The longer I live the more I understand that just because someone’s voice is the loudest, it does not mean they represent the majority. Before we generalize certain situations to large groups of people, let’s examine their true reach. We do that by engaging in the conversation.
April 3, 2012
September 24, 2011
Mini doc about Eurocentric Beauty standards and their impact across the globe
September 22, 2011
To begin with, I never liked him more than I liked me. I don’t mean love-I loved him more than anything. But I always liked me best. If you don’t, it makes it very hard to like and love your child. So when I was raising Rashid, there’s no way that he could have three pairs of shoes and I only had two. And I’m the one working? That’s not reasonable young mothers.
Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines, Common’s motherAugust 13, 2011
Our narrative needs to change from one of being “sick and tired” to one that says: “I am worthy of rest. I am worthy of happiness. I am worthy of fulfillment in my life.
Sophia NelsonAugust 3, 2011
“Mom-are we Republicans or Democrats?”
My 10 year old and I have the pleasure of traveling every Wednesday morning 45 minutes to the doctor (one way). This morning as he listened to the Slate Political Gabfest Podcast with me, he asked me “Mom, are we Republicans or Democrats?”
This was a question I hadn’t considered in a very long time. Traditionally I’ve always voted Democrat. In the past, it was because my family always voted Democrat (my lovely sister being the rare exception).
As I grew older I became increasingly disturbed with what seemed to be a Republican bias towards those who only made six figures or more. I’m a strong believer that how a country cares for it’s most vulnerable (i.e. elderly and children) is a strong indicator of the character of it’s citizens. The Republicans, in my mind at that time, did not care about anyone older unless they came with a pedigree and a lot of money-preferably old money.
As time has worn on, I’ve grown moderately conservative in my views. So while I will probably continue to vote for Democrats, it’s not out of blind loyalty. At the same time, I agree with much of what the Republicans see as part the problem that Democrats allegedly (and sometimes actually) perpetuate. I just don’t agree the solutions are as cut and dried as they make them out to be. For example:
1. I believe in a fair and equitable tax structure (I believe this to be a more Democratic principle). I don’t believe that someone making 7 figures should be paying fewer taxes than someone paying 4. I also don’t agree that those who have found a way to make themselves independently wealthy should be charged with the task of carrying the country (a Republican principle). It seems undemocratic and un-American to punish someone for doing what we tote you are able to do in America so well. We say we want people to make their own way, pull themselves up by their boot straps. And yes some folks didn’t have boots to start, so their were no straps to pull. But should we really be punishing someone who did have boots to find straps on to pull?
2. I believe that many of the social programs we have in place are necessary to take care of our most vulnerable citizens (a Democratic principle). I also believe that many of these same programs are being abused by those who are not vulnerable, but who manipulate and use the most vulnerable to gain access to those resources (a Republican principle). At the same time, the answer is not to simply eliminate the programs. Seniors have paid into the system-while they aren’t receiving the money they paid into the system, and their money actually paid for someone else, if we as a country hadn’t taxed them for this purpose they could have taken that extra money and invested it for themselves. Social Security is a program that is 70 years past it’s expiration date. The real answer is to start weaning the rest of the citizenry off of the program. For those who are still working, give additional tax breaks and/ or require that they invest in IRA’s to prepare for their own retirement. Then when that batch hits retirement age, cut the SS program entirely, allowing those who invested to live off of those investments without undue tax penalties (my principle). I also believe that if we are not going to cap the insurance industry’s ability to overcharge for insurance services, then we need a social medical program in place for children. It is not their fault they can’t provide for themselves, and it is not their fault they are here. I believe that those who can work should be required to work. Too often, from the Democratic side of the house, we make arguments as to why people can’t work, but they are just enabling excuses for those who choose to deliberately leech off the system. Democrats haven’t learned that they can criticize a program without betraying it, and it is okay to criticize people who abuse it without painting a bad portrait of the program. The burden of these individuals on the system is not the entire cause of the country’s economic decline. But the economic decline necessitates us looking at every avenue of repair. Taxing the rich at a fair rate is part of the answer but not the only answer. The answer is also not to take the extra revenue gained to feed into a broken system The system itself needs repair. People need to use the social safety nets as they were intended-stop gaps until they can get on their own feet, not as permanent solutions to their problems.
3. I have socially conservative views. Some of them lean towards the Republican side of the things. Where I diverge from Republicans is their insistence on politicizing social viewpoints. Who marries who and who aborts what is between that person(s) and their Creator. It is not my place to prescribe to them what they can and cannot do. God gave us free will for a reason. We have a right to choose him or not. God is love-love does not force a choice.
4. I believe gun control is necessary (Democratic Principle). I hate that any yahoo and foolywang can go out and get a gun, and shoot up a day care and hide behind the second amendment.
5. I believe in Capital Punishment (Republican Principle). If your crime is heinous enough to rob another of their life then you have forfeited the right to live in my opinion. I’m not speaking of those who kill in self defense. Levi Aron, Casey Anthony, Raye Dawn Smith, Jeremy Strohmeyer, and many more need to burn in hell for the crimes they’ve committed. Is this a strong opinion? Sure, but all of these people are directly or indirectly responsible for the death of a child. And child molesters/murderers get no love from me. You have to have lost a large piece of your soul to harm a child.
