Becoming an Engaged Citizen
"Fear pushes away; hope pulls others closer. Fear divides; hope unifies." – Jon Meacham, The Soul of America
Of the people, by the people, and for the people.
I was listening to NPR this morning, as I usually do. However, since today is a “snow” day for me, I didn’t have to get up and get ready for work. I stayed in bed, listening to the different stories of the day. The federal government is still “partially” shutdown, many employees are furloughed or having to work without pay, in Los Angeles, teachers are going on strike over the issues of their school system. These situations are intertwined.
Our nation seems to have forgotten the above quote. Local and state governments across the country continue to de-fund or underfund school systems, public and states colleges/universities. In the name of fiscal responsibility. However, these same governmental entities will offer tax incentives and breaks to multinational corporations to move their businesses into their areas, in the name of creating more opportunities for their constituents.
REALLY?! Are there some that do that? Of course there are. But they are at all levels of our society, rich, middle class and poor. The rich take advantage of their ability to influence public policies and laws to skew them in their favor. The middle class take advantage of tax breaks that they can. The poor have fewer choices.
When I was a kid, gambling was considered evil and vile. Now we have government sanctioned lotteries across the country, casinos in every state and many businesses constantly have promotions that make people think they can get something for almost nothing. Most people believe that working for a living is a good thing. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, a sense of worth, a sense of being.
Now, many seem to think that we cannot expand our economy, our culture, our nation and our democracy to accommodate newcomers again. They are incorrect. It is our diversity that strengthens us. Our differences that bind us together. Our belief in an ideal that causes us to unite into one nation. Our strengths come from our common goals – freedom, the pursuit of happiness and equality.
Those in positions of power and those with wealth believe that they can continue to keep us divided by exposing our weaknesses and pitting us against each other. That is one way they continue to exploit the system.
Remember what this “American Experiment” aspires to be – a better place for those who are willing to believe in a better life.
Learning as a Political Act
“First, education is a political act, whether at the university, high school, primary school or adult literacy classroom. Why? Because the very nature of education has the inherent qualities to be political, as indeed politics has educational aspects. In other words, an educational act has a political nature and a political act has an educational nature. . . . Education worldwide is political by nature.”
– Paulo Freire, The Politics of Education
What is Freire saying here?
I am pushing for a Better New Year in 2019!
Patinkin talks about connecting with others. Connection is a universal idea. Religious texts talk about welcoming the stranger into your community. Compassion is a human trait that has been denigrated these past three years. What has happened to helping each other? Caring for each other, no matter what religion, creed, color, gender or orientation, could the be the norm, if we allow ourselves to feel.
Refugees are just people trying to find a better life for themselves and their families. I bet each US citizen in this country can trace their roots back to similar people who came to this country looking for a better life.
A better life for them does not mean a lesser life for those who are here already. Do not allow the hyperbole of some politicians, pundits and hate mongers to control your own thinking. Research your heritage. Why did your ancestors come here? Look into your hearts, find your compassion and express it.
Learn to connect with each other. Love will follow.
Happy New Year! Bring some love, caring and peace into your world!
Alicia Menendez talks to veteran actor and musician Mandy Patinkin.
I am an enemy of the people.
I am an enemy of the people. I am not a journalist. I am not a member of the press. I am not a member of news media. However, I am an enemy of the people.
I am a teacher. A teacher who attempts to have her students think critically. A person who tries to make sense of the complicated country we live in. A person who was taught to respect all people. To be proud of who I am, where I am from and my country. I am a United States citizen. I know all the words to our national anthem. I say the pledge of allegiance as it was originally written.
I teach U.S. history and critical thinking skills. I read. I read a lot. Growing up I read everything I could on the Civil War. It intrigued me that we could fight against each other. WHY? Where we fought EACH OTHER over differing ideas of how our country would move forward. Would we attempt to live up the ideals set forth in the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence? What would citizenship mean in the United States afterward? What ideals would we strive for?
Lincoln could have said, sure, okay, the Southern states want to leave the Union, let them. They had meager resources, very little industry. How long would they last? Remember there is no reverse in history. You cannot go back and “fix” what you think went badly.
I have listened to arguments from those who supported our current President’s election and platform. Mr. Bannon can sound very convincing. Mr McConnell can persuade some. Mr. Ryan doesn’t say much. I remember the first time I heard Ronald Reagan speak, he had some interesting ideas as well. Some I even agreed with. Mr. Bannon, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Ryan, not so much.
I do not agree with Mr. Sanders a lot either. Ms. Warren has some good ideas. Ms. Clinton also. Mr. Obama did the best he could. I did not agree with some of his platform either. I did appreciate that he was human and willing to learn and grow as a President.
Our current President is not willing to learn, does not read much that I can tell, and seemingly has no desire to grow into the office he now holds. Some may say he’s old, he’s not going to change. I beg to differ, I am only 11 years younger than he is, and I am still growing, still learning, still reading and still changing.
