Well, it doesn't always start with your eyes- but it did for me. I'm talking about that creeping realization that you are aging. In my own case, I remember it well. About fifteen years ago when I was in my early-forties I began to notice that the letters on the page were not as clear and crisp as they used to be. There was an ever-so-slight feeling of irritation in my eyes. "Strain", I thought. This will pass. After all, I've had perfect vision up to now. Both my parents wore glasses from the time they young adults, but I thought all that stuff had passed right over me, so this couldn't be about having my vision go south on me. But as the months passed I couldn't deny it any longer. I found myself attempting to read while adjusting my upper body back and forth trying to find the focus zone. Then I became the old cliche'. I was actually extending my arms until they just weren't long enough anymore.
I complained about it to a friend. He is about eight years older than me and he got quite a good laugh at my situation. Then he painstakingly went through his own eye history. (Jesus- will this ever end?) He told me about how "as you age" your eyeball changes shape and you need to correct for good vision. So like very other dorky 40-something, I'm at the drug store buying those readers. First 1.0; then 1.5s; and finally after the 2.25s won't work anymore you're at the eye doctor and you're wearing full-out prescription "corrective lenses". This is the time you know you're not a kid anymore. You can't do everything you used to do- like see stuff! As I stand here today I'm now a full-fledged bifocal wearing man. See how it goes?
All of these experiences help prepare you for the "next phase" of life. Soon, wearing glasses is a small issue. You might experience a minor medical scare of some kind, or find yourself checking in for out-patient surgery. Then you have "a procedure"; possibly major surgery (hell, there could even be "complications"). And so it goes.
Last week our family had one of those events that goes beyond the normal grumbling about getting older. My cousin had a major heart attack. She had the kind that couldn't be fixed without "crack the chest", full open-heart surgery. She nearly lost her life and remained in a highly critical state for several days. Thankfully, she is now beginning to recover; but her survival was not assured when the crisis hit. This was not a normal heart attack- if there actually is such a thing. This was a helicopter ride to a larger town- emergency surgery- and the highest level of critical care.
My cousin is part of the generation I belong to. We are the baby boomers, born after World War II and up to about 1960. All of my first cousins are in this group. So, what happened last week is a poignant reminder that as we age the stakes are getting higher. It is clear now that members of my generation can be lost . I think we've tried to be careful to take care of ourselves as best we can. I think we've all given up our bad habits, if we had them, and turned to healthier ways. But even for those like my cousin, who did all the right things, our end can come suddenly and without warning. This is just life. It is unpredictable. We are, after all, living organisms that will eventually fail and pass on from life- as all living things do.
I'm so happy to be writing this while my cousin continues to recover- instead of writing this while in mourning. But this event has given me more cause to reflect on the way forward for those of us facing the challenges that come with aging. I suppose there are basically two ways to react. I have known those who recoil and devolve into a life of worry and depression. They believe that getting older is nothing more than mounting physical and emotional hardships to be endured. They live their lives around trips to the doctor's office and dwelling on lost youth. Then are those who believe that to be alive is to be active and involved and look forward to the future. I made the choice to look forward. Believe it or not, I made that choice about the time I started wearing "corrective lenses". It was then I knew there were some things I couldn't change- so I had better make the best of it- instead of living in dread of approaching decline.
In lots of ways, this choice informs my political and social beliefs too, and the way I want to spend my time. I want to be progressive. I want to be involved. I want to think and comment, and take actions when I have the chance to do so. I want to put my faith in the young people who will move us forward- not the stance that says, 'look backward, conserve the past". Youthful passion for change and improvement is exhilarating. Besides, I don't believe the good old days were all that good for a lot people. So I decided to engage in activities that challenge my talents (if I have any) and take up new endeavors. Writing these articles is part of that effort. I want to keep my mind and my body as active as I can. And if my end comes sooner rather than later, then be assured I enjoyed the time I had- that I found it so interesting and so full of wonder.
Thanks for looking in.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Our Children and Our Teachers
This one has me vexed. I usually follow a pattern of coming upon an issue or topic; then I think about it a while to come up with a way of discussing it that's a little different (if I'm lucky); then I sit down to write it out. This one isn't going according to the pattern. I've determined my feelings on the topic, but I'm having the hardest time seeing it written out. So you just have to come along for the ride.
