Last lap encouragement for all of you fellow teachers out there

With only a few weeks left, you may be feeling overwhelmed with all you still have to get done, or you may be excited to get done and start vacation, or maybe you're pulling your hair out because your students have already mentally checked out. Well, don't give up. At track meets I think that the most important shouts of encouragement from coaches come in the final lap, when the kids are stretched to their limits and would just assume collapse as make it those final few yards to the finish line.

Let this post be like that final shout of encouragement for you. During DEAR time, I'm reading a book on psychology by William Glasser, first he was a teacher, then a psychologist, then got his MD so he could practice psychiatry. He believed that everyone has basically two needs, to have human connections and to feel worthwhile- love and purpose, empathy and responsibility... "relevance and rigor."

Anyway, he felt that the most important job of therapists (and by extension parents and teachers) is to help people learn how to fulfill those two core needs without preventing others from doing so, in other words to become responsible rather than irresponsible. In order to do that, Glasser stresses that the learners have to trust that the teachers are there to help them learn how to become responsible.

As the old maxim goes, "they won't care what you know till they know you care." You people care. You give a rip. If you didn't, you wouldn't still be here in April, because God knows August through March wasn't exactly a cake walk. 

If nobody's taken the time to thank you for giving a rip, allow me. Thank you for caring kids, because I work with them to, so I know not all of them are easy to keep caring about. Keep up the good work, you're almost to the finish line.

More on Arizona's new immigration law

Pima County (Tuscon) Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, a Republican opposes the law. His Department already arrests and turns over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) more illegals than any other law enforcement agency in the nation. I already told you that the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police opposes it, right? Dupnik's problem is that the law doesn't give public safety officers any tools to do this job but it does mean that more people will sue policemen and departments (keep that in mind when I tell you about the law's author in a couple paragraphs). He doesn't like the fact that this law also puts the economic burden squarely on local departments to hold/house/feed/care for/and prosecute illegals, where as currently they are handed over to ICE, a federal agency to deal with. Dupnik (again- a Republican)says that he believes the only reason this law was created was racism or possibly to create political division.

This law wasn't even written by Arizona legislators, but by Kris Kobach, a lawyer from Kansas, at the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR),which the Southern Poverty Law Center has listed as an anti-immigrant hate group since 2007. Joe Arpaio had already been paying Kobach $1,500 per month, plus expenses and travel, plus $300 per hour to teach Maricopa County Sheriff personnel how to racially profile immigration suspects.

Kobach has a conflict of interest because he is also Kobach is senior counsel for the Immigration Law Reform Institute, which describes itself as representing “citizens experiencing injury resulting from illegal immigration.” In other words, he stands to profit financially from people who are hurt by the very law he helped craft!

Republicans should probably oppose it because Nationally Hispanics voted for Obama 2 to 1, in AZ it was something like 54% to 41% and that's over home state favorite McCain. Hispanics constitute the fastest growing minority group in the US., making up almost 15% of our population. 30% of Arizona residents happen to be Hispanic! This issue may activate the tea-party base, but it's bound to erase whatever gains the GOP thought it was making over health care reform.
I knew that the GOP had gone crazy, but I didn't think it had become so foolish that they didn't even CARE if they got back into power or not. Wouldn't a political party WANT to appeal to the fasted growing segments of society? They proved that they're the party of the rich by opposing Wall Street reform, now they're proving that they're the party of white racists too. Keep it up Republicans, you're helping the Democratic Party more than all the elitists in Hollywood ever could

Playing solitaire on her ipod

Pencil and graphite on 24x18 newsprint. I've been teaching my Drawing class about gesture sketches, gradually moving them from 20 minute drawings down to 30 seconds, and now back up to 15-20 minute figure studies, alternating between graphite and charcoal. Generally I circulate around so that I can help students when they need it or make suggestions, but this morning I drew with them. I probably shouldn't have posted this because I think it shows just how rusty I am.

A few words about AZ SL 1070

Arizona wants local police to have the power to arrest violators of federal immigration law, even though the state police does not even have that authority under federal law. (supremacy clause 10th amendment).

The new law doesn't require the local police to have a search warrant or even suspect that any crime has been committed.(4th Amendment protection from warrentless search and seizure)

The law criminalizes seeking employment as a day-laborer even though courts have already ruled that it's "protected speech" under the First Amendment.

