My Two Cents

Okay, so my two cents here in Canada may be worth a little less than the US two cents, but I offer it up anyway.

I have calmed down a little bit since yesterday.  I have read just about every diary on here about the state of the Democratic Party.  Vent has helped, a lot. So has an article that I read from the January 18 edition of The Nation .  The article is An Alternative State of the Union.  The article highlights the ideas of 20 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus – people like Dennis Kuchinich, John Conyers, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Bernie Sanders.  All of these representatives, except Sanders, are Democrats.

These ideas address many of the concerns that we here talk about on a daily basis.  For example, Jesse Jackson, Jr. proposes an amendment (HJR 28) that actually guarantees Americans withs a right to vote.  It would also give Congress the authority to create a uniform voting system.  As he says in the article

We have fifty states, 3141 counties, and 7,800 different local election jurisdictions.  All separate and unequal.

I don’t know about you, but these ideas resonate with my principles; they fill me with hope that yes, there are Democrats that “get it.”

Only 64 percent of registered voters bothered to cast a ballot in November of 2004, and that is an increase,  Clearly, neither party is making an impression on a huge number of citizens.  Many of these people must be looking for something that they are not finding in either of the corporate run parties.

In my eyes, it is the corporate wing of the Democratic Party that is destroying the party and any chance of creating any real opposition to the criminals in the WH right now.  It is the corporate wing that must be the focus of our laser like vision.  It must be excised from the Democratic Party if there is any hope to salvage it.

When the extreme right-wingers of America decide it wanted to take over, for the most part, it did not go create a viable third party – it took over the Republican Party.  Slowly but surely, like the parasites they are, they devoured their host body and transformed it into the Republican Party of Darth Cheney, Tom Delay, James Dobson, and Karl Rove.  These men are power hungry monsters without souls.  

The Democratic Party, in its current state, is ripe for the picking, and thus a transformation.  It will not be easy, but the power behind the Internet could ease this process.  I humbly submit this three step process

Step 1 – Actively support the plans of the Progressive Democrats as outlined in
the article in The Nation .  I know that MoveOn.org does a lot of this, but we bloggers have the tenacity to push these issues with our writing.  I suggest that progressive blogs work together to eventually submit an on-line petition demanding(? too strong?) that the Democrats actively pursue these plans.

Step 2 – Create a Progressive Blog PAC. Sadly, in our political system, money talks.  I don’t want to pull an Abramoff, but there needs to be a way to direct money to those candidates (both national and local) who are willing to adhere to our platform, be they Democrats, Greens, or even the odd-ball Republican.  The MSM is wholly unwilling to cover progressives candidates, so we must be willing to support them financially.

Step 3 – Finally, let’s start running.  No, I don’t mean for the Canadian border (though you are free to visit).  We bloggers are sophisticated, passionate, and well-read.  For my brothers and sisters living in the U.S. of A., what is stopping you from running?  School Board?  City Council?  Zoning Commission?  Once people see that Progressives are not only human, but are competent and patriotic.  But, they need to see us in action.  I know that if my family’s immigration status wasn’t so complicated (it’s funny as hell to cross into Detroit and the immigration officer asks for our citizenships – US, Canadian, and Chinese.  Eyes usually just roll.) I would move back and run for something.  Activism is necessary and crucial, but meaningless if we are unable to elect people willing to listen o the activists.

I submit this to my Froggy brothers and sisters for their honest take on my two cents. I figure it’s easier to take over an existing party than to try to recreate that structure from scratch.
 

Overload

I should be grading papers or even straightening the house.  I can’t focus.  Fights have been breaking out in my school and no one has a plan to address the issue.  The NSA is spying on citizens and no one is marching on the White House.  So I write, hoping to push these events out of my head.

I just sent the following to my senators – Levin and Stabenow.  

Domestic spying?  For our own good?  I simply cannot believe what is happening to my country.  How did we get here?

I am sure that the cabal that currently controls the White House will tell us that 9/11 changed everything and that we should trust them.  But, in my experience, trust is an honor that is earned.

How has this president earned the trust of the American people?  Osama?  Still not captured.  Weapons of Mass Destruction?  Never existed.  Energy Taskforce papers?  Not on your life.  Outing of a CIA agent?  We’ll fire anyone involved?  Karl Rove still has a job.  We don’t torture?  Abu Ghraib.  I could go on and on, but this is becoming depressing.

