The Baltimore Sun has been unable to unearth any evidence of pre-existing spinal surgery at all. In fact, an attorney for another family member has denied it as just a rumor. There have been some allegations that one of the patrolmen planted his knee on his larynx. Today, a Baltimore TV station said that the injury occurred in the van. Don't know what the basis is for that, though...
I heard a few days ago, on cable or local news, not the internet, that he was unable to talk because of a crushed voice box (larynx). If that is true, coupled with a spine/neck fracture (I'm assuming C1 - C7) it would indicate that both occurred from the same excessive force, probably a knee, applied to the neck/throat area.
There was another witness interviewed on TV, apparently was also loaded into the van. Unfortunately, so much of his interviewed was bleeped out, I couldn't understand what he was saying...
OTOH, there are incidental comments about his wanting an inhaler for his asthma and also his becoming "irate" in the back of the van, so which turns out to be true?
The Baltimore PD had said that the prisoner who was in the van with Gray had said that Gray was "thrashing around like he wanted to hurt himself" Just saw the alleged other prisoner on TV. He said he had said no such thing and made no such statement. Who to believe? A whole lotta leaks and rumors.
I had heard that Gray was not seat belted in the van as required by policy. We need some real definitive info.
I'm interested in hearing what others think the following means at a more detailed level:
Edit: Yes, I intended "what". That's what you get when you try to submit a post on your iPhone in the middle of a high school band concert.
I think you really mean "what," so I'll give my thoughts on that. I don't think there's any question that we've royally screwed up our educational system and we seem determined to continue to do so. We seem unable to learn from any other nation's successful model. In Germany, you are tested at a relatively early age to see if you're academically suited to proceed on an academic route or if you need to divert into vocational training as an apprentice. It's a harsh system. Einstein might well have ended up as a master plumber. However, master plumbers, etc., are paid very handsomely there. And there are holes in the system for high money/political folks, just as here. We continue to send kids in cities like Baltimore through a meaningless high school education which just doesn't train them to make a living, and that's if they finish, which few do. I haven't even mentioned the impact this has had on our industrial job situation. Germany, OTOH, has held on to their manufacturing jobs. I'm just using them as an example. The same system really exists in all of northern Europe. Kids who could have learned to use a lathe or CNC machine end up on the street, throwing rocks... /rant
How young? I wouldn't mind something like this somewhere between junior high and high school, maybe after freshmen year. I teach freshmen and can tell which kids on the opposite ends of the spectrum should either go to college or trade school. The ones in the middle are harder to pin point so give them another year and reevaluate the middle kids after sophomore year.
I'm not sure on what basis. If it were applied on a racial basis, then it could be. If it were applied even handedly, then I don't know where the discrimination would come in...
Disparate impact may apply regardless of the even-handedness of the implementation.
