Category: Political Philosophy

Did someone really say this?

Published on by Ann’s AliensLeave a comment

A week or so ago, I read a WordPress site that made me incredibly sad. Indeed, it left me speechless. Syria is not going well for the so-called rebels, and it is even harder on the civilians who are caught between the government, their personal hopes, and those who are brave enough to speak out against the government of Syria. The writer had moved with her family to the United States after World War II. She was despairing of the lack of moral fortitude that allowed the Syrian people to leave their homeland and to seek a safer place to live. She wanted to know how people who supposedly wanted change to come to Syria could leave that battle and run to Europe, Canada, and the United States. Her grandparents had stayed in France to fight in the resistance against the Nazis. Were these people really expecting the world to accept refuges who wouldn’t fight for what they believed?

She went on for a long time, speaking of her moral superiority over these victims. My take was that after World War II the conditions weren’t good in France. Supplies were in short supply, and to provide a better living situation for their descendants, her grandparents moved to the U.S.

Aleppo this week has showed more reasons for leaving Syria. Innocents shot dead by the Army as they summarily moved into the west side of the city. Male, female, old, young, it didn’t seem to matter to the government forces. They were summarily executed. In a conflict of this nature, the world failed these people. The UN did not muster a protecting force. The Russians targeted schools, mosques, and medical facility. The Syrian government was more concerned with their propaganda showing Aleppo as a place for tourists to visit, than in working with and achieving a resolution to the problems that brought the revolt in the first place.

Donald Trump has said he could look into the eyes of a child from Syria and tell her or him that they had no right to come to us as immigrants. He’s notorious for making statements of intolerance towards others. I’ve also read accounts of people who claim religion, Christianity, and yet don’t understand that most basic cornerstone of the call for charity, generosity, and humanity. The old “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” apparently strikes no sympathy in their hearts. We have a tall lady in the New York harbor that stands bearing witness to the fact that all of us came from somewhere. Even the first nations know that their ancestors came from somewhere other than our continent.

We have so much as a nation and so many opportunities, is it possible that we can’t share a little of our prosperity and safety with others? Immigrants become some of our best citizens if we let them live and participate in our government.  They take the worst jobs and make the best of them, providing their children with educations which enable them to become better citizens.

Make no mistake, I hold that same opinion about those refugees who come from the Americas too. I feel that we have a heart that needs tending, and if we shut the doors based on race, we have worked against our own standard as the greatest nation currently in the world. We who have much, have a responsibility to act as though others matter. It’s Christmas, and we should keep that in mind as we change our government.

Thursday Photo Prompt: Protective Dark

Published on by Ann’s Aliens1 Comment

Thursday Photo Prompt – Passage #writephoto

“What is it?”

The walls were silent. The steps were worn with a banister of varniducshed pine. Lights shone to light the corners and to keep the shadows of the past at bay. Humanity had lived here for a very long time. The garden at the top of the stairs had see lovers come and go, hidden from their chaperones by windows and a willingness to not see certain things that would make life uncomfortable under ground. Life here was cool, but not chilly. Life was quiet without being unbearable. Life was vented so that even in times of trial, the air with the fresh smell of flowers or snow would flow down to those held beneath.

Two sisters walked along the path, moving awkward students before them. Fall was a good time to move briskly through books of knowledge. It kept the students and faculty from being distracted by the uncertainty of winter. The stores from the summer’s harvest rewarded the community at dawn and dusk. Evenings flowed into music, drama and literature. Mornings were resplendent with the study of science and the explosions that sometimes resounded. History, mathematics and languages filled the afternoon, puffing student’s chests out and egos up.

“What is it?” An eight year old child peeked down the hallway at the courtyard. Her brother pulled his jacket close and then buttoned her coat.

“Shh, don’t make any noise. We’ll be heard.”

The sound of metallic doors slamming and booted feet marching filled the hallway. The children were lucky, no one had entered the hallway yet or looked in their direction. The boy pulled the girl backward, away from the light, away from the sound, away from the marching feet. They couldn’t avoid the speakers that blared.

“All persons are required to move promptly to the courtyard to begin deportation screening. Any person avoiding screening will be subject to arrest and prosecution for violation of the Homeland Security Act.”

