
and all of that crap,
and all of them are in jail.

Brown or black versus the Board of Education
is no longer the white person's problem.

We have got to take the neighborhood back.

People used to be ashamed.
Today a woman has eight children
with eight different 'husbands' --
or men or whatever you call them now.

We have millionaire football players
who cannot read.
We have million-dollar basketball players
who can't write two paragraphs.

We, as black folks, have to do a better job.
Someone working at Wal-Mart with seven kids,
you are hurting us.

We have to start holding each other
to a higher standard..

We cannot blame the white people
any longer."

Dr. William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr., Ed.D.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 11:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Actually the black people don,t like a lot of things that we do, the same as we don,t like a lot of things we do. So that,s mutual. But they want equality,but they don,t want us in their nightclubs, at their house for barbuques or family gatherings, the same as we do.We had black slave owners in Natchez. All you have to do is look it up on the internet.
It,s not about color so much as the way we treat each other.
I treat and always have treated anyone the same as they treat me. I grew up playing with black children and some of their parents worked for my family. I never knew about civil rights or understood much about it until i was 25 or so after they passed the civil rights act. My grandmother and i went to one of her employees funeral. They were about 100 black people in the church. My grandmother and I sat on the front row. It was sad for me to lose my friend even though we were 2 white people in a black church..the service was over, we went back home. I didn,t think about it one way or another. I lost my mother when i was young and one of her employees practically raised me, this included punishment with several peach tree limbs when i was bad, it was permitted by my grandmother as just common punishment of the time.So somewhere in all this things went all wrong,but regardless it,s the person not the color that makes peace or war. I prefer peace and respect for each other.

Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at midnight (Suggest removal)

pRIYA , WHAT WORLD ARE YOU IN? These loosers would be dropping babies if they were in Las Vegas or Rome. You can't find a job so lets have a baby? IF you are poor you can still work, go to school, get a grant for college and make something of yourself. Lack of jobs doesn't cause kids to have sex and have babies, It's called ignorance, lack of accountability, and it's somebody is gonna help me outta this attitude. You know welfare was started to help the mothers of children whos fathers were fighting in world war 2, and it should have ended after the war . But the country was booming and rich. It was never meant to take care of idiot kids who want to have babies

Posted by priya (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 12:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Im in this world. but where can the teens work!!! Walmart!?! the gambling casinos?!? a few motels?!? what is the pay rate minimum wage?!? there is the reasons children are having children, or they are getting out of natchez as far as they can go. Who stays behind?!? People proud of natchez and vidalia stay here and people that cant afford to go anywhere else. and now that the country is not booming and rich because no one can pay their hospital bills. what do we need now?!?

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 12:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The parents should have to pay for the babies that unwed mothers have and for their care and until they leave home.
Wonder how many would get pregnant then? When i worked at the mill i overheard a young girl working there say, look at that handsome man. I want to have his baby. She didn,t want to marry him, just have his baby, she didn,t even know his name, bu with the goverment picking up the tab why should she care. Our neighbors have 2 daughters12 and 14. One has a 1 year old child and she is pregnant. The other one is going to be pregnant soon because when they leave for work in the evenings 3 or 4 young teenagers show up at their house and stay for a couple of hours and leave. What a goat roping.

Posted by priya (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 12:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

whats easier for a teenager. sex or work?!?

Posted by priya (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 12:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Guess Texas Ranger your not on the same world as Natchez Enema but sounds like your on the same world as me.

Posted by james (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 12:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Don,t worry about your school,s in Natchez any morning you want come to the Vidalia School,s you will see a lot of Adams county plates dropping them off & they are white & black! Let our tax,s in La. pay for school needs!

Posted by fire39212 (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 2:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)

lol@james..........I think if they send them to vidalia schools they should pay tution for them......

Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 5:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

check the birth rates.

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on March 3, 2008 at 6:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I am not surprised iconoclast, GW is a national sociaiist. You see, you have incorrectly assessed me. I am no bigger a fan of GW than I am of John Dewey. Bush simply supports the more militant view of how to achieve socialist utopia.

Bush comes from a family with strong national socialist leanings. It was his grandfather Prescott who was president of the Union Banking Corporation, the corporation that had its assests seized at the beginning of WW II for laundering money for Fritz Thyssen and his friend Adolph. Prescott was also involved in the attempted fascist coup in the early thirties that Gen. Smedly Butler exposed in the McCormick-Dickstein hearings.

