Beautiful Freedom

   The things Americans take for granted  - it’s amazing to think that there are many countries around the world where the citizens do not have the freedom to express themselves . Blogger  Thi  Huynh  a Vietnamese citizen emphasizes that limitation of freedom to express oneself in Vietnam, in a simple but honest blog entitled Freedom. In her blog Huynh speaks of her admiration of Americans for the ease and freedom in which they express themselves.

      Thanks to the founding Fathers and the Constitution of the United States, Americans are free to express themselves in various ways, as explained in the First Amendment. This brings to mind a recent topic discussed in our Government class – Snyder v Phelps. In that infamous  case, Phelps and his Baptist Church prevailed in the United States Supreme Court after they were sued by Mr. Snyder, who felt violated by their protest at his military son’s funeral. According to the Judge , Phelps and his church were protected under the First Amendment which granted them specific freedom of expression.

    Would something like that ever occur in Vietnam? Would the Phelps have had the rights to protest at a funeral? Would the Phelps’ freedom to express themselves at someone’s funeral prevail in a Vietnamese Supreme Court? Probably not .However ,despite my despise for Phelp’s  action, I still prefer the United States way – Freedom to express or not express. Noam Chomsky an American philosopher says it best , “If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

by Lam ,the KingGov

The Zip Code, A National Issue

                                              The Zip Code

                   As I examine the  Stamford Advocate story  of the Connecticut mother arrested for sending her son to a school in a district where she does not ” live” , I have to justify to myself that this situation is a national government issue. While it happened in Norwalk, a city in Connecticut, similar situations are occurring all over the country as districts try to allocate scarce local money for their local students. I can understand that local school districts are struggling. Here in Austin teachers are being fired because of low budget, but does that mean that a homeless  child should be removed from his school? Does that mean that his homeless mother should be arrested and could possibly face twenty years in prison and $15000 in fine for stealing $16000 in education from the Connecticut Kindergarten school her child was attending?According to staff writer Nickerson, the mother  Tonya Mcdowell  is charged with the federal crime of larceny. This is not a local matter anymore. It is a national, federal, government issue. The Constitution  explains the dilema best when it comes  to this mother’s case. The constitution cannot dictate to a State what to do about a public school ,but the constitution can provide equal protection through the fourteenth amendment.  Consequently, besides going to court to avoid jail time, Tonya McDowell , the mother seems to have a case in taking this to higher courts including the supreme court.

       I would fully support that move. Here we have a homeless unemployed mother, moving from shelters to friends, trying to find a stable life, being arrested for trying to put her child in a good school. What is wrong with that? Should a zip code dictate the life and death of a child? Ms. Mcdowell obviously knows the answer to that question when she thought she was doing the right thing by enrolling her child in her friend’s neighborhood school district. In a story done by NPR on this same issue, writer Helena Andrews quotes Henry David Thoreau “Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison." Ironically, only this week for a research, I read a study released by NAACP entitled "Misplaced Priorities: Under Educate, Over Incarcerate” . This sudy reveals that the federal government was spending six times more money on prisons than they were on education as they imprison blacks and browns.  I must conclude that it makes me sad to think that there might be no hope for Ms. McDowell and her son if this horrible trend continues.

Original Libyan ... Congress

           “Sometimes, the course of history poses challenges that threaten our common humanity and common security ...preventing genocide and keeping the peace; ensuring regional security, and maintaining the flow of commerce. These may not be America's problems alone, but they are important to us, and they are problems worth solving. And in these circumstances, we know that the United States, as the world's most powerful nation, will often be called upon.”  These are the words of President  of  President Obama's Speech On The Situation In Libya . America’s need to help another country is paramount in this situation. I do agree with the blogger of Original that congress is the one that has the authority to declare war. But when since World war 11 has Congress been the one to declare war? It has always been the Presidents. It is known that President Obama is not a war monger. Part of the reason he won the election was on that premise.  He would not have declared war on Libya unless he saw the dire need to do so. He pointed out that reluctance in that speech when he said “ Mindful of the risks and costs of military action, we are naturally reluctant to use force to solve the world's many challenges. But when our interests and values are at stake, we have a responsibility to act. That is what happened in Libya over the course of these last six weeks.”

    Mind you, I agree that congress should be involved. The constitution calls for that.But while Congress did not vote however, the bipartisan leaders of Congress were consulted. Obama did not do this on his own. There were several consultations and discussions even between Senator Clinton and Libyan diplomats. And yes I agree with the blogger of Original that the United States cannot continue to solve the world’s problem, but this time senator McCain probably said it best in an interview on CBS Moammar Gadhafi has "American blood on his hands" as a reason the U.S. should try to oust the dictator.”

Steel Magnolia $94 million

   She is seven months pregnant - active, energetic, dynamic  - moving around in the classroom as she directs her theatre art students in rehearsal for the play Steel Magnolia. Nicki Guckian’s quick smile belie the troubled thoughts and concerned anguish over her soon to be lost job. Yes Nicki and her husband Alan Guckian, also an Austin I.S.D teacher have been slated to be RIFed. Ms. Nicki as her students lovingly refer to her, has not stopped serving her students at Lanier High School.she continues to work diligently and consistently. Her husband Alan, the band director for Eastside Memorial High school keeps taking his outstanding, award winning band students from one activity to  the next. Like thousands of teachers and workers throughout Texas, the Guckians’ are intensely worried about the impending future. Speaking at a recent A.I.S.D board meeting Alan Guckian pleaded for his job, “These cuts are going to cripple my family. If we lose our positions, we lose our home. That’s just a fact.”

