Can’t seem to fight off this funk today. I only have two reports left to write and the inputting of grades, so that should be manageable tomorrow night and before the weekend. Although we still have another two weeks of school, the end is near and things are wrapping up. So what is it?
I was a bit bummed I couldn’t skate tonight. The conditions were perfect and it was a tease to be there and just watch, but my tendons are still tender and I do not want to risk serious injury before the summer. Maybe I will give it a spin on Sunday. The pain is now isolated just in my wrist and it is almost gone.
There are two factors that have me down today:
1- The Brock Turner case. I can’t seem to shake how awful the whole thing is. I continue to read comments and posts and try to find something rational to say about solutions and what happens next, but I am left with anger and disgust. I still do not have the energy to really capture my thoughts.
In the meantime, there are several articles by people who are getting it right. I guess my main issue is that we need to find way to address privilege and rape culture more aggressively. This behavior cannot be accepted as part of what it means to be a man or what it mans to be in college.
This is criminal.
But the other side that is bugging me is how do we handle crime? How do we met out justice? Would sending Tucker to prison for six years deter rape? Would it teach him a lesson? Would it end rape culture? Is punishment the end result of crime? Is this justice? Do we have a responsibility to teach and rehabilitate? Can we ever teach men that women are not there for our amusement and abuse? When men act as criminals and rape…is there any hope? Do we just lock them up? I feel we need a new approach and it starts like all things in schools and ends with....well I don't know. But I don't think punishment always equates with justice. Prisons will not end crime...schools will.
I am filled with questions and anger.
2. The other thing that has me down is Hillary. I just can’t get myself excited. Sure it is historical that we have a woman nominee, but that doesn’t seem to be enough-she is a center right corporate sponsored hawk. This is status quo America and I was hoping for more. I have never been a fan of the DNC- not with Bill or even Obama, and Hillary is more right-wing than either of those guys. It was so nice to have a politician at least pay lip-service to my ultra-left progressive voice.
I don’t actually live the US, so I don’t have a horse in this race, but I will find it very difficult to get behind Clinton and when/if I ever do, it will feel dirty and shameful, so I actually hope that I don’t.
I do understand that American politics has got to be more than presidential elections. It is clear that we are still a long way from having a viable third-party. The DNC will see to that. We will continue to be distracted by the crazy right-wing dupes and the lesser of two evils.
It appears that in presidential politic, the left has little to no voice. The Bernie Sanders sound bites and primary campaign will be the closest we get to being heard by our government…..unless of course this new movement, this revolution keeps Hillary honest and forces the DNC to move left at the state and local levels.
We need young politicians and union leaders and city council people to push the progressive agenda from the ground up. America will never have a truly progressive president, corporate America and their candidate have made that clear.
Who knows, maybe I need to move back home, roll up my sleeves and fight the good fight, instead of whining and complaining from my privileged seat overseas.
The world has got me down tonight. I understand that some of you are excited about the new Democratic nominee for president, and I hope she is what you want her to be, but we have been here before many times and she, despite her gender, is nothing new. She will pick apart the nation just like her husband did so many years ago. Of course she is better than Trump, but you can say that about a cockroach.
Tomorrow is Thursday. It is June and a new day. I will be ready for it as always.
I was a bit bummed I couldn’t skate tonight. The conditions were perfect and it was a tease to be there and just watch, but my tendons are still tender and I do not want to risk serious injury before the summer. Maybe I will give it a spin on Sunday. The pain is now isolated just in my wrist and it is almost gone.
There are two factors that have me down today:
1- The Brock Turner case. I can’t seem to shake how awful the whole thing is. I continue to read comments and posts and try to find something rational to say about solutions and what happens next, but I am left with anger and disgust. I still do not have the energy to really capture my thoughts.
In the meantime, there are several articles by people who are getting it right. I guess my main issue is that we need to find way to address privilege and rape culture more aggressively. This behavior cannot be accepted as part of what it means to be a man or what it mans to be in college.
This is criminal.
But the other side that is bugging me is how do we handle crime? How do we met out justice? Would sending Tucker to prison for six years deter rape? Would it teach him a lesson? Would it end rape culture? Is punishment the end result of crime? Is this justice? Do we have a responsibility to teach and rehabilitate? Can we ever teach men that women are not there for our amusement and abuse? When men act as criminals and rape…is there any hope? Do we just lock them up? I feel we need a new approach and it starts like all things in schools and ends with....well I don't know. But I don't think punishment always equates with justice. Prisons will not end crime...schools will.
I am filled with questions and anger.
2. The other thing that has me down is Hillary. I just can’t get myself excited. Sure it is historical that we have a woman nominee, but that doesn’t seem to be enough-she is a center right corporate sponsored hawk. This is status quo America and I was hoping for more. I have never been a fan of the DNC- not with Bill or even Obama, and Hillary is more right-wing than either of those guys. It was so nice to have a politician at least pay lip-service to my ultra-left progressive voice.
I don’t actually live the US, so I don’t have a horse in this race, but I will find it very difficult to get behind Clinton and when/if I ever do, it will feel dirty and shameful, so I actually hope that I don’t.
I do understand that American politics has got to be more than presidential elections. It is clear that we are still a long way from having a viable third-party. The DNC will see to that. We will continue to be distracted by the crazy right-wing dupes and the lesser of two evils.
It appears that in presidential politic, the left has little to no voice. The Bernie Sanders sound bites and primary campaign will be the closest we get to being heard by our government…..unless of course this new movement, this revolution keeps Hillary honest and forces the DNC to move left at the state and local levels.
We need young politicians and union leaders and city council people to push the progressive agenda from the ground up. America will never have a truly progressive president, corporate America and their candidate have made that clear.
Who knows, maybe I need to move back home, roll up my sleeves and fight the good fight, instead of whining and complaining from my privileged seat overseas.
The world has got me