To help you in your arguments against me, I don't believe in joining with or identifying with political groups. I believe we should be a nation of sovereign individuals, protected by a few simple rules, hard money, and a truly free market.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 6:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)

PRIYA, get your head out of your a-- and look around. Like Bill Cosby said, it is up to the parents to guide their child in the right direction.
Texasranger, Film this and show it to the parents of the girls. Show them what happens as soon as they go to work. Maybe this is what they need to change their schedule and make sure somebody is home with the kids.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

They are having babies because the system pays for it. Pay them to stay home. Low income housing and their boyfriends who numbers change from time to time drop by and pay them cash to run the roads and pay for things the system leaves them short on.They have the decency of ship rat,s.

Posted by texasranger (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Setting your alarm clock and getting up by yourself and going to work day in and day out. Thats what your supposed to do. Reach down where there,s nothing and pick up something. They are too many kids that need to work in their last 2 years of school and go in the military and get away from Daddy and Mommie and grow up.I started working at 11 years old on a paper route. I started paying social security taxes at age 11 and for 44 years continued to do so. I am now retired and taxes are still coming out of guess what..yes my retirement. That,s what it takes to pick up the tab in the USA. I,m tired of feeding the Mexicans and anyone else who lays on there tail. If theirs no jobs in Natchez, go offshore or somewhere else and work...Whatever it takes PAY your own way. Don,t let someone else work a lifetime and you take up space for a lifetime.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 8:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I WANT A BORDER FENCE THAT REALLY CAN BE SEEN FROM THE MOON. I WANT SOMETHING THAT MAKES THE GREAT WALL oF CHINA LOOK SMALL. I WANT IT ARMED WITH MILITARY MEN ORDERED TO SHOOT WHEN THEY HAVE SOMEONE COMING ACROSS THE CONSTANTINA WIRE. IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST 80 FEET TALL AND THE BASE SHOULD BE 25 FEET DEEP. THIS WILL MAKE IT HARD TO DIG UNDER AND ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CLIMB OVER. IT NEEDS TO HAVE GUARD TOWERS EVER 200 YARDS AND BE ARMED 24 HOURS A DAY.IT NEEDS TO BE WIDE ENOUGH FOR 2 BORDER PATROL VEHICLES TO PASS EACH OTHER AS THEY DRIVE THEIR ROUNDS EVERY 2 HOURS OR SO.

ANYBODY ELSE WITH ME ON THIS????

Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on March 3, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I dunno red, a fence like that would make it as hard to get out as it is to get in!

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

99% of the people want in. The 1% that wants out, we will let out right away. All they have to do is say the word, and the gate will open and they are gone.

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm soooo with you on this one redusmfan! What they have now is a flippin joke! If I ever want to go over to Mexico thank you but I'll fly into a big city....I have no use for those nasty border towns.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

We have to change the way things are going, or we will be the next third world country. 100 years from now, they will be saying what a great country the USA WAS!!!!!!!

Posted by silly_willy_24_7 (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)

redusmfan, a project like that would put a strain on the USA's unemployment rate and welfare lines. too many people would have too much work to do. crime would dwindle because too many people would be too busy working to commit these crimes. the children would have to be self-motivated to become better educated to compete for these jobs. the government would see a rise in income tax and social security withholdings. the economy would become more active because people would have the money to buy not only the stuff they need, but also the stuff they want.

it would be the end of America as we know it!! high crime and unemployment rates, a handful of Americans working to support those not able and not willing to work, etc.

you may be on to something after all!!!

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The fact remains that parents don't want their child penalized because a group of black children not only don't want to learn, they don't want anyone else to learn either. Before you accused me of being a member of the Klan, I remind you I said "a group of black children".... not all black children.

If that means paying through the nose for private schools while paying taxes that support the public schools, so be it.

I'm fortunate. I live in an area where the public high school is a Level 5 and has been for years. But make no mistake; if it was a glorified babysitting service, I would have no compunction about sending my children to a private school.... none.

Mayor West can sue all he wants to... the ball is in the court of the black students. What they do with it affects us all.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)

And while we are at it, lets give a simple bounty for any illegal that is brought to the local sheriif's office, city jail or local detention center for return to mexico or whereever they came from. THe INS could pick them up and send them home. This way, we could make more off it than just watching them walk through WalMart buying up all the onions and bell peppers in the place.

