Good morning! It is a beautiful day in my neighborhood! No school bus went by the house today so both the dog and me slept in. Today's plan: clean my office, watch a movie and do the ironing, catch up on grading and recording students' efforts............
An email from Dad was in the inbox this morning, and I pasted here the redacted version plus my reply. I am old and I fear for my country. There are voices of reason -- this is one I've heard -- (http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/04/stop-romanticizing-the-tea-party-movement/255530/), but they seem to be tiny voices, poor people's voices, veiled voices, and an echo in a vaccuum (can that exist?).
On the other hand (a sunny day breeds optimism), our country has been in a philosophical pickle before, and survived. According to Marx, conflict will result in resolution, and the new society will look very different from the old stratified and segregated version; so what's coming? I am old and eager to see (parts of) the future!
You see, it's never the environment; it's never the events of our lives, but the meaning we attach to the events - how we interpret them - that shapes who we are today and who we'll become tomorrow. Tony Robbins
Dear Anne --
My classmate, from kindergarten through 2 years at UW-- was defeated in Tuesday's election. The Tea-Party is in the small towns of our nation.
Dad
from the classmate, aka "Ex-mayor" ---
Friends--
You may now refer to me as ex-mayor (not a lot of pizzaz in that title). I got beat 935-921 in a race featuring the Wisconsin primary contest between Romney, et al. Even local politics has become partisan. My opponent [is] a very nice guy married to J ---, [and] was the benefactor of the conservative vote. I knew the situation was going to be a problem for me, but I did not respond well. I was over confident, thinking I would win anyway. Bad mistake. My closest advisors and political friends shared my optimism. My opponent did not work hard, had few signs, was very low key, did not in all our common appearances appear to think he had a chance (was he more clever than I thought?). So I responded in kind-- about the same no. of signs, no real extra effort on my part. Result: a loss.
Lesson learned: work harder, a maxim that will serve me well in my 80's. (:
I loved being mayor!
I replied to Dad:
Dad --
I am saddened… and [the] last sentence is the epitome of the citizen-politician! Rumors are flying that the Republicans [here] will put fake Democrats in the recall primary. I just finished a week of lecturing on Chapter 11:Politics and Economic systems, in sociology – we create social institutions like “governments” to serve our society, yet the people we have been elected have lost sight of their purpose and become maniacal and egotistical, and detached. [Hubby] and I watch waaaay too much politics, plus we both listen to NPR – when I see the blank “YahdahYahdah” faces on too many of students, I understand why the Tea Party, as unofficial as it is, has gained so much traction: “Tell me what to think” say our voting adults, and the Tea Party candidates oblige.
Annie
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