Just this week, we have learned that the NSA is spying on American citizens.  Naturally, this administration is claiming that only those with connections to terrorism are being targeted.  What in their track record proves that anyone should believe a word they are saying?

It is time to end this madness.  The only way to do this is to start impeachment hearings now.  Bush has already admitted to “high crimes” and, in my opinion, to treason.  He has violated the Constitution, without thought or regret.

If one president can be impeached for perjuring himself about an extra-marital affair, surely G.W. Bush can be impeached for treating the Constitution like a doormat.

He said in his debates with Senator Kerry that being president is “hard.”  By all means, let’s relieve him from all that hard work and perhaps set him up to do some hard time.

I can’t help but wonder what would happen if thousands, if not millions of similar letters began to arrive in Washington.  Would it make a difference?  I hope so, just as I hope the Alito action works.

I just had to unload. You voluntarily read this; my husband is a captive audience.  I just hate unloading on him all the time.

For Justice Day 8 – Old Boys Club

Do you remember when you were a kid, and members of the opposite sex had “cooties?”  Some boys might have even gone so far as to post a sign like this

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

on the door of their hang out.

Sadly, some boys never grow up and never want to let the girls (of African-Americans, or Hispanics, etc.) in their club.  This brings us to today’s installment of keep Alito off the Supreme Court.

In the early 70’s, Alito belonged to an organization called Concerned Alumni of Princeton(CAP).  This article from the Princeton student paper does a good job getting some insight from alumni about CAP

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2005/11/18/news/13876.shtml

Well you say, that was a long time ago.  Even that 1985 job application was 20 years ago.  People can change, right?  Sure, but let’s make sure that our Senators do a good job of finding out if Alito’s attitudes have actually changed.  

It was the Right’s concerns that Harriet Meirs past beliefs and actions meant that she wasn’t conservative enough for them.  Perhaps, applying the same standards will reveal that Alito is too conservative.

I propose that you encourage your Senator to do the following:

Dear Senator,

The hearings for Judge Samuel Alito’s nomination to the Supreme Court should shed light on the judge’s rather long legal history.  He has written much and presided over many cases.

I urge you, however, to ask Judge Alito about an organization that he voluntarily joined, the Concerned Alumni of Princeton.  This was an organization that dedicated itself to excluded women and minorities from attending Princeton.  It is the actions of organizations like these that have driven the need for programs like affirmative action.

Judge Alito has even stated that he is “proud” that he has worked on cases that argued against affirmative action.  Is that still the case?

It seems that an excellent predictor of a person’s future action is to look at past actions.  This does not, of course, mean that people can’t change.  It does mean, that your job is to determine if Samuel Alito has changed his views or are his ideas so set in stone, that no matter the case, his mind is made up beforehand.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
a concerned tax paying citizen  

Please contact your Senators, newspapers, and everyone on Monday.  Alito will probably play the amnesia card, as suggested by this Washington Post article: http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/campaignforthecourt/2005/11/alitos_recollec.html

Let’s jar his memory.
Update:

Cedwyn kindly passed along this article highlighting Alito’s snubbing of the Congressional Black Caucus.

http://www.politicalcortex.com/story/2005/12/13/115716/20

Do you remember 25 years ago?

Do you remember where you were 25 years ago today?  December 8, 1980, NYC, in front of the Dakota apartment building, John Lennon was shot and killed.

I remember that I was in our family room, sitting in my dad’s recliner.  He had already gone to bed.  I can’t remember which channel I was watching, but I remember crying and crying – I was only 13.

I have 2 John Lennon posters in my classroom with words “All you need is love” next to them. During my brothers senior year, we painted the words to “Imagine” on his car – we stayed up late to finish.

On this day, I proudly proclaim that I am a dreamer.  Won’t all you dreamers out there join me and share your dreams, memories, and show the world that I am not the only one.

Military recruiters in my classroom (name change)

[From the diaries by susanhu with a minor formatting change. What an important diary, and an important piece of original journalism by Teacher Toni.]

The school where I teach is a Title I school.  Basically, this means that our whole student body is considered at-risk.  Apparently, due to some provision under Title I (at least according to administration), if we deny access to the military, we can lose funding.