Is anyone else with me?

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The place where I live is only 100 miles away from Natchez.
We have all level 5 schools and yes, there are black students here. It is not lily white. The makeup is 80/20 and they seem to be doing great. What is the major difference? The people here, black and white, want their kids to get an education and are involved. There are very few 1 parent families here. The ones that are here are hardworking people and the pregnancy rate is very low amongst the teens.

They all have hope for a future in the area where we are now. They feel like they can get out of school and get a career and make a living right here. They do not have to move away from everyone they know, like all my siblings and I had to do to make a living.

WAKE UP NATCHEZ!!!!!!!

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)

WHOA YEAH!!

Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Si senor.

Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm with you ((redusmfan))!! As for the public school system, they have allowed a group of knuckleheads to run amook and negatively impact the teaching environment in the classroom far too long. They should be redirected to an alternative school where they are required to work, learn a trade, and make passing grades. There should a "no tolerance" policy for disrespectful and disruptive behavior that is fully ENFORCED!!

Posted by priya (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Has anyone ever tried to tell parents how to raise their children? I think you might have an angry mob on your hands if you did texas Ranger. If they dont know by now that a 14 year old is having sex and is pregnant with their second grand child. than they dont care. They helped ruined their own daughters life. But I hear their is a generation of grand parents that dont have nothing better to do than raise their grand kids. WOW and Natchez wants to be a retirement community?!? What do we do with these grandparents. Im a grandmother and proud to be one but one day with my grandchildren. and Im ready for a vacation....

Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I got a question for all or you? Since you all know us well enough to sit here and analyze every thing wrong with the black teenage boy and girl, then why don't you try to pull one over to the side and try to talk to them, or say something to them? Or is it easier to sit here and talk about it and praise it every chance an article like this come up. Don't say that they may curse you out, because by what I see in the supermarkets and in public places, your own don't respect you either. It seems to me that everytime a Black and White issue come up, it's always the Blacks who are the problem. The number of comments on these types of articles reach record numbers. I've seen so many positive articles on this site for the past two months, and either one of them had no more than nine comments on them. Whether we all want equality, are leading in teen pregnacy, crime, or whatever other things you have said, we are Black and there is nothing you can do about it. I know the real reason why you don't want your children to go to school with the Black children, but I'll let you answer that. What do you tell your children about Black people? You all may attack me, but I don't care. You are talking about my youth, my son, my cousin. Yes, Blacks have some major issues to solve, but to call us indecent "Ship rats" and ignorant, only show yours. It's plain wrong. We are aware of what our youth need. Leave it to us to figure it out.

Posted by priya (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Plus I dont think its much of a white and black issue when I was in school, and im white, white boys used to pick on me. A group of black kids stood up to them white boys and told them if they had anything to say to me. They will have to go through them first. I never had a problem after that. Most the people on a government check or disability can work. Ive seen people with MS in electric wheel chair work for a living, and Ive seen people that are just over weight get paid to sit home and not work. Maybe if the over weight people worked they would lose some weight!?! exercise and walking never really hurt anyone.

Posted by npc (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I noticed in the article that the school system is helping the teachers, didn't mention the kids. To me the problem is clear. Think about it. As a child you want to feel safe and comfortable in your surroundings. The way the school system is set-up today, it couldn't be any worse. I grew up in the public schools. I went to McLaurin 1st - 9th grade. I grew to know friends, became familiar with all the teachers, and felt pride for my school. Why? Because I spent nine years there. My parents got to know the teachers, the teachers got to know me and my parents, even before I was in that teachers grade. As a kid I felt safe and comfortable. I could settle in and do my work and if I had problems the teachers already knew that because I had been at this school in prior years. Now a kid gets to school it takes a year to figure out what works best for kid and teacher then we move to another school to start over. Know days, kids go to a different school every two years. As an adult, how would you like to change jobs or move homes every two years. It would SUCK. Kids in school now days are being shuffled between schools like being shuffled between divorced parents. Not to mention if you have multiple kids at mulitiple schools. Now almost every kid has to ride the bus, because parent can't carry three different kids to three different schools. In the past older sibling could help younger sibling settle into school. My sibling and I were two years apart, but went to the same school. My parents were very involved in my school, because both of us were there. Now even if the parents wanted to participate in school, (which most don't) they are torn between multiple schools. Kids now don't compete against other in town schools, therefore they don't have a since of pride. Everybody is a Bulldog now.