“Children, come away. Come away now.”

Holding hands tightly, the children followed Sister Cecelia into the dark. As the Sister moved them into obscurity, the sound of gunfire filled the courtyard.

Bad Me! An Apology for being Rude

Published on by Ann’s Aliens5 Comments

I used the F word on another WordPress account. There is no excuse, I lost my temper. You see, I assume things about people: that they are logical, have a grasp of life, have been in the world for a bit. I should know better. I tend to become attached to people, to care what they think. Like I say, I assume.

I couldn’t be more wrong. The column is written by someone who also has MS. He’s a blogger and a blog linker. He keeps one foot in the golfing door. I assume he has money. He never talks about needing anything, although most of us with MS do have needs. Most of us won’t admit that publicly.

So, why did I use the F word? Because with no knowledge of what young adults go through, he dismissed them all as whiny little babies that should take their ball and go home. He mocked them as participation trophy winners who had better understand that life was about more than participation and they should get on with their lives. Yup, that was the trigger. Protesting against what happened in the election, the issues that they are terrified of, the using our Bill of Rights, our millennials are involved and passionate about their issues. I care about that. It’s part of being a Patriot.

I could give him the short list of my background, but I’m not sure he wants that conversation. So rather than try to be glorified by me, let me stick to the young ones and why I care about them.

When something happens in someone’s life, it could be death, illness, a lack of the basics for survival, you act on what you believe. You act on what you have learned. You act on the compassion you have learned. You act on hard, cold facts that stare at you in your cup of coffee. The people who helped you learn and grow believe that you can face anything together. They watch from the sidelines after their influence time has waned, and they care. My students rallied around me when the MS hit, making sure I had contact with their worlds still. I care about them, all of them. I even care about the one student I could never win over to being a participant. They have many years to grow in yet.

Teachers get nine months with your children. We make mistakes, but we believe in your young people and we never forget them. We watch them learn  honesty, learn to donate time to important issues, to protect their brothers and sisters in humanity, to take on issues head first, to fall down, to get back up but to always participate. We love our students. Some teachers showing it through gentle lessons, some teachers by being brutal, but honest,  teaching that facing an issue is just the beginning.

I did all the volunteer things as a mom and teacher. Daisy Scouts and Brownies for my daughter, Tiger, Cub, and Boy Scouts for my son. I did Grad night for three years, before the serious onset of my MS. I held after school clubs that  were varied and based on population needs. Let’s see: a Magic the Gathering Club in three different schools, Yearbook, Literary magazine, Shakespeare club, Theater, a pre-finals Finger Nail polishing/snack eating study relaxation club for women in high school who were test phobic, a Belly Dance Club, a gardening club. I volunteered at Leesylvania State Park, charging nothing for my time, but reading to preschoolers, working for the Breast Cancer Walk, providing raffle gifts of framed photography, teaching painting on driftwood, cleaning the Visitor Center, joined Friends of Leesylvania to help where help was needed, was on the crew to work for CAST (for children who were taken fishing by a “Captain” on a one to one relationship), decorated for park functions, played in the Haunted History Hike opposite a 15 year old “husband” from the Fairfax family (creepy in a way), taught embroidery and cross stitching, taught a geography club, a stamp club, created a school post office and taught kids to run it. I did a lot more. Why? Because that participation trophy helped everyone. I got to meet and work with some great kids, great young adults who were taking their place in the world. I believe in our Millennials. That’s why I got angry.

I hold people who have gone through difficulties to a high standard of emotional intelligence. This man stated that he didn’t care enough about the election to vote for a difference. That’s cool. I didn’t vote for Trump or Johnson, thinking instead that issues were more important than flailing away at the dark. I understand where the young are coming from, as I am a child of the 60s. Human rights have been on my target for 55 of my almost 59 years. My parents made sure that I understood the difference between right and wrong, helping and hurting, motivation and laziness. They never gave false praise and if you did get some, there was always a caveat on the fact you could still do better. You can ask my mother if you like. She reads my writing now too.