So fortunately, I don't expect that their law will stand up under legal challenge. Although, with today's Supreme Court- who knows. 

Lately, a number of prominent Republicans have come out against the new law, including former Republican Congressman and conservative TV pundit Joe Scarborough, South Carolinna Senator Lindsey Grahm,  and Florida Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart. Go-figure that Iowa's Steve "let my son's construction company build a barbed wire fence along the border" King is all for it.

Did you realize that just like the United States as a whole, Arizona is a diverse state with multiple generations of citizens. Three out of every 10 Arizonans are Latino (Hispanic), 1 out of 10 is Native American, and 13% of legal Arizona citizens are foreign born... Legal experts have been warning that this new law will result in "racial profiling," and doesn't bother prohibiting police officers from relying on race or ethnicity in deciding who to investigate. (Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment). Seems pretty racist to me.

Let's see, it violates the 1st, 4th, 10th and 14th Amendments. Seems pretty unconstitutional to me.

There are "Mexican" people who's families have lived in what is now Arizona for longer than Neddermeyers and Mallorys have been in North America, but because their name is Gomez or Enriquez, they can be locked up without any other cause. If THAT isn't unconstitutional, what is?

And guess what? The Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police actually opposes the law for fiscal and public safety reasons, they think that the fear of government officials (police, fire/rescue, census takers, DHS workers, teachers, office clerks) will mean that people won't want to cooperate with police in criminal investigations and will “negatively affect the ability of law enforcement agencies across the state to fulfill their many responsibilities in a timely manner.”

Does Arizona have a problem with it's border? Absolutely, although it is interesting to note that illegal immigration has abated somewhat since the economic crisis began, because after all, they come here for jobs. Phoenix in particular has a problem with the Juarez border drug cartels. Obviously the Federal government does need to pass some kind of comprehensive immigration reform that restores border security, provides a flexible visa program to meet business and family needs.

But if you thought healthcare was a struggle, or that Wall Street reform is an uphill battle, just wait and see how crazy the tea-partiers go if/when immigration reform ever gets to the House floor! Not that the Republican "Party of No" is likely to even let it get out of committee.

"Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither. He who would trade liberty for some temporary security, deserves neither liberty nor security!" ~Ben Franklin

Most of what I've written here came from a discussion I had on the subject with a very dear, but staunchly conservative friend. They must've latched on to the "supremacy clause" in my citation of the 14th Amendment, because they wrote me back worried about the unbridaled advance of the federal government and a defense of states-rights, including Arizona's right to take care of a problem that the national government has failed to.

I'll stipulate that Washington has failed to secure the border although I think it's a bipartisan failure, not something that has just now become a problem in the last year. I even appreciate (to some degree) the point of view that it's unwise to let Washington's power grow unchecked, or that of the President, or that of any one party. Although I think that the GOP, the tea party movement, and FOX News have had a lot of success activating their base and making money by propagating an irrational paranoia about it. No matter how much you dislike or disagree with Obama, he is not a socialist, a Moslem, an illegal immigrant himself, or the Antichrist.

People on both the left and the right seem to AGREE that government intrusion is a problem. It's just that for those on the right, it's the federal government interfering with state government, for us on the left it's state government violating individual rights. Right-wingers see the states as the people's leverage against possible abuse in Washington, Lefties see the National government as the people's wedge against possible abuse at the state and local levels- because the funny thing is, states and cities, counties and school boards used to segregate people by the millions and deny them equal housing, equal education, equal representation, equal opportunity and equal treatment under the law because of the color of their skin.

I'm neither trying to defend illegal immigrants or attack Arizona for wanting to get a handle on the issue. What I am saying is that the main victims of this law are not illegals, they are the millions of American citizens who will be discriminated against because they LOOK like illegals. Not unlike how Asian-Americans were stripped of their rights and property and detained in internment camps during WWII. You may have been second, third, even tenth-generation American. You may have been of Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, or Filipino decent, but if they thought you looked Japanese, you were under suspicion.

My best friend growing up in Phoenix wasn't Mexican-American, but people assume he is. Juanquin Luna's mom is "white," and his dad is a Maricopai Indian- as in Maricopa County. His family was in Arizona eons before the U.S. annexed it in the 1840s. But he can now be held without charge by state, county and municipal law enforcement until he can produce his birth certificate. 

