Tuesday, January 25, 2011


My plan for today was to talk [babble/rant] a bit about education, but when I woke up this morning, I realized it was January 25th and time for The State of the Union Address.

People say the two things one should not discuss are politics and religion. I’m sure it won’t surprise some of you that those two subjects are a couple of my favorites to approach. Today really isn’t about politics, or religion … it is a little ‘leftover’ from yesterday’s soapbox.

Opinions are great – we all have them, some of us share them. I love conversing about politics and religion when it is an intelligent, honest, respectful discussion. I love when people have a different opinion than me – that’s how we learn new info, have new thoughts, ideas, etc. What I don’t like is the ‘just because’ answers and the name-calling rhetoric.

Saw, read, heard much of ‘what I don’t like’ this morning. Yuck. Guess that is why I am back on my yesterday soap box.

Freedom of speech? All part of living in our wonderful country – we do have the freedom to say what we will. I love that, obviously. Going back to yesterday, I wonder what drives us to use that freedom to attack others and [essentially] insult our own ‘sense of self’ as we go?

It reminds me of what I have always told students. Maybe we call others names and have to put them down because we just don’t feel good about ourselves, and pushing another down makes us feel stronger, better, smarter. It’s always been lost on me though.

Calling our President horrible names [and wishing him harm] – what example does that set for our children? How does the name calling and spewing venom aid our happy spirits?

When a person earns [is voted in to] the position of President of the United States, don’t they deserve respect? If for nothing else – for getting there? When George Bush was our president, I didn’t like it … I became depressed when I realized we had re-elected him. And, I say ‘we’ because that is the truth. ‘We the people’ … so, I didn’t call him names or trash him. I didn’t agree with many of his plans/programs, etc. – especially war – but he deserved my respect, if for nothing else, ‘for getting there’.  Am I crazy? Or does that make a bit of sense?

I guess what comes to my mind sometimes – especially living in the south – is the whole idea of what makes a Christian. I hear the ‘I’m a Christian’ phrase more times than I’d ever want … my thought [and sometimes my voice] responds with – ‘if you are a Christian, you don’t have to tell me … I’ll know. And part of that knowing doesn’t involve calling the President [or anyone] horrible names – and wishing him horrible things. He is ‘our guy’ right now. Banding together and hoping the President’s team can turn it all around – with our support and encouragement we are more apt to get there than with negativity and wishing him to fail.
Am I right about that?
Or am I missing something?
Is there a positive side to negativity and name calling?
Has the definition of Christian changed since ‘I signed up’?

Here is a little purse I made – sparks some controversy.









I’ll be more upbeat tomorrow [maybe] … made a promise to myself [and others] that what is inside would come out in this forum …
Today my students and I watched the movie Speak
My opinion – excellent and should be watched by all teenagers …
A quote from the movie that seemed to fit today …


      You should know what you stand for – not just what you are against.

Until tomorrow  xo




1 comment:

  1. Hi its angie! just when you think you know someone you will find you don't and then your shocked at the immaturity of grown ups acting like their in jr.high. actually jake is in jr. high and is more mature! so happy my passions are important!

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