It all started some years ago when Lee and I joined a new organization called Stand for Children. It was the beginning of a national organizing effort to create a lobby for children, where members of a community could address the needs of children with local decision-makers. We were privileged to know the founder of the movement, Jonah Edelman; and work with him on the first actions in Spokane along with some great people here locally. Jonah is a brilliant young man. If you have a minute, look him up on "the Google". The organization's efforts were generally geared towards improving educational opportunities for all children.
Education is not a topic that requires much outside motivation for us. I'm a huge believer in the value of education at all levels; and Lee is an educator, with a great passion for improving education. We are once again participating in the Stand for Children efforts here locally, but oh how the times have changed.
Public education is under attack like no time I can recall over my lifetime. In the last year we have seen unprecedented blows to public education in a number of states. This movement seems part of a concerted effort by Republican Governors to use a budget crisis as a reason to dismantle teacher's unions and de-fund large portions of the educational structure itself. (I suspect this is a movement to privatize schools) And this is where I have floundered a bit in my own reaction to the crisis, and disagreed with others who are also seeking to maintain best possible outcomes for our children. We in this movement are all on the same side- but we may see the way forward a bit differently. From here on down, it's all opinion. As it is with all opinions; mine may not be any better than the next person's opinion. But here goes!
Our budget crisis is real. The Great Recession is real, and there are fewer dollars to go around. Many states are weighing the educational needs of their children with other needs. In my opinion there are no needs that measure up to the need to educate our children. Our children are not getting the best education now, based on comparisons with other industrialized counties around the world. Overall, we rank 18th. Not good. If you want to curb the growth of the prison populations and solve many of the other ills that befall our culture- then believe that nothing is more important than education and fund it above all else.
Teachers are the key element required for an excellent education (once a culture or society decides on this as a priority). But, teachers seem to cast as the bad guy in this debate. Some argue that the unions are too strong and serve only to protect their own. There are many cases where this appears to be true, but it is not the rule. It is the exception to the rule, that inevitably gets the public attention. Some argue that teachers get paid too much, so they are the logical target of budget cuts when fear, rather than logic, rules us. Some argue that union contracts favor seniority over quality of teachers-so we have to find different ways to deal with teacher layoffs during a budget crisis. (This issue is one that Stand for Children is grappling with in Washington.) It is true that there are times when the unions seem more concerned with their issues than the children's issues. But at the heart of it, I believe teacher's unions have evolved in order to create a stronger profession for our children's sake. In addition unions are the last hope of keeping the playing field level for the working class. They are fewer now, but they help us all maintain living wages.
I have come to believe that those of us who want to reform/improve education may be only nibbling around the edges of reform to the detriment of more meaningful long-term improvements. As a philosophical point it might be better to get away from the argument about the best way to reduce the number of teachers, and focus on not laying-off teachers at all. Instead of arguing over the amount we spend on schools we ought to work for a cultural shift that elevates the idea of education above all others. The politicians will always blurt out their old platitudes about "children are our future" but they rarely govern that way. If they really meant it- if our culture truly valued children- we would not be having this discussion. There are other counties that don't quibble about education, it is paramount. But, somehow, we seem to go on with the platitudes and never get to the point of believing, as a people, that we must elevate the whole profession and give education our highest priority.
In the 60's when JFK reset the tone by asking "what can you do for your country?" there was a national call to service and to higher education. Even then we valued teachers more. If we are to value them again we must pay to attract our best and our brightest. Our children deserve the best. Our culture pays the big bucks for the investment bankers and the athletes, while starting teachers need five years of college, and begin careers at 30K a year, deep in debt. So if we have sub-par teachers, that's why- not because of unions. It's because we haven't made them important and valuable enough.
I've been told I'm not too practical on this issue- that we need to start small and work for reforms "we can get". That may be right, but the bold changes are the ones that inspire and elevate us. I hope to see a rising tide of education lift all ships.We can never achieve greatness while attacking those who serve our children. We have monumental problems facing the next generations and I'm counting on my children and grandchildren to ensure the survival of our kind. They will need the best education we can give them to do so. That will come from having the best teachers, and giving education our highest priority to prepare them. This is a basic cultural shift I'd like to see us all start making now.
