Category Archives: all politics is local

Those red flags – the warning signs

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We educators call them “red flags.”  They’re the metaphorical sticky notes in bright colors to call attention to a detail, an incident, an important event in a student’s record. Omar Mateen’s record – indeed, his life – was bristling with red flags.

Mateen was interviewed by the FBI not once, but three times.

Mateen’s ex-wife called him abusive and suggested he was mentally ill.

In his early school days, he was called “disruptive.” Educators noted that he seemed to feel no remorse. Terms like oppositional, lack of self-control, aggressive, rude, verbally abusive describe the young Mateen.

His middle and high school years were filled with suspensions. The details of these suspensions are not public, but include Fighting with Injury. 

His employment record wasn’t stellar, either. This guy had a background – a reputation, at the very least. From steroid use to inflammatory comments, he managed to get released from several jobs.

My concern, however, is that this young man showed signs of needing help when he was very young. His teachers, his counselors, the police school liaison officers, and most likely the administrators and deans all recognized that Omar was lacking somehow, somewhere. All those red flags! All that trouble! And then what happened?

Nothing. Despite behavior and emotional troubles, this young man went out into the world and earned a horrific place in the history books. He’s not the only mass shooter to leave a trail of red flags. 20/20 hindsight, people, isn’t enough. It’s time to pay attention. When educators point out students with potential for violence, it’s time for the world to listen.

 

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Dueling National Security Statements

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Donald Trump, from Twitter: “Appreciate the congrats on being right on radical Islamic terrorism.”

Congrats? Being right? What the…? Apparently, he’s feeling full of himself because he feels “right” about radical Islamic terrorism as he understands it. He can blame the 140 character limit for not explaining his so-called correctness and why someone might congratulate him in the aftermath of a horrific mass shooting.

It takes an ego like Trump’s to turn the worst mass shooting in United States history into a boost for himself. He didn’t specify how he’d been “right” or who had congratulated him or how he had received those congratulations. Frankly, no one knows if anyone gave him a boost or if any atta-boys were all in his narrow but active imagination.

Meanwhile, President Obama spoke. He expressed sympathy for the victims, their friends, and their families. He pointed out the courage of police and first responders who rushed in as others rushed out. Then, as he progressed in a statement that showed empathy for all involved and all affected, he reminded us of a terrible truth.

This massacre is therefore a further reminder of how easy it is for someone to get their hands on a weapon that lets them shoot people in a school, or in a house of worship, or a movie theater, or in a nightclub. And we have to decide if that’s the kind of country we want to be. And to actively do nothing is a decision as well.

As for actively doing nothing, Trump still opposes a ban on assault weapons. He thinks such a ban would prevent people from protecting themselves.

No one needs an assault rifle. Hunters don’t need them. Security guards don’t need them. Military inspired assault rifles have one purpose: to kill many people in a short period of time. As we spend time in prayers and in candlelight vigils, all of us need to become active. Prayers and candles will not stop mass killings from happening and indeed, from happening with increasing frequency.

It’s time to take action. Lawmakers, do you hear me? Radicalized, mentally ill, “disturbed,” no matter what the reason, our country needs to make it hard – no, impossible – for killers to gain possession of assault rifles.

It’s time to stand up and speak up, and then to make this killing machine illegal.

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It’s still complicated, but less so – My Hillary Factor

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I poured my heart out in this post earlier in the presidential primaries. I reached a decision and voted in a manner I considered the wise way in Wisconsin’s primary.

Many local progressives, those people who are generous with their time and their skills, those who keep the local Democratic office running, are strong Bernie Sanders backers. Long-time readers will remember that I eventually supported Barack Obama in 2008 and in 2012. I will support Bernie if he is the candidate in November.

However, this much hasn’t changed. Hillary has all the traits I value in a leader. She’s intelligent, strong, experienced, knowledgeable, and the list could go on and on. Hillary Clinton would be an excellent president of the United States.

She still has baggage, but I’m coming around to realize that her baggage speaks to the depth of her experience.

Benghazi: She knows what’s going on in the world. She understands how dangerous certain regimes can be. Hillary Clinton will not jump the gun and impulsively enter the U.S. into an unnecessary war.

Email-gate. She kept organized and communicated well with her staff in an updated manner, one that in hindsight wasn’t the best choice. Hillary now knows why cyber-security outweighs cyber-convenience, despite the fact that no leaks have come from her private server emails. Like it or not, she’ll work within the guidelines of government security cyber-advisers when she reaches the White House.

