http://www.naacpldf.org/VOLINT/add_docs/volint_home.html
Check out the opinions that each judge expresses, particularly Justice Roberts, George Bush's last appointed judge. Racism is real and so are segregated schools.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
To fulfill your life-purpose you've got to answer
Visions that can change the world trapped inside an ordinary girl
She looks just like me too afraid to dream out loud
And though it’s simple your idea, it won’t make sense to everybody
You need courage now If you're gonna persevere
To fulfill divine purpose, you gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world against all odds
CHORUS
Keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you
Don't give up
Every victory comes in time, work today to change tomorrow
It gets easier, who’s to say that you can’t fly
Every step you take you get, closer to your destination
You can feel it now, don’t you know you're almost there?
To fulfill divine purpose, you gotta answer when you're called
So don't be afraid to face the world against all odds
Keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside keeps inspiring you to try, don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you
Sometimes life can place a stumbling block in your way
But you're gotta keep the faith, bring what's deep inside your heart
to the light
And never give up Don't ever give up on you
Who holds the pieces to complete the puzzle?
The answer that can solve a mystery
The key that can unlock your understanding
It's all inside of you, you have everything you need yeahhhh
So, keep the dream alive don't let it die
If something deep inside, keeps inspiring you to try don't stop
And never give up, don't ever give up on you
Sometimes life can place a stumbling block in your way
But you're gotta keep the faith, bring what's deep inside your heart yeah your
heart to the light
And never give up Don't ever give up on you
* I think this is what George Bush was thinking when he invaded Iraq. He CLEARLY misunderstood the song. IF you think about it, each line does somewhat sound like what he says. Only, Yolanda meant this in a positive way. He totally thinks "divine purpose" is to get the whole world to hate us. He clearly doesn't want to "bring what's deep inside" his heart "to the light" though. What about the truth, Mr. President? Who really holds the pieces to complete the puzzle of the war in Iraq? The key that can unlock OUR understanding...? WHERE IS IT?
Friday, June 22, 2007
Co-Dead Language--Saul Williams
This moves me in inexplicable ways:
Title: Co-dead Language
Whereas, breakbeats have been the missing link connecting the diasporic
community to its drum woven past
Whereas the quantised drum has allowed the whirling mathematicians to
calculate the ever changing distance between rock and stardom.
Whereas the velocity of the spinning vinyl, cross-faded, spun backwards, and
re-released at the same given moment of recorded history , yet at a
different moment in time's continuum has allowed history to catch up with
the present.
We do hereby declare reality unkempt by the changing standards of dialogue.
Statements, such as, "keep it real", especially when punctuating or
anticipating modes of ultra-violence inflicted psychologically or physically
or depicting an unchanging rule of events will hence forth be seen as
retro-active and not representative of the individually determined is.
Furthermore, as determined by the collective consciousness of this state of
being and the lessened distance between thought patterns and their secular
manifestations, the role of men as listening receptacles is to be increased
by a number no less than 70 percent of the current enlisted as vocal
aggressors.
Motherfuckers better realize, now is the time to self-actualize
We have found evidence that hip hop’s standard 85 rpm when increased by a
number as least half the rate of it's standard or decreased at ¾ of it's
speed may be a determining factor in heightening consciousness.
Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the
unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.
Equate rhyme with reason, Sun with season
Our cyclical relationship to phenomenon has encouraged scholars to erase the
centers of periods, thus symbolizing the non-linear character of cause and
effect
Reject mediocrity!
Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which as been given
for you to understand.
The current standard is the equivalent of an adolescent restricted to the
diet of an infant.
The rapidly changing body would acquire dysfunctional and deformative
symptoms and could not properly mature on a diet of apple sauce and crushed
pears
Light years are interchangeable with years of living in darkness.
The role of darkness is not to be seen as, or equated with, Ignorance, but
with the unknown, and the mysteries of the unseen.
Thus, in the name of:
ROBESON, GOD'S SON, HURSTON, AHKENATON, HATHSHEPUT, BLACKFOOT, HELEN,
LENNON, KHALO, KALI, THE THREE MARIAS, TARA, LILITHE, LOURDE, WHITMAN,
BALDWIN, GINSBERG, KAUFMAN, LUMUMBA, GHANDI, GIBRAN, SHABAZZ, SIDDHARTHA,
MEDUSA, GUEVARA, GUARDSIEFF, RAND, WRIGHT, BANNEKER, TUBMAN, HAMER, HOLIDAY,
DAVIS, COLTRANE, MORRISON, JOPLIN, DUBOIS, CLARKE, SHAKESPEARE, RACHMNINOV,
ELLINGTON, CARTER, GAYE, HATHAWAY, HENDRIX, KUTL, DICKERSON, RIPPERTON,
MARY, ISIS, THERESA, PLATH, RUMI, FELLINI, MICHAUX, NOSTRADAMUS, NEFERTITI,
LA ROCK, SHIVA, GANESHA, YEMAJA, OSHUN, OBATALA, OGUN, KENNEDY, KING, FOUR
LITTLE GIRLS, HIROSHIMA, NAGASAKI, KELLER, BIKO, PERONE, MARLEY, COSBY,
SHAKUR, THOSE WHO BURN, THOSE STILL AFLAMED, AND THE COUNTLESS UNNAMED
We claim the present as the pre-sent, as the hereafter.
We are unraveling our navels so that we may ingest the sun.
We are not afraid of the darkness, we trust that the moon shall guide us.
We are determining the future at this very moment.
We now know that the heart is the philosophers' stone
Our music is our alchemy
We stand as the manifested equivalent of 3 buckets of water and a hand full
of minerals, thus realizing that those very buckets turned upside down
supply the percussion factor of forever.
If you must count to keep the beat then count.
Find your mantra and awaken your subconscious.
Curve you circles counterclockwise
Use your cipher to decipher, Coded Language, man made laws.
Climb waterfalls and trees, commune with nature, snakes and bees.
Let your children name themselves and claim themselves as the new day for
today we are determined to be the channelers of these changing frequencies
into songs, paintings, writings, dance, drama, photography, carpentry,
crafts, love, and love.