We learned to share. When a Cambodian family came to the US and the father started working at Bachman’s Nursery, my family gave them clothing, toys, a grocery bag of food, furniture which my parents reupholstered to look brand new, and friendship. There was a Lesbian couple that my parents advocated for, believing that the right to be who you are should never be a matter of debate. There was a community center where my parents volunteered and helped make a success. We did paper drives, shoveled snow for our elders, mowed lawns and raked leaves, started gardens with our neighbors, and always, participation was a requirement to be part of society.

I learned to protest unfairnesses in Middle School and was an odd duck then and now in believing in our society. I believe that our reaction to the world, and those who have less than we, is how we show our greatness. I went to a Catholic college although I am not a Catholic. The sisters were Benedictines and at the end of the robes and coif. They were participants in everything in life. Competent women, with scary energy, they taught us by example. The Benedictine rule says to treat each man (person) as if they were Christ himself at your door, to open and allow the hospitality of a heart to go forward by helping another. See, Sisters, I did listen. So that is what I do. I’m not a Christian, that part didn’t stick, but I got all of the really important parts. That’s what makes me angry about this person’s blog.

He had no interest in doing something for others. He sat back and attacked those very children that I believe in with no background, no investigation, and was smug about it. He was more worried that I had sworn on his page ONCE, than he was concerned about the young of this country, who by the way, will run his retirement home and future medical care. He was lazy in approaching the matter of the right to be involved. He was lazy in throwing out a point of view without researching it, and he was lazy disregarding any point of view but his own. He offended me. I lost my temper. I swore and demanded that he was better than what he had written. At that point, I offended him and lost all pretense of being able to be fair and impartial, able to discuss and listen, and I was wrong.

I have a new friend who says if you go into a conversation with your mouth hanging open, you won’t learn anything. It took him an hour to condense his comments to that line. He’s a wise man. He thought before he spoke, synthesized what I said into what he understood, checked his clarity before he responded, and then he did respond. I should have acted more like that. I didn’t. I am a passionate woman about a lot of things. Sometimes I let that passion out to play and it doesn’t always play nicely with others. I’ll work on that. In the meantime, be aware that those young people (under 50) who are participating in the world right now are under my protection. I may not be much protection, but I’m there in the wings waiting to see if they need me. I’ll work on that think before I speak thing, I’m usually pretty quiet, but it will take time.

I guess that I believe in progress forward, a planet we can live on, policies that do not injure, and that we had better start participating before we blow each other up, again. So, Mr. Columnist, whom I shall not name, but will send this link to, you are right. I did blow up and hold you to my standard, not understanding what yours it, and yes, I did use one word that I should never have used. There is no excuse for my words that were written in hot white heat. I judged you. I annoyed you. I went over the top. Passion is no excuse for bad manners. So I apologize to you. I hope you will understand that you touched a nerve within my soul, but please understand that that was no reason for me reacting like I did.

Ann White

Be creative, be spectacular

Caucasian? White? To Blame?

Published on by Ann’s AliensLeave a comment

If you are Caucasian, they
don’t give you the right to color.
You are branded by incandescent
Light bulbs which bleach and leach the
Color out of your existence.
“Be remorseful, for this is your done deed.”
But I’m not remorseful, no, not me.
I’m not a defiler, derider, denier.
I am the daughter of the 60s, born in the 50s,
Sent into the future, now past, to be.
Yes, to be liberal, caring, sharing.
Don’t blame my color for the criminal’s
Crime. I fought for us, the social bottom.
Where my eyes have always been open,
My family fought to insure their message would survive.
I’m not to blame for other handheld knives
In throats blameless and innocent.
There is a knife in my throat, exposing me
As red blooded human in the act of surviving.

The Anger, The Crying; I Think Not.

Published on by Ann’s AliensLeave a comment

I watch public television all the time. I travel in my mind away from the noise and bluster to places in the world that have frisky lambs, lochs, and waterfalls. I want to be in that world, just for a bit. There are always people who search for the old days, but I don’t want those. Disease, prejudice, a lack of money aren’t quaint or charming. I’m looking for modern charm in places of the world where charm is preserved. I don’t want the crass consumerism, the crowds that leave you without a breath, but I want to see how people get along together, supporting each other, and still taking time out for individuality. I’ve never had much patience for people who raise arguments for the sake of arguing. Arguments make my stomach knot up and my head ache.