Her age and her gender. Her age and her gender are not Hillary’s issues; they’re ours. It’s up to me and my fellow volunteers to put forth the word that Hillary’s age is a positive and her years in and around the White House come as part of her package – a valuable package.

Her outspokenness. Let’s reword this one. Hillary Clinton is articulate, intelligent, thoughtful, and willing to speak up. When Hillary speaks, voters need to listen to the content of her speeches. Female or male, soprano or bass, her words are the words of experience.

Like her? That I like her is a bonus. The main attraction in this election needs to center on experience and knowledge. In that respect, the choice is easy.

Hillary, I’m on your side.

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Conflicts Avoided on Facebook

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Subtitle: What I didn’t say out loud.

I’d shared a picture of Paul Ryan with this quote attributed to the Speaker of the House: “Kids from single mothers turn into welfare moochers, criminals, and ‘takers’. The second picture showed Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton with a title announcing “We disagree.”

A buddy from my college days was offended. He ranted at me that I’d been unfair to Paul Ryan.

“He’s spent serious time in inner-city neighborhoods with no publicity, learning from people in the trenches about what works and what doesn’t about alleviating poverty and promoting sustainable development rather than soul-sucking dependency. There are other Republican office-holders (not to mention the radio blowhards) who fit the stereotyped line better, but Ryan is not one of them.

Though it should also be noted that children of single mothers ARE at higher risk for just about every kind of social pathology (low achievement in school, arrest and imprisonment, teenage pregnancy, poverty, divorce, drug abuse, etc.). Not all have those problems, of course, and there are children of intact families who do, too, but the overall rates are notably different. It’s hard to solve problems when you deny they exist.”

Deny problems exist? I teach. I’ve taught in public schools for 20 years now. I’ve worked with single parents, mothers and fathers, people who faced challenges the honorable Speaker can only imagine.

I could have reminded my angry old friend that I live in Wisconsin, Mister Ryan’s home state. Teachers who are also his constituents have written letters, blog posts, and more to show the Congressman’s lack of knowledge and real-life experience. The evidence I’ve seen doesn’t point to “learning from those in the trenches,” but rather creating his own truths and announcing his own generalizations.

Ryan is among those on the high road – at this point, at least. He and my own representative Reid Ribble have both denounced the narrow minded partisan bullying on Capitol Hill. However, I’ll stick to my guns: I experience and understand the daily struggles of families with one parent much, much better than my intelligent yet ignorant friend.

I didn’t respond to his post. I know what he meant, and I know which parts of his argument were inaccurate. Frankly, I keep him on my timeline to keep me informed of how people are thinking on the other side of many issues. It’s too bad he didn’t realize he was talking to one who lives and works in a field about which he knows little.

Readers, how do you react when confronted in this manner online? Leave a comment, please.

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Why I volunteer – encore

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This post is from almost exactly four years ago. My political involvement tends to swing up every four years, for some reason. I haven’t signed on officially yet, but it’s inevitable. Once again, it’s essential that we get another Democrat into the White House. This is personal. Heck, maybe “This is personal” is reason number 11.

Here’s the encore.

Top Ten Reasons I Volunteer

10. I’m one of many who are suffering under the actions of current state *cough* leadership.
9. The tea party war against women sets us back fifty years – or more. What’s next, repeal the 19th amendment? No, don’t answer that.
8. One coworker no longer admits to being a teacher. She’s tired of the blame game in the public realm that considers state employees to be a drain on the budget, rather than hardworking professionals.
7. Grass roots are strong; anyone who has tried to turn a patch of lawn into a vegetable garden knows that. Grass roots movements thrive on volunteer contributions.
6. Contributions don’t have to be financial to be worthwhile. My volunteer time makes a difference.
5. I vote, and my vote counts. I help others realize that their votes count, too.
4. I’m not willing to run for office, but I’m willing and able to work for others who will lead well.
3. The National Education Association (NEA) was once called a terrorist organization. Now my state association members are being called “thugs.” Name-calling used to be a playground problem; I’m doing what I can to get this childish behavior out of the state capitol.
2. Someone has to make a difference.
And number one, the top reason for volunteering, is borrowed from Dr. Seuss. In the words of the Once-ler, here it is:
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better; it’s not. —Dr. Seuss

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Ah, the grass roots.

