I’ve tried to be politically neutral on this site, but I’m about to throw that out the window. I’m watching the Republican convention, and I’m angry at a few things I’m hearing.
First, I’m sick of people downplaying the power of good speaking. It does not matter what the next president can do himself. What matters is what the next president can inspire Americans to do. I know this on a small scale. As a minister, it is more than foolish to believe that I can come into any congregation and do anything important on my own. I had better be able to cast a vision and make that vision the people’s vision. And I’d better be listening to the people, too. If we elect another president who cannot speak publicly, we will suffer the consequences. When I watched Palin deliver her first speech after being named the VP pick, and I watched McCain reading her speech over her shoulder, I cringed. Not again!!
Second, I’ve heard two speakers, including Palin, shame Obama for saying the prisoners held at Guantanimo Bay should be given basic civil rights. What an ignorant position to take. First, not everyone held there is guilty, as we have learned in the past several years. That’s what prisoners’ rights are for. They’re for the innocent especially. But they’re also for the guilty. Our republic is not measured by the way we treat the greatest among us. It is measured by the way we treat those whom some see as the least among us. Palin claims to be a Christian. She should know that already.
I also keep hearing arguments for privatization of education, among other public services. Giuliani said “We’re the party which believes that Americans should choose where their chlidren go to school.” That sounds so wonderful, little boys and girls skipping into beautiful buildings paid for by oil companies, until you consider the fact that when education is privatized, the poorest go without a quality education. Our society has a duty to our disadvantaged! We should be working to improve public education, not to privatize education.
Let say that I am not brainwashed for Obama. He doesn’t go far enough on gay marriage and abortion rights for my liking. But he inspires Americans to hope and dream. That’s powerful. It’s certainly more powerful than three days of mocking Obama’s calls to hope. McCain’s advisor was wrong. This will not be an election primarily about personality. This is an issues and policy election.
Obama responded to that “reading terrorists their rights” comment yesterday. Good stuff.
“School choice” always sounds like such a pleasant idea the way it’s presented by voucher advocates. Unfortunately, the reality behind “school choice” is that it won’t be families that do the choosing; it will be the schools themselves. School privatization will mean the end of any hope of democratic access to equal education. Vouchers are intended to siphon tax dollars from needy inner-city schools to wealthier suburban corporations, religious schools, and private education foundations (who also happen to be big political donors). This, of course, from the party that touts values and “country first.” Ugh! I need to stop; I feel a rant coming on.
Perhaps the communication student and public speaking instructor is a bit biased on this but…
I’ve heard it said that the president should be called the “Communicator in Chief” because that it what they do.
I hear it said over and over again, “We don’t need rhetoric from [X president], we need action!” (Usually from a Senator) I ask my students, who fills potholes in Meridian St.? The mayor? No. The legislators? No. They have exactly one tool in their toolbox. Rhetoric. Executives must use rhetoric, to convince audiences, who convince legislators to pass measures, to pay pothole fillers, to fill potholes. I want my executive branch to talk to foreign leaders and broker peace. I want my president to highlight those issues which need fixing. Then I want him/her to stand back and let legislators do their jobs. I don’t want her/him to exceed his/her constitutional rights. I think there is a need for more rhetoric. Good rhetoric. Not empty, not false. That which appeals to the best in our humanness. That which speaks for the majority and always keeps open a dialogue with the minority. And gives us hope.
“If, through some inscrutable act of providence, I were to lose all my faculties save one, I would wish to retain the gift of speech, for with it, I would soon regain all the others.”
- Daniel Webster
I send my children to private school, and in the next year or two I am trying to get them enrolled in a high quality country day school, and I want to keep that option. I think all children should have quality education, the less fortunate should not have a less effective education system, but I don’t want my children to be forced into public education if I can aviod it. I don’t wish poor education on anyone, but on this flip side if I choose to pay 8,000 dollars a yar to send my kids to Riverfield country day school then I should be allowed, but there is a fear amoung people that there are politicians who want to do away with private institutions.
I have no idea if this fear is founded or not – this is not my area of expertise. I just don’t want the evil dems to send my kids to Tulsa public schools if I can afford something else. This may not be the case I have no idea, just letting you know when I hear it at the converntion the idea of underprivlidged kids getting ripped off is not the point. The point is if the means are there then you should not be forced into a school that does not meet your standards. RLR
K-TC:
Of course, I absolutely agree. And I love the Webster quote.
RLR:
You can keep that option without having the government provide vouchers so more people can be there. I do believe, however, that this is one of the sad parts of capitalism. People who have the money remove their children from the public school system and the rest of us are left to try and make it better. Vouchers would, in my opinion, be a disaster for the public school system. I respect the decision to remove your children, but I don’t want even more families leaving the system. Many of us are indeed forced into schools which don’t meet our standards because we don’t have the money to choose otherwise.
And for all the hell it takes, the public school system has its benefits. I’m seeing them in my Kindergartener already. I wouldn’t send him to a private school if I did have the cash.
My oldest girl (age
seems somewhat gifted to me – of course I am her father – and she has a real panache for learning and a desire to reach great heights. I firmly believe she could go to Harvard or Columbia or even MIT if she so chooses. I just wonder if those talents can be really brought out in the West Tulsa school district. If I was in Bixby or Broken Arrow then TPS might be an option, but where I am located it just isn’t a good system. Do I stay in the system and effect change at the damage of my kids or do I put them in an environment where they can succeed. It is a quandary that I still think about often.
I agree with you on the voucher issue (gasp! We agree), as long as the removal is private institutions does not become mandatory. I am most worried about targeting institutions where children are receiving good educations but have Christian values for which the general political society derides them.
Riverfield is a mainly secular school with Christian overtones – under the dems plans would a school like this come under fire?
BTW I can’t afford private school without the financial aid programs, I can’t afford the separate music lessons and art classes either, but I really want to give my kids every chance to succeed that I can. We make other sacrifices to give them opportunity. RLR
How did that stupid emoticon get in my relpy – it was supposeed to be an 8 – i will never knowingly use an emoticon as long as I live, thats a promise you can take to the bank