Ever been pulled over for speeding and you panicked because you didn't remember where you put your registration and proof of insurance? Ever get pulled over and you suddenly realize that you left your wallet, with your license at home? 

Just imagine if you had to produce your birth certificate! Do you even know where yours is right now? How long would it take you to find it? Bank deposit box? File cabinet? Your parent's house? Your parent's bank deposit box? Where is it? Too bad, you can now be held without charge indefinitely, or better yet, deported to another country where you don't know anyone and you don't understand their language. Does that sound like an America where you want to live?

Can denial of emergency services, health care, public education, employment or housing be far behind? Why won't you marry us? Why won't you serve us dinner? Why can't I rent this apartment?

Because of a "reasonable suspicion" that you're not an American.

Point of clarification for FOX NEWS viewers and Tea Party movement members: Prewar Germany wasn't socialist. It was a center-right representative democracy just like we are. In spite of the name "National Socialist Party" the Nazis were not socialist, they were fascist, a type of government characterized by the domination of only one party, a strong national military, preferential treatment for corporations, a severe curtailment of individual rights, and often racial discrimination.

Last week's Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live- SETH MEYERS - "This week Arizona signed the toughest illegal immigration law in the country which would allow police to demand identification papers from anyone they suspect is in the country illegally. I know there are some people in Arizona worried that Obama is acting like Hitler but can we all agree there is nothing more Nazi than saying "show me your papers." There's never been a World War II movie that didn't include the line "Show me your papers." It's their catch-phrase. Every time someone says, "Show me your papers," Hitler's family gets a residual check. So heads up Arizona, that's Fascism. I know, I know, it's a dry Fascism, but it's still Fascism."

Spring training

A student asked me to try coming up with something for the baseball team this year. This is just my first stab at it. I hope they like it.

'Tortilla Flat' is a fun, bumpy ride- anything but flat

Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Part way through Tortilla Flat, I commented to a friend that I found it odd that Steinbeck was writing about a group of homeless veterans and he never directly addresses either their war experience or the difficulty adjusting to civilian life. Now that I've finished it, (don't worry, this is not a spoiler) I think I was wrong. Maybe when it was first published in 1935 people didn't directly address such things anyway. These are WWI vets. "Shell Shocked" was a new concept and not necessarily a commonly applied one- especially to poor Mexican-Americans in Northern California. Steinbeck DOES wrap up Tortilla Flat sentimentally. He brings it full circle and reveals both the importance to his community of and the monumental difficulties and struggles of his central character, Danny.

In between, Steinbeck has a whole lot of fun. At times reading Tortilla Flat is like watching episodes of The Little Rascals, only they're young men instead of little kids.

Like Steinbeck does in other books, like the Grapes of Wrath, he opens a community to us that may be completely foreign to us, both culturally and socio-economically, without making any kind of moral judgement on his character's way of life. Because he's able to do this objectively and yet brings us into their lives, as equals, confidants, and cohorts, we can enjoy them and come to care for them, in spite of the fact that we'd probably never make the same kinds of choices they do.

The "Paisanos" (country people, "red-necks") of Monterey's barrio neighborhood, Tortilla Flat are simultaneously full of honor and mischief, dignity, innocence, and plenty of sin.

Maybe guys will be better able to appreciate the adolescent camaraderie shared by the occupants of Danny's house, but if women give it a chance and consider how they form a surrogate family for each other, I think that they may gain an insight into the fraternal nature of men of college/military age and the difficult transition from that "coming of age" time and the actual, real responsible adulthood that usually comes after.

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Age of Reason

A new treatment (digital) of an old drawing (from college) of a bust of Benjamin Franklin. From television to texting, from 24 hour news cycles to never-ending campaign cycles, 30 second sound-bytes and incivility... I imagine that our founders would be disappointed in how post-literate, anti-intellectual, uncompromising and unreasonable America has become.

Exciting new design

I've already got next year's tee shirt designed. Part of me is hoping this will make more people want to come out for football cheer. Another part of me is hoping that alumni and non-cheerleaders, and maybe even parents will like these enough to buy some and help make money for us. Like it? Let me know your size and if you want me to plan on ordering one for you. I'll take orders officially next August.