Thanks for looking in.
It all started some years ago when Lee and I joined a new organization called Stand for Children. It was the beginning of a national organizing effort to create a lobby for children, where members of a community could address the needs of children with local decision-makers. We were privileged to know the founder of the movement, Jonah Edelman; and work with him on the first actions in Spokane along with some great people here locally. Jonah is a brilliant young man. If you have a minute, look him up on "the Google". The organization's efforts were generally geared towards improving educational opportunities for all children.
Education is not a topic that requires much outside motivation for us. I'm a huge believer in the value of education at all levels; and Lee is an educator, with a great passion for improving education. We are once again participating in the Stand for Children efforts here locally, but oh how the times have changed.
Public education is under attack like no time I can recall over my lifetime. In the last year we have seen unprecedented blows to public education in a number of states. This movement seems part of a concerted effort by Republican Governors to use a budget crisis as a reason to dismantle teacher's unions and de-fund large portions of the educational structure itself. (I suspect this is a movement to privatize schools) And this is where I have floundered a bit in my own reaction to the crisis, and disagreed with others who are also seeking to maintain best possible outcomes for our children. We in this movement are all on the same side- but we may see the way forward a bit differently. From here on down, it's all opinion. As it is with all opinions; mine may not be any better than the next person's opinion. But here goes!
Our budget crisis is real. The Great Recession is real, and there are fewer dollars to go around. Many states are weighing the educational needs of their children with other needs. In my opinion there are no needs that measure up to the need to educate our children. Our children are not getting the best education now, based on comparisons with other industrialized counties around the world. Overall, we rank 18th. Not good. If you want to curb the growth of the prison populations and solve many of the other ills that befall our culture- then believe that nothing is more important than education and fund it above all else.
Teachers are the key element required for an excellent education (once a culture or society decides on this as a priority). But, teachers seem to cast as the bad guy in this debate. Some argue that the unions are too strong and serve only to protect their own. There are many cases where this appears to be true, but it is not the rule. It is the exception to the rule, that inevitably gets the public attention. Some argue that teachers get paid too much, so they are the logical target of budget cuts when fear, rather than logic, rules us. Some argue that union contracts favor seniority over quality of teachers-so we have to find different ways to deal with teacher layoffs during a budget crisis. (This issue is one that Stand for Children is grappling with in Washington.) It is true that there are times when the unions seem more concerned with their issues than the children's issues. But at the heart of it, I believe teacher's unions have evolved in order to create a stronger profession for our children's sake. In addition unions are the last hope of keeping the playing field level for the working class. They are fewer now, but they help us all maintain living wages.
I have come to believe that those of us who want to reform/improve education may be only nibbling around the edges of reform to the detriment of more meaningful long-term improvements. As a philosophical point it might be better to get away from the argument about the best way to reduce the number of teachers, and focus on not laying-off teachers at all. Instead of arguing over the amount we spend on schools we ought to work for a cultural shift that elevates the idea of education above all others. The politicians will always blurt out their old platitudes about "children are our future" but they rarely govern that way. If they really meant it- if our culture truly valued children- we would not be having this discussion. There are other counties that don't quibble about education, it is paramount. But, somehow, we seem to go on with the platitudes and never get to the point of believing, as a people, that we must elevate the whole profession and give education our highest priority.
In the 60's when JFK reset the tone by asking "what can you do for your country?" there was a national call to service and to higher education. Even then we valued teachers more. If we are to value them again we must pay to attract our best and our brightest. Our children deserve the best. Our culture pays the big bucks for the investment bankers and the athletes, while starting teachers need five years of college, and begin careers at 30K a year, deep in debt. So if we have sub-par teachers, that's why- not because of unions. It's because we haven't made them important and valuable enough.
I've been told I'm not too practical on this issue- that we need to start small and work for reforms "we can get". That may be right, but the bold changes are the ones that inspire and elevate us. I hope to see a rising tide of education lift all ships.We can never achieve greatness while attacking those who serve our children. We have monumental problems facing the next generations and I'm counting on my children and grandchildren to ensure the survival of our kind. They will need the best education we can give them to do so. That will come from having the best teachers, and giving education our highest priority to prepare them. This is a basic cultural shift I'd like to see us all start making now.
