Why Kneel?

Some time around the mid-1980s, I became aware that a normal form of protest was to burn the American flag.  People took sides, names were called, constitutional experts showed up, and of course the ACLU must have gotten involved. Also, my future self was thankful once again that social media and cell phones did not exist. Recently, the NFL has seen its share of drama as first Colin Kaepernick and then other players refused to stand for the national anthem as a form of protest against what they see as injustice and police malfeasance within our country.  

To be honest, this kerfuffle had lost its flavor and seemed to be winding down until the president spoke at an Alabama senatorial candidate’s rally this past week. In front of an audience of anywhere from 2,000 to 6 million supporters, Trump called for both a boycott of teams with protesting players and a mass firing.  Millionaire players were angered, billionaire owners more often than not took their side, reporters shoved microphones (or worse iPhones) in people’s faces, and I cared about the NFL again for approximately 15 minutes. Then I went to write a blog.

As a symbol, there is none with a more pre-attached value than the American flag. In an international survey from a few years back the flag was even more well-known than the Cross, the Islamic Crescent, and the golden arches of McDonald’s.  If you have a protest and you want the greatest bang for your buck there is no better choice than one involving the American flag. You had better be prepared for blowback though because the more dear something is the more venom is released in its supposed defense.  

So what do I think?

Several things, actually. The leftward-leaning part of me is concerned about the plight of the put upon while the proud, patriotic side is more than a little peeved that folks don’t seem to respect the flag that my grandfather risked his life to defend.  My libertarian leanings lead me to feel that business owners should be able to hire and fire as they see fit and the white part of me just might feel a little guilty.   

There have been issues involving race in our country since before it was even a country and I think that has seen little change during this presidency.  I do feel that the current White House tends to bring out the worst in people on both sides of the issue and the dignity of the office suffers as a result.  Preening in front of adoring crowds to puff up a fragile ego should be left to the professionals, you know like football players.

Instead of a knee-jerk defense of the American ideal symbolized by the flag, maybe we should consider that America isn’t the same for all of its citizens. Possibly, if we ask this blog title question to someone who supports Kaepernick and other protesters and actually listen to their response instead of telling them that they were wrong we could learn why they feel the need to choose such a precious symbol.  I would, however, issue a word of caution to those protesting.  The other night I had a player get a yellow card for dissent for pointing out to the official that he had missed a call. “People hate to be wrong,” I told him, “but they hate it even worse when you point it out.”

Tearing Down History

Given the past weekend’s events in Charlottesville, I thought now would be an appropriate time to have a discussion about the debate over removing Confederate statuary. As this is a Blog (and more specifically my blog) it won’t be much of a discussion if you don’t comment or question so please express yourself. Sorry I’ve been away so long but life has gotten busy and “blogger” is a low priority on the list of hats that I wear. So to the seven of you (Hi Mom!) who have been waiting for my return let’s go.

Backseat Memories (Not those kind)

As a child, I remember peering out of the back seat window at the striking statue. With wings that reach up over 20 ft, the angel of Fame clutches to her breast a dying confederate soldier with one arm while the other hand holds a laurel crown of Victory which she is about to place on the fallen heroes head. This emotional work signals the entrance to the downtown area of Salisbury, North Carolina, birthplace of Food Lion, Cheerwine, and yours truly.

This statue, like most Confederate honoraries, wasn’t created and dedicated until the early 1900s, meaning almost half a century had passed since the beginning of the Civil War. The Lee statue in Charlottesville was placed in 1924 putting it 60 years after the conflict and the “Confederate flag” recently removed from the South Carolina state capitol didn’t go up until 1961.

Heritage Not Hate

To many these symbols are representations of the cruel institution of slavery and painful reminders of the segregation and disfranchisement that followed. Others see them as a point of pride in their heritage and symbolic of the resiliency of the Southern spirit. Where the NAACP and many white nationalist agree is that they are symbols of a white man’s America. This unexpected convergence in beliefs is why one group wants them taken down while the other fights to keep them.