We enlist every instrument: Acoustic, electronic.
Every so-called race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Every per-son as beings of sound to acknowledge their responsibility to
uplift the consciousness of the entire fucking World.
Any utterance will be un-aimed, will be disclaimed, will be named- two rappers slain
* parts of this text might not correspond with the actual performance. The exact words of the original poem is published in Saul Williams' book, The Dead Emcee Scrolls.
Title: Co-dead Language
Whereas, breakbeats have been the missing link connecting the diasporic
community to its drum woven past
Whereas the quantised drum has allowed the whirling mathematicians to
calculate the ever changing distance between rock and stardom.
Whereas the velocity of the spinning vinyl, cross-faded, spun backwards, and
re-released at the same given moment of recorded history , yet at a
different moment in time's continuum has allowed history to catch up with
the present.
We do hereby declare reality unkempt by the changing standards of dialogue.
Statements, such as, "keep it real", especially when punctuating or
anticipating modes of ultra-violence inflicted psychologically or physically
or depicting an unchanging rule of events will hence forth be seen as
retro-active and not representative of the individually determined is.
Furthermore, as determined by the collective consciousness of this state of
being and the lessened distance between thought patterns and their secular
manifestations, the role of men as listening receptacles is to be increased
by a number no less than 70 percent of the current enlisted as vocal
aggressors.
Motherfuckers better realize, now is the time to self-actualize
We have found evidence that hip hop’s standard 85 rpm when increased by a
number as least half the rate of it's standard or decreased at ¾ of it's
speed may be a determining factor in heightening consciousness.
Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the
unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.
Equate rhyme with reason, Sun with season
Our cyclical relationship to phenomenon has encouraged scholars to erase the
centers of periods, thus symbolizing the non-linear character of cause and
effect
Reject mediocrity!
Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which as been given
for you to understand.
The current standard is the equivalent of an adolescent restricted to the
diet of an infant.
The rapidly changing body would acquire dysfunctional and deformative
symptoms and could not properly mature on a diet of apple sauce and crushed
pears
Light years are interchangeable with years of living in darkness.
The role of darkness is not to be seen as, or equated with, Ignorance, but
with the unknown, and the mysteries of the unseen.
Thus, in the name of:
ROBESON, GOD'S SON, HURSTON, AHKENATON, HATHSHEPUT, BLACKFOOT, HELEN,
LENNON, KHALO, KALI, THE THREE MARIAS, TARA, LILITHE, LOURDE, WHITMAN,
BALDWIN, GINSBERG, KAUFMAN, LUMUMBA, GHANDI, GIBRAN, SHABAZZ, SIDDHARTHA,
MEDUSA, GUEVARA, GUARDSIEFF, RAND, WRIGHT, BANNEKER, TUBMAN, HAMER, HOLIDAY,
DAVIS, COLTRANE, MORRISON, JOPLIN, DUBOIS, CLARKE, SHAKESPEARE, RACHMNINOV,
ELLINGTON, CARTER, GAYE, HATHAWAY, HENDRIX, KUTL, DICKERSON, RIPPERTON,
MARY, ISIS, THERESA, PLATH, RUMI, FELLINI, MICHAUX, NOSTRADAMUS, NEFERTITI,
LA ROCK, SHIVA, GANESHA, YEMAJA, OSHUN, OBATALA, OGUN, KENNEDY, KING, FOUR
LITTLE GIRLS, HIROSHIMA, NAGASAKI, KELLER, BIKO, PERONE, MARLEY, COSBY,
SHAKUR, THOSE WHO BURN, THOSE STILL AFLAMED, AND THE COUNTLESS UNNAMED
We claim the present as the pre-sent, as the hereafter.
We are unraveling our navels so that we may ingest the sun.
We are not afraid of the darkness, we trust that the moon shall guide us.
We are determining the future at this very moment.
We now know that the heart is the philosophers' stone
Our music is our alchemy
We stand as the manifested equivalent of 3 buckets of water and a hand full
of minerals, thus realizing that those very buckets turned upside down
supply the percussion factor of forever.
If you must count to keep the beat then count.
Find your mantra and awaken your subconscious.
Curve you circles counterclockwise
Use your cipher to decipher, Coded Language, man made laws.
Climb waterfalls and trees, commune with nature, snakes and bees.
Let your children name themselves and claim themselves as the new day for
today we are determined to be the channelers of these changing frequencies
into songs, paintings, writings, dance, drama, photography, carpentry,
crafts, love, and love.
We enlist every instrument: Acoustic, electronic.
Every so-called race, gender, and sexual orientation.
Every per-son as beings of sound to acknowledge their responsibility to
uplift the consciousness of the entire fucking World.
Any utterance will be un-aimed, will be disclaimed, will be named- two rappers slain
* parts of this text might not correspond with the actual performance. The exact words of the original poem is published in Saul Williams' book, The Dead Emcee Scrolls.
Dr. Julia Hare
I got an email with a link to youtube this morning that angered me. Why? Well it was a video of Dr. Hare giving a talk at Tavis Smiley's The State of the Black Union Conference this year. I was livid. I had never even heard of such an event, let alone hear of the things that were said. Dr. Julia WHO? Never heard of her. And when I did my research to find out who this woman, who spoke so profoundly on the issues concerning Black children in today's society, I learned that this woman is an educator. WHY haven't I heard of her? WHY isn't she a mainstay in my doctoral class discussions? WHY haven't I heard of DR.JULIA HARE? Why when I was learning history was her name never mentioned? WHy aren't her books a part of my curriculum? WHY wasn't this conference publicized in a way that I could hear more about it? I am ANGRY! When Black America does something positive, it is left to word of mouth! WHY? I am livid. So I have made it my duty to make myself more aware. I have thought so many times of how I could've known about Smiley's event on CSPAN if I didn't check the listings on a daily basis and I found this website: http://www.covenantwithblackamerica.com and I will commit myself to combing through the site and keeping myself informed while fighting to keep Plymouth damn rock off me! We MUST arm ourselves with knowledge or we and the cause/struggle will die.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
A great passage from Ralph Ellison's book
I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am i one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids--and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me...That invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality. I am not complaining, nor am I protesting either. It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen, although it is most often rather wearing on the nerves. Then, too, you're constantly being bumped against by those of poor vision. or again, you often doubt if you really exist. You wonder whether you aren't simply a phantom in other people's minds. Say, a figure in a nightmare which the sleeper tries with all his strength to destroy. It's when you feel like this that, out of resentment, you begin to bump people back. And, let me confess, you feel that way most of the time. You ache with the need to convince yourself that you do exist in the real world, that you're a part of the sound and anguish, and you strike out with your fists, you curse and you swear to make them recognize you. And, alas, it's seldom successful...I have been boomeranged across my head so much that I now can see the darkness of lightness. And I love light. ---from the Prologue of Ralph Waldo Ellison's Invisible Man. Hands down, the greatest story ever told of man's plight to survive in a selfish world.
