I don’t know what the context of this photo was but sports figures raise fists, take knees and stand during the national anthem. That doesn’t make them un-American or more American and anyone who says so may fail to understand what being an American is or should mean.
The Value of Education
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. – Nelson Mandela
We need to stop telling young people they don’t need to get a high school education or graduate HS. I’ve heard lots of colorful stories about dropouts that went on to become millionaires. We all realize that’s not the favored odds. High school should prepare young people to begin life and become productive citizens, as Barack Obama pointed out during his presidency.
I agree with MLK. Intelligence plus character is the true goal of education. Our current state of intelligence suggest reading above the 8th grade level will provide benefits to an individual. To MLK’s point, with education comes intelligence and, hopefully, greater understanding of social conditions and perhaps suggestion of how to resolve socialĀ problems.
A. Phillip Randolph, once called “the most dangerous man in America,” led 250,000 people in the 1963 March on Washington.
The Goal of Education: Part 1 of 3
The Value Of Education: Part 2 of 3
Proctor & Gamble: The Talk
Freedom of Speech is perplexing. We should all exercise our right to Freedom of Speech but when people can’t agree on the “truth” and suggest their “Alternate Facts” are just a valid, what are we left with? Noise, just noise. Now that we have Freer Speech we should work towards intelligent conversation and eventually meaningful dialog.
I had “The Talk” with my mother and continued it with my children. I had “The Talk” with my Cool Nerd granddaughter before she started Jr. High School this year in a neighborhood with a checkerdĀ past outside our own.
Please don’t think “The Talk” is one conversation. It becomes the “To thine own self be true” speech. It becomes part of the lexicon to live by. The scene where the mother tells the daughter it’s not about her driving, it’s about whether she comes home brought tears to my eyes especially given the death of Sandra Bland and similar and related incidents that continue around the country.
At basketball practice one evening, from the other side of the court, I saw a kid stick his foot out and trip a 10 year old teammate as he walked by. A rukus ensued so I headed over with the assistant coach. We asked what was going on and one kid complained he had been tripped and said, “These guys were always picking on me”. We asked the other kid what happened and he immediately pointed to the innocent kid standing next to him and said, “He did it”. The kid tripped was ready to accept this as proof someone had wronged him even though someone innocent was blamed. I told the kid who had caused the trip I had seen him purposely stick his foot out. He thought for a moment and said he “I didnt do it”. Even in the face of adult witnesses, this kid was going to stick to his story.
This isn’t about how I handled it, but about people. I wish we were better. We can be if we admit the truth even though sometimes it is shameful.
Fried Chicken & Philosophy 