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Anyone who has converted a patch of lawn to a garden knows the strength and tenacity of grass roots. I fight back the grass roots in my gardens, but in real life, I’m part of a grass roots effort to get like-minded people elected to public office.

Yesterday a young person came to our door. He was carrying a clipboard, so I thought “Aha. Canvassing. I wonder which candidate he represents?” I sent Chuck to the door; it was his turn, really. The last time I met a canvasser on my porch, our Wisconsin presidential primary was coming up and the young woman was supporting Bernie Sanders. We talked for a little while, and I reminisced a bit about volunteering in support of President Obama in 2008 and 2012. Then I turned the topic a little bit, bringing it back to the current election. I hear you, readers. You’re thinking, “What? Daisy, the young volunteer on the porch was the one doing the canvassing, wasn’t she? What do you mean you turned the topic? That was her job!” 

Yep. Uh-huh. Yours truly has had plenty of training and practice in messaging, staying on message, and bringing a conversation to an angle that benefits my candidate or my cause. By the time the young woman left my porch, making her entries into the database on her phone (new wrinkle this election), I had talked her into supporting Hillary Clinton. She was probably wondering, “What just happened there?”

Back to the most recent clipboard bearing youth at our doorbell. Chuck chatted for a few seconds and then sent the young man on his way. He wasn’t canvassing for a candidate, Democrat or Republican. He represented College Painters. We’re planning siding, so we didn’t hire him or his organization. I guess the lesson learned from this encounter is Never Assume Anything.

I still would have worked on convincing him to vote for Hillary.

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Teacher Shortage? Ya think?

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It was just a paragraph, and it was buried within a much larger article about career education in area middle and high schools. It was just a short statement, but I stopped and read it and reread it.

Wisconsin has a particularly strong need for teachers.

Salute Captain Obvious on this one. The rationale for the strong need is as follows.

Political turmoil has made it less and less popular, and the retirement rate is currently outpacing the rate of new teachers graduating.

Less and less popular. Political turmoil. Is anyone surprised? We teachers would like to say, “Told you so,” but we’re much too professional and polite to thumb our noses at the state legislature that made this possible.

That’s part of the problem. We are professional. We are willing to stand strong, and we are willing to be advocates for the young people we teach. It’s much harder to stand up for ourselves. Getting smashed to bits by our state leadership when we attempted to speak up – well, let’s just say it didn’t make our chosen field look very attractive.

Meanwhile, fewer young people choose to become teachers in Wisconsin. We, the teachers, are not surprised.

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Bias in the Political World

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It’s no surprise when a poll is skewed to one side. Left or right, many pollsters are hired to do just that – make the poll turn out for the candidate, no matter what.

It was a “suggested post” because I don’t follow the guy. Senator Ron Johnson’s headline said, “Wisconsin Values; take the survey.” His comment added, “We want to know what you think!”

Really, RonJohn? I don’t think you truly want to know what this ecology-minded, frugal, progressive blogger and public school teacher actually thinks.

What the heck, I clicked on the link. I was not surprised.  Here’s an example, along with my answers – and my reactions.

  1. What do you think is the biggest issue facing Wisconsinites today? I responded: Education – K-12 and post high school. Budget cutting is devastating to students at all levels. Invest in education; it pays in the long run.
  2. What should be Ron’s priority in 2016? This question offered me several choices, none of which appealed to me. I attempted to click “Other” and type in “Address Climate Change.” My answer disappeared when I tried to submit. I guess he only wanted to hear one of the following.
    • Creating Jobs
    • Other
  3. How important is securing our borders to you? Important, Unimportant, Undecided – what kind of a choice is that? Give me a chance to click Other, and I’ll tell you that “securing” the border is a myth and a misleading statement because immigration is a complicated issue.
  4. Has President Obama done enough to improve Veterans’ care and services? Again, Yes, No, Undecided. Work with me here, Ronny. How about giving me a blank where I can ask “Has the Senate cooperated with President Obama to improve Veterans’ care and services?” Hah. Answer that honestly, if you dare.
  5. How can you help Ron spread his conservative message across Wisconsin? Oh, readers, the nerve of the man. Wisconsin values survey, indeed. He just wants to recruit donors and volunteers. Look at these choices. 
    • Door Knocking
    • Phone Banking
    • Write a Letter to the Editor
    • Host an event for Ron
    • Invite Ron to Your Community
    • Display a Yard Sign
  6. And last, the survey asks for (required) email, name, and zip code. The zip code would verify that I live in Wisconsin. My name – I don’t want my name on any kind of list connected to this science denying, stubborn, narrow minded politician.
  7. Let’s see now. Based on this survey, the Senator doesn’t really want to know what I think and which Wisconsin progressive values I favor. Fortunately, my personal policy is to avoid online petitions and the like. Next time I communicate with the tall blonde guy from Oshkosh, it’ll either be a phone call regarding my progressive point of view or it’ll be my vote. And that, my friends, will show MY Wisconsin values.