Our country is divided. That much is true. But WHY is it so divided? We’ve lost jobs due to changing industries, cheaper goods coming from overseas, multinational corporations, etc. Do we WANT to reverse time? See what I said above, that’s not going to happen. Unless someone has a TARDIS (shameless Dr. Who reference here!). For those not Whovians, the TARDIS is a vehicle that can move through space AND time. While maybe some future beings might figure it out, we haven’t. SO IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN ANY TIME SOON.
What I can say it that we are in this altogether. Whether we want to be or not.
We are all guilty of taking in our news from sources that usually agree with us. Newspapers, magazines, news networks, blogs. We gravitate toward what’s close to what we believe. We want to be validated. To be “right.” It’s “those people” who are “wrong.” How many of you check the source material that people quote from. Read the original information, check the background of the writers.
Part of the originality of our United States, is that it is through consensus that we have a government. It’s a BIG bureaucracy because we need the checks and balances so that nothing happens too quickly. You see, we, human beings, are fallible. We make mistakes. None of us are perfect. It’s time for us to think long and hard about what unites us, not what divides us. We are stronger together, ALL of us, even those immigrants. Why do you think people still struggle and sacrifice to come here? Why did your ancestors come here? You cannot say they were always here, NOT ONE was ALWAYS here. Even the ancestors of Native Americans came from elsewhere. Think about it. Why would they come to a place that they knew very little about? For the opportunity to be better, to experience a different life, to be fulfilled AND to challenge themselves.
It’s time to challenge ourselves again. Argue, agree, disagree. But be a United States citizen who is proud, and willing to learn, grow and change.
I dare you.
Comic In Chief
POTUS is becoming our #ComicInChief He wants the crowd reaction the applause, the adoration. Some are beginning to think about what his words actually mean. He leads by criticism, disdain and belittlement. He has little capacity for learning, feeling he knows enough. He feels no compassion for others, even those who voted for him.
Are you proud to be a U.S. citizen? Are you okay with us losing our status in the world? Remember we have fought wars for our freedom and to be an example to others, that even WITH our shortcomings and failures, we continue to strive for a better country, more equality and above all, freedom. Those of you who profess these ideals but turn and say, “you can’t come here, what we have here is not for you,” might want to research your own “family tree” to see how many of them would not be here today with what this administration wants to enact as law. How many of your ancestors would pass the vetting process today? And would you have even been born if they hadn’t? And if you are saying you are “better” than they are, then you have chutzpah.
POTUS is portraying himself as the “best, brightest, and toughest” president we have ever had. Comparing himself as greater than any president before him. Really? Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Lincoln, Wilson, T. Roosevelt, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan, Obama……. Even those we considered failures during their time in office….. None of them had the audacity to belittle and demean their predecessors AND the American people the way the current POTUS does. WE ARE ALL CITIZENS OF THIS NATION! We deserve and demand respect, truth and above all dignity.
I know many of you agree with the policies that are being enacted by this current administration. I can agree to disagree with your policies. I cannot condone this debasement of our government and our citizens.
That is all.
Racism Part Two -1st draft
I finished reading Brene Brown’s latest book, Braving the Wilderness, The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone. Here is a quote that got to me:
True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are. (40)
She calls this the Quest and the Paradox. It sounds crazy. She explains that paradox has its origins in Greek and Latin. The Greek combines two words, para – meaning contrary to – and – token – opinion. The Latin word, paradox, means, “seemingly absurd but really true.” Doesn’t that seem like most of our lives when we think about them?
How many of us show the world our authentic selves? We learn or we are taught not to do that. We will get hurt, emotionally or physically. People won’t like us. They will take advantage of us.
Since 2009, people in the United States have been “sorting ourselves” into tribal factions, political, social, gender, and other orientations. By 2016, we had become polarized into our respective camps.
“At the same time sorting is on the rise, so is loneliness.” (51)
On the outside looking in – you are in a group of people but still feel lonely. As social beings, we want to belong, but when we don’t, we go into self-preservation mode.” (54). We go into protective custody of ourselves. We became fearful of being vulnerable, getting hurt, being disconnected, criticism, failing, conflict, not measuring up to others’ standards or even our own. Fear of not knowing what was happening or why it was happening. We also felt we couldn’t speak to our fear or of our fear.
Our biggest issues are racism, sexism and classism. We have never faced our racism, our gender inequality, or our neglect of our poor people.
We now have a leader who is a bullshitter. A bullshitter ignores the concept of truth. He pays it no heed. It is not an issue for him because it doesn’t apply to him. This makes him more dangerous than a liar or a truth-teller.
“. . .lying as a defiance of the truth and bullshitting as a wholesale dismissal of the truth.” Harry G. Frankfurt defines this in his book, Bullshit. This leader is more dangerous than someone who lies. I watch how we are numbed to outrageous acts, to farce, and to the lack of compassion and decency.
I am also reading up on my teaching. I am looking at dealing with controversial issues. Working with students to develop critical thinking skills. Let’s define critical thinking: “a dedicated search for meaning and understanding.” “In the public domain, to consider and evaluate the arguments made on controversial issues.” ( Teaching Controversial Issues, Nel Noddings & Laurie Brooks, p. 1). Is an argument based on BS, really an argument? Let’s think about that.
