Mike Riley--the Racist, Classist, Fascist Principal of LCHS

I am an alumnus of the old Livingston Central at Burna, and though I now live on the other side of Kentucky, I've never been able to forget the bullying of the poorer students at LCHS nor the favoritism shown by Mike Riley's "ball boys." His racism, sexism, and classism were openly displayed, and in a more ethnically diverse school district, it would have never been tolerated. In my days, Riley was just beginning his career as an educational degenerate, but he has seemingly been rewarded with the principalship of the new high school. I still have relations in Livingston County and some of the younger ones have assured me that he still makes a practice of trying to bully the poorer students out of school. My question to the people of Livingston County is this--how much longer are you willing to tolerate Riley's despicable treatment of Livingston County's youth, and the substandard educational environment he has created. Thankfully, my children will never attend the Livingston County school system, but don't you want more for your kids than an early death from chemical exposure at the Calvert City industries, or service as cannon fodder in one of Bush's racist, imperialist wars? I still hold a great deal of affection for Livingston County--it will always feel like home for me--and I do believe that the people of Livingston County can organize to provide a better future for their children than that offered by the Riley regime.

You are so right, CC. Mike Riley is such a creep--a "racist, classist, fascist"--as you so accurately described, and he alkso shiows a dangerous, perverse, and possibly illegal fascination with underaged boys. I certainly hope that his fall from power hasppens before kids get hurt or the good name of Livingston County is dragged through the mud!

The good news is this prick retired recently and will no longer have the ability to destroy the lives of our children with impunity. May God have mercy on his soul.

George wrote:

The good news is this prick retired recently and will no longer have the ability to destroy the lives of our children with impunity. May God have mercy on his soul.

Thank God!!!

Well since you are speaking your opinion, I'm going to tell you mine. Mr. Riley is none of that nonsence. The school was in better hands when he was there. I have NEVER known Mr. Riley to do such a thing. Simply, that's probably the most retarded thing I've ever heard. I had Mr. Riley as a principle my freshman year, and I had the BEST year of my life, without any problems! Last year we got a new principle, I'm not saying she's a bad principle, never said that, I'm just saying a lot more things have changed, and people are bullied and treated badly more than ever. I'm a Junior now, things haven;t changed. When he left, our school went down hill, So Yes. I would know too, not just people like you, that are full of negativity. I'm sure you people are saying all this because you're child was a student under him, and got held back or something, or didn't make the ball team. So, learn to spell, by the way! OH! yeah, you would remind me of someone that would go to Livingston, and run their mouths, anonymously. You all need to: "JUST STOP DOGGING HIM AROUND!!!!!!!!!!" "HEEEEEHEEEEEE!!"

Mr Riley was a great teacher. You people are probably just mad because you had to sports talent at all. And Cannabis Culture, your connections in Livingston must be in grand rivers or ledbetter because those towns never really acted like Livingston county people anyway. Mr. Riley was a great principal. He never tried to "bully" people out of school. He may have tried to prove himself when he was younger, but he didn't even handle the discipline. Mr. Chittenden did that. Even the people who voted out Mr. Chittenden from the principal job now regret it. If you children never really attended the school, you have no room to speak of how Mr. Riley ran his school.

A few years ago at the Hunter's Moon parade, we were stnading next to some young (ahem) men who had just graduated that year. They were discussing their plans to join the military. I was impressed until the parade started with the Color Guard. These fellas kept talking amongst themselves, did not remove their hats or even acknowledge that the USA flag was being presented with honor 10 feet in front of them. Something so sacred if not taught at home should be taught in school. Can a kid go to school for 12 years in LC and not know what to do when the American flag is presented? You'd think they'd at least learn from watching major league sports on TV.

And, BTW they were bullying each other. The escalation got so bad, we found another place to watch the parade. If they acted like that in public, I can only imagine what they might have been in high school.

part-timer wrote:

A few years ago at the Hunter's Moon parade, we were stnading next to some young (ahem) men who had just graduated that year. They were discussing their plans to join the military. I was impressed until the parade started with the Color Guard. These fellas kept talking amongst themselves, did not remove their hats or even acknowledge that the USA flag was being presented with honor 10 feet in front of them. Something so sacred if not taught at home should be taught in school. Can a kid go to school for 12 years in LC and not know what to do when the American flag is presented? You'd think they'd at least learn from watching major league sports on TV.
And, BTW they were bullying each other. The escalation got so bad, we found another place to watch the parade. If they acted like that in public, I can only imagine what they might have been in high school.

Now those losers can sign up to go bully, torture, and butcher Afghanis and Iraqis, or whomever the Amerikkkan Empire decides to slaughter to prove that it still "Da Man."

There's something undeniably Darwinian going on.

I can't believe that people actually think that about Mike Riley. I've never known him to be like they are describing. He is probably the nicest man you'll ever meet. Im a huge Mr. Riley fan and always will be. I had him as princpal three years and he was never a problem but when he left my Senior year, then there was alot of change. I believe Mike Riley was best for LCHS. No other man has the pride he does.

former student wrote:

I can't believe that people actually think that about Mike Riley. I've never known him to be like they are describing. He is probably the nicest man you'll ever meet. Im a huge Mr. Riley fan and always will be. I had him as princpal three years and he was never a problem but when he left my Senior year, then there was alot of change. I believe Mike Riley was best for LCHS. No other man has the pride he does.