6. Unions are not the cause of the country’s economic problem. Corporate greed and exportation of jobs is. Those who are rich and can’t be happy with 8 figures, but find that they can get 9 figures by sending all the work overseas, are traitors who deserve to be sent overseas with the jobs they shipped out. (my Principle).
So…are we Republicans or Democrats? I’d have to say I’m probably neither. But isn’t that the problem with modern politics? We are so busy trying to put people in categories it doesn’t give them the freedom to be the truly complex beings they are.
July 26, 2011
One Dissertation Proposal Defense down, 1 HSIRB Committee to go!
This morning at 10:00 a.m. I was scheduled to defend my dissertation proposal. In order to proceed with your research, you must first present your proposal before your dissertation committee. With their blessing, they will allow you then apply for HSIRB researcher status to begin your data collection.
Because I’m 8 hours away in New York, and my committee is in Southwestern Michigan, they were kind enough to allow me to call in for my proposal defense. I will be traveling back to Michigan for the actual dissertation defense.
I touched based with my dissertation advisor at 9:55-she was all set. She gave me the number to call. Asked for 10 minutes. I gave them 11. Then I called. And the phone rang.
And rang.
And rang.
And…rang…?
Fortunately, I have my advisor’s cell from a conference we attended and called her. She indicated the committee was sitting patiently staring at the phone.
I was hoping this wasn’t a sign of things to come.
After 15 minutes of trying to work through the problem, we finally were live with each other at 10:25. I had sent my powerpoint to my chair and she scrolled through it on their end as I presented for 30 minutes. I spent the next hour and 10 minutes fielding questions and getting great feedback.
Yes..an hour…and ten minutes.
It actually sounds more harrowing than it was. The time was spent providing feedback regarding what I had presented, and helping me understand that sometimes my writing wasn’t as clear as my presenting was. This is important since someone may want to pick up my study and create their own from it. I got a lot of great feedback and was able to clarify some things for my committee. They gave me their blessing to proceed with some necessary edits.
I’m pretty excited-and under the wire. The HSIRB committee has to receive the app the first Wednesday of the month to review it on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. I have to research it, but I’m nervous if I can’t make the edits by next week and get them off (15 copies), I’ll be delayed a month.
But I’m excited and proud to have successfully defended. There were a few times I was ready to throw in the towel-this was the positive reinforcement I needed to press forward!
Onward and upward!
July 6, 2011
I am certainly not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors.
Thomas Jefferson [Taken from a letter to Samuel Kercheval, July 12, 1816.]July 5, 2011
July 4, 2011
I wanted to let you know I enjoyed your post. As a person of faith in higher ed I feel I have a different perspective from both my christian friends and higher ed friends. Thanks for the thoughts.jeffjackson
Not a problem. It is a unique place to be-sometimes you feel as though you are straddling different worlds because your ideas don’t squarely fit in any of the boxes people design for you based on your faith, education, or profession.
July 3, 2011
Stream of Consciousness
Watching my FB timeline and the fallout I’ve seen in response to the NY Marriage Equality Law has been interesting. I’m grateful to watch very diverse opinions on different subjects fill my timeline-it means I’m not one to go with the flow and only associate with like minded people. But it has caused me to examine some of my own thoughts and opinions. They include the following:
1. I support the NY Marriage Equality Law. People failed to realize that nowhere in that piece of legislation did it require churches to perform marriage ceremonies for gays and lesbians. Indeed, if I’m not mistaken, there was a clause specifically designed to protect them from legal action as private entities from being compelled to do so. Why someone would want to get married in a arena that doesn’t accept them is beyond me, but hey, who am I to ask that question?
2. I support the movement to require ID when voting. I absolutely detest the fact that people of color are being painted as victims. In order to do just about anything in this country, including applying and accepting a job, applying for public assistance, applying for school, etc, you need to have, bare minimum, a birth certificate. I’ve lived in several states in the Union, from the West coast to the East Coast, and I’ve not lived anywhere where it costs more than $25-$30 maximum to get at least a State ID (I’m factoring in the cost of getting your birth certificate as proof of ID when applying). Instead of fighting this push as a way of disenfranchising, doesn’t it make more sense to educate and start drives to help people get the proper documentation? Educate the community-don’t allow them to further enable a victim mentality.
3. I don’t care about other people’s sexuality. Seriously, heterosexual, gay, lesbian or otherwise, that is between you, your partner, and your God. It is not my place to condemn you or big-up you for who you love or are attracted to. Furthermore, I think God cares even less about this than He does about the way my fellow Christians are so negative to people that they are driving people away from Him. Yes, Jesus said to love the sinner and hate the sin. He also said to break up YOUR OWN FALLOWED GROUND-meaning unless you are perfect and ready for heaven this very moment, you should be working on you and what He requires of you, not stressing about what someone else is doing in the bedroom. Look at how you are treating others-you may find the source of your misery and discontent is staring you right in your face when you look in the mirror in the morning.
4. I love the Lord God and His Son Jesus with all my heart. I believe in the overriding truth of the Bible. And I believe the overriding truth, the common theme is this: Do what is right that others may be saved. Let your life be an example, a testimony to others. The love and compassion you show others will be the way that they learn to love and show compassion to those in their sphere of influence. Ultimately that is what will save and redeem us, not the keeping of traditions and tasks. And by saved, I’m not focusing on what happens after we die and Jesus returns-I’m talking about saved in the sense of what our world looks like in the present moment.
