Weeks ago House Representatives refused to award the auto industry a blanket bailout or even a bridge loan. Policymakers insisted they must see a reasonable plan to revamp a business near bankruptcy. The legislators set a deadline for delivery of the proposal, December 2, 2008. This same date was reserved for another auto review; in Florida a delayed vote on emission regulations would finally be realized. The two tales may seem separate; certainly, the cities where Congresspersons will meet are far apart. Nonetheless, the sagas are inexorably connected.
I saw them. I heard them. The undecided voters were no longer in the shadows. The seven, eleven, or fourteen percent, the unpersuadables who either decline to state a preference, or have not yet determined whether they could or would support the presumptive nominees, Barack Obama or John McCain, were there. They stood at the door of the Arena. It was a Thursday afternoon, in Boca Raton, Florida. Hundreds, myself among them, stood in wait as the storms overhead threatened. Rain clouds did not deter us. What some thought oppressive heat did not dissuade the many who wished to hear the former First Lady. As we stood outside and discussed when the doors might open, many shared their deeply held conviction. Obama could not possibly beat Senator McCain without Clinton, and her supporters. If Hillary was at the top of the Democratic ticket, several speculated, we could crush John McCain.
Trend-setter and teacher Congressman Robert Wexler may have mentored many a freshmen class of Representatives. Well into the future, the newest Congressmen and women will study the mistakes that might define an earlier Wexler performance. Certainly, Robert Wexler did. Upon reflection, his trials helped him to acquire great knowledge. The Democrat from Boca Raton, Florida learned his lessons well. He illustrates why, as retired Major League Pitcher Vernon Law attests, "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward."
In Florida, talk of fuel prices flourishes. Citizens communicate concerns in Letters to Editors. For the populace in this Southeastern State is the focus of numerous negotiations, consultations, and deliberations nationwide. The subject is offshore drilling. Might Americans abandon opposition to this environmentally perilous practice and let the petroleum flow. There is much push and pull. There always is when purses are pinched. With the cost of gas high, and the use of cars critical in a culture built on travel, much hot and cold air is bandied about.
Presidential aspirant John McCain is in Florida this week. Five days into the hurricane season that typically haunts this South Eastern State, Senator McCain, grapples with his own disaster. The Arizona Senator, proud of his opposition to a proposed National Catastrophe Fund, needs dollars to restore order to his political house. Hence, the Arizona Senator has come to the Sunshine State to catch some rays, or more accurately to raise the necessary green.
In Florida, it happened again, and then again, just as it did throughout the nation. At two Barack Obama assemblies, a seasoned voter saw what she never imagined. Betsy L. Angert marveled. People in support of Senator Obama do not come to see the Presidential hopeful. In small assemblages, or en masse those present at Obama election events enter with a deep desire to be part of a something bigger than themselves. Common working folks and professional persons come to serve, not to be served.
Americans speak of the divide within this country. Most accept the labels. We are a nation of Red states and Blue regions. People define themselves as Conservatives or Liberals. West Virginian primary election voters, who were asked, reinforced the notion in this nation we are not unified. One fifth of those polled stated, skin color influenced their decision. Former Senator John Edwards often expresses his distress for what he sees as "Two Americas." The one time Presidential candidate reminds us of why the common folks clamor. The rich get richer while the poor become more impoverished. For some of those who fight to endure, a "gas tax holiday" is thought essential. Others believe such a measure will negatively effect the infrastructure and the environment. In Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 14, 2008 a Black man and a white man stood on a stage together united and equal. Some, in this splintered nation of ours, thought this was a sign. Perhaps, Americans would finally come together as one.
On April 15, as Floridians rush to file tax forms few think of more than the burden. The cost of living in the Sunshine State is high. Levies are higher. Each year, the toll these expenditures take on the lives of individuals and families increases. Many citizens in this Southern State cry, "We need some relief!" Representative have heard the call and responded. Yet, the reaction may not be as thoughtful as it first appears to be.
(Tis in the news once again. Our troops take their own lives.
During the month of January, more soldiers committed suicide (24) than were killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan and Iraq combined (16). This is unusual, but--amazingly--not unique. In fact, the problem of military suicides is growing much worse, as Army Chief of Staff George Casey said yesterday in Hawaii.
Casey claimed to be mystified by the suicide rates:
"The fact of the matter is, we just don't know" why suicides have increased, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. said Friday. "It's been very frustrating to me with the effort that we made over the last year, and we did not stem the tide."
"Supporting the troops means more than slapping a bumper sticker on your car" ~ David Berry, 26, Iraq Veteran
They say the soldiers fight for our freedom, and while many may argue the truth of this statement, no one can dispute that we must support our troops. Today, citizens have a chance to demonstrate that we, the people care about those who serve our country in combat. Please reflect on a reality too terrible to ignore, soldier suicide. Then, if you choose telephone, or write, your Florida State Representative. Express your desire to endorse State Bill 2554, Prevention Services for Veterans and Their Families, submitted by Senator Ted Deutch. If you are not a Florida resident, please ponder what you can do within your home region. The tales and the tears of those torn from within tell an unforgettable story. Will we listen, and look for ways to help those hurt by our war?
