Gandhi and Aragorn ticket

This will be my last political blog (I promise) before the election but I had it rattling around in my head and thought I should get it out.

I read some of a biography of Gandhi this summer. I didn't get to finish it before the new semester started and life got busy but it was a great book...I'll get back to it over Christmas.

I am very impressed by Gandhi. He was a man of action. He believed that understand something and not act on it was strange. For example, he admired Tolstoy, because Tolstoy, in his last days, abandoned a life of wealth for a life of poverty and religious piety. Tolstoy and Gandhi actually exchanged a few letters before Tolstoy's death.

Gandhi was also a man, from all appearances, unaffected by material things. He was concerned once when he was given an expensive gift and set up a kind of charity so that he would not get the gifts, the charity would. If memory serves me right, the charity benefited his newspaper in South Africa and it ran for many years off of those gifts, which were intended for him.All of Gandhi's worldly possessions at the time of his death.

Gandhi also believed in people. While in South Africa, a supporter turned on him. Gandhi refused to hate the man or to take revenge. He said that was the easy and little thing to do. The honorable and great thing to do was to still value the man. Gandhi had even loaned the man money. Later, the man returned to Gandhi and he forgave him.

A few weeks ago I was watching "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring". In the closing scenes of the movie, Boromir comes to Frodo and wants the ring. He realizes his error in the end and dies an honorable death. As Frodo flees from Boromir, he comes upon Aragorn. There is a poignant scene where Frodo offers the ring to Aragorn. Aragorn reaches for Frodo's hand, seemingly to take the ring, then kneels before Frodo. "I would have followed you to Mordor, to the fires of Mt. Doom," says Aragorn, realizing that Frodo is leaving the fellowship and Aragorn will not be with him.

As I consider my home country, the United States, and where we are as a nation, I say we are badly, desperately in need of a Gandhi/Aragorn ticket. We need leaders who see the presidency, not as a prize to be won, nor a power to be wielded at their own whimsy, but a sacred trust given to them by the citizens of this country.

The simple fact that pork barrel projects exist shows how far off the mark we have gotten. Gandhi stood up for the rights of the oppressed. Now we have leaders who just want to make sure they get their fair share (or more) of the pie. And rather than seek the differing opinions of their opponents, they seek to belittle and discredit them.

There is much good to be said about the American political process. The fact that in 2000 the presidency came down to Al Gore deciding to abide by a Supreme Court ruling is amazing. In many countries it would have led to violence and bloodshed.

It is time that we remind the entrenched powers that their power is not a right but a trust from the people. Democrats and Republicans have power because we choose to give it to them. This November, I am voting for a third party in the hope that millions others will do the same. I don't think a third party candidate will win but I hope that these candidates gain a larger percentage of the vote and remind the main two parties they are not the only game in town. If the Democrats and Republicans want to stay on top they had better start serving the people or the people will find better representatives.

Why are teachers masochists?

I have been in the teacher certification program for about 5 months now. Currently I am observing a sixth grade class once a week and have a fabulous supervising teacher. It is one of the highlights of my week. I just love teaching.

Then I go to my university classes. My professors bore me. They can't teach well and yet they are the ones tasked with making me an excellent teacher. One professor brought in an article entitled "Texas's testing system forces higher dropout rates". Guest speakers bemoan the standardized testing system now in place in almost every state. They tell horror stories about parents, alcohol and drug abuse and pregnant teenagers. Other students in my teacher training program complain that their supervising teachers are burned out and just like to deride their pupils.

Why is this? Why are teachers so pessimistic, so masochistic? The first day, in a fit of brilliance that has yet to be equaled, my professor proclaimed that only teachers and the clergy aim to make a person better. Most other professions just aim to keep the status quo. So, here we are training for this noble profession and most of the current teachers can't stop spewing vitriol. I believe that for whatever reason, it has been allowed to become teaching culture. No nurses are given articles on how some patients still die, no architects told that some buildings collapse and the rigidness of building codes are reasons to frown. Sure some nurses hate their jobs and some architects are pessimists but usually it is not so. Teachers are a different breed. This includes my university professors that instead of inspiring hope, inspire fear of a warped educational system.

My take is that there are problems in any profession. Patients do die and building codes are a pain to deal with. But, when I enter that sixth grade class tomorrow morning, I know that there are lives that can be changed, futures to be brightened and interesting lessons to be taught, even about history . :) I thank God that I am blessed with a courageous supervising teacher who doesn't follow the depressing pattern that so many teachers fall into. Doctors restore people to health, teachers change the future everyday.

Memories...of the way we were

A long time ago I did some blogging on a site called the World is Round. If you would like to see those posts you can just click here.

Moth

I love taking macro shots, as you well know and this is one from last Thursday when I went out and about with my mom, granny and brother.