From the 2 or 3 comments I've gotten on facebook, it seems to be going over pretty well!

Every Progressive needs to read this book

Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives by George Lakoff


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fascinating. Lakoff is a "cognitive linguist," some of his observations remind me of the symbols and archetypes of Carl Jung. Enlightening.

If there's 3 things I like it's psychology, good writing, and politics. This book has all 3, but don' t let my comment about Carl Jung put you off- this is a breeze to read. Fun and easy.

Lakoff explores the perceptual "frames" or world-views of the left and the right and explains why language is so powerful. He thinks that it is important to be able to articulate your values clearly and speak in terms of positive assertions rather than negative criticisms or reactions.

His basic preface is that there seems to be two basic world-views in America right now, the "Strict-Father Family" model and the "Nurturant-Parents Family" model. At first I thought it correlated with Thomas Hobbes and John Locke- but now I realize that it is much more like the differences between the Puritans and the Quakers. On the right you have the punishing rugged individualism of James Dobson's "Focus on the Family," and on the left you have the empathetic, community-orientation of Jim Faye's "Love and Logic."

I really think that this book would be good for both liberals AND conservatives, and even independents. I don't think that he maligns or libels conservatives, if anything, I believe he just clarifies what most Republicans already know about themselves and in many cases already admit about themselves.

What I wish would happen is that other, "casual" conservatives and independents would read this book and have their eyes opened- so that they'd become aware of the broader strategy and the powerful propaganda that the far-right has been using to take advantage of them. But as soon as they find out that it was written by a Berkley professor- I'm sure that their "frame" would kick in and not let them even give it a chance.

I hope you'll give it a chance because, bottom line, he explains why & how they've been winning for the last thirty years and what we progressives need to do to compete more effectively in the marketplace of ideas.

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Why are you so mad NOW, all off a sudden?

Recently there's been a great deal of talk (mostly from the right) concerned about the national debt and the budget deficit.

I've been a deficit hawk since Reagan doubled in 4 years what it had taken the previous 200 years to build up. I harped on the Bush deficit. For all the things I dislike about him, Bill Clinton actually eliminated the deficit and began to reduce the debt.

I was outraged by Bush Jr's ridiculous tax cut for the richest 2% way before I ever got angry with him about Iraq. Now I don't mean to let Obama and the Dems off the hook, but one of the main purposes of Health Care reform is actually deficit reduction.

I'm not crazy about TARP or the bailouts, but remember that it was the Bush policies and gross negligence in terms of financial regulation that got us into the mess we're in. Obama's not perfect and he's no savior, but how much worse would things be if it weren't for what action he did take (even as much as it's costing).

As an American and a Christian, I want a stronger America, broad prosperity, a better-future, effective government and mutual responsibility. Rush Limbaugh wants Obama to fail. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele seems to want to make money by taking donors to live sex clubs. Glenn  Beck and Sarah Palin want to get attention by makine people angry or scared.

I suspect that some people hate Obama just because he won and they're sore losers. Unfortunately, some people probably hate him because he's black, but they claim that he's socialist or that he's muslim or that he's the antichrist because they either don't want to admit that it's really because he's black or because they don't want anyone to find out.

 I didn't write the following but I agree with it. It's addressed to everyone excited about the tea party movement and Sarah Palin. You don't have to agree with it, but I hope you'll read it and I hope that it will make you think .Everyone who's so afraid of a government take over or the government violatinng their rights really ought to think about the previous 8 years. If you totally disagree, just ignore it. If you agree,  or copy-and-paste it and forward it.

Here it is:

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when Dick Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.

You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.

You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed, violating the rights of private citizens.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us. 

You didn't get mad when we spent over $600 billion (and counting) on said illegal war. Putting our sons and daughters in harms way and for what?

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq .

You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.

You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.

You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed. 

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city drown.

You didn't get mad when we gave a $900 billion tax break to the rich.

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court recently passed a law allowing fat cat corporations and unions to back electorial campaigns.

You didn't get mad when, using reconciliation; a trillion dollars of our tax dollars were redirected to insurance companies for Medicare Advantage which cost over 20 percent more for basically the same services that Medicare provides.

You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark, and our debt hit the thirteen trillion dollar mark. 

You finally got mad when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. 

Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all okay with you... but helping other Americans... THAT makes you mad?