When White Women Go Missing
It seems like the entire world stops when someone white and female goes missing. And nobody is lashing out against this injustice. Countless Black children go missing on a daily basis and the most I'll hear about it is on some lousy email sent out by friends. Why is this so? Isn't Black life as valuable as White life? Well, based on the latest events, apparently not. Black people die everyday in gullies and lakes. Black children go missing on Spring Break all the time. Yet, there is no paper trail, no CNN World News Report, no MSNBC coverage, NOTHING! And then they look at us and say America is not divided...BULLSHIT!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Graduate school and friends
If I ask one in every ten friend or colleague I have what they know about my program, they will probably recite a long convoluted explanation of a paper I wrote or a description of my previous job. Nobody really understands what I do or what I am doing. I was accused the other night of having nothing to do, which is why friends, and family members abuse my time by waking me up at obscene hours of the morning whining about their problems, or just sitting in mere silence, or just to ask questions about nothing. So my status as a full-time graduate student somehow translates to free time. What people do not understand is the high demands that I face on a daily basis. Deadline upon deadline, project upon project. Right now I'm taking on summer course which basically translates to hell. What would have been 13 weeks of work has now been crunched into 4 weeks of work. I am expected to produce a dissertation proposal (something that takes months to prepare) in one month. Yet I am awakened daily with text messages, phone conversations about the weather, squabbles about irrelevant and minute things, instant messenger conversations about things that are beyond my scope at the moment, and a bunch of other things which make it evident that people think I sit around scratching my armpits all day.
So I made a new rule. I am no longer available for counseling or keeping company or for mindless chatter, etc. And the consequences, I'll face head-on with no qualms. I have lost many acquaintances on this quest of higher education: Those who curse me for not calling them back (because I have only free time right?) and those who think I was not there for them in their time of need have all written me off as someone who is inconsiderate or not quite a friend. So where is the support? Somehow my education has translated into worldly knowledge because I'm being asked to help edit this paper and that, formulate this idea and that, give feedback on this idea and that and the list goes on. While I am flattered by the confidence others have in my knowledge, I am overwhelmed by my own work and don't need the extra baggage. The most difficult part of doing doctoral work is being out there alone with nobody to share the joys and struggles with. Friends and family just don't understand.
My nights and days consist of constant reflection on the things I have due and on the things I plan to do to avoid staying in this program for another 10 years. I have met and still know people who have been enrolled in doctoral programs for 10+ years. Life happens, what can I say? But in order to avoid becoming one of them, I am aware that I must seclude myself from my own world of chatter and mindless involvement to focus on a greater goal. When I finally get through (which is what people keep asking...) I will be young enough to concentrate on building friendships that have solid foundations. However, at this time, my work is a full-time commitment which I must face head-on in order to avoid failure.
So I no longer feel guilty for ignoring my phone or turning it off for that matter. If people call me at 8am, I have no problems hanging up on them. When people insist that I hang out or visit them, I have no qualms about ignoring or turning down such invitations, and I feel no guilt for enjoying free time ALONE. Doctoral work is stressful and demanding and clearly those who have not experienced it with someone or on their own will never understand.
So I made a new rule. I am no longer available for counseling or keeping company or for mindless chatter, etc. And the consequences, I'll face head-on with no qualms. I have lost many acquaintances on this quest of higher education: Those who curse me for not calling them back (because I have only free time right?) and those who think I was not there for them in their time of need have all written me off as someone who is inconsiderate or not quite a friend. So where is the support? Somehow my education has translated into worldly knowledge because I'm being asked to help edit this paper and that, formulate this idea and that, give feedback on this idea and that and the list goes on. While I am flattered by the confidence others have in my knowledge, I am overwhelmed by my own work and don't need the extra baggage. The most difficult part of doing doctoral work is being out there alone with nobody to share the joys and struggles with. Friends and family just don't understand.
My nights and days consist of constant reflection on the things I have due and on the things I plan to do to avoid staying in this program for another 10 years. I have met and still know people who have been enrolled in doctoral programs for 10+ years. Life happens, what can I say? But in order to avoid becoming one of them, I am aware that I must seclude myself from my own world of chatter and mindless involvement to focus on a greater goal. When I finally get through (which is what people keep asking...) I will be young enough to concentrate on building friendships that have solid foundations. However, at this time, my work is a full-time commitment which I must face head-on in order to avoid failure.
So I no longer feel guilty for ignoring my phone or turning it off for that matter. If people call me at 8am, I have no problems hanging up on them. When people insist that I hang out or visit them, I have no qualms about ignoring or turning down such invitations, and I feel no guilt for enjoying free time ALONE. Doctoral work is stressful and demanding and clearly those who have not experienced it with someone or on their own will never understand.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Kids go to Planned Parenthood on a trip. What's the big deal?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/06/13/planned.parenthood.trip.ap/index.html
So a trip took children to Planned Parenthood after school and this made negative national news. This ruffled my feathers a bit because what is the point of this argument in New Hampshire? Promoting safe sex and allowing students to understand the resources available to them in case of certain normal teenager emergencies and this is a problem? In this day and age we must understand the importance of teaching children responsible behaviors and alerting them to the options they have. I think we are starting to place rhyme over reason here. The fact that people were standing outside with placards about abortion has very little to do with the high level of educational activities that are sponsored by Planned Parenthood. In fact, the pamphlets that they create and distribute about women's health and birth control have won numerous awards. Maybe if we would educate our children about birth control methods we would help them avoid the multiple abortions that some have before graduating high school! Have I shocked you? I can't count the many students I had in high school that had multiple (NOT JUST ONE) abortions by 11th grade. Had they known that there was a place where they could get confidential support and preventative methods, they might have been better off. And I won't even discuss the high level of STIs amongst high school children.