Politics always concerns me because people forget that we are a “people” and not just two armies on the battlefield. I watch European governments deal with their parties with relief that there are more than two parties that have seats in power. They change with the whim of the people and sometimes because of events that overwhelm the senses.

They say that the last great generation was that of my grandparents who grew up in a time of strident ideologies that tore families apart, targeted people for genocide, and ripped the surface of the planet apart. People gave all they had to make sure the stridency of hate ended. They believed their sacrifices would protect those who came after from such a fate. Churches gathered resources to protect the innocent. Families gathered supplies and knit socks and hats. The Red Cross had a generosity that today is portioned carefully. Men and women gave their lives, in the military and as civilians. If you had two pots, and your neighbor had none, you shared. Or so the stories tell, and those stories that haven’t been written down or filmed have found a place in the garden of good deeds where you didn’t brag because you did something good. I’ve been told those good people are gone forever, and I’ll tell you know, more are coming up from the shadows where they learned of needs to the bright light where we should again celebrate them…

I live in an area with a high military and government service population. Life is fast-paced here and if you don’t slow down you will never see the good gleaming out in the open. If you are rich, you can take a world stance and be a hero in the public eye. Mrs. Clooney is representing a whole people in a court at Nuremberg, she was the lawyer who recently took the case of the Yadizi people of Northern Iraq. Young girls enslaved, young boys indoctrinated to ISIL, fathers and mothers murdered, what positive could possible come of such a situation? It’s the advocates who agree that there must be a world accountability. But what if you don’t have a lot of money? You don’t have the time? Would you want this happening in your country? We defended these people, so did the Kurds.

There was a couple, both Marines, who took care of things that “needed doing” in the neighborhood and at the school where their children attended. They never did it for the reason of publicity. They did it because it was right. They helped as they could; shoveling snow so that seniors didn’t risk it, rebuilding the crew shed for a high school with materials that were thrown up and now had a chance to serve. They cleaned up after Gradnight celebrations. They stayed busy because they believed community is where things start. They took a lonely neighbor to ball games, invited the neighbors to dinner, and reached out as much as they could.  I was saddened when they went back home.

There are so many volunteers providing meals for the elderly, for the dispossessed. The local market delivered four tractor loads of food last fall to be given to needy families. They’ve kept it up. We have a homeless prevention program that advocates, shelters and guides families back into a position where they can resume their lives in a positive way for themselves. Vets who provide services to animal rescue organizations? Vet clinics who foster kittens for adoption? Lawyers who work with families who can’t afford legal advice? PAL’s organizations who foster, promote and find homes for animals from all volunteer systems? Newman’s Own, where all profits are assigned to help those in need. Teachers who stay late to tutor for free? Ball teams that give back to youth in their cities promoting a healthy lifestyle. There are so many people out there who care. These are the greats of our times.

Communities want the same things: a reduction of pollution, services for those in need, medical treatment, an end to homelessness, respect for our veterans, education for the young, jobs, roads, schools. How did we start arguing about these things?

World War II saw the end of the implementation of the greatest social experiment ever. We took care of our own, we gave the world what was an intense reaction to the behaviors  of totalitarianism and Nazism. Bullies need a target to be better than in order for them to come to power. Roosevelt used an extensive national program to rebuild a nation whose classes didn’t communicate, to find work for those needing work, and to protect a national call to action by all of her members. It wasn’t perfect, but it established a system and a precedent to protect the “Welfare” or wellbeing of the citizens of our Nation. Seniors were given a chance to be fed, housed, and given medical treatment so they didn’t have to work until their dying day. early education came twenty years after.

Goldwater was the first conservative Republican, believing and creating a manifesto to undo the advances that the Roosevelts had brought forward. Simply put, he believed that our society would become weak if we kept “bailing” people out. That was his choice of word, not mine. I know of few, if any at all, that didn’t advance in life, be it from family, a teacher, the military, with a helping hand.

We’re Americans, not something for one and nothing for others. I’ve got MS. Because of it, I won’t have a pension to retire with, so should I be angry with other teachers who will get a pension that they have earned? I don’t think so. Luck has something to do with where we end up. So does due diligence. So does who you can rely on to show you the ropes to get where you want to be. Point is we are one people. E pluribus unum. We’re different, we’re the same, we’re colorful and bland, we believe in one God or not. We can cherish each other because of our uniquenesses and differences. Screaming hate from one party to the next accomplishes nothing.