I would argue that no other region of inhabitants of the U.S. have more pride of place than Southerners. Much of this regional pride stems from the feeling that they have been viewed as second-class or have been subjugated by an outside power. (Much as the Basque in Spain or the Scottish and Irish who make up a great portion of our lineage) These feelings were in fact the true cause of the Civil War, whether it be cloaked in the hazy arguments of the states’ rights or the more honest belief that slavery was necessary to preserve the Southern economy and culture.

Open to Interpretation

While the meaning and purpose of these symbols can, has, and will continue to be argued, I would like to point out one simple fact. They are symbols. Taking them down, just like putting them up, is symbolic and doesn’t truly create or destroy history. These actions are merely expressions of society and its beliefs at a particular time and place. When you look around the world you rarely find so much stonework dedicated to those who attempted a violent overthrow of the established and ultimately victorious government and although they may stoke pride in many white Southerners they serve as painful reminders to many of our black brethren.  

So, if these and other statues are removed who will then teach us about the past?  Why history teachers, of course.  And to the young lady that writes for the Alt-right online newspaper who suggested that Lee’s statue (and others like it) help African Americans remember their own past, I’m sure the disproportionate representation in prison population, disparity in test scores, and barriers to full participation in the economy will serve as gentle reminders.

Lies, damned lies, and statistics…

Just how common is common sense? Perhaps the more important question is how much sense is there in common sense? If we were to break “common sense” down into its parts which half would be more important? The reason for these linguistic gymnastics is that the truest definition of the term is “a belief that is held by many or most.”  Pay particular notice that the word “fact” or “truth” does not appear in the definition. I’m afraid “reason” is also missing.

If I were to ask you what is happening with the crime rate would you say that it is going up or down?  What if you were asked questions about the rates of teen pregnancies, or unwed mothers, or the number of abortions.  As you begin to feel unease about the increasingly dangerous and immoral world that your children and grandchildren inhabit what does your common sense tell you?

To ease your troubled mind here are some facts.  The crime rate has been trending down since 1991 and teen pregnancies are down by ½ since the same year.  According to the CDC the number of unwed mothers has dropped over the last decade and the number of abortions are at the lowest numbers since legalization in the early 1970s and have been declining since 1981.

So why should I care, Brian?  It’s not like common sense is dangerous.  

Feelings Run Amok

My concern is that common sense is based more on feeling than on reality. American history is full of incidents of politicians, of every party, preying upon the ignorance of constituents to push legislation, so to claim that any current politician is responsible for this “misguided populism” only continues the loop.  Being stirred by emotions makes one less rational and therefore more susceptible to manipulation, so save your passions for college basketball and leave them out of politics.

Describing legislation as “common sense” is an easy way for politicians to over simplify complex situations and to convince their followers that they can claim logical and often moral authority.  It also points to singular solutions to problems which almost always require cooperation.  Whenever safety and morality are offered as end products to emotional people it may be time to stop and ask a politicians a few simple questions.  Safety from what and for whom?  And whose morality are we using as a basis for decisions?

Whether it’s a voter I.D. law or a border wall we may want to exchange common sense for common ground.  And for those of you that noticed I’m using a quote from Paine’s American Crisis as the title instead of a quote from Common Sense good for you.  I mean it’s not like we’re experiencing and American crisis after all.

Legal

President Trump has once again provided Americans with a real life scenario that normally only gets discussed in poli-sci classrooms.  Trump’s executive action to ban travel and/or refugees from 7 countries in the Middle East and Africa was met with much confusion upon implementation and then stiff resistance.  Immigration lawyers rushed to courtrooms,  judges issued late night injunctions,  and eventually the ninth circuit decided that the executive action should be put on hold until cases could be decided in court. These setbacks finally led to the president firing off some nasty tweets holding the Judiciary responsible for any potential terrorist activity.

On the surface it appears to be yet another instance of misunderstanding (or disliking)  checks and balances but to me it seems to be something that goes far deeper. It seems that many Americans and the politicians who represent them don’t grasp the difference between something being legal (or constitutional) and being good policy.

Those who follow N.C. politics know that we have had more than our share of controversial legislative actions that have led to convoluted legal proceedings.  Three in particular deal with gerrymandering, advice and consent for the governor’s cabinet, and a battle between the State School Board and the Legislature over the powers of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Right

I am legally able to take my dog’s favorite toy and put it in a tree in the front yard but that doesn’t make it right. I’m also constitutionally allowed to raise my children to hate black people, Methodists, or cats but I’m sure few people would think that that’s good parenting. Since this is my blog and freedom of speech is constitutionally-protected I will tell you exactly how I feel about each of these four issues and why.