We ought not get carried away with old traditions. We must teach chldren responsibility even at the expense of offending those parents who are still in denial about their children having sex. But then again, that's just my two cents...
So a trip took children to Planned Parenthood after school and this made negative national news. This ruffled my feathers a bit because what is the point of this argument in New Hampshire? Promoting safe sex and allowing students to understand the resources available to them in case of certain normal teenager emergencies and this is a problem? In this day and age we must understand the importance of teaching children responsible behaviors and alerting them to the options they have. I think we are starting to place rhyme over reason here. The fact that people were standing outside with placards about abortion has very little to do with the high level of educational activities that are sponsored by Planned Parenthood. In fact, the pamphlets that they create and distribute about women's health and birth control have won numerous awards. Maybe if we would educate our children about birth control methods we would help them avoid the multiple abortions that some have before graduating high school! Have I shocked you? I can't count the many students I had in high school that had multiple (NOT JUST ONE) abortions by 11th grade. Had they known that there was a place where they could get confidential support and preventative methods, they might have been better off. And I won't even discuss the high level of STIs amongst high school children.
We ought not get carried away with old traditions. We must teach chldren responsibility even at the expense of offending those parents who are still in denial about their children having sex. But then again, that's just my two cents...
Monday, June 11, 2007
Genarlow Wilson Released
A 17-year-old young man accused of raping a 15-year-old while having consensual oral sex was released today in Georgia (*EDIT. Upon appeal from the prosecutor, Genarlow must remain behind bars until the appeal has been heard). After spending 27 months, 25 days, 19 hours, and 6 minutes in the old slammer, he has been released. In the 1990s, when the country was cracking down on crime, the Georgia General Assembly passed a law that stated that anybody who has sex with anyone under 16-years-old is automatically a rapist. This was considered one of Georgia's 7 deadly sins. The law was created to protect children from child molesters.
One night in Georgia, Genarlow received oral sex from a 15-year-old girl at a Day's Inn Hotel. Why Day's Inn rented a room to unsupervised teenagers is already beyond me. But that's neither here nor there. Even the Prosecutor admits that he did not consider the sex forced. Genarlow was given the same sentence as a sex-offender who preys on children and weak individuals. This was another unfair case of a teenager being a teenager. Marcus Dixon knows a bit about that.
So today, June 11, 2007, Genarlow is a free man but can the state of Georgia ever repay him for the time he spent behind bars or for the mental anguish he suffered those two years? Imagine the psychological effects of Genarlow ever engaging in sexual activity again; he is indeed traumatized. He suffered this ill fate as a child and in one day his life changed forever. The college scholarships, the 3.2 GPA he boasted, the Homecoming King title he sported, the popularity he had, his entire future, all smeared by one night of irresponsible teenage fun. This all while Paris Hilton is making national news for crying about a few days she has to spend in a cozy prison hotel for DUI charges (careless adult fun). What is justice if justice turns a blind eye to inequity? That's just my two cents.
For more about the Genarlow Wilson case: http://www.wilsonappeal.com/index.php
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/11/teen.sex.case.ap/index.html
One night in Georgia, Genarlow received oral sex from a 15-year-old girl at a Day's Inn Hotel. Why Day's Inn rented a room to unsupervised teenagers is already beyond me. But that's neither here nor there. Even the Prosecutor admits that he did not consider the sex forced. Genarlow was given the same sentence as a sex-offender who preys on children and weak individuals. This was another unfair case of a teenager being a teenager. Marcus Dixon knows a bit about that.
So today, June 11, 2007, Genarlow is a free man but can the state of Georgia ever repay him for the time he spent behind bars or for the mental anguish he suffered those two years? Imagine the psychological effects of Genarlow ever engaging in sexual activity again; he is indeed traumatized. He suffered this ill fate as a child and in one day his life changed forever. The college scholarships, the 3.2 GPA he boasted, the Homecoming King title he sported, the popularity he had, his entire future, all smeared by one night of irresponsible teenage fun. This all while Paris Hilton is making national news for crying about a few days she has to spend in a cozy prison hotel for DUI charges (careless adult fun). What is justice if justice turns a blind eye to inequity? That's just my two cents.
For more about the Genarlow Wilson case: http://www.wilsonappeal.com/index.php
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/11/teen.sex.case.ap/index.html
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Money for grades? Mayor Bloomberg proposes a new plan for NYC children
Cash is cool: Mike
Nothing wrong with it, says mayor, of kids scoring dough for grades
BY MICHAEL SAUL and ERIN EINHORN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Posted Saturday, June 9th 2007, 4:00 AM
Mayor Bloomberg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mayor Bloomberg defended a controversial proposal to pay kids for high test scores yesterday, but said there are no specific plans to make it happen.
"As one of the new approaches to try to tackle the intractable problem of poverty, we have said that we would raise ... $50 million privately to encourage people, using economic incentives," Bloomberg said. Money for test scores is "one of the possibilities."
The Daily News reported exclusively yesterday on a plan to pay fourth-graders as much as $25 and seventh-graders as much as $50 for high scores on so-called interim assessments, which, beginning in September, will be administered in all city schools. The tests will help teachers determine what kids know and what they still need to learn.
The mayor's Opportunity NYC plan also would give poor families cash rewards for actions like taking their kids to doctors' appointments and attending job training.
The test-score proposal, which education officials say is preliminary and has not yet been approved by the mayor or Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, would be structured differently, with the money going to schools that would then pay it out to kids.
Dozens of principals who attended an information session this week expressed initial interest in the program, including Rose-Marie Mills of Middle School 343 in the South Bronx.
"My kids need incentives to do really well, and they're not privy to some of the finer things that other kids are," she said, noting that poor families can't afford to reward kids for good grades as easily as middle-class families can.