Just as I was starting my 1st hour class, a staff sergeant recruiter shows up in my class to discuss the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.  He starts off by stating that he is not here to recruit them, only to talk about the test.  That took all of three minutes.  He then said that he was willing to take questions for the rest of the hour, as if my class material is irrelevant.

This is a shitty position for me.  I did not know they were coming and I generally believe in allowing students to have as much information as possible.  Thus, I decided that I would allow the class to just operate without intervention from me.  If they talked while he talked, I would not stop them. If they asked difficult or rude questions, I would not react.

My first hour class was amazing.  They asked some hard questions.  Why did we invade Iraq?   Where is Osama?  Where are the WMDs?  Are we about to invade Syria or Iran?  What are we doing about N. Korea?  I was so proud of them.  The recruiter had to do some tap dancing, and he even spread some lies – like the yellowcake from Niger.  I pointed out that that document was a forgery.  I think that he was not happy.

Luckily for him, the next two hours were very superficial.  They wanted to know about guns and music.

After lunch, one of my Honors classes arrived and now two recruiters.  All hell broke loose.  In general, the 4th hour class was fairly passive, but a few kids had pointed questions.  One student asked the recruiter if he thought the war was a good idea.  He said that he had mixed feelings.  This sounded like a little back pedaling from 1st hour.  He backed off on the WMD angle, but stuck to the Saddam was a bad guy.  Then, all hell broke loose.  Someone asked a question about torture.  The recruiter stated that it depends on what is the situation.  It seems that he was trying to give a little opening for the acceptance of torture.  I could no longer hold my tongue and I asked about the Geneva Convention.  I stood up and said that our quibbling of the definition of torture was destroying our moral standing in the world and threatened guys like him, when in the field.  I also stated that more often than not, information gained from torture was notoriously inaccurate.

This led to greater policy discussion about the Isreal-Palestine conflict, McCain’s anti-torture bill, how Frist did not allow it to the floor, and Dick Cheney’s attempt to allow the CIA to torture.  Things got a little heated. .. continued below:
 The kids, whom I have known for two whole weeks, were stunned and excited.   At the end of the hour, we shook hands to show the students that two adults can have a heated discussion and can still be respectful.  Several students came up to me to tell me that they thought that what I did was cool.

I learned a lot today.  I learned that many kids are better informed then we give them credit.  I learned exactly how these recruiters work.  They try to be buddy, buddy with the students and funny to try to build a rapport with the kids.  I am very concerned about the access that they have to our students.  If you have high school aged students, find out how recruiters operate in you child’s school.  In the meantime, I am going to look further into the laws that said that I have to have these guys in my classroom.  Next time, they don’t come in my room.

   

Have they nothing better to do? w/poll

First it was Teletubbies. The SpongeBob Squarepants.  Now, it is the American Girls line of dolls.  Apparently the doll manufacturer has hooked with Girls, Inc. to do some a bracelet promotion and Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association is urging a boycott.

Wildmon claims that Girls, Inc. is “a pro-abortion and pro-lesbian advocacy group.

Here is the article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051014/ap_on_re_us/american_girl_protest

Here is a link to the Girls, Inc. home page. http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/index.php

It looks very subversive, wanting girls to be empowered.  It must be stopped before girls start to think for themselves.  

First it was Teletubbies. The SpongeBob Squarepants.  Now, it is the American Girls line of dolls.  Apparently the doll manufacturer has hooked with Girls, Inc. to do some a bracelet promotion and Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association is urging a boycott.

Wildmon claims that Girls, Inc. is “a pro-abortion and pro-lesbian advocacy group.

Here is the article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051014/ap_on_re_us/american_girl_protest

Here is a link to the Girls, Inc. home page. http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/index.php

It looks very subversive, wanting girls to be empowered.  It must be stopped before girls start to think for themselves.  

The Big Journey

Baby Tylenol – check
Pepto – check
Baby socks – check

Hi there.  Don’t mind me.  I’m just making sure that we’ve packed everything for the big trip to China.  My husband and I leave in two days to adopt our 14 month old son Andrew.  God, he’s cute.

I guess that I can take a break and try to write the diary that I have been trying to write for two months.  I keep ripping up everything I have written, but with only two days, I really need to gather my thoughts.