How could anyone be against neighborhood schools. Are you going to have some schools better than others? Yes. Are some going to be more white than black and vice versa. Yes. That is how our neighborhoods are set-up. But, then if you want you kids to go to a certain school, you can move to that zone. Now days you don't have a choice. Choice is good for those who are against this sort of system.

Posted by ijohnson (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

It is crucial that the parents and school administrators demand quality performance and behavior from each and every student. It's a disservice to us all when we give slackers carte blanche to suck the system dry and destroy our public school system.

The same thing is happening with the illegal immigrants -- draining our social services and busting our public schools at the seams. Something needs to be done soon or we will not recognize America in about 10 years!

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I see them in church every week. My church is integrated. The woman that got the house in Brandon from the ABC show goes to church with me. I used to teach her daughter every sunday. We are trying to help every child in the church see the light and head the right direction.

So, the answer is YES. I am doing a part. But can I do it in Natchez? NO. I have to have a job and work for a living. I do remodeling and new construction. Is there anything left to do like that in Natchez on a regular basis? Not when I tried a few years ago. The only companies that were hiring people in my position were only paying enough to barely pay my student loans back. It would not have paid my truck note or my living expenses.

I tried to get people to WAKE UP when I was there...But it fell on deaf and dumb ears. Everybody seemed to be happy with the status quo. This is called APATHY. It is killing Natchez and the surrounding areas. It killed Fayette and it is going to kill the spirit and minds of the young being raised in Natchez.

Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I have to apologize for what I have said earlier. I said what I said out of anger by some of the comments posted on here.

Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)

No problem draw.

Posted by c_8512 (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)

drawpaintsing, you are correct about disrespect coming from almost all kids these days. I am white, and I have tried to give advice and direction to all young people that I see doing wrong things. However, any child learns more long-lasting behaviors at home than in public, including school and church, because that is where they spend the most time early in life. Unless a family is mixed-race, these children are exposed to only that one race the majority of the time. So if any prejudice or bias exists, it is rooted in that family, black or white, yellow or green, red or blue. I have seen black kids more well-mannered and respectful than white kids, and I have seen white kids act like total savages, especially toward their parents, let alone others. I think we both know what the answer is, but today's political correctness guru's would probably want us in prison for child abuse.

Posted by freedom42 (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I used to have a Girl Scout group - it was integrated and I loved all my little girls. The worse two in the bunch were 2 white sisters. They would fight constantly, and one threw a telephone (heavy old desk type) at the other one one day. When I called their father, he laughed and said they do that at home all the time. That's what is wrong with kids - they have no discipline at home, teachers and scout leaders are not allowed to discipline, and so the kids have no clue as to what is acceptable behavior. If all parents took charge of their own kids, I truely believe everyone could get along.

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)

drawstring: It takes a man (or a woman) to admit a mistake. You've earned my respect. We may see things differently (then again, we may not) but regardless, we can see things together.

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

BTW, I didn't see any glaring mistake, drawstring. Goodness knows, I make enough of them daily. Just the fact that you made it right means a lot.

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It sounds like Morris should worry more about what's happening at his schools

than what's going on in the global arena, we need to focus on how to work and survive HERE

Competing on the global scale is pure nonsense when it comes to elementary through high school education and learning the basics, of which discipline and morality are totally left out.

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 1 p.m. (Suggest removal)

West thinks people send their kids to private school because they can afford it -- NO, it's to avoid drugs, violence, and fear PLUS get a decent education

Most families cannot afford it, but they struggle to make ends meet and sacrifice for their kids

Morris needs to get his head out of the clouds and provide our kids with the basics of education, how to think and be a good citizen and forget about global competition

Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 2:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

it isn't the kids (it's the parents).

Posted by iomo (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 3:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The problems at the public schools in town have more to do with discipline than race. At least at the private schools the students are made to follow the rules. Ok, sure, some people get of the hook, but that happens anywhere. The rules are not as enforced at public schools. I agree it is easier to enforce rules with a smaller number of students, so get more administrators or build more schools.

It's a shame the students at the high school don't even have a break between classes other than to get to the other class. Do you know that at lunch they only have 25 minutes to stand in line, get their food, eat and possibly get to the restroom?