The travel ban, as originally written, was poorly conceived and botched on implementation but I do find it ironic that all of the hyperventilating liberals hating on executive actions had no problems with Obama’s actions favoring immigrants.  The issue I have with the ban is that it solves a problem that doesn’t really exist and in fact probably makes my children less safe by alienating Muslims already here legally.

As for the N.C. laws, they are also getting bogged down by wrangling over constitutional legalities with little discussion as to their merit.  The December actions of the State Legislature would have been humorous if they were not such an obvious political hack job and an overt announcement that the level of cooperation with the incoming governor would be nil. The timing (post-election but pre-inauguration) coupled with the fact that the original convening in Raleigh was meant to deal with hurricane disaster relief threw down the party line gauntlet.  

The gerrymandering business is the most disturbing to me personally because it represents a level of legalized corruption formerly only seen in Banana Republics (not the store) and Eastern Bloc dictatorships.  Claiming any level of legitimacy because lines were drawn based on party affiliation and not race carries no water in my book.  Elected officials from a party that only claims 31% of the state’s registered voters controlling district drawing for over 9 million residents is hogwash.  Yes Obama’s Department of Justice signed off on the maps but it’s also been the GOP stance that he got nothing right.  Curious indeed.

Listening to Reason

I seriously considered naming this post “Liberals who won’t listen talking to conservatives that can’t hear.”  It seems that we are constantly talking past each other, busy making our own political points, while never listening to what anyone who disagrees with us says.  We gather our ammunition from wellsprings of our own choosing be it Fox News, CNN, Breitbart, The Drudge Report, or any of another thousand locations for “news and information” and then assault or fellow Facebookers with our own Constitutional interpretations.  As we feverishly disseminate our opinions we can’t help but constantly wonder to ourselves, “Why can’t they get it? It’s so obvious.”

The reason that “they” just can’t get it is a mental habit that psychologists refer to as confirmation bias. We all suffer from varying degrees of confirmation bias and if you don’t believe that you do just consider the curious case of Grayson Allen. If you think that Mr. Allen is the worst version of any human being, not just a basketball player, then you are probably a Carolina fan. If he is a young man who has made some mistakes and has been properly punished and is receiving undue notoriety and negative press then you are probably a Duke fan. If you wonder why the Pack can’t seem to throw it in the ocean in overtime I will come up with an example for you some other time.

When presented with any evidence, whatever the source, our brains tend to follow the same pattern.  If it agrees with an already held notion then it only serves to reinforce what we believed. If it disagrees with our previously held beliefs then we simply dismiss or ignore it as uninformed or unimportant.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, this seems to be a prevalent attitude amongst political followers of all stripes.

Fact vs. Truth

Many of the more liberal tree-hugging types who are concerned about global food supplies refuse to accept that there is no scientific evidence pointing to a lack of safety with genetically modified crops. “Frankenfoods” are dangerous and only time will tell when a study finally proves their long and firmly held beliefs.  My grandmother felt the same way about microwave ovens.

Millions of conservatives would rather point to the 5% of scientists that don’t believe in global warming or at least man’s contribution rather than the millions of scientists that do.  Satellite pictures of Greenland finally living up to it’s name are unconvincing because evidence clearly shows that over the course of thousands of years the earth’s temperature has fluctuated.  I was most impressed with the Congressman who brought the snowball into the House chambers to show the ridiculousness of global warming.  You can’t argue with that logic.

So how do we fix our own heads?  Well according to research by Charles Lord, the only solution is to systematically sort through the evidence and consider its value if it had produced results to the exact contrary.  This approach is the only way to overcome our own biases and it will require actual cognitive effort not just bumper sticker reasoning.  It also requires curiosity and a willingness to be proven wrong.  After all, those with the least imagination tend to be the most dogmatic.