Maryann Manzolillo of Intermediate School 162 in the Bronx said she would put the incentives in school-based bank accounts, then use them to teach kids about managing money.
Now, she said, attendance is low on interim-testing days. "Children say, 'Oh, it's a practice test. It doesn't count,'" she said. "Money makes everything really count."
Some teachers and parents yesterday applauded the idea of motivating kids, but others, including Tina Pack, a mother of eight who lives in public housing on the upper East Side, had reservations.
"In my mind, kids will cram to do better on a test, but what knowledge will they gain?" she said. "I never say if you get an A on a test I'll give you a reward.... What if maybe you're working really hard and you get a B? I'm trying to reward the learning."
msaul@nydailynews.com
With Carrie Melago, Jens Dana, Elaine Chan and Karl Stampf
---Now my parents used to offer $1 for every A I got but this is a new spin on motivation. How can the city afford to pay children for grades? This, to me, is a testimony that NCLB has led the nation to all-new-LOWS as far as education is concerned. High scores, low values, that's the effect of NCLB. And can we truly blame Mikey B? The guy is a billionaire; he thinks in terms of dollars! His iris is the shape of a golden dollar, his pupils are dollar-signs, this guy is the money man! And what better way to motivate poor children to do better than to pay them? Instead of paying the teachers more money to stay after school and assist them, let's pay each child $50...it's so much cheaper to pay 4th graders to pass a test than to give them the books they need to study for the test. Mayor Mike has seen the light but it's so bright that it's clouding his good senses. TRY AGAIN!
Nothing wrong with it, says mayor, of kids scoring dough for grades
BY MICHAEL SAUL and ERIN EINHORN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Posted Saturday, June 9th 2007, 4:00 AM
Mayor Bloomberg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mayor Bloomberg defended a controversial proposal to pay kids for high test scores yesterday, but said there are no specific plans to make it happen.
"As one of the new approaches to try to tackle the intractable problem of poverty, we have said that we would raise ... $50 million privately to encourage people, using economic incentives," Bloomberg said. Money for test scores is "one of the possibilities."
The Daily News reported exclusively yesterday on a plan to pay fourth-graders as much as $25 and seventh-graders as much as $50 for high scores on so-called interim assessments, which, beginning in September, will be administered in all city schools. The tests will help teachers determine what kids know and what they still need to learn.
The mayor's Opportunity NYC plan also would give poor families cash rewards for actions like taking their kids to doctors' appointments and attending job training.
The test-score proposal, which education officials say is preliminary and has not yet been approved by the mayor or Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, would be structured differently, with the money going to schools that would then pay it out to kids.
Dozens of principals who attended an information session this week expressed initial interest in the program, including Rose-Marie Mills of Middle School 343 in the South Bronx.
"My kids need incentives to do really well, and they're not privy to some of the finer things that other kids are," she said, noting that poor families can't afford to reward kids for good grades as easily as middle-class families can.
Maryann Manzolillo of Intermediate School 162 in the Bronx said she would put the incentives in school-based bank accounts, then use them to teach kids about managing money.
Now, she said, attendance is low on interim-testing days. "Children say, 'Oh, it's a practice test. It doesn't count,'" she said. "Money makes everything really count."
Some teachers and parents yesterday applauded the idea of motivating kids, but others, including Tina Pack, a mother of eight who lives in public housing on the upper East Side, had reservations.
"In my mind, kids will cram to do better on a test, but what knowledge will they gain?" she said. "I never say if you get an A on a test I'll give you a reward.... What if maybe you're working really hard and you get a B? I'm trying to reward the learning."
msaul@nydailynews.com
With Carrie Melago, Jens Dana, Elaine Chan and Karl Stampf
---Now my parents used to offer $1 for every A I got but this is a new spin on motivation. How can the city afford to pay children for grades? This, to me, is a testimony that NCLB has led the nation to all-new-LOWS as far as education is concerned. High scores, low values, that's the effect of NCLB. And can we truly blame Mikey B? The guy is a billionaire; he thinks in terms of dollars! His iris is the shape of a golden dollar, his pupils are dollar-signs, this guy is the money man! And what better way to motivate poor children to do better than to pay them? Instead of paying the teachers more money to stay after school and assist them, let's pay each child $50...it's so much cheaper to pay 4th graders to pass a test than to give them the books they need to study for the test. Mayor Mike has seen the light but it's so bright that it's clouding his good senses. TRY AGAIN!
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Presidential Candidates
I have been listening to the debates by both Republican and Democrats and I have noticed one common theme: War. I believe, however, that they keep discussing the wrong war. They keep looking at the war overseas and talking about world peace and a bunch of things. For the candidates I have a few questions about certain wars that are being fought in America.
What about the war on:
Poverty
Illiteracy
Civil rights
Racism
Ignorance
Police brutality
Affordable Healthcare
Illegal immigration
White-collar crimes
Violence
A.I.D.S
Cancer
Affordable housing
Poor schooling
Bad teachers
HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS
...and the list goes on ?
What say you, Mr. Obama...do the people in Alabama feel that you feel their pain? What about you Mrs. Clinton? How do the people who used to live in what is now Clinton Hills feel about affordable housing? What about Rudy G? What do you say to rude behavior towards teachers in classrooms? John Edwards are we heading forward or falling backwards? Mitt Romney, What would Jesus Do? Better yet, what would he say to you? Would he even know your name?
What the candidates fail to realize is that we are educated voters who care about the things that matter. When will they answer questions about the wars that have been around for too long?
What about the war on:
Poverty
Illiteracy
Civil rights
Racism
Ignorance
Police brutality
Affordable Healthcare
Illegal immigration
White-collar crimes
Violence
A.I.D.S
Cancer
Affordable housing
Poor schooling
Bad teachers
HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS
...and the list goes on ?
What say you, Mr. Obama...do the people in Alabama feel that you feel their pain? What about you Mrs. Clinton? How do the people who used to live in what is now Clinton Hills feel about affordable housing? What about Rudy G? What do you say to rude behavior towards teachers in classrooms? John Edwards are we heading forward or falling backwards? Mitt Romney, What would Jesus Do? Better yet, what would he say to you? Would he even know your name?
