Tag Archives: politics

Hey You! Back Off!

I teach a general methods and science methods course to prospective elementary. I’d like to share an anecdote from a recent class. During this session I was leading students through an activity in which we compare how many drops of water vs. rubbing alcohol we can fit on a penny. It’s a surprisingly large numberContinue reading “Hey You! Back Off!”

Bearing False Witness

I’d like to write about the Ten Commandments. Specifically, I’d like to write about number nine: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Those that know me, you can have a moment to recover yourself. I mean really, what’s my expertise here? Well not much. However, according to Rachel McIver-Morey from the NorthfieldContinue reading “Bearing False Witness”

The Courage to Compromise

We often seek strong leaders. It seems that during much of my memory, and maybe our country’s history we have admired and sought leaders that were “strong.” Though sometimes I think we have the wrong perception of what strength is. At some point we shifted from looking to strong leaders to strongmen as leaders. ThisContinue reading “The Courage to Compromise”

100,000. “Whad’ya gonna do?”

It saddens me that 100,000 individuals have died from Covid-19 this spring. Of course tens of thousands die every year from the flu, car accidents, cancer, etc. I think those numbers have become accepted, not because we are callous or desensitized, but because as a society we have mostly agreed to do what we canContinue reading “100,000. “Whad’ya gonna do?””

Otherizing and Futilizing

Are you stuck “otherizing” and “futilizing?” Don’t know those words? They are words I’ve invented to mean the act of holding others distant and different resulting in a lack of empathy or concern (otherizing) and continuing to take no action believing one’s individual action cannot make a difference (futilizing). I was attending an MLK dayContinue reading “Otherizing and Futilizing”

What if We Had This Hope?

What if…What if the young woman did not fear an unknown attacker?What if the child did not fear the stranger?What if the teen did not fear their bullying peer?What if the black man did not fear the police?What if the Anishinaabe woman did not fear her abduction?What if the refugee did not fear those chargedContinue reading “What if We Had This Hope?”

A Matter of Perspective

We hiked the steep mountainside leading up to, and then down from, the Norwegian glacier. It was a very difficult hike for me physically. A combination of factors: change in altitude, jetlag, my own conditioning among other factors ultimately meant my Norwegian counterpart (professor Vegard Vereide) and I ended up separated from the group forContinue reading “A Matter of Perspective”

And Then They Marched

The children marched last Friday. It might have been the ultimate teenage rebellion. I’m troubled, but not surprised by some of the disrespectful, hateful responses to the march, and to Greta Thornberg in particular, from a few right-wing commentators and politicians. The majority response has been positive and even expressions of hope in this nextContinue reading “And Then They Marched”