Dig if you will the picture

The story sounds oddly familiar. A hard fought and even sometimes vicious campaign for president with accusations of fraud and outside influence. The sitting president’s party loses the election and originally accepts the loss only to later reverse course. In order to pry power from his hands, foreign troops invade from both the North and the South to enforce the democratic election of his opponent. The “duly elected” president is sworn in, not at the Capitol, but at an embassy in another country fearing for his safety in the country that he now heads.

This is not an alternative history of the United States but rather the true story last week of the west African country of The Gambia. This scenario, similar to one hinted at by some domestic, right wingers for how Obama would try to keep power, seems to be working itself out peacefully and most of the Senegalese troops have returned to their own country.  What happened in the U.S. would be just as strange if we tried to explain it to aliens and not living it ourselves.

It went like this.  On Friday, the guy who can’t handle a twitter account much less the nuclear codes(Obama’s words) sat down to tea with the founder of ISIS(Trump’s words).  Later, the two liars(Obama & Trump’s words) got into a car together and rode down to the Capitol for the inauguration. With his right hand raised and the other on not one but two bibles, the guy who “pumps himself up by putting other people down” was sworn in as the guy who tried to send your grandmother in front of a death panel with his healthcare law watched.  In America we call this a peaceful transfer of power and it’s something that makes our hearts swell with pride.

Cool story bro, then what happened?

Next, the President began a speech to a crowd somewhere between 250,000 and 1.5 eleventy billions in which he thanked the outgoing president for his graciousness.  Evidently forgetting that he had actually won or potentially just stuck in campaign mode, President Trump (I just typed that for the first time) then began to rip into everyone around him for enriching themselves at the expense of everyday citizens.  In what the Lefties immediately named the “Carnage Speech”, Trump painted a vision of America that was inspirational only to doomsday cultists and James Cameron.

Down the street some protesters, turned rioters, broke windows at some businesses and then washed down their Starbucks with some pepper spray delivered by the local constabulary.  They shouted things like “Dump Trump” and “we want organic pepper spray” in what passes for a modern version of civil disobedience and application of democratic ideals.  Around the nation, civics teachers wept.

Saturday brought a different group to the capital.  With numbers around ½ million and either much larger or much smaller than the inauguration crowds, women from around the country came to have their voices heard.  In a showing of sisterhood and solidarity not seen since the 1970s, women (and a few men) filled D.C. to the point that the couldn’t even march.  Most found inspiration while others back home clutched their pearls as Madonna gyrated and dropped the F-bomb.  Then Facebook broke.

This past weekend showed our best and our worst and both how strong we are and how far we have to go.  As we all pray for healing in our divided country let us also not forget the men and women of The Gambia.  In a country where just over half of the population is literate and nearly 2% are infected with HIV/AIDS, political squabbles often turn to real violence.  But for the grace of God…

Finding My Joy

When I was younger I can remember thinking to myself that if I only had three things in life I would be happy. My list was simple: a wife, a house, and a job.  I wasn’t concerned much with the order that I got those things I just knew that I needed them. Anyone that knows my wife knows that I am a proud member of the “Married Up Club”.  Anyone who has seen the house I live in now and the one I grew up in can see that they are similar in size with the only major difference being lawn maintenance (sorry Pops).  What I don’t have though is a job.  I have something much more… I have a calling.

I grew up around people with jobs. People who spent hour upon hour in dyeing & finishing or the warp room producing some of the finest denim the world has seen. Folks that would bend over miles of woven fabric under UV lights looking for slubs and other minor imperfections. Hard working, salt of the earth people who perpetually kept their noses to the grindstone so that they could support their families and provide a future for their children.  With a little embarrassment I have realized that I am the first member of my family, in a line that stretches back over 100 years, that has never drawn a paycheck from a cotton mill.  I know what a job is and thanks be to God I don’t have one.  What I do is teach.

I often joke with my students that I teach for free and I get paid to go to meetings. Honestly, in the last 12 years I haven’t worked a single day and I’m proud of it. What I have done is impart knowledge and occasionally wisdom to the most confused subset of our population. Along the way I’ve cried for their losses and victories, placed flowers on their tombstones, and occasionally kept them from killing each other. I’ve even been able to convince some of them that an education is the key to their future and alarmingly a few have decided to become educators themselves. Oh yeah, and I loved them. And I told them that I love them. They are my kids.