Natchez High would benefit from lower numbers of students in class, students behaving so all can learn, and sending the students who do not wish to learn elsewhere - like the alternative school or out.

Posted by brod (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 3:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)

(krogers) you are right. Discipline and morality have not been addressed in school for a long time. I have a lady that works with me and she is the grandmother of six. None of her children have ever been married. But, she was thrilled to learn that they were expecting everytime. Her daughters were barely in H.S. when they became pregnant. So where is discipline, morality, and descency? It was certainly not promoted by the parent. After all, look at all the benefits, pre-natal and Dr. visits for 2 years, WIC, etc. Maybe the biological father will help out, maybe he won't. Nonetheless, these girls will qualify for section 8 or low to no income housing. Where's the pride in that? Where's a sense of accomplishment? These kids need to be taught self-control, discipline, moral standards, self pride, etc. Until these "basic" elements have been instilled, nothing will change. Our kids must have a foundation before you can build anything. It must start with the parents. It must start at home. We have young parents that don't know how to be parents. Babies with babies. But, somehow, they learn how to go sign-up for everything. You know who gets them there? Their parents.

Posted by redusmfan (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Try neighborhood schools...I am sorry, we used to have that, and phil west and his poor little kid kareem hated that. Well, lets just put constantina wire around the current schools and make them prisons instead. Then we can all educate our kids at HOME. We can bring home schooling experts to Natchez and just let the chips fall where they may.

I am being sarcastic about the wire. Lets just start by seperating the males from the females and get them to focus on class and not each other for a while........

Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Negotiator, I am a woman; and if I didn't have a sense of humor, I would take the way you use my username serious.

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

opps... strictly an accident. Sorry for the mistake. i just didn't pay close enough attention.

Posted by MSstillwaiting4change (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 4:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)

THIS MUST BE THE CHATROOM FOR RACIST,,,AND YESSS I SAID RACIST.LOL,,,YOU ALL MUST HAVE GOTTEN TIRED OF MEETING IN THE BACKWOODS SPATTING YOUR B/S THERE ,,NO NATCHEZ DEMOCRAT HAVE GIVEN YOU A SITE ALL TO YOURSELVES. I HAVE LIVED HERE MOST OF MY LIFE,,AND IM GOING TO TELL YOU MOST OF THIS CRAP (KROGER,RED, AND WHOMEVER ELSE),,,HAS TO SAY ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE IS REALLY JUST A SMOKE SCREEN TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT WHITES AROUND HERE ARE NOT THAT MUCH BETTER. THERE ARE WHITE TEENS HAVING BABIES,THERE ARE WHITE WOMEN ON WELFARE, THERE ARE WHITE PEOPLE WHO GET FOOD ASSISTANCE,THERE ARE WHITE KIDS AND ADULTS THAT ARE ON DRUGS,,AND NOT JUST WEED,THERE ARE WHITE MEN RIGHT HERE WHO HAVEN'T PAID A PENNY TO CHILD SUPPORT OR EVEN CARE TO KNOW SOME OF THE KIDS THE HAVE FATHERED, THERE ARE WHITE KIDS WHO RUN THEIR HOME DOING WHATEVER BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE WORKING JUST TO PAY FOR A SCHOOL THAT THE CHILD IS FAILING ANYWAY.YOU PEOPLE ARE A JOKE!!!!A SAD REALLLLYYYY TIRED JOKE!!!!STOP MAKING EVERY ISSUE INTO A BLACK IS WORSE THAT WHITE THING BECAUSE B'LIEVE ME THE WHITES AROUND HERE ARE JUST AS TRIFLING AS THE BLACKS THEY CLAIM TO BE BETTER THAN,,,,GET A CLUE,,,,THEN MAYBE YOU COULD FIND A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS AT HAND INSTEAD OF POLLUTING THE WHOLE POINT(UGH:{

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 4:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)

iomo and brod: You two are hitting it and hitting it hard.

Line of the day: It's more about discipline than race.

Man... Is that any good or what!

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 4:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)

MSstillwaiting4change:

No one wants to be yelled at and online, using all caps is yelling.

You are right; both whites and blacks have their respective scumbags. No one is disputing that.

Another point i would like to make is this: holding people accountable is not racist behavior.

Posted by james (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 6:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

If you don,t like the CAP,S turn your volume down!It,s just a bolder print thats all !

