Some Sardonic Musings For Independence Day

It's Independence Day in the land of the free. Some of my conservative friends will contend that it is land of the formerly free since the Supreme Court of the United States ruled same-sex marriage legal and upheld the federal government's Obamacare exchange. If the Republic is indeed on life support, I suspect its first infection began with the Constitution's three-fifths clause and was exacerbated by the fact that humans are not angels and angels do not govern mere mortals.

It's been more than a week since the SCOTUS decisions and the cynic in me notes that I have not seen a quartet of horsemen riding different colored horses and carrying sealed books. Likewise, if love truly won, I have yet to see a marked increase in patience, kindness, and self control among the general populace, nor I have a noticed a decrease in overweening pride, envy, or boasting, all qualities which are constituent elements of love. Perhaps it's a bit much to expect human nature to change in a week, but surely I should have seen at least one rainbow coated unicorn.

If the land of free is disconcerted, the home of the brave is also suffering a bit of an identity crisis. A nation that once had nothing to fear but fear itself now tells its citizens to be very afraid and live under the motto "see something say something." A government created, media led effort to create a panopticon of citizen informants who tell the state about any activity that might indicate one's neighbor has become a "radicalized lone wolf" has more than a little similarity to the East German Stasi:

For the 40 years of the Cold War the Stasi – 'The Sword and Shield of the Party' – kept a lid on dissent in East Germany through a unique method of surveillance.

They did not need torture chambers and rubber truncheons to keep people in line, but instead exploited the insecurities of members of the public, according to author Christhard Laepple.

Turning one in three of the German Democratic Republic's 17 million citizens into informers, the Stasi injected fear, uncertainty and suspicion into every walk of life, making sure few people ever uttered anything which might anger the regime.

It's Independence Day, a day that Alan Jacobs accurately describes in this tweet:

Welcome to the Highest Holiest Day of Our Civic Religion!

— Alan Jacobs (@ayjay) July 4, 2015

As one celebrates the civic holy day, one should remember that Ben Franklin's proverbs not only warned Americans we would have to work to keep the Republic but also that giving up liberty to gain security create a fool's paradise.

A Minor Musing About Conservatives, Dictators, Sean Hannity, And Immigration

If I understand conservatives properly, they believe that too many undocumented immigrants are illegally entering the United States. This influx, according to conservatives, is causing moral and fiscal harms; therefore, the best plan is to close the borders. Since the federal government is not acting; Texas Governor Rick Perry and conservative talking head Sean Hannity have taken up arms to illustrate the correctness of the conservative cause.

With Gov Perry pic.twitter.com/oLaxlpwgp8
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 10, 2014

On the other hand, many conservatives also believe the federal government has grown dangerously large and powerful. Many believe that President Obama is a dictator.

Given the latter beliefs and given that a closed border guarded by vigilantes like Sean Hannity or legitimate border patrol agents can keep people in as well as keep people out, why would conservatives want to close off an avenue of escape from a dictatorial regime? Creating such a situation doesn't seem conservative. It might even be less prudent than letting Sean Hannity on the river with a gun.

A Minor Musing About The Survival Of The Letter C

I have been worried about the letter C for the past few years. It has all but disappeared from my grade book. The letters A, B, and D now fight to dominate. Many students now fear C in the same way they fear F. Coincidentally, those students who do not fear F seem quite fond of C, but they are a distinct minority.

A few weeks ago, I made a journey into the prepper wing of the internet. It's filled with interesting folks. I plan to go back to visit a few times this summer. While there, I discovered that the letter C has made a stand to help humans survive. Dave Canterbury who operates the Pathfinder Store and School uses the letter C to indicate the 10 elements he deems necessary for survival: cutting tool, combustion, cover, container, cordage, candle, cotton, compass, cargo tape, and canvas needle. I was reassured. If the letter C can help humans survive; it should be able to survive as well.

A couple of days ago, I found that the letter C has apparently branched out. Lifehacker.com had a post that indicated that there are 7 Cs for effective communication: Clear, Concise, Concrete, Correct, Coherent, Complete, and Courteous. I try to practice these in each post. Like Animal Farm's Boxer, I will work harder.

Yesterday, I discovered that C is not only surviving and communicating; it's taking a new role in the classroom. I sat through an in-service about the new American Literature textbook that we will start using. The presenter, an earnest young woman, took 6 Cs from William McBride, Ph.D to explain to us how to engage our students: Choice, Connection, Connection, Challenge/Competition, Communication, and Commotion. I will note that my favorite educational Cs, Content and Curiosity, are absent from this list, and I would prefer Context be separate from Connection. We live in the Common Core era, however, and I am undoubtedly a dinosaur headed for extinction.

It's good to see that C has found a career beyond the grade book. Ironically, it's as an alliterative mnemonic tool at a time when many such tools seem to have fallen out of fashion. Even more ironically, C is being used creatively at a time when conformity seems to be de rigueur. Over the next few years, I hope I'll be able to adapt as well as the letter C has. If I can't, I hope I can remember Canterbury's 10 Cs of survival. I may need them.