There are some interesting comments at the bottom of the Miami Hairball link.
Mom's media debut sends mixed message
BY JACKIE BUENO SOUSA
JSOUSA@MIAMIHERALD.COM
http://www.miamiherald.com/columnists/jackie-bueno-sousa/story/1270177.htmlAnais Cruz, the mother of slain Coral Gables High School student Juan Carlos Rivera, has only been in the United States a few weeks, which might explain her lack of good judgment when she addressed the public during a press conference last week.
Most of us are fortunate not to know, and can only imagine, the agony of losing a child. Which is why the public typically reserves a deep well of good will toward those who suffer such a fate. But after her media debut last week, Cruz may have exhausted much of that public sympathy.
Cruz spoke to the press for the first time since her son was stabbed to death on Sept. 15 during a fight with another student. Surrounding her was a team of attorneys from the Haggard Law Firm, which put Miami-Dade County Public Schools on notice that it will probably file a lawsuit. The attorneys claimed negligence on the part of the school district for not protecting Cruz's son.
SAFETY CONCERNS
Cruz, meanwhile, claims she simply wants to prevent the same thing from happening to other kids by, for example, requiring that schools install metal detectors. Raising awareness, of course, doesn't require a lawsuit. One simply needs a forum, something Cruz now has and likely will use in the months to come as she remains in the United States awaiting the legal outcome of any future case.
I'm sure Cruz has been getting an earful of advice since arriving here from Cuba to attend her son's funeral. I don't doubt the pain she must be feeling. I just question how she's reacting to the tragedy. Because she likely isn't familiar with the nuances of good public relations in this country, here's a little more advice that might help her win credibility in some circles:
In the United States, public sympathy has an inverse correlation to the number of lawyers who surround you when you appear in public. The greater the number of lawyers, the less sympathy you'll get. That's especially true when they are trial lawyers. By appearing at the press conference flanked by finger-waving suits, Cruz no longer came across as a bereaved mother but as an opportunist ready to take advantage of our legal system.
When dispensing criticism, it's best to do so without self-interest. Cruz may have a point in noting that there's too much violence in American schools, and particularly in South Florida. But her criticism of our society rings hollow from someone who, as far as we know, hasn't shown the same inclination in criticizing the societal failures of her own country.
SLAPPING SUPPORTERS
Don't spit on your hosts. After Cruz's son was brutally killed, the South Florida community responded with an outpouring of benevolence. U.S. officials began doing all they could to get Cruz permission to enter the United States from Cuba. The office of U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, for example, worked diligently to get her here before the funeral. Even the plot at Flagler Memorial Cemetery was donated. In many ways, Cruz is here thanks to U.S. residents and taxpayers.
Now that she's here, she's thanking the community by threatening to sue its school system based on what many would consider a flimsy claim.
The financial burden of any such lawsuit, of course, will be borne by the very people who helped get her here -- taxpayers.
That doesn't just get in the way of good public relations. It also flies in the face of common courtesy.
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