Friday, February 19, 2010
Obama, commencement speaker
posted at 8:53 AM | Permalink | 1 comment(s)
Imagine. Wouldn't that be something to remember?! According to a CNN news report, the White House is accepting suggestions for high schools that are working toward Obama's educational goals as indicated in this statement:
Public schools that encourage systemic reform and embrace effective approaches to teaching and learning help prepare America's students to graduate ready for college and a career, and enable them to out-compete any worker, anywhere on the world. . . . This is your opportunity to show me why your school exemplifies the best that our education system has to offer.
Applications are due by the Ides of March and public voting will narrow the field to three, from which the White House and the Education Department will choose the winner. Awesome idea except that schools can't very well be demonstrating effective systemic reform in only the year since Obama took office so it will partly be based on previous performance. And since far too many schools do not do well at creative out-of-the-box learning or developing and encouraging individual strengths and talents, it will be fascinating to see which schools are mentioned, let alone which ones are finalists and which one wins.

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Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sigh
posted at 9:29 AM | Permalink | 4 comment(s)
It is both good and bad news about the United States government that individuals holding office have only limited ability to change the government. Good guys and bad guys are interesting but mainly their effect is on the mood of the populace.

I've often noted the faces of newly-elected presidents. From somewhat open and excited, they become a bit closed and shut down. (If you ever get a chance to see the dance party outside the Arkansas governor's house when the Clintons are awaiting election returns, it's particularly noticeable on WJC's face between just before he knows and just after that quick first briefing.)

Now comes a New York Review of Books article by Gary Wills that somewhat changes the bemusement I've always felt. Wills is focusing on the drive for, and the desire to retain and use, power, that must needs consume men who seek and attain the presidency. Yes, that's obvious once you think about it but I had chalked up the change to a sudden realization of what had just happened, that as the new "leader of the free world" he was now being in possession - among other things - of the code to the famous (although perhaps apocryphal) red phone. Not to mention perhaps some apprehension at being more or less alone in a new, difficult way. But Wills is not musing on the change from private citizen to president. His concern is that President Obama seems entwined in the power of it all as evidenced (to Wills) by the fact that he (Obama) has not undone some of the horrors he was, at least in part, elected to do, and has actually reinforced some.

Human nature being what it is, and the psychological make-up of a man who can bring himself from little boy to U.S. president being as complex as it must be, I am convinced there are no simple answers to even the simplest questions in this regard. Plus, it seems to me that eleven months is a bit early to shake our heads ruefully. Plus, it seems to me that's it's more than possible that Obama is confronting more sides to every argument and more maze-like twists and turns on the way to his goals than he expected and than he wishes to discuss for us all to share while he works everything out.

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Saturday, February 21, 2009
Optimism and hope
posted at 9:45 AM | Permalink | 8 comment(s)
Former president Clinton talked yesterday about the importance of optimism and hope. Yes it's tough economic times, he said, but there is always a place for hope. Whether a few months or a couple of years or even longer, there is always an end to strife and it's important to keep that in mind.

I thought about that game where one team pulls a rope one way and another pulls it the other way. The team that pulls strongly together always accomplishes more than the team that argues and pulls apart.

It is important that we think and speak hopefully about Obama's plan for turning things around even if we think a different way would have been better. Pulling together accomplishes a goal; pulling apart does not.

Nothing is permanent - not war, not recession, not inflation, not depression - nothing. Living through difficulties, perhaps finding ways to weather them in creative and clever ways, can teach us how resilient and strong we are, show us that we can withstand storms and financial problems. We are people, hear us roar (to paraphrase Leon Russell).

I feel hopeful about Obama's presidency partly because so many people were touched and roused by his call to hope and change. He inspired a wonderful sense of optimism and excitement about life and the country and everything else. I'm sorry he has not been speaking with the same tone, recently talking more about how long and hard this will all be. There's a difference between realistic and negative. Right now we need realistic and positive.

Obama got our attention and gained our support for his ideas and proposals with beautiful words and oratorical skill. More, please! We need to continue to feel excited about trusting ourselves, the good in us, the good things that we can accomplish and be.

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