What the candidates fail to realize is that we are educated voters who care about the things that matter. When will they answer questions about the wars that have been around for too long?
Thursday, June 7, 2007
What do you think about this guy?
According to a newsfeed from gmail:
Anthony Hervey, the African-American scholar, philosopher, and black leader, who can be seen waving his Confederate Flag in the Town Square where his Mississippi home is located, has penned another new book.
Titled; "Why I Wave The Confederate Flag," the book calls black leaders on the carpet, chastises welfare programs, and says desegregation has harmed blacks and contends white people are on a guilt trip.
Visit his website:
www.AnthonyHervey.com
Anthony Hervey, the African-American scholar, philosopher, and black leader, who can be seen waving his Confederate Flag in the Town Square where his Mississippi home is located, has penned another new book.
Titled; "Why I Wave The Confederate Flag," the book calls black leaders on the carpet, chastises welfare programs, and says desegregation has harmed blacks and contends white people are on a guilt trip.
Visit his website:
www.AnthonyHervey.com
Service to others
How much of your time do you give to others? How much of your time do you spend making the world a better place in a non-self-serving way? There are many young people who could use the service of a mentor that has been successful or is on the right path to success. If we give of ourselves to these young people, we would be building a better future. For ways to help uplift the community you can contact your local Boys and Girls Club of America, Urban League, Public Library, United Way, Girls Scouts, and local churches. Food kitchens are usually offered by neighborhood churches and they always seek volunteers to pass out food. Do something for your community today.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
When is enough enough?
GALESBURG, Illinois (AP) -- Five students will get the diplomas they were denied when cheers erupted for them at a high school graduation, and school officials said Wednesday they would review a get-tough decorum policy.
Galesburg High School officials had said they would not hand over the keepsake diplomas unless they received apologies. But the stalemate over the diplomas and the media attention it attracted have taken valuable time and energy, they said.
"It is time for the good of the community, the school district, the families and the students involved to move on," Superintendent Gene Denisar said in a written statement.
The diplomas were withheld because the school said cheering violated a school policy aimed at restoring graduation decorum. The students still were considered graduates on paper, but they didn't have a diploma.
Graduate Nadia Trent, who picked up her diploma from the school secretary Wednesday afternoon, said she's "just happy it's over."
"If they would have apologized, it would have been better," said Trent.
Denisar cited talks with the Illinois State Board of Education, which has said it cannot support the district's decorum policy because it makes students responsible for behavior they cannot control, in explaining the decision.
The central Illinois school district about 150 miles southwest of Chicago will continue efforts to make commencement a "respectful and dignified occasion that all graduates and their families can enjoy," school board President Michael Panther said in statement. Officials did not say how they planned to review the no-cheer policy.
Peoria attorney Jeffrey Green, who took the students' case at no cost, sent a letter late Tuesday threatening to sue the district if officials did not apologize and deliver the diplomas by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
"They met with the families two or three times and had a chance to get this thing right," Green said. "I've been involved less than 24 hours, and now they have their diplomas, so you draw your own conclusions."
Parent Pam Kelley said she was disappointed that school officials did not apologize and that her daughter, Amanda, was handed the diploma by a high school secretary, not principal Tom Chiles.
"At least he could have come out and shook her hand and said congratulations," Kelley said.
Ms. Educated--I won't even waste my time. Nobody considered the joy of the family members for whom these children could very well be the first child graduating with honors. Or that they had seen the children work hard throughout the years to overcome obstacles (many of which I'm sure they faced in this school district) and were just simply proud to see them get out of there. This is a travesty and nobody can control the joy of parents at a graduation ceremony; it's preposterous. Absolute power corrupts absolutely
Galesburg High School officials had said they would not hand over the keepsake diplomas unless they received apologies. But the stalemate over the diplomas and the media attention it attracted have taken valuable time and energy, they said.
"It is time for the good of the community, the school district, the families and the students involved to move on," Superintendent Gene Denisar said in a written statement.
The diplomas were withheld because the school said cheering violated a school policy aimed at restoring graduation decorum. The students still were considered graduates on paper, but they didn't have a diploma.
Graduate Nadia Trent, who picked up her diploma from the school secretary Wednesday afternoon, said she's "just happy it's over."
"If they would have apologized, it would have been better," said Trent.
Denisar cited talks with the Illinois State Board of Education, which has said it cannot support the district's decorum policy because it makes students responsible for behavior they cannot control, in explaining the decision.
The central Illinois school district about 150 miles southwest of Chicago will continue efforts to make commencement a "respectful and dignified occasion that all graduates and their families can enjoy," school board President Michael Panther said in statement. Officials did not say how they planned to review the no-cheer policy.
Peoria attorney Jeffrey Green, who took the students' case at no cost, sent a letter late Tuesday threatening to sue the district if officials did not apologize and deliver the diplomas by 5 p.m. Wednesday.
"They met with the families two or three times and had a chance to get this thing right," Green said. "I've been involved less than 24 hours, and now they have their diplomas, so you draw your own conclusions."
Parent Pam Kelley said she was disappointed that school officials did not apologize and that her daughter, Amanda, was handed the diploma by a high school secretary, not principal Tom Chiles.
"At least he could have come out and shook her hand and said congratulations," Kelley said.
Ms. Educated--I won't even waste my time. Nobody considered the joy of the family members for whom these children could very well be the first child graduating with honors. Or that they had seen the children work hard throughout the years to overcome obstacles (many of which I'm sure they faced in this school district) and were just simply proud to see them get out of there. This is a travesty and nobody can control the joy of parents at a graduation ceremony; it's preposterous. Absolute power corrupts absolutely
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Confronting the powers that be
Had a meeting today with the prof. I'm exhausted. I never thought I'd have to explain myself so much in a million years. I don't understand how people are Athiest...there IS a God. There might be no Santa Claus but there is definitely a God. Those who are in power often forget that there are others higher and more powerful than they, even if the higher One has no given name, in their book. When struggling with the powers that be, remember that within you there is a force that cannot and will not be compromised because of their insecurities or their fear of confronting their own prejudices. Even a child knows the importance of this; my six-year-old niece told me today that she wants a book for Christmas. I feel great knowing that her spirit and love of learning have not been pulverized by the negativity she suffered from a deameaning public school teacher of color. That is reassuring. Nothing else in the world matters.