Posted by Krogers (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

MSstillwaiting -- man you are a fool

nobody is talking racist talk here

we're talking about the messed up school, Morris, and West
and the fact that the whole public school system is still segregated and not showing acceptable results. Fact is WHITE FLIGHT is why the school is so lopsidedly black. Everybody knows that, and it's not from racism, it's from people wanting what is best for their kids. There are black kids in the private schools you know, no one is keeping black kids from the private schools.

it's not my fault the public school is 90% black, Morris is black, West is black, the whole thing is a black thing -- I didn't set it up like that- How can you so stupidly say that I am racist for just stating the facts and wanting for things to be better-- And furthermore I'm fine, my kids are fine, and my daughter( a white girl ) went to NHS, she had some problems, we dealt with it, if you want things to stay the same then keep on talking the racist stuff instead of looking at the truth. I sent my daughter to NHS because we are not afraid and we are not racist. I could have sent her to private school, but we CHOSE not to. I wanted her to be able to handle the REAL world.

You're the only one making racist remarks and you are doing your people, I'm assuming you are black, you are doing your own good black people a disservice by not taking action to make things better and just trying to play the race game.

I have nothing against black people, you are my brother, I'm pulling for you man, just get yourself straightened out and marry your woman, do your duty to your family and community, stay off the street and quit doing the drugs and violence. And that goes for whites too.

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 7:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I don't need any unsolicited advice from you.

If she wishes to ignore universally accepted internet protocol, she can expect to have it drawn to her attention.

Posted by momof4 (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

My best years in school were spent at McLaurin in my 6, 7, and 8 grade years.....

I went to AC in lower elementary, I went to trinity for 2 years, mclaurin for 3, south natchez for 1 year, and back to AC. In my honest opinion, the best time I had in school, the best education I got while in school, and the best teachers I had in school were in McLaurin and in South Natchez. I was pulled out of SN the year before all of this started. ALL of my favorite teachers were black... and alot of the black girls were my friends. I was the blonde FAIR skinned very WHITE girl who was teased constantly for one thing or another. While I loved AC at the end of my school days, I can promise you one thing.... I learned more about LIFE, BOOKS, and general common sense while I attended those 2 schools (McLaurin and South Natchez). Personally it ticked me off that they did this to the public schools because I didn't have a choice to where I went, I probably would have stayed had I been given that choice..... BUT.. now... with MY kids and the things I have heard and WITNESSED for myself from the Natchez public schools... no thanks! I truly miss some of my black friends from McLaurin and SN more than I miss my white friends sometimes... specially the girl that used to french braid my tender head... (OW).. but I learned so much from those experiences. I had a black friend stand up for me, she didn't even know me that well and stood up for me to some of my supposed closest white friends..... I truly miss the schools I got to learn in and wish I had not had to move to give my kids a better education. But as of now, the school they are in is minimum 2 grades ahead of most of the other public schools around this area.... and no they are not in a private school. I had to go as far as homeschooling one of my kids while we lived in Ferriday.... not because of racism.. like people tried to make me out to be.... but for the simple fact... she was getting DUMBER going to this ferriday school.... and she was learning about gangs more than book knowledge in the fricken THIRD grade!!! So for those of you who want to look down on us parents and call us racists for pulling our kids out of an environment that is not good for them.... you can figure out what you can do... and for those of you who understand thank you. This is not a black and white issue..... this is I love my kids issue and to hell with those who don't get that.

Posted by momof4 (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 10:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)

'll end with this... I worked at walmart for a bit... "hello welcome to walmart"..... and I had more black and other races (Other than whites) SHAKE MY HAND and ASK HOW I WAS DOING than I EVER did a white.... it made me ashamed to BE white. These PEOPLE actually acted like HUMAN beings rather than stick their snobby noses up in the air and look down on me because I had a fricken job.....

There are bad PEOPLE black, white, purple green, orange, yellow... i don't care WHAT color they are... fact is some people are just mean and bad.... those are the ones who should be BOOTED to the curb... let's focus on giving our kids the BEST however we have to do it and keep them AWAY from these snobby and trashy idiots and away from the drugs and violence... to hell with how we have to do it... let's just do it! The government could careless about our family.... that's why WE HAVE TO CARE and take matters into OUR own hands... and be PARENTS!!!!!!

Posted by JunkyardDawg (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 11:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I think it's time to stop moaning over what happened when, or what should have been, and figure out what needs to be done.