Let’s get this voting thing done and go back to our work, dreams, and families. Let’s stand as Americans with the right to disagree, but let’s stand together.

 

Small Bites

Published on by Ann’s AliensLeave a comment

He said, “You can’t put that here.”
“Watch me,” she replied, and learned
He had the censor’s button.

What is it All About?

Published on by Ann’s AliensLeave a comment

This election thing, what is it all about anyway? Why do we get so hot and bothered? It can’t just be Republican and Democratic parties. Something else has to matter, because this whole Democrat/Liberal and Republican/Conservative thing is getting stodgy and seem to have lost their impact. What is there that we can talk about that would make sense so that we could select our leaders based on the US Constitutional plan established for us a very long time ago?

Let me set a few things straight as a Civics teacher. First of all, Americans have always valued their liberty. Indeed, they valued that liberty more than religion. What is so important about the concept of liberty? We wanted a say in the type of government that would represent us. We had these lovely colonies that would become states. What was the reason for establishing a bicameral government with an established system of checks and balances? The answer is freedom. All citizens of the U.S. are guaranteed certain rights and yes, even some restrictions so that if we travel between the states we have knowledge of what we are going to face. Imagine, you can travel from Hawaii to Virginia and the basic rights of man are guaranteed. We don’t get stopped at the border of each state to have our cars searched. We’re a nation. Guess what, the EU decided that the plan they are using should do the same thing between their nations. And it works. It does for us, as well.

The Preamble of the Constitution lets you know the immediate concern of our founding fathers. That we the people of these United (means we hang together through good and bad weather) States (we don’t have to lose our individual identities from where we live to live equally), in order to create a more perfect union…the right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. They used big flowing letters and wrote so that we of the future could easily read their plan. This Constitution wasn’t based on RELIGION. No, I hear Congressional staff use the words that our “Forefathers” wanted us to be a christian nation. Nothing could be further from the truth. They could have written Property instead of Happiness, but they didn’t. They gave us the power to choose what makes us happy without requiring us to be one thing or the other. Some are happy being inventors, some preaching, some legislating, some owning a house, some…get the picture?

Then there is the government’s structure. We are a Republic, we chose legislators to govern for us. They are supposed to do what their voters say to do, but they can act in what they believe to be the best interests of their communities. Not everyone will always agree, but some sort of consensus or majority ideals should be acted upon. The Congress was set up with two houses of the legislative branch. One is the Senate, one is the House of Representatives. Both branches are elected by “We the People.” They make the laws.

Next is the Justice department. They insure that our laws meet the basis of the constitution and basic justice for hearing cases between citizens. This judicial branch mandates the judging of the actions of people based upon our laws. Sedition, which isn’t prosecuted much anymore, is one law that is constantly being reevaluated. Jefferson was of the opinion that a little rebellion is a good thing. A little rebellion should be evaluated. If we were forced to give up our rights, we would have the right to protest and protect them. We are not entitled to over throw our government through violent means, we must use the voter’s booth. There are provisions to make sure that decisions can be reviewed and Laws can be reviewed. It’s important. If a president violates a law, they can be tried in the Senate. The outcome can be reviewed by the Judicial branch.

The president’s job is to enforce the laws and to use his office to protect the citizens of the US. This branch is also divided into levels and jobs and has changed only in size as the population of the US grew. I hear people cussing and swearing at Mr. Obama, mostly because how dare he be black. In the initial application of the Constitution, black men and women were only counted at 5/8th of a human person. That application changed when Lincoln was in office. Women were added to the voting population after the Civil War (which was not) and after President Wilson was elected. Can you imagine that women were treated as lesser humans because of our sense of compassion toward others? Women are problem solvers just as men are. Although the equal rights Amendment wasn’t ratified by enough states, we haven’t stopped our resolve to be who we are. Not decorations to sit upon a stage or be abused but as competent sensible humans. Look at how far we have come. And our set up of our government inspired many other nations to join in similar systems.