Monday, June 4, 2007
The things we take for granted
Health insurance, PCPs, low-cost prescriptions, our dignity...these are the things we take for granted in America. Today I experienced life through a poor woman's eyes. I went to a free clinic for a yearly check-up and boy, did it take forever! I had forgotten what life is like for many people who don't have affordable healthcare. I walked in, went to the reception window and all I wanted to know was if I was in the right place. I approached the reception desk, a white woman of about 55 years got up, opened the sliding glass and before I could finish my sentence said "take a number" and then slammed the glass. I was 30 minutes early for the opening of the clinic and I was number 23.
A year ago I didn't even know that a free clinic existed. I had the highest coverage from a notable HMO and was able to visit the doctor as many times as I was sick without even thinking twice. Healthcare was not a concern for me; all I had to do was flash a card and I'd be seen in less than 30 minutes wherever I went. Today, I stayed in a clinic for 3.5 hours before I was seen by an intern. Nobody answered questions, I was just a number and everything seemed to refer back to that one number, 23. When I was called forward to explain why I was worthy of their service, I was told that new patients are being screened because there were less doctors available and new patients were only being seen if their situations were important.
A one-year checkup is not important in free-clinic logic but a nurse had been listening in and approached me after I walked away to wait on the receptionist to confirm with the doctor to see whether I was eligible (I call it worthy) to be seen. The nurse was a young 30-something woman who is working on her Ph.D. After our initial interview she found out that I, too, am a doctoral student. Her brow raised of course and the condescending, spell-out-each-word-as-if-I-have-no-sense talk that she had been giving me changed to more "normal" free-flowing conversation. I guess I was no longer "really poor" but just "a needy student" so I was not quite like the other people in the room. After she gave me my informed consent and interview session for my paid participation in the study (I earned a whopping $20 for filling out 40-mins worth of paperwork. Cool way to make money while you wait, huh?), she returned to her post behind the glass window. Soon, I was treated with utmost respect by everyone behind her glass window. One nurse who did my initial patient screening even commented on how "impressed" she is that I am doing this work. Everybody, including the nasty receptionist, began to speak to me with respect and asking me questions about the book I had been holding in my hand and about my areas of interest. So I guess education does make all the difference, even if you're a poor graduate student who sits in a free clinic, having to validate your need to maintain good health just like everyone else.
A number of my students have lived their entire lives without health insurance. Besides being humiliated by slamming glass windows, condescending stares, and long waiting hours, there is the fear of not being seen at all after waiting three full hours. After my experience today, I could not conceive of how it must feel for people who have to spend their entire lives going to free clinics and waiting. I spent more time just waiting than anything else. For me, this is temporary poverty, since grad school only lasts for a few years. I have the option of quitting school and going forth to maintain an upper-middle-class lifestyle. So this temporary humiliation, for me, is endurable. But what about those for whom this reality is permanent? How must they feel each time they approach the glass window to ask a question? I am sure that some people who could use the service of the free clinic probably do not even take advantage of it. Just imagine having to work 2-3 jobs and sitting in a clinic just waiting. It's no wonder that people who live on or below the poverty line are in poor health.
The services offered at the free clinic are thanks to doctors who volunteer their time but there must be more that the government can do to help those who are truly in need feel more validated and less inferior when they attempt to get good healthcare. That's part of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, isn't it.? That's just my two cents.
A year ago I didn't even know that a free clinic existed. I had the highest coverage from a notable HMO and was able to visit the doctor as many times as I was sick without even thinking twice. Healthcare was not a concern for me; all I had to do was flash a card and I'd be seen in less than 30 minutes wherever I went. Today, I stayed in a clinic for 3.5 hours before I was seen by an intern. Nobody answered questions, I was just a number and everything seemed to refer back to that one number, 23. When I was called forward to explain why I was worthy of their service, I was told that new patients are being screened because there were less doctors available and new patients were only being seen if their situations were important.
A one-year checkup is not important in free-clinic logic but a nurse had been listening in and approached me after I walked away to wait on the receptionist to confirm with the doctor to see whether I was eligible (I call it worthy) to be seen. The nurse was a young 30-something woman who is working on her Ph.D. After our initial interview she found out that I, too, am a doctoral student. Her brow raised of course and the condescending, spell-out-each-word-as-if-I-have-no-sense talk that she had been giving me changed to more "normal" free-flowing conversation. I guess I was no longer "really poor" but just "a needy student" so I was not quite like the other people in the room. After she gave me my informed consent and interview session for my paid participation in the study (I earned a whopping $20 for filling out 40-mins worth of paperwork. Cool way to make money while you wait, huh?), she returned to her post behind the glass window. Soon, I was treated with utmost respect by everyone behind her glass window. One nurse who did my initial patient screening even commented on how "impressed" she is that I am doing this work. Everybody, including the nasty receptionist, began to speak to me with respect and asking me questions about the book I had been holding in my hand and about my areas of interest. So I guess education does make all the difference, even if you're a poor graduate student who sits in a free clinic, having to validate your need to maintain good health just like everyone else.
A number of my students have lived their entire lives without health insurance. Besides being humiliated by slamming glass windows, condescending stares, and long waiting hours, there is the fear of not being seen at all after waiting three full hours. After my experience today, I could not conceive of how it must feel for people who have to spend their entire lives going to free clinics and waiting. I spent more time just waiting than anything else. For me, this is temporary poverty, since grad school only lasts for a few years. I have the option of quitting school and going forth to maintain an upper-middle-class lifestyle. So this temporary humiliation, for me, is endurable. But what about those for whom this reality is permanent? How must they feel each time they approach the glass window to ask a question? I am sure that some people who could use the service of the free clinic probably do not even take advantage of it. Just imagine having to work 2-3 jobs and sitting in a clinic just waiting. It's no wonder that people who live on or below the poverty line are in poor health.