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Posted by JunkyardDawg (anonymous) on March 3, 2008 at 11:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why not build a new high school next door to the current high school and have 9-10th in one school and 11-12th in the other? Hire more teachers and have less students per classroom. Instead of building a play area in the bean field next to the high school, build a new school with a pool and tennis courts. Spend your money on the Natchez children which will help make future Natchez a better place. Seek out and find things which will interest the kids in going to school. How about a strings orchestra? Rap classes? Theatre classes? Art or pottery classes? Kids that find an interest at school, other than just going because they have to go, seem to do better than the kids that don't have any activities to look forward too.

During the summer, when school is out, make it mandatory that the teachers take classes, or go to seminars, that will help them to become better teachers. Test the teachers acedemically and psychologically to make sure they are qualified to be teaching kids. Drug test the teachers too. You wouldn't want a teacher who was really not qualified to teach; but who had been hired because they were well educated, yet had been fired from their previous nursing position for stealing drugs.

Posted by hawk (anonymous) on March 4, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)

if i was the only white person in a class of 29 blacks i would not attend this school.if it were the other way around they would call us racist and it would be a big deal.they would get rev jessie jackson down here and the naacp would be on stand by. we can clearly see this was what the segragation was all about. thank god for private schools.

Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on March 4, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

It is the other way around, Hawk. Private schools are the majority of whites. In a lot of cases, you may actually have 29 white students and 1 black. So what is your point, and what does Jesse has to do with the public school district? What are you actually trying to say? Be real about it. I won't get mad, and I'm not trying to start a war either. You just threw me off with the Jesse Jackson thing.

Posted by adamstanton (anonymous) on March 5, 2008 at 8:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)

started to make a comment but what do ya say when it doesn't matter nothing changes, and ya fighting a tidal wave that you can't over come, do you really think the kids of either race are getting the education they got back when teachers had parents to work with and disruptive children were dealt with both at home and at school,

Posted by obamayamama (anonymous) on March 6, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I was attending McLaurin in 1989 when the rules changed. Nothing was wrong with North Natchez, South Natchez, Suzie B West, McLaurin, or Morgantown UNTIL the rules changed.

Now, parents have to come up with a substantial amount of money each year to keep their children out of harms way.

Need some advice... MOVE TO VIDALIA where good people abide by the rules.

VIDALIA RULES!!!

Posted by blessedmommy (anonymous) on March 6, 2008 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm new to this but I had to comment on this story. I attended Natchez High School and graduated with honors in 1999. At that time we still had SOME really good teachers. Among those were Mrs. West, Mrs. McMullen, and Mr. Green. At this time all three of these teachers have left the Adams County Public Schools and gone elsewhere. It dissappoints those of us who look at what our schools have become now. Yes, things were difficult, but the race relations at NHS in 1999 were not generally bad between the students. Most of the racial issues were brought about by parents who wouldn't leave well enough alone. Yes, there were students that were brought up to be racist, on BOTH sides of the color line, but that did not include all students and to say that all of either side is racist is just wrong! When I attended NHS it was a survival of the fittest game though. If you wanted a good education then you had to reach out and take it. The only reason I got a good education at NHS was because I worked for it. Most of the teachers even then didn't care whether you understood or not. What I have seen happen to our schools in the last few years upsets me badly. I graduated from Natchez Public Schools and I will not send my child to any public school in Natchez and that has nothing to do with race. I was never racist and did not understand the divides then and I don't now. When I was in school I went to both the "white" and the "black" proms. I won't send my child to these schools because they are overcrowded, the teachers are not compassionate (as someone else said they are there to draw a check, period), and I feel like the level of educational programs are below par. My decision has absolutely nothing to do with race and everything to do with the quality of education my child would receive. Not to mention that these schools have become more and more dangerous over the years. I mean for pete's sake, the things that are happening on these campuses are the behaviours you'd expect to find in schools in big cities like N.Y. Sorry I'll get off my soapbox now! Just had to speak my mind on this one!

Posted by Negotiator (anonymous) on March 7, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)

freedom42 and teach4peace:

I respect both of your opinions. I have two questions.

1. What will it take to get the schools back to a Level 3 or perhaps a Level 4 or 5?

2. What can be done about the discipline problems at the schools?

I ask these questions in all sincerity. Something has got to be done about the schools and it appears the discipline issue is a major contributor to the deplorable performance.

Thank you in advance.