This journey really started 7 years ago when my body started to act up and my cycle became very irregular.  Tests showed nothing and my doctor (a terrific doctor) thought it might be stress.  I was working on a Masters degree, grading a bazillion papers, and trying to have a social life.  Maybe my body just didn’t handle that well.

My husband and I have been married for four years, and he knew about my medical issues.  Three years into our marriage, tests results started to be more conclusive.  At the tender age of 36, I was in full blown menopause and had probably been in the early stages for about four years.  Those had been hot flashes!  My doctor told me that in order for me to have a baby, I would have to use a donated egg.  I don’t enjoy stirrups and running to the doctor all the time, so we quickly decided on adoption.

I am not a religious person, but I had felt a “calling” to teaching and I figured that my career choice coupled with my inability to get pregnant was a message from someone that I was supposed to take care of children not from my womb.

There is a large community of families with children(mostly girls) from China and we knew many of those families, so our decision to adopt from China was quite simple.

Tons of paperwork, many essay questions and meetings with a social worker led to our approval and ultimate long waiting period.  While I was answering those questions, I must admit that I often felt a little resentful.  As a teacher, I have met people who should have never been parents(abusive, ignorant, you name it, I have seen it), but they had biology on their side.

Our wait was over at the end of June when we got the call about our son, Andrew Fa Yi.  We laughed for days about a receiving a boy.  The chances are low and thank goodness we had not painted the room a girly color.

Motherhood has been in the news a lot lately and that has made me feel good.  Cindy Sheehan’s courage has given me hope.  During this 18 month wait for our son, I have not attended one rally for fear of being arrested and being denied a child.  I don’t know if that would have happened, but I took no chances.  When I come back, I can’t wait to show my son what a strong mother will do to make the world a better place for her child

I’ve got to finish packing.  I might try to connect while I am in China, but I don’t know if that will be possible.  I’ll be around for a couple more days.  Thanks for listening.

A idea to get around the media

It seems that every time a foreign journalist uncovers and revels some wrongdoing by the Bush administration, there is ponderous musings in US media as to why they didn’t catch that story.  That type of talk, of course, causes any sane American to tear out large clumps of hair and to bang the now unevenly bald head against the nearest wall.

I just want to throw this idea out there for hearty debate.  I propose that people who are concerned about the American people getting the truth become ‘guerilla advertisers.”  By this I mean that we leave leaflets with the truth about the war, the erosion of civil liberties, etc. in unusual, but very public places.  Restrooms, grocery stores, libraries, books stores, you name it, we’ll leave “truth leaflets” there. For example, excerpts of the DSM story could be posted in a bathroom stall near you.  That isn’t meant to diminish the story, but to inform people in unexpected ways.

I propose starting in those areas that were barely blue or almost blue (a great Elvis Costello song).  If teams could somehow coordinate, there could be unifying themes nationwide.

Just a thought.  Tell me what you think, I can take it.

10,000+ Rally for schools

Under an intense sun, 10,000 friends and I marched on the Michigan State Capitol to demand increased funding for public education.  Here is a little video for your enjoyment.

http://www.wilx.com/home/headlines/1614037.html

We listened as Governor Jennifer Granholm chided the Republicans for not wanting to close tax loopholes that could save the state tens of millions of dollars..  We listened as Democratic legislatures talked about Senate Bill 246 and House Bill 4582 which would guarantee that school funding would at least receive inflationary increases.

http://www.freep.com/news/education/rally20e_20050620.htm

What is really galling to me, however, is the disparity in funding between districts.  I teach in a poor, urban district.  At least 60 percent of my students do not speak English at home and please do not get me started on administration.  If you want to find out more about my district, click here

http://www.hamtramck.k12.mi.us

Anyway, we receive the bare minimum in state funding – $6,700/student.  The teachers are represented by the Michigan Association of Teachers (AFT), which represents 41 districts throughout the state of Michigan.  Of those 41 districts, 14 receive the same funding my district does, while 2 receive over $10,000/student?  Are my students worth less?  Of course not.  But they receive less as we laid off 30 teachers in November.

Charter schools are swarming like vultures in my district.  At this rate, there will be no public schools in my district in about 5 years.  The voters will have lost their collective voices.  No one knows this is happening.  

This is my first diary, I didn’t mean it to be a rant.