What do you remember?

I think that most of us over the age of 30 will never forget where we were when we heard the fateful news of what happened on September 11. I still can remember who told me what was happening and how I felt. I can imagine  the look on my face was when I was told the news.

I was teaching Spanish in a very rural area of Ohio. It was a beautiful fall day. But out in this area of Ohio, the school had no cable television, and there was a computer in your classroom, if it functioned.

My first true realization of the devastation was upon returning home and turning on the news. I know that I watched for hours and thought about my friends and the family that I stayed with in Mexico and emailed them to let them know what little information was actually known, but that we were safe in other parts of the country.

It is important to remember!

As an educator, I think that it is of paramount importance that we teacher our young ones what happened that day with an unbiased account. I also find it highly appropriate to promote patriotism on that day. Some “poo poo” patriotism, but what is wrong with being proud of your country?

From the minds of our youth

The other day I thought to ask one of my students if she lived in New York during September 11. She did. In fact, she lived in the Bronx. I asked her what she remembered from that day and she told me that she remembers her mom being upset. But that was it.

These currently high school students were between the ages of 3-8 when it happened. Most of them don’t have first-hand accounts of their own.

What are your thoughts or recollections after ten years?

There are few people that I know that are more tolerant of the rights of people to worship in the way in which they chose than me, but this story really pisses me off.  Pardon the language.  But this is crazy!

Apparently this church in Kansas believes that God is punishing Americans for their acceptance of the rights of homosexuals by allowing horrific events to befall our country.

The lead lunatic, Rev. Fred Phelps (and I use the word Reverend in the loosest sense of the word), has led protests all over the United States at public events to be seen by the media.

These vermin appeared at the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards, as well as other high publicity events.

Their new venue is the funerals and vigils of the victims of the shooting in Phoenix Arizona.  According to the Christian Science Monitor, the public has a message and plan of their own.

Tucson residents also sprang into action when news of the planned protests spread. Many intend to meet the picketers with human barricades and some say they will wear oversize “angel wings” to shield mourners from seeing the protesters along the funeral routes.

Congratulations to the citizens of Arizona for protecting the rights of these individuals to morn in a dignified fashion.  And thanks to Governor Brewer and legislators for passing a law to protect these poor people.

To the members of this “church”…go away!  It is your right to believe what you want and to be as bigoted as you choose, but leave these people to mourn the loss of their loved ones.

Oh, I could just count the reasons that I became disillusioned with the Republican party, but that can be for another post on another day. Although I decided to become a democrat after many years as a staunch conservative, my new party often times isn’t much better on issues that are important to me.

An issue that is of great importance to me, and to the lives of all of us, is gender equality.  I feel like too many democrats pay lip service to this issue, but their actions many times do not back up their public posturing.  In my mind, there is a great divide between saying that you support an issue and vote “yes” on a bill, than truly getting into the trenches and fighting the real battles that affect women on a daily basis.

I could go on about the democrats, but this post is more about my old friends, the republicans.  One charge that cannot be levied against them is one of inconsistency.  According to the Raw Story, the G.O.P. voted in lock-step against the Paycheck Fairness Act.  100%, really?

Even the so called liberal wing of the party, like Senators Snowe and Collins deemed the bill unworthy.

Collins argued that the bill would place undue burden on small business, and “impose increased costs and restrictions on small businesses in an already difficult economic climate.”

Congratulations GOP.  I hope you have sent even more women, and particularly younger women, running away from your party.

I am a democrat, and fairly liberal, but I cannot stand watching MSNBC.  The left in our country like to complain about the conservative slant of Fox News, but MSNBC is the most partisan “news organization” that I have ever had the misfortune of watching.

Here is a very interesting article from Newsbusters about something incredulous said by Contessa Brewer.

She really needs to be fired.  I thought she was hired to be a reporter, not for an editorial position.