31 Jan 2018 Why Do Differing Opinions Matter?

Why do differing opinions matter?

It is critical in a democracy the multiple viewpoints are presented, discussed, argued and accepted. No one person or organization has all the answers or ideas, one of the sad things I have seen in the USA is people hating others who disagree with them. Why would you only want to surround yourself with people who only think like you, but more importantly, does it really need to rise to the level of hate if someone has a different view?

The polarization of speech needs to be address, there are examples in US history where people have vastly different views, but they were close friends. This was true on politics, now it appears a matter of honor to not only disagree with someone but also question his/her integrity. College campuses used to be the great bastion in a diverse discuss, now they are safe zones where someone can go to not to be offended by free speech.  Articulating ones values and rights is whtt free speech is protected.

To me what seems to get lost is that it protects not only your speech but also that of those who oppose your position. You have to fully address the concept. This means tolerating the speech you find offensive. Just because someone or some groups said something so repulsive to you, that does not mean it will go into some law you have to live with. If radical Islam had their way politically you wouldn’t have free speech, but in a democracy is critical that radical Islam has to be able to voice their views.

Here is a crucial point, voicing your views and acting on them are two very different things. I would defend with my life the right that radical Islam has to voice their views, I will also give up my life to fight them if they try to implement these views. Radical Islam is an extreme example of free speech. Look at politicians, has anyone stated a position so vile that you actually hate them? I have vastly different views with politicians depending on the issue. However, I can’t say I actually hate one. I might not like someone, but hate is a whole different level. I can also see myself being friendly with a politician even if we have major differences.

Now let’s take this to the personal level. How inclusive are you in your circle of friends? You have group think? I would find that incredible boring. I have friends who I argue with very intensively, but I still love them and value our friendship. Do I have a defensive limit I use to determine when someone’s views are so unacceptable to me that we can’t remain friends?  Yes, I do. Are there people who had views that I totally despise? Yes, absolutely, but I don’t waste my energy on them until their views will prevent mine. Freedom of speech has to be defended at all cost and a democracy can’t exist without it.

Embrace differences with your friends. You are not always right, they are not always wrong.  Enjoy the opportunity to have the experience of discord.  There are millions of people in the world who do not have freedom of speech and would give anything for it.

30 Jan 2018 What Will It Take

What Will It Take For Congress To Act?

What will it take to get people energized enough to get Congress and the President to take action on our most pressing issues?  How does an institution like Congress have such an abysmal reputation, but still have the members overwhelmingly re-elected?  Is it truly apathy that exists, or that people feel that they as an individual cannot make a difference? 

There are organizations that are slowly having an impact.  No Labels (www.nolabels.org) is one such group.  They are working directly in Washington DC to get Congress people to work together. They are not asking anyone to change positions or principles, but to have dialogue and legislate.  They were instrumental in pushing for passage of the No Budget No Pay law.  Congress does not get paid if a budget is not passed in the time required.  This is a great first step. 

Many people have offered other very practical ideas for laws that Congress should follow.  I would venture to say that if you polled most Americans, they would agree that the proposals are common sense.  One example is No Tenure. That is, one politician has no more power than another purely due to him/her being re-elected more times. Today, seniority is a very big deal in Congress.  A great deal of power is welded by the few who have been there a long time.  This needs to change.  It is a democracy no a union.  You do not get more privileges just for being there longer.

But the original question still remains, what is it going to take?  The answer is, in my opinion, that there is not going to be any massive change in the public’s actions toward Congress.  It will take continuous progress where gains may be slow, but they will come.  Continuous improvement in the quality of information that is provided the people.  Continuous improvement in the ability of people to interact with members of Congress.  Continuous improvement in the ability of people to provide input on issues. 

If you want things fixed overnight, you will be disappointed.  However, what can change in a year, two years? That is where is has to be measured.  Every election, the entire House of Representatives is up for re-election as well as a third of the Senate.  If voters can change 10% of the members each time with someone who pledges to lead and legislate, change can be made.  Or if voters can get a current member to lead and legislate, that would be moving in the right direction. 

Doing nothing, by blaming the other party or person is not a solution.  It is not leading or legislating.  It is very important to point out again that the goal is not to push for particular issues right now, but to get Congress to legislate, especially in the budget area.  We need a budget with all appropriations signed into law no later than 30 September of the fiscal year.   This is priority number one for Congress.  If we do not have the basic budget structure in place, we are dysfunctional. Once the budget process is followed, now it is time to fight for the particular details of it.

What Will It Take?  One person at a time.  It may be a cliché, but that is ok.  Do you care enough to be the next person?  If yes, what are you going to do?    

29 Jan 2018 Who Were Your Influential Teachers Or Classes?

What Influential Teachers and Classes Have You Had?

In looking back at my formal education, there a few classes that stand out that really had an impact on me.  Some were positive and others not so.

On the positive side the first was math in 9^th grade.  Mr. Knauff was the instructor.  His teaching style made the subject come alive.  I just understood it.  It made me really appreciate math.  Now, I did so well that they put me on an independent study program where I worked on the material by myself in the library.  I also changed teachers for this.  I found out I am terrible at independent study.  I need the discipline of the classroom and the instruction from the teacher.  Also, the library was the worst place for me because I spent the time reading and not doing math.  My math grade plummeted.  So, my 9^th grade year in math was half great, half not so great.

The next positive class that made an impact was Mongolian history in college.  I can’t remember the instructors name; however, he was so enthusiastic.  It gave me insight into a part of the world I heard about, but never knew details or the impact the Mongols had on Asia and Europe. I ended up taking 3 classes of his on the subject.  It made me love history and started me on a life long journey of reading about it. 

An example for the not so positive, an instructor that was nice but who was terrible at teaching was the one I had for calculus 101, which was the first in a three part college calculus sequence.  I took this course when I turned 40.  I wanted to go back to college and fix my mistakes from the first time I went.  So here I was in a large lecture hall with 75 other students, mainly 18-20 year olds.  The instructor was an adjunct, that is he is not a professor but someone who had a job outside of the university and taught as a side effort.  In the 14 weeks we had for the semester, he did not get past the 3^rd chapter of a 12 chapter syllabus until the 6^th week.  He did not know how to teach or use time management.   Also, he did not require people to memorize equations as every other calculus teacher did.  We had open book, open note exams.  The test questions came from the book we used.  Now, could I have memorized the material, yes but I didn’t.  I don’t think anyone got less than a B in the class.  The young people in the class thought it was great how he was teaching.  However, it did not prepare us well for calc 102.  In that class, you were expected to have the equations memorized.   There was no open book or open note tests.  So, an instructor who thought was doing well in fact was not.

The quality of the instructor had a huge impact on how well the class material was retained or even enjoyed by the student.  It made me realize how important teachers are in the development of children and how we as a society must recognize that.