Thanks for looking in.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
John Edwards was Right
Sometimes it's odd how a word, or a phrase, or a quick notion will strike a person and give you pause to think about an issue. On Monday morning this week such a thing happened to me. I was having breakfast and watching national news on TV. The story was about John Edwards, who had been in the news last week because he was indicted in Federal Court for misuse of campaign funds. As you recall John Edwards was running for President in 2008 and had an affair with Rielle Hunter- who it later turned out gave birth to his child. He's accused of using close to a million dollars of campaign donations to cover-up the affair and the baby. This particular news item was an interview with a close family friend who said that Edwards was just moments away from a plea-bargain before the indictments came down. This fellow was explaining that Edwards turned down the deal because it required 6 months of jail time. The friend noted that John Edwards is now a single parent, and therefore characterized the government's offer as "awful". Yes, "awful" is the word that struck me.
Please don't think I believe John Edwards is right for anything having to do with this affair or the circumstances surrounding this child. I know it happens all the time in our culture; but this case points out the huge level of hypocrisy for a person who seeks high office based on an image, that was a major lie.
But I hearken back to his campaign, remembering it was Edwards' message that was so unique and so correct in 2008. His campaign theme was about 'Two Americas". On this, he was right! Ironically, he is now the possible beneficiary of that America where wealth and power make it possible for his friends to claim that being a single father makes (even the idea of) jail time 'awful". John Edwards is a very wealthy white male; a trial lawyer by profession and a former U.S. Senator. In this country we rarely put rich, white men in jail. They have the money and the influence to defeat our system of justice. The only rich, white guy of note who went to jail lately was Bernie Madoff- and that is simply because he swindled a bunch of other rich, white guys. (the ultimate offense in white, rich guy world)
Over the many years I've spent in social work I have dealt mostly with the other one of those "Two Americas". My contacts have almost exclusively been with the poor and disenfranchised people of my community. Before I bore you with a few statistics, I'll tell you that I've worked in or around child welfare cases the biggest chunk of 35 years. In those many years I can count on the fingers of only one hand the number of times the system has even touched a family of wealth- and that goes for families of moderate wealth too, the middle class included. Our social service and justice systems are designed to regulate the poor. In that America the idea of a single parent going to jail is not "awful"- it's standard operating procedure. There is very little empathy for the poor. There is very little concern for their children, no matter how tragic the circumstances. They don't have the highly paid lawyers- so they do the time.
We know that families of every economic strata have problems, but if you look at who is in 'the system" they will overwhelmingly be poor or minorities. People of means have choices on how they handle their legal and social issues. The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. Over 3% of our total population is in jail or prison- far more than even the most repressive governments anywhere. In that "other America" 39.4% of those in prison are non-Hispanic blacks, while the non-Hispanic black population in the country is 12.6%. Hispanic prisoners represent 20.6% of the imprisoned, while only being 16.3% of the general population. Nearly everyone in prison comes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is no coincidence and it does not mean that minorities or poor people are that much more likely to engage in crime. Over representation by minorities and the poor in our prisons is an institutionalized aspect of our culture and does not represent the reality of criminal behavior among the poor or minorities. Every study supports these facts.
So John Edwards was right. There are two Americas. Instead of being a voice for fairness and equality, John Edwards has become the poster-boy for what is really wrong here. He exemplifies the real differences between those two Americas. Money, power, and status play the most important roles in determining how our institutions function- a bigger role than fairness-justice-or any of our American ideals. There is an America for the affluent and those who enjoy white privilege; and there is another America for the poor and the minorities. Now that is "awful"!
Thanks for looking in.
p.s. Betcha a quarter John Edwards doesn't serve a day- probably won't even be convicted....
Please don't think I believe John Edwards is right for anything having to do with this affair or the circumstances surrounding this child. I know it happens all the time in our culture; but this case points out the huge level of hypocrisy for a person who seeks high office based on an image, that was a major lie.