The services offered at the free clinic are thanks to doctors who volunteer their time but there must be more that the government can do to help those who are truly in need feel more validated and less inferior when they attempt to get good healthcare. That's part of the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, isn't it.? That's just my two cents.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Dear Mr. President
I went to a dance recital last night and I saw the children perform this song. I thought it was a great way to make a political statement through dance. The lyrics are so powerful! The song is written and sung by Pink as an open letter to President George Bush. I wonder if he ever heard it and I wonder what he said when he did. I know if it were addressed to me it would've made me feel mighty ashamed of myself, how about you?
Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?
Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.
What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh
How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You'd never take a walk with me.
Would you?
Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?
Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.
What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh
How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You'd never take a walk with me.
Would you?
Friday, June 1, 2007
Which America do you live in?
I live in a very white town. Blacks make up 5% of my neighborhood. Today someone invited me to a town fair and while I'm very much a non-fair-going city gal, I decided to take in some of this very white town's festivities. I arrived in time to see a number of fire brigades floating down the street where a parade was taking place. Blasting from the speakers was the song "Proud to be an American," and as I rattled my brain to figure out where I had heard the song before (oh, yeah, 9/11, American Idol?), I looked around to see the proud faces of this America in which I will have to live for the next 4-5 years. The on-lookers, my neighbors that I had never seen, who hardly even realized I was standing there, were primarily white. I felt like I was at a redneck Republican convention. All around me were long beards, flush red cheeks, construction boots and Birkenstocks, and an all too familiar obnoxious smell of Marlboros all around. (Where's Derrick the WHADAFXUP guy when you need him? ).There is a grey cloud over this town and I swear it's thanks to cigarettes. But I digress. The only diversity I saw in my limited line of vision was in the colors red, white, and blue and some orange that the attendees and the participants of this parade wore. No sign of diversity in this town. Then I wondered why the heck someone would invite me to this kind of function. I felt like a stranger in a world that seemed all too familiar to everyone else who was there. They were clapping and cheering and jumping to catch the candy that the paraders threw out and all I could think about was how vastly different this America is from the America I have known for 13 years. Then suddenly, black man rode by on his makeshift float. He is running for town judge. I thought "Oh maybe it isn't so white after all!" But I was standing within earshot of a couple in their late sixties. The woman exlaimed in a most condescending and surprised tone "town judge?" as if to say "how dare he! Does he not see what town this is? Apparently not. This is America!
People here seemed to have no care in the world. I saw some soldiers walk by and I immediately thought of the soldiers in Iraq. The 18 year olds who had no choice but to enlist in the army after high school, the fathers who have never seen their newborn daughter or son because they were deployed too soon, the mothers who had to walk away from their children to serve...I thought of them. And then my attention was called back to the scene. It was time for the bed and bath tub race. People decorated beds and bath tubs and dragged them down the street as a form of entertainment. This is when I zoomed out again because I couldn't help but think of the victims of Katrina who were still displaced. Those who still have no bed nor a decent bath in which to take a shower. This is America...the America I live in. Then it was time for the wave. A young girl volunteered to run along the side of the street as the "wave director." This was all new to me; I'd never seen it. The young girl took her white-socked feet out of her Adidas slippers and the commentator said "your mom is going to kill you for running in those socks." She shrugged as if to say "so what, I have plenty more where this comes from." And again, I had an out of body experience--I started thinking of the many children who hide their feet when they change their shoes in order to hide the holes in their socks. But she shrugged. She took it for granted. This is America...the America in which I reside. It's definitely a different world from my own. And now I know why I was invited to the fair. The people who teach me and other teachers in my program are from this world. They would never understand what I mean when I speak on behalf of the child who does not have the things they have because to them being middle class, Republican, and monolithic is American. This is the America that controls my future...and I will probably never understand it or live in that America but I'm glad I got to see the other side. Am I proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free? I have to think about that for a while but first, I need to understand what the word free means because with what I saw today, freedom comes at the expense of the other America; the one in which I've lived and worked for 13 years. But I definitely won't forget the men and women who died and gave that right to me. But I doubt Lee Greenwood was talking about the same men and women that gave my rights to me. Not to take anything away from the troops. I am the only sister of a soldier. But let's talk about the two Americas and the two kinds of people who gave their lives for freedom because someone seems to have forgotten 1619 and before...that's my two cents.
People here seemed to have no care in the world. I saw some soldiers walk by and I immediately thought of the soldiers in Iraq. The 18 year olds who had no choice but to enlist in the army after high school, the fathers who have never seen their newborn daughter or son because they were deployed too soon, the mothers who had to walk away from their children to serve...I thought of them. And then my attention was called back to the scene. It was time for the bed and bath tub race. People decorated beds and bath tubs and dragged them down the street as a form of entertainment. This is when I zoomed out again because I couldn't help but think of the victims of Katrina who were still displaced. Those who still have no bed nor a decent bath in which to take a shower. This is America...the America I live in. Then it was time for the wave. A young girl volunteered to run along the side of the street as the "wave director." This was all new to me; I'd never seen it. The young girl took her white-socked feet out of her Adidas slippers and the commentator said "your mom is going to kill you for running in those socks." She shrugged as if to say "so what, I have plenty more where this comes from." And again, I had an out of body experience--I started thinking of the many children who hide their feet when they change their shoes in order to hide the holes in their socks. But she shrugged. She took it for granted. This is America...the America in which I reside. It's definitely a different world from my own. And now I know why I was invited to the fair. The people who teach me and other teachers in my program are from this world. They would never understand what I mean when I speak on behalf of the child who does not have the things they have because to them being middle class, Republican, and monolithic is American. This is the America that controls my future...and I will probably never understand it or live in that America but I'm glad I got to see the other side. Am I proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free? I have to think about that for a while but first, I need to understand what the word free means because with what I saw today, freedom comes at the expense of the other America; the one in which I've lived and worked for 13 years. But I definitely won't forget the men and women who died and gave that right to me. But I doubt Lee Greenwood was talking about the same men and women that gave my rights to me. Not to take anything away from the troops. I am the only sister of a soldier. But let's talk about the two Americas and the two kinds of people who gave their lives for freedom because someone seems to have forgotten 1619 and before...that's my two cents.
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