It is another dark day in the Sunshine State. Votes, voters, and opportunities are lost. Some who wish for a Barack Obama win work to see the light in what was a questionably "fair" election. Those who would prefer Hillary Clinton receive her coronation, want her to claim the Oval Office and her Florida delegates. No once can be certain, which would be better, a second primary or a first election that counted. However, we can all agree, in Florida, elections are rarely effective. Butterfly ballots cause confusion. Chads that hang hamper an accurate assessment. The people's preference in The Everglade State seems to be eternally unknown.
On Thursday, SB 286 passed with little opposition in the Florida Senate. Legislators who voted for the bill either don't understand the English language and literacy learning needs of the .25 million English language learners (ELLs) in Florida schools, or they simply don't care. In either case, if this bill passes in the House of Representatives and becomes law, it will result in our failure to prepare Florida teachers to meet ELLs' very real needs to learn to read in English and to succeed in school. Whether SB 286 has been motivated and propelled by ignorance or by negligence, it represents a giant step backwards for our students.
The fact is that Florida teachers of reading to ELLs need more ELL-specific professional development than some apparently think. I use the case of "Holly" to illustrate. Soon after SB 286 was introduced in the Senate, a reading teacher named Holly wrote in to one of Florida's major newspapers to assert that, based on her experience, teachers do not need special preparation to teach reading to ELLs. Holly stated that she had not pursued the ESOL professional development required by the state because, she explained, "If I had wanted to become an ESOL teacher, I would have done so."
Indeed, Holly claimed that she was "proud to be a reading teacher." Holly went on to report that last year she had been assigned to teach reading to two classes of Haitian students. In spite of the fact that these recent arrivals spoke "almost no English," Holly noted emphatically that she "was NOT teaching these students English. We focused on phonics."
In this a Presidential election year, citizens of this country are intensely aware, every vote counts. The world witnessed, in State after State people scrambled to the polls. Voters of every age have turned out in large numbers. The sprint to the White House is on. Most every electorate wants to join in. the people wish to return to power. Much is at stake. The people want to participate in the process.
Is it the Democrats, or Florida, that is forever the source of much elector conflict? When votes thought to count were not calculated the country clamored. When the butterfly ballot caused great concern, alterations were made. Then the public called for paper ballots. That controversy still brews. Now, a newer, more novel approach to elections garners much attention.
It may have been a January evening; perhaps it was earlier. The year was 2003. I was living in Orange County, California. I saw Gretchen as I exited the pool. She and I were newly acquainted. Quickly we realized we shared a solid belief; war is not an option! On this night, Gretchen mentioned there was a peace vigil at the corner of Anton and Bristol in Costa Mesa. Protestors were gathering across from one of the swankiest market places in the nation, South Coast Plaza. Certainly, Americans would be there, for in 2001, after the Twin Towers fell President Bush and Vice President Cheney encouraged citizens to go shopping.
In an afternoon conversation, Gretchen's son spoke of the event. He had been in the past and she was on her way there now. She asked if I would like to join her. I am as far from spontaneous as a person can be. Nevertheless, there are times when principles are more important than habits. Neither of us hesitated. Gretchen did not have to convince me to go. We attended our first peace vigil together. We were there within minutes. That was the beginning of an all too long and all too important series of protests.
(As the ice melts, and animals struggle to survive in polluted waterways, the climate changes and we celebrate Earth Day. Mother nature may not have psychically lost weight; nevertheless, her profile is altered. We, her children, are just beginning to notice. Perhaps, we did not treat her well. - promoted by Betsy L. Angert)
Please indulge me, allow me to make a comparison that may seem obscure to some. Surely, the Bush/Cheney clan has yet to grasp what others and I have said for years. Humans are harming the balance of nature! We can choose to deny this. Citizen of the world can see them selves as separate from nature; however, we are one. A report released today by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the United Nations, validates this "claim." I offer this analogy in hopes that a personal realization may make the point more profoundly.
Weight loss may be equated with global warming. Those of us that have lost tonnage know that for years, months, or weeks few notice the pounds dropping away. We are aware of the subtle changes because we choose to be. When we work to be sensitive to the mind/body connection, when we work to honor each of these separate entities as one, we become aware of the nuances that surround change.
Many of us have met the man; his pockets are full of change. He jingles as he walks. His money clip is bulging. The bills on the outside and within the fold are all high in denomination. He could peel off the dollars and not deplete his worth; yet he does not. His children wait anxiously for some deliverance; none is given. His family was tired, hungry, and helpless, and he is not. He has much; his relations receive little. Who is this less than benevolent man? He is your friend, your neighbor. He is the brother of your beloved President. He is Florida Governor Jeb Bush!
Greedy Governor Bush may be as many men or women, so concerned with his economic status and strength that he forgets his feelings. I knew that the phallocentric, manly, man, Floridian was quite the entrepreneur; however, I did not realize to what degree. Until my recent move to this fair state of Florida, I had no idea how unfair this Governor had made the region. A recent radio report brought the reality home to me. I share the story.
I am immersing myself in a bubble. At times I am floating and at other times, pop! All that I thought was perfect appears far less than that.
Politics, puns, pontificating, professing, or pretending to know what I cannot imagine, are not my chosen path in this moment. Writing words of wonderment is beyond me for now. I am wrestling with life decisions. I have decided to make a huge change, to consider a life transition. I am certain that I need to at minimum, explore this idea. For the last two months, I have done much research, made many telephone calls, pursued practical avenues, and now the time has come.
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