My Favorite 8th Grader, speaking truth to power
Monica Conyers is the wife of Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and a member (and President Pro Tem) of the Detroit City Council. She’s in a beef with the Council president, Kenneth Cockrel, and during a recent meeting of the Council began an insulting exchange with him. The exchange culminated with her calling him “Shrek,” which in context was clearly intended as an insult. (Incidentally, I have no idea why “Shrek” is a fitting insult to use in this context, and humbly bleg for enlightenment.) Naturally, this less-than-professional moment made all the local news up there.
Enter Kierra Bell, an eighth grader from Courtis Elementary School, who met Mrs. Conyers during a recent field trip to City Hall to learn how government works. Miss Bell politely asked Mrs. Conyers about the shouting match at the meeting of the Council, wondering why an adult would resort to name-calling. Mrs. Conyers first tried to respond by asking Miss Bell if she hadn’t ever gotten into an argument and called a playmate names. Miss Bell confirmed that she had, but pressed on. Mrs. Conyers resorted to the ever-so-adult defense of “but he started it,” claiming that Cockrel had been “disrespectful” to her. Miss Bell pointed out that Mrs. Conyers had the choice to not respond with insults, at which point Mrs. Conyers bristles and replies that “everybody has choices.” At that point, the brilliant Miss Bell turns out the lights on her:
Conyers: Okay. And to me, he was being disrespectful.
Bell: He was, but you didn’t have to call him a name.
Conyers: But now you’re telling me what I should have or should not have done.
Bell: You are an adult, you have that choice.
Conyers: And everybody has choices.
Bell: But sometimes, people have to think before they act.
Conyers: Okay, well I’m not going to be combative with you, young lady…
Just how bad of a politician do you have to be to mishandle an exchange over manners with an 8th grader?
I hope the city of Detroit can survive its current mismanagement long enough for the next generation to take over. If Miss Bell is representative of her classmates, there may actually be hope for the future. Lets hope Mrs. Conyers and her ilk don’t destroy the city beyond repair first.
Cross-posted at StubbornFacts.us. Complete transcript and embedded video are available there.
I loved this story, and this girl, too. Reminded me of these kids as well (scroll down for the student part at the end of the story):
http://www.latimes.com/news/education/la-na-clayton14mar14,1,3991002.story