If you or Mike Riley think there's anything to take pride in in the whole of Livingston County, you are both sadly deluded. Being educated for failure should hardly be an object of pride, though your sad provincialism hardly allows you to acknowledge this truth.

porkproducer wrote:

<quoted text>
If you or Mike Riley think there's anything to take pride in in the whole of Livingston County, you are both sadly deluded. Being educated for failure should hardly be an object of pride, though your sad provincialism hardly allows you to acknowledge this truth.

You think there are no successful people who graduated from Livingston County? And you think YOU are open minded? Livingston County, like every county in the state as well as the nation, has its share of successful doctors, lawyers, engineers, military personnel, teachers, businessmen, etc.... Every county has its share of success stories as well as failures. If you don't believe this, your head is buried in the sand---if anyone is determined to be a success, they will be. Likewise, if you are lazy and unmotivated, you will be a loser no matter where you are from.

Your points are true enough. There are many good and successful people in Livingston County, and I meant no disrespect to anyone there. Like you, I'm a LCHS alumnus with continuing connections to the county and understand the social conditions there, both good and bad, better than my Alabama ISP location might lead you to believe.I just thought the young 'un's talk about "pride" in the context presented was silly, and my statement was meant to take him down a notch. In other words, it was rhetoric and should be understood as such.

This thread is pretty ridiculous---- the original poster started this as a rant on athletes and coaches in Livingston County. There must be some sour grapes at work here. Do they think athletes get any more favors at Livingston as compared to other area schools that are athletic powerhouses such as Tilghman, Mayfield, Marshall, etc...? What a crock! In case you haven't noticed, athletics plays a huge role all across the state of KY as well as the whole USA---explain why people will pay hundreds of dollars to sit out in sub-freezing weather to watch an athletic event such as the World Series or NFL? I'm sorry, but you won't get that size of crowd to come watch an academic competition or cultural event, even if the admission is free. Stop dogging Livingston County and its citizens!! We are a typical rural county, no better but no worse than hundreds of others across KY and all of America. Our citizens who have chosen to make something of themselves have done so, the same as graduates of other KY schools. I think it is no coincidence the original poster is named "cannabis culture"--he/she was obviously stoned when they started this insane thread!

Livingston Alumni wrote:

This thread is pretty ridiculous---- the original poster started this as a rant on athletes and coaches in Livingston County. There must be some sour grapes at work here. Do they think athletes get any more favors at Livingston as compared to other area schools that are athletic powerhouses such as Tilghman, Mayfield, Marshall, etc...? What a crock! In case you haven't noticed, athletics plays a huge role all across the state of KY as well as the whole USA---explain why people will pay hundreds of dollars to sit out in sub-freezing weather to watch an athletic event such as the World Series or NFL? I'm sorry, but you won't get that size of crowd to come watch an academic competition or cultural event, even if the admission is free. Stop dogging Livingston County and its citizens!! We are a typical rural county, no better but no worse than hundreds of others across KY and all of America. Our citizens who have chosen to make something of themselves have done so, the same as graduates of other KY schools. I think it is no coincidence the original poster is named "cannabis culture"--he/she was obviously stoned when they started this insane thread!

Thank you for your defense of what Marx memorably described as "the idiocy of rural life." You are correct that Livingston County is "no better or nor worse than hundred of others across KY and all of America." That is an accurate description of the problem. The cult of sports, together with the mind-numbing effects of television, celebrity culture, vulgar materialism, and murderous vampiric imperialism work together to keep the vast majority diverted, distracted, and blind to their own enslavement and their complicity in the enslavement of others.

You are a fine spokesperson for this decadent and dying culture. After you and those like you have finally destroyed each other, I will happily join cannabis culture and others in joyously dancing under the red sun of our liberation. Perhaps we can plant great fields of ganja where the strips malls, fast food joints, and box stores of your toxic culture once polluted the landscape.

If the problem is "the idiocy of rural life" then why only be discussing/bashing Livingston County, KY? I guess everything is rosy down there in the big city of Cullman, AL? Maybe you will stay down there and keep smoking your weed.

Livingston Alumni wrote:

If the problem is "the idiocy of rural life" then why only be discussing/bashing Livingston County, KY? I guess everything is rosy down there in the big city of Cullman, AL? Maybe you will stay down there and keep smoking your weed.

Alumni, you actively misinterpret me. Cullman, Alabama, is in most senses worse than Livingston County, further south, with all the fundie white supremacist and neo-Confederate jive that comes with it. But this forum isn't devoted to discussing Cullman, Alabama, now is it? I'll save my local criticisms for my local forum. And through the eyes of this cultural critic, the urban areas don't get off the hook blamelessly either. Most of Amerikkkan culture is morally irresponsible, economically parasitic, politically complicit, and falling apart around us as we speak. Livingston County's landscape is beautiful and there are many cool people there, which is why my criticisms are made with love and the sharp eye of someone raised there. After the pig's culture has finally fallen, rural ares like Livingston County and my part of Alabama at least possess the virtues of possible self-sufficiency.

The difference between you and I is the difference between the Beach Boys and Frank Zappa. The Beach Boys sang a golden oldie telling kids to be true to their schools. Frank Zappa countered that kids don't want to be true to their schools, kids want truth. I want truth and I'm not afraid to speak it as I understand it. As for your attempt to play the card of anti-cabbabis bigotry, it falls flat. Most people these days understand that cannabis is a beneficial herb, perhaps the most beneficial plant in the world. The culture that loves it, grows it, eats it, smokes, it, venerates it, is the world's largest underground currently emerging into the mainstream, and heroic in their stance against unjust laws rooted in racism a 30-s era junk science. It saves life and brings wisdom, and I certainly have no problem celebrating it.

Talk to you later, cuz. Amandla. Patria o muerte... Venceremos!