But I hearken back to his campaign, remembering it was Edwards' message that was so unique and so correct in 2008. His campaign theme was about 'Two Americas". On this, he was right! Ironically, he is now the possible beneficiary of that America where wealth and power make it possible for his friends to claim that being a single father makes (even the idea of) jail time 'awful". John Edwards is a very wealthy white male; a trial lawyer by profession and a former U.S. Senator. In this country we rarely put rich, white men in jail. They have the money and the influence to defeat our system of justice. The only rich, white guy of note who went to jail lately was Bernie Madoff- and that is simply because he swindled a bunch of other rich, white guys. (the ultimate offense in white, rich guy world)
Over the many years I've spent in social work I have dealt mostly with the other one of those "Two Americas". My contacts have almost exclusively been with the poor and disenfranchised people of my community. Before I bore you with a few statistics, I'll tell you that I've worked in or around child welfare cases the biggest chunk of 35 years. In those many years I can count on the fingers of only one hand the number of times the system has even touched a family of wealth- and that goes for families of moderate wealth too, the middle class included. Our social service and justice systems are designed to regulate the poor. In that America the idea of a single parent going to jail is not "awful"- it's standard operating procedure. There is very little empathy for the poor. There is very little concern for their children, no matter how tragic the circumstances. They don't have the highly paid lawyers- so they do the time.
We know that families of every economic strata have problems, but if you look at who is in 'the system" they will overwhelmingly be poor or minorities. People of means have choices on how they handle their legal and social issues. The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. Over 3% of our total population is in jail or prison- far more than even the most repressive governments anywhere. In that "other America" 39.4% of those in prison are non-Hispanic blacks, while the non-Hispanic black population in the country is 12.6%. Hispanic prisoners represent 20.6% of the imprisoned, while only being 16.3% of the general population. Nearly everyone in prison comes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is no coincidence and it does not mean that minorities or poor people are that much more likely to engage in crime. Over representation by minorities and the poor in our prisons is an institutionalized aspect of our culture and does not represent the reality of criminal behavior among the poor or minorities. Every study supports these facts.
So John Edwards was right. There are two Americas. Instead of being a voice for fairness and equality, John Edwards has become the poster-boy for what is really wrong here. He exemplifies the real differences between those two Americas. Money, power, and status play the most important roles in determining how our institutions function- a bigger role than fairness-justice-or any of our American ideals. There is an America for the affluent and those who enjoy white privilege; and there is another America for the poor and the minorities. Now that is "awful"!
Thanks for looking in.
p.s. Betcha a quarter John Edwards doesn't serve a day- probably won't even be convicted....
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Family: Community
I am 57 years old. I am continually reminded of the importance and power of family. To me, it is more important than anything else. I don't view family as a inherently good, in and of itself. You see, I am also a social worker, and have been one for 35 years. I have seen the destructive elements of family as well the positive force it can be. I've been giving the idea of family alot of thought lately because families are the fundamental element of our culture (a culture that's on the cusp of change); and it's important to think about, and act out our lives in community with one another.
Some of my earliest and fondest memories come from a special kind of childhood. My (maternal) grandparents were Italian immigrants who were brought here by the family patriarch in the late 1800's and early 1900's. My grandmother was actually born here- though my grandfather was brought here by my great-grandfather with a promise of a job and a young bride (that would be my grandmother). My grandparents eventually took over the family farm and raised their family. They had three daughters. Two of the daughters married and lived on the same land where they grew-up. The other daughter moved away with her husband to raise her family, but always remained close in touch. When the daughters married, my grandparents simply carved out a bit of the family farm and gave them the land to build their houses. I grew up in one of those houses.
I was raised literally surrounded by family. There were not, what you would call, streets separating us- no fences between the houses. There were only shared gravel driveways and yards around the houses. It was one big compound of houses all inhabited by family. We had parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles, and cousins all sharing the same land and the pretty much the same experience of life. It was a truck farm, and as each of us got to the age when we were barely worth the trouble of having us in the field, we worked in the gardens alongside our grandfather. In that sense it was a family enterprise as well. During planting time or harvest time everybody chipped in. All the adults and all the kids did the work. It seemed like a very natural way to do things. It was a community.
