Vote, or Don't

During my younger, idealistic life, every voting day came around and I would try to get out the vote.

And then I would look at the percentage of people who don't vote and it's a lot.

Most voter eligible Americans don't vote. 

It seems it's always around 50% of eligible voters.

But...

As I realize how much fake social media is manipulating us, and I read what many people actually post online, and I watch video after video of how uninformed people are...

I've changed.

Don't vote.

I'm not as upset when I see those low voter turnouts because if you cannot even get to the polls, you probably shouldn't be pulling the levers of the voting machine.

So don't vote.

Unless...

You're informed.

You're willing to question what you think is true.

You're going to understand that it's a choice, usually, between two or more people that aren't much different from each other.

Never forget, you hate them more than they hate each other.

So vote, or don't.

I really don't care, and probably wish  you wouldn't if you're not going to do some basic work and be informed. 

And it's really not our fault because we believe that the other side is evil, it's intentional to win elections, but they're not.

They're not.

Insanity

Free people in the West, specifically the USA are slowly spiraling into the end of Western Civilization.

We support terrorists over democratically elected people.

We support dictators when it fits our  purpose.

We support groups that go against our very values.

We can't define words that have been around for thousands and thousands of years.

We will allow our most innocent to be exposed.

And if any of this is brought it, you are being bombarded with propaganda, when in reality, it is them.

Just because I don't support what you do, doesn't mean I lack empathy.

It probably means that I am empathic with the logical, common sense side of the issue.

And I'm not supporting evil people who would love to use the Useful Idiots. 

Another Day in Paradise

You cannot continue to not give someone a raise compared to the cost of inflation, and expect them to be "happy".

You cannot take away planning time for teachers, AND add work to their already busy, stressful schedules and expect them to be "happy".

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree, I tend to think teachers have it pretty good, but the shock of administrators when there is push back from teachers is always catches me off guard.

How long has it been since you were in the classroom?

How motivated are you to do your job every second of every day?

How tired do you get those from above are adding more to your plate?

And why in the world do we have so many administrators and their support staff, and what do they do?

Because every cent that is paid to them is not going to teachers.

But what do I know?

Maybe I'll retire and run for school board...

There's probably a better chance that I'll work and watch and become too cynical to actually care about all the piles of b.s.

And I'll continue to worry and focus on the people who matter the most,

My students.

 

Notre Dame Walk Around and Adidas Circuit in Mishawaka Indiana

 

It's Pouring

I teach many different social studies classes and before each class, we talk about current events "stuff".

I give them time to ask questions or tell me something they read, heard, or found that they think is interesting.

In 26 years, I cannot tell you how many times I have had to share a different idea as a devil's advocate to try and get students out of their echo chambers.

It wasn't too hard in the past.

They read an article, they watched the news and came in with an opinion and I could easily get them to think about that issue from different angles.

I could counter misinformation, disinformation, incomplete information, but now...

I'll use the analogy of someone, one person shooting arrows at me. You could dodge one or two, or all of them because you had time to move.

Then social media came along and it was long being shot at with a gun. The bullets came quicker, but you could still move and counter.

But today, with domestic and foreign organizations using bots (which are computers), I am trying to stand under Niagara Falls and not get wet.

It's overwhelming and it's not ending any time soon.

We are becoming less informed,  yet having access to all known knowledge at all times is not helping.

It's hurting.

I used to be all about how everyone should vote in elections.

The more of what I'm seeing, the more of what I am hearing...I'm not sure everyone should be able to vote.

The bots are attacking social media, creating "likes" and recreating an idea so that the user believes that what they are seeing is not only true, but supported by thousands of people, maybe even millions.

Very frustrating.

Very scary.

It's Hard

We have a family member, Hannah Ray, who has been going through some serious health issues.

All brain related.

And our family has dealt with other health issues, but it's always with a body part that can be changed, helped, manipulated.

You can't do that with the brain.

She has an autoimmune disease that is attacking her brain, and she's only 26 years old.

The goal is to get it under control and to stop her from having strokes.

But it's been a long hard road, and it feels like it's only getting started.

I'm really struggling how and why this could happen to her because she is the sweetest, nicest young woman.

Yet, here she is.

Fighting for both her life and her quality of life...why her?

I cannot wrap my mind around why this is happening, but I understand I will not ever this side of heaven.

I can blame God, get mad at God, whatever, but I approach ever situation like this understanding how in awe I should be of God.

I can never understand what He does, doesn't do, allows, or doesn't allow.

But it's hard.

It's real hard.