OPS Super Mackiel threatened

question the timing

Omaha Public School Superintendent John Mackiel has gone public with claims that his life has been threatened by boorish peasants who aren't enlightened enough to embrace his One City - One School District plan. Now the Plains Feeder wouldn't be at all surprised if, among the thousands of folks who feel they would be adversely affected by this ill-advised scheme, there are some kooks. Maybe even dangerous kooks. The Omaha TV News take is here and here.

Neither would it be surprising to find a few kooks so incensed by OPS's attack on local control of their schools that they would make stupid threats. Happens all the time.; people in public office get nasty letters. I'd wager that Senator Ted Kennedy gets a mail bag full of kook threats every day. Threatening violence to others in writing is not only stupid, but is also almost universally illegal. Most folks don't do it.

Many public people, especially the elected variety, prefer to downplay such threats. There are plenty of good reasons to do this, mostly related to security. Idiots learn to behave like idiots by watching other idiots. Some kooks are encouraged by publicity, others actually get off on pursuit. Security reasons for going to the media with threats are few and far between. Ask NYC Mayor Bloomberg.

Of the reasons for which a public person may make a threatening letter public, most are political in nature. One might release a particularly nasty or even criminal threat letter to the media to disparage more reasonable and rational opponents. Tar them with the same brush, as it were. Could this be Mackiel's reason for going to the media with his kook letter?

Before you comment that the old feeder is a Millardian neanderthal fascist reactionary who hates kids and negroes and won't share his neighbor's pain, please note that I am a disgusted disinterested observer of the nascent Fahey - Mackiel empire. I am geographically insulated from any citified Omaha monkey business.