The First Ten Amendments to the Constitution were added because the founders of our government looked at history and they wanted to bluntly protect certain actions. Amendment One, the freedom of religion, speech, and assembly. If you are Muslim and I am Catholic, we have the right to believe in our religions. The signers of the Constitution had many signers who were Deists. They believed in God, but not necessarily in a church. They couldn’t involve the church in civil matters. They made this abundantly clear. We are a nation of many people from many places. This hatred that is going around, it’s not right. For everyone of us came from somewhere. Bullies pick on victims because they want to suspend our rights to speak, worship and to gather in peaceful assemblies. We need to be louder in our protection of these three things.

The second amendment is something everyone gets twitchy about. It was designed so that we could have the equivalent of the National Guard to protect our homes. We used guns to hunt. Guns were needed to put food on the table because it was a wild world. The founders never saw the weapons we are capable of making. It will be up to the Supreme Court and the Legislative Branch to sort that mess out.

Then the 3rd provision that the armed forces cannot move into your house against your will. That will not happen, not anymore. We have bases and money to handle our billets.

Four, five, six, seven  and eight are about the rights we have if charged with, arrested, or held in the possible commission of a crime. You know the “You have the right” quotes. Did you know that the Supreme Court has said that they no longer have to be read to you? If you say you know your rights, that’s good enough for a court. Search and seizure, there has to be a warrant which means there has to be adequate evidence of wrong doing. There are means to enter a property of life or limb are at risk, but you had better be right as anything you find if there isn’t cause, makes it an illegal search and seizure. There is penalty must fit the crime. This is a matter of hot debate because there is ample concern and evidence that your race will affect your treatment and the length of your sentence. Non-violent offenders are spending longer in jail than Norway’s capitol crimes of 21 years. BTW Norway bases its treatment of prisoners on our Amendments. No cruel or unusual  punishment.

Then the ninth states that rights not in the Constitution are protected.

The tenth states that federalism is defined by the Constitution in the laws that the federal government is allowed unless laws are voted into play by the states or representatives of those states.

We are a community, all together in our strengths and flaws. We should be actively involved in making life better for the people in our lives and for the strangers who have a need. I so admire Warren Buffet and his family for realizing that while having money is nice, using it to make the world a better place is priceless.

 

Vote

Published on by Ann’s Aliens1 Comment

Virginia is a proud Commonwealth. It is the Home of Presidents. It was the first state to have a black governor. It has a classy education system with ways to help parents pay for it. World class parks are located here. We have national, state and regional parks. Our interstate system is growing and is well maintained. We have shopping, caverns, mountains, seashores, beaches and farms. We have cities, suburbs and rural areas.

To protect these things, you need to get out and vote. With the wrong choices we lose too much to easily recover from.

There are two constitutional amendments on the ballot. One would drive unions from Virginia which is a right to work state. You can be union, or not. It’s the choice of the employee. Read up on the two amendments.

Please, think about more than the commercials on TV. Look up statistics. Be an educated voter.

I hope to see you at the polls.

Political Confections

Published on by Ann’s AliensLeave a comment

A ribbon of ignorance surrounds
Those suffering Dunning Kruger syndrome,
They laugh and drink deeply
Of their own inadequacies spread
On toasted political muffins.
The chef knows he must deliver
A masterpiece of gullible cakes
Frosted with fanfares of gilded
Sweet sugary confections
Calmly set before a house of cards.

After School and the Bullies

Published on by Ann’s Aliens4 Comments

She
Was Small
And filled with
Doubt.      Dread
Filled         Time in
Classes         Where she
Watched           Learned about
Why she               Felt so different
From the                 Other children who
Played with              Dolls, makeup and boys
While she                      Read about Asia and war
She stitched                     Herself into a painting
Dressed in                        Red laughing at the camera
Her book                                Children who Shared and went
Hungry                                     And while the playground ran then
Emptied until                            Only bullies were left to invite her upon
The slide                                           And they tipped her over the side to lay
Mocked. Waking                                 to the Dark, as they walked away laughing,

Formless and bloody in a puddle, next to the slide.

Please help in the fight against bullying on our playgrounds, in our schools and on the internet. Take a stand for those who are different. Thanks.