As seen on Jeopardy:

Who is Russ Feingold, of course.

Who is Russ Feingold, of course. Campaign finance reform – now that’s a reflection of Wisconsin values.

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Voter ID – The True Purpose Revealed

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Glen Grothman (Republican in Wisconsin’s State Senate) said it out loud and into a microphone. When asked how he thought a Republican could win Wisconsin in the general election when such an event hasn’t happened since 1984, he responded, “…now we have photo ID, and I think photo ID is going to make a little bit of a difference.”

Voters now need to present a photo ID at the polls every time they vote. Drivers’ licenses, passports, military IDs – easy, right?

Wrong.

Let’s take Amigo for example. He’s blind; he doesn’t drive. He has a state photo ID because he had access to the documentation he needed and he had someone to drive him to the DMV to get it. When he lost his wallet at a school reunion, he was able to replace that ID at the DMV. It was a bother, but he had a ride (me) and someone to fill out the form for him (also me).

Not everyone has the advantages that Amigo does. He also votes in his home city, so the address on his ID is current. Take college students, for example. The liberal arts university in my fair city’s downtown had long, long lines last week. Long, long lines that meant waits of more than an hour. One reason: These college students moved annually, so their campus addresses changed. Another reason: the poll workers were stymied by the college IDs, identification that didn’t have addresses or dates on them.

In general, high voter turnout often favors Democrats. When the Republicans controlling our state government introduced and passed the law requiring photo ID at the polls, we progressives complained, and loudly. We knew, just KNEW that the goal was to make voting more difficult. We could tell this law wasn’t intended to combat fraud, but intended to keep more voters away from the polls. The right wing denied it over and over and over. And then Grothman went oops. He admitted publicly that he thought Voter ID would give the GOP an advantage over the progressives and Democrats so popular in our grand old state.

What’s next? Registration tests? Gerrymandered districts? Oh, wait, that’s already happening. More important, readers: what do we do next?

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Apathy; We can’t afford to go there.

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“The greatest danger to our future is apathy.”
-Jane Goodall
“Stopping Trump is the short term solution.The long-term solution – and it will be more difficult – is fixing the educational system that has created so many people ignorant enough to vote for Trump.” – Andy Borowitz
In Daisy language, the first quote tells me, “Get up and speak up. Do more than just vote; make sure others are getting to the polls. Get up off the couch and go make a difference. Get back into the volunteer circuit and do something to get a strong, decent, candidate on the way to becoming a strong, decent president.”
The second quote is more difficult. As I read between the lines, I see an indictment of today’s public education system, and I’m part of that system. So how do I address Andy Borowitz when he says the educational system is creating (infer: graduating) ignorant people?
Maybe I don’t need to address Andy. I know our public educational system has limitations. It’s not perfect by a long shot. One of the downfalls comes in the concept that public schools educate everybody; rich or poor, smart or not-so-smart, eager or apathetic learners.
And yet – and yet – that’s what makes our educational system unique. We educate everyone. One of the best lessons we can teach is that: everyone deserves an education.
The tougher lesson to teach, the one Borowitz suggests, is fighting ignorance. To root out ignorance, we (educators and families and whole villages) need to teach high level thinking skills. We need to teach our students to read, to analyze, and to form conclusions. With that in mind, I’ll pull up the late George Carlin. He’s the one who said, “Don’t just teach your children to read…Teach them to question what they read. Teach them to question everything.”
It’s in the questions that we’ll find answers. It’s in the questioning that we’ll find thoughtful, insightful voters. When those analytical, thinking voters get going, we’ll see an intelligent, analytical, thoughtful, insightful, candidate become an intelligent, analytical, thoughtful, insightful president.

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