If it ain’t broke…

The public education system is not broken. It isn’t perfect but that certainly doesn’t mean that it isn’t working. Can it be better? Of course, but tell me what human institution couldn’t use a little tweaking.  The people that I work with are the education system and they certainly aren’t broken. They have dedicated their lives to making other people’s lives better and when politicians claim that they are failing in their calling it brings a cold fury on me that I struggle to contain.  Education has become a political football kicked around between our two major parties in an attempt to score points with voters to the detriment of teachers and the children that they love.

I have a simple litmus test that I use to gauge every action of my teaching day and every thought about education policy; does it help kids? That’s the business I’m in and if that thought doesn’t guide your decisions about education I have little time and no tolerance for your ideas.  I heard a preacher once say that sitting in a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car. Sitting in a student’s desk for 12 years does not make you an education expert either.  Who are the education experts? Teachers.

Only six states spent less on education per pupil than North Carolina but our students’ scores were 23rd on national tests.  That’s one heck of a return on investment for a failing system.  When adjusted for inflation, North Carolina is spending less per pupil than before the Great Recession and I can’t overlook how our General Assembly bragged about increased spending on education.  That would be like me explaining to EJ that I have increased spending on her birthday candles over the last ten years.  Sure you are 12 now but 9 candles will have to do.

Simply put, we need to build up the people who are in the trenches everyday with our most precious resource and not belittle or politicize their impact.  We need to settle on one effective curriculum and teach it with the proper support and stop testing our kids to death.  We need to fund education as if our future truly depended upon it and on this day especially we need to remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  

Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.

As a Biblical character, you know you’ve made it when even folks who’ve never read the Bible know who you are and such is the fame of King Solomon.  In his most famous judgment, Solomon was required to choose which of two women was the actual mother of a newborn baby. His solution, according to scripture of course, was to cut the baby in half. This revealed the identity of the true mother as she would do anything, even giving up her own child, before she would see it come to harm. I would love to see what the wise king could do with the current state of affairs within North Carolina politics.

According to information from the North Carolina State Board of Elections website, North Carolina has 6,760,450 registered voters.  It doesn’t say how many of them are active voters and it also doesn’t indicate how many are currently alive but it does provide some food for thought.  When broken down by party, Democrats make up 39.3% of the electorate in North Carolina while registered Republicans check in with 30.3%. Following closely behind are independents or as they are know in political party parlance, unaffiliated, with 29.8% of registered N.C. voters.

Given those numbers it is obvious that Republicans have punched far above their weight in every election since 2008.  The 2010 election saw N.C. mirror the country in a lurch back towards a more conservative bent and the N.C. GOP has capitalized on those victories.  With super majorities in both the State House and Senate, Republican leadership seems both drunk with power and desperate to hold onto it.

Bills placing extreme limitations on abortion (or reproductive rights if you prefer) and HB2 represent a social agenda far more conservative than most North Carolinians prefer.  I’m not arguing a position on these laws, necessarily, but merely pointing out that according to polling they don’t represent the wishes of the majority of North Carolinians.  Conversely, elected Democrats have lined up solidly in opposition to these extreme measures and like any army hopelessly outnumbered have resorted to the political equivalent of guerilla warfare.

The latest political imbroglio for North Carolina comes in the form of the Legislative special session where Republicans attempted to shift powers within state based apparently on the November election:  From the governor to the General Assembly, away from the Board of Education to the incoming superintendent, and the piece de resistance in the form of a complete overhaul of the Board of Elections.  Reclaiming “legislative oversight” pursuant to the state constitution many Republicans claimed while Democrats screamed “power grab”.

Cue the scenes which have become all too familiar to middle of the road North Carolinians.  Clamoring protests by the NAACP and other liberal groups and sweet grandmothers being arrested by Capitol police all while Dallas Woodhouse screeches in the background about the Christmas Massacre of 1976.  God bless us everyone, indeed.

With politically gerrymandered districts protecting many Republican officials it is unlikely that even the continual stream of negative court rulings will slow the tide of their conservative agenda.  Meanwhile, Democrats hold slim hope that Gov. Cooper will spend more time governing than fighting rearguard actions against the state legislature.  In his inaugural address Cooper said he refused “to spend the next four years engaging in political brinksmanship.”  Sorry Roy but that’s what you signed up for.