We must have a moral commitment to our society, to our community and for the common good. Well, we have to define all these terms. Our society – where we live, who we are and what we believe. Our community – those we choose to associate with, to live with and care about. The common good – this one is harder, isn’t it? What is best for our society, community and our nation. We must have a moral commitment to what we have in common. In the United States, WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON? Good question. We were founded by a group of white men that had the financial ability to devote themselves to government. They had common influence in their lives. They were influences by their classical education. A connection between character and reason. A person innately knows what is good and will act in a moral fashion because of this knowledge and understanding. Most religions rely on this type of understanding. The Puritans believed that. Knowledge and virtue.
“True knowledge is virtue, and perfect knowledge describes the mind of God.” (Noddings, p. 6). Reason, moral decision making, development of character. Socrates, Plato. An examined life. Started with having a ruling class, monarchies, lords, and others. Those who worked for money were not part of these groups. Our country was founded during this age. That is why we have a republic, that was to be run by our “best and brightest,” those who could devote time and energy to governing for the common good. Those that would put “the welfare of the republic and its citizens above their own private concerns.” (Noddings, p.7). Do we have that today? Do we want that today?
This is a rambling piece now… but it all ties together eventually. I see our country as looking for its authentic self. I see the people wandering in their wildernesses. I see our leaders struggling with their roles. I pray for guidance, for clarity, for understanding.
I am taking on this journey if you wish to travel with me.
I hope that you will.
Racism, Part One
It’s funny. I am white, very white, a pale woman of Swedish descent. I am proud of my heritage. Almost three years ago, I moved from Tampa, Florida to Bowie, Maryland. I now teach at Prince George’s Community College. Prince George’s county is a majority minority county, the most affluent one in the United States. Quite a change from Tampa. I had lived in Florida all my adult life prior to my move to Maryland. I took the job because I wanted a change. The racial makeup of the county and the college did not even factor into my decision. It sounded like the ideal position for me. I could teach full-time at a community college. I admit to being a little naive about the whole thing. I had worked with African-Americans in Florida, in fact, my previous supervisor had been African-American. I have friends who are African-American, Latino/a and Asian.
I did notice the difference on my first day teaching and it has continued. There are many times that I am the only white person in my classrooms. I did not think about it at all. I figured I had a lot in common with these students. I am a first generation in college student, the daughter of an immigrant to the United States. But my students did not see that in me. They saw a white woman. Being white means having privilege. I understood the concept of privilege but I believed that being from a working class background would negate the privilege.
I was incorrect. Even being working class, the white part gave me privilege over people of color. My childhood was different and not only because I grew up in the 1960s. My parents moved out of the south side of Chicago in 1963 because “those people” moved onto our block. I did not understand who those people were until I was in high school. I was a kid. Race was not on my radar at that point. Later, it would. I made friends with different kinds of kids. They just had to be willing to play with the rest of us. Usually with the boys. I was a tomboy. I still am, in some ways. That was the second thing that I thought would negate the privilege thing. I identify as lesbian. But again, the privilege was still there.
I did not walk into an obvious battlefield. At least it did not appear as one. The faculty was a mix of people. The students were also a mix. Most of them are first-generation in college students. Many of them are non-traditional age students. Most of them are at the community college to learn a group of skills for entering the workforce. Some of them are planning to transfer to four-year institutions for a baccalaureate degree. Some of them are like me, not sure of what they want to do yet.
Most of the students were accepting of my differences. They questioned my decision to move FROM Florida to Maryland. To them, the norm was the opposite.
TO BE CONTINUED……
It’s time for a change
From the opening paragraphs of bell hooks’ Understanding Patriarchy: Patriarchy is the single most life-threatening social disease assaulting the male body and spirit in our nation. Yet most men do not use the word “patriarchy” in everyday life. Most men never think about patriarchy—what it means, how it is created and sustained. Many men in […]
WHY ARE WE SO TRIBAL?
On the Media – from WNYC Radio today!! FACE THE RACIST NATION
I would like you to listen to this podcast in its entirety. But I want you to then look at Nell Irvin Painter’s book, The History of White People, here’s a review from the NY Times. After you have absorbed the podcast and the book review, then look at Jody M. Roy’s book Love to Hate, America’s Obsession with Hatred and Violence. I couldn’t find a decent review of this book but Roy looks at how hatred is prevalent and idolized in our society. It was published in 2002.
I would love if everyone would read the books but I understand that’s not realistic for some of you.
Then think about what has been happening in our society for the past 18-20 years. Please respond if you like. I would like each of you to be honest in your viewpoints, and if you choose to respond to each other, I would like you to be civil and measured in your responses. Think of it as a looking at information for a research paper (I know, it sounds like work!). BUT this research paper will hopefully add to your body of knowledge about how you view the world. It’s important. Vitally important.
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