During the slower seasons my grandfather would work in the mornings then rest in the afternoons. I would sometimes just hang out with him. Nothing of much importance was discussed, but on occasion I would have questions about his life in Italy, or other people in our town who came from Italy, like he did. He sat in his big metal lawn chair to answer and explain things to me, in his "brief" speaking style as he smoked his cigar. I remember that he was almost always outside and he always was looking out on his fields.
The lesson that came through this kind of upbringing was one of shared responsibility, shared prosperity, and shared hardship as well. My grandfather never spoke about rugged individualism, or "going it on your own", though individual good work habits were valued. His experience and ours was one of mutual support. As children there was always an expectation to do well in school, or sports or whatever activities we engaged in. But we learned that we were always part of a larger group, a family, a community. Most of the Italian farmers even marketed their crops through a Cooperative (run by my uncle). You see they always seemed to work together for a common good. It was the way of our family- and the way of the others who came here to make a life. History tells us that many of the immigrant groups who came here, and established themselves, had similar experiences.
Of course this kind of experience belies one of the common myths of American culture. That myth says that we revere "the self-made man". We worship the individual who "stands alone". It's true that we have produced great individuals who have made great contributions. But I think the more common element of our culture, if we really think about it, is the idea of community and a common good. A closer examination would most certainly reveal that those "self-made" types had support and help along the way. We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we have a responsibility to those who follow us. As our country decides the issues that will effect our children and grandchildren I hope we hold on to the value of community, and we don't give in to the forces of selfishness, greed and short-sightedness.
Thanks for looking in.
Some of my earliest and fondest memories come from a special kind of childhood. My (maternal) grandparents were Italian immigrants who were brought here by the family patriarch in the late 1800's and early 1900's. My grandmother was actually born here- though my grandfather was brought here by my great-grandfather with a promise of a job and a young bride (that would be my grandmother). My grandparents eventually took over the family farm and raised their family. They had three daughters. Two of the daughters married and lived on the same land where they grew-up. The other daughter moved away with her husband to raise her family, but always remained close in touch. When the daughters married, my grandparents simply carved out a bit of the family farm and gave them the land to build their houses. I grew up in one of those houses.
I was raised literally surrounded by family. There were not, what you would call, streets separating us- no fences between the houses. There were only shared gravel driveways and yards around the houses. It was one big compound of houses all inhabited by family. We had parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles, and cousins all sharing the same land and the pretty much the same experience of life. It was a truck farm, and as each of us got to the age when we were barely worth the trouble of having us in the field, we worked in the gardens alongside our grandfather. In that sense it was a family enterprise as well. During planting time or harvest time everybody chipped in. All the adults and all the kids did the work. It seemed like a very natural way to do things. It was a community.
During the slower seasons my grandfather would work in the mornings then rest in the afternoons. I would sometimes just hang out with him. Nothing of much importance was discussed, but on occasion I would have questions about his life in Italy, or other people in our town who came from Italy, like he did. He sat in his big metal lawn chair to answer and explain things to me, in his "brief" speaking style as he smoked his cigar. I remember that he was almost always outside and he always was looking out on his fields.
The lesson that came through this kind of upbringing was one of shared responsibility, shared prosperity, and shared hardship as well. My grandfather never spoke about rugged individualism, or "going it on your own", though individual good work habits were valued. His experience and ours was one of mutual support. As children there was always an expectation to do well in school, or sports or whatever activities we engaged in. But we learned that we were always part of a larger group, a family, a community. Most of the Italian farmers even marketed their crops through a Cooperative (run by my uncle). You see they always seemed to work together for a common good. It was the way of our family- and the way of the others who came here to make a life. History tells us that many of the immigrant groups who came here, and established themselves, had similar experiences.
Of course this kind of experience belies one of the common myths of American culture. That myth says that we revere "the self-made man". We worship the individual who "stands alone". It's true that we have produced great individuals who have made great contributions. But I think the more common element of our culture, if we really think about it, is the idea of community and a common good. A closer examination would most certainly reveal that those "self-made" types had support and help along the way. We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we have a responsibility to those who follow us. As our country decides the issues that will effect our children and grandchildren I hope we hold on to the value of community, and we don't give in to the forces of selfishness, greed and short-sightedness.
Thanks for looking in.
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