            This is the story ; this is a fact. Throughout Texas, devastating layoffs better known as RIF or Reduction in Force are being implemented. It makes me feel  like I am in Gorge Orwell’s Animal Farm, and the Government is finding cute names for the destruction of people’s family, while they the elected leaders wallow in exorbitant spending like 14 thousand monthly rental fee.  A $95 million shortfall, is causing elimination of more than 1,500 jobs from only one school district. The RIF of thousands of positions is causing despair, fear, depression and anguish. “I work hard” is falling on deaf ears in school board meetings, and Legislative House.

     While Ms. Nicki sets the stage for her UIL play Steel Magnolia, her students clearly understand that she works hard, but further down the Avenue in the Capitol someone squeals “She works hard  but I work harder.”  The stage collapsed- Steel Magnolia crumbled. Oops. The Blue Bonnet wept and withered.

Youths ARE not IGNORANT

Paul Stoller, a political blogger on The Huffington Post spoke about the ignorance of some of our political figureheads or leaders. In the article entitled Politics in a Culture of Ignorance, Stoller is specifically referring to former Governor Mike Huckabee , politicians Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. He cannot understand the ignorance they demonstrate in their conversations, comments and writings. “… they unflaggingly demonstrate an acute intellectual incompetence as well as wholesale ignorance of American history and world affairs…”

       I think blogger Stoller’s comments were strong but definitely correct. He was emphasizing the message that ignorance can be a dangerous and devastating thing that reflects very negatively on the commentator but even more so on the listeners. He mentioned this because “they still manage to maintain or even increase their legions of followers.” I do not really believe they have a huge following. People do see the ignorance in Huckabee blaming President Obama for his Fathers doing or blaming Obama’s father for Obama’s doing. People are not foolish. They do listen critically. They do analyze. Young people, despite what blogger Stoller pointed out have not fully descended into this “culture of ignorance”. He says that as a professor he would like to blame the public school system for the youths (some of his students) ignorance in listening and following the lying, ignorant republicans.

   The youths cannot be blamed. Look at the demographic that is following the “ignorant republicans” he spoke about. It is not the youths! Look at the politicians he is criticizing. They are not the youths. If the public school system is to blame, did Palin and Huckabee attend public school in the 90’s and 2000’s or did they attend during the 60 s, 70’s or 50’s when the public school was deemed as better? Mr. Stoller, brought out some good points, but he presented the wrong reasons by implicating the youths.

Do not Turn around Wisconsin Union

     In The New York Times editorial of February 19, 2011,Editor Gary Chaison spoke about the protest and unrest in Wisconsin. The citizens of Wisconsin have been protesting for the past two weeks as they go against the proposals of Gov. Scott Walker ,the Republican Governor who wants to cut the State budget drastically ,and put limitations to the bargaining rights of the State’s public servants through their union. According to Gary Chaison an editor with The New York Times, Governor Walker did this” because he can”. In the editorial , A Turning Point in Labor History, Gary Chaison mentioned that voters are no longer sympathetic to the Unions like they were in the early 1900’s . He went on to say that teachers union and public servants union were not looked upon favorably by voters . As a consequence, politicians like Governor Walker, think that they can easily take away the bargaining powers of teachers and public employees.

      While ,I agree with the argument presented by editor Gary Chaisin who is a professor of industrial relations at Clark University , I was shocked and unpleasantly surprised to read in the article that people were no longer supportive of unions. I was also surprised to discover that not many public employees were actually unionized. Union is good for this nation and this country. When people meet collectively, their voices are stronger and more effective. I personally applaud the many workers and their families and friends who came out to protest against the Governor’s  proposal . It shows him that regardless of voters support, it is not right to take advantage of people by taking away by their bargaining rights.

   As a Professor of Industrialized relationship, Professor Chaison  has updated facts as he urges the union to be more effective and relevant to today’s time, and situation. Again I agree with him, but I am proud of the Union’s stance in supporting their workers and telling the Wisconsin Governor that they will do what they were mandated to do in representing their working people.

More Than a Thousand Places ...Faces - AISD

The Austin Statesman of  Friday February 11,2011, brought out the horrible news that more than a thousand positions with the Austin ISD (school district) will be cut. This simply means that all these people will be losing their jobs. As pointed out by Michael Houser, the head of human resources "As we make these difficult decisions, we realize there are names, faces and careers behind these positions, and that makes this process gut-wrenching,". It certainly is difficult , when one thinks about it. These people behind these positions have families to feed, mortgage to pay , children to send to school, car notes to take care of , and most importantly the dignity of having a job to go to every morning. What will happen? It is scary to think about, knowing that the cut came about because "Austin is planning for a shortfall of $94 million to $114 million — of a total budget of more than $700 million — in the 2011-12 school year. The district is facing dramatic cuts to state and federal funding and lower local property tax revenue." As a consequence ,all these job loses. The human effect will be tremendous. Think about the child who will no longer has her teacher. Think about the teacher who will be overloaded and overworked. Think about.... I think it's best not to think.It is overwhelming, considering that the legislators at the Capitol  " propose reducing public education funding by about $10 billion over the next two years"
 "It is a heart-wrenching time for our district," Board President Mark Williams said.
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-school-district-may-slash-more-than-1-1248927.html