Sadly, if our elected leaders were presented with the opportunity to split the baby it appears that each would be more than willing to take a half.

Helping the refs

My oldest daughter happened to be entering the living room the other day as I screamed for a penalty to be called in favor of my beloved Manchester United. Anyone who has ever seen me coach a soccer game knows that finding passion isn’t a problem for me nor is attempting to assist the referees in making a decision. At home, watching soccer, I’m even more vociferous and helpful.

“Which team is Manchester United?”, EJ asked as I wiped my spittle from the television screen.  My first thought was how much Palmer was going to enjoy not having to split her inheritance with her sister but then it hit me.  Switch shirts.  Would I feel the same if the play had happened in the exact same way except on the other end of the field?

In my classroom, one of my main teaching tools is to encourage students to defend the position opposite of the one they hold. I’ve had Hispanic students push for border walls, evangelicals defend gay marriage, and boys still in camouflage from their morning deer hunt speak in favor of gun control. I’m not trying to make these students change sides;  I’m trying to make them see that there is another side.

Take your medicine

If I was captain of the debate team I would take my own medicine and explain why the Russian hacking (or should I say alleged hacking) of the U.S. electoral system isn’t a big deal.  Turns out that at least in this instance I’m not able to do what I ask of my students. I can’t seem to turn this situation in my head in any way to where it isn’t a big deal.

I know that Team Hillary did a poor job in some swing states where she felt victory was all but assured and therefore ignored them. I know that the emails released were not doctored in any way but were in fact the exact words of Democratic operatives. It is not my intention to question any of the facts about Hillary’s poorly run and ill fated campaign.  My point is that if the shirts had been switched and the same thing had happened to the Trump campaign I doubt he would be urging America to “move on.”

If I remember correctly the President-elect questioned the efficacy of the electoral process consistently up until election day so leaked emails potentially hacked by a foreign power should be of grave concern to him.  The question to ask is why Donald Trump is unconcerned with potential meddling by foreign powers even up to the point of casting aspersions on the intelligence community.

The answer, in my opinion, is that it is not that he is unconcerned with hacking but instead is more concerned about the perceived legitimacy of his election and therefore his presidency.  We’ve all seen how difficult it has been for an African born, Muslim to be considered a legitimate president and he won the popular vote and electoral college. Twice.  

Ironically, while I was writing this piece Manchester United beat West Ham 2-0 after the Hammers had a player red carded in the 14th minute and were forced to play the rest of the game with 10 men.  If the shirts had been switched I might be in the hospital right now and Heather would be keeping vigil bedside while searching Amazon for a new T.V.

“You’re so smart Brian and you know so much about politics and life in general. You should have your own blog”, said no one ever.

It seems that American and North Carolina politics have become more and more defined by extremism. I’m not sure if this is truly the case or if social media makes it appear that we have become more comfortable defining ourselves by our differences.

I also thought this might be a great place to bring in factual information without a political slant (as much as possible). I read news from a variety of sources/political leanings and attempt to distill it into a cohesive set of beliefs.  This blog is a way to let others behind the curtain, so to speak, to understand how I arrived at my own belief systems.

Finally, I think this blog might be a great place to bring to light some overlooked topics that may be important but have trouble making it onto our radar.

So, why a blog?

It is not my intention to write a modern-day version of The Federalist Papers nor am I so delusional as to think I may become the next Gore Vidal or Christopher Hitchens.  This blog will be, in short, a way to make me think. If I can make you think along the way so much the better.

Another reason I’ve chosen to write this blog is that most social media outlets, Facebook especially, have become a place for bumper sticker politics, propaganda, or outright false information. Facebook is a great place to be reminded of friends’ birthdays,  beat our chests about the latest victory of our favorite college team,  or discover important lifehacks like peeling an entire bag of potatoes with an electric drill in 23 seconds but it is not a place for deep thought.

Finally, I think this blog can be a voice for the independent minded, politically unaffiliated voter in an era when two-party politics controls much of the machinations of state and federal government.  But more on that later…