In an age of international terrorism, war, gang violence and school shootings, it is an absolute outrage that members of the Norfolk Federation of Teachers protested budget cuts by carrying a CASKET!!
It’s a budget cut. A national recession means government revenues are down. Protesting a lack of raises and some job losses, most of which will be through attrition, is one thing.
But protesting by carrying a casket when too many families in this military community have to do it FOR REAL is an insult to every hero’s family.
Apologize now!
Photo: (David B. Hollingsworth | The Virginian-Pilot)
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled. 
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These “protesters” should be the first ones fired.
Pretty lame representation of a casket if you ask me. The body in it must have been laying on its side. I know, I know, you guys are going to chime in that it was laying on the left side, correct?
OK, poor joke, but that is about as good as my sense of humor gets.
Those teachers don’t have any class.
LittleDavid , were you taught by one of those teachers? It should be “lying” on its side.
Yes, my Mother was an English teacher…
My apologies to you.
Brian, the suggestion that the symbolism of the casket should be reserved for military families is ludicrous. Many MORE people (even in this region) bury loved ones for deaths unrelated to military service. And as somebody who did attend a burial this very week, I can find no reason why anybody should take offense at the use of a casket as a symbol.
Equating a funeral with a government employee not getting a raise is indefensible.
The fact that it happened in this community makes it even more indefensible, but it would have been indefensible anywhere.
Just today, the newspaper reported that a Norfolk elementary school is doing so poorly at educating young people, it may have to be shut down completely.
And these folks want raises?
John Harvie,
I quickly checked Merriam-Webster and I still do not understand why my use of “laying” is improper. Merriam-Webster even gives the example of proper usage “laying on of the hands”.
Perhaps you are still correct, I can not give an expert opinion, however I am not going to put this on my mental list of things to avoid. Besides, I love giving English teachers fits by using the word ain’t as often as possible.
LD –
Laying is a verb, as in laying on of the hands. Lying is an adjective as in lying on the side. One is an action that is being performed and the other describes the position of the body.
I’m not an English teacher but I know semantics can change the meaning of a sentence very quickly into something the writer did not intend.
Back on the topic, I agree with BK that caskets should not be used to protest budget cuts. It cheapens & demeans their cause by using this prop. Many people are without jobs right now & we don’t need people carrying fake caskets to remind us of that.
OK, then what is the verb in this sentence?
The body was laying in the casket.
Was. It should be “The body was lying in the casket.”
Perhaps I am just a dunce. I fail to see that the word lying in the sentence is an adjective. But then I fail to understand the difference between when “who” and when “whom” should be used either.
I think I’ll abandon the attempts at getting an English education on this thread and continue to hope people understand what I mean when I attempt to put a few words together in a sentence.
The problem started in the Clinton years, when “laying” and “lying” were always used together.
Wasn’t that also the timeframe where we found out that according to Clinton it depended on what our definition of “is” is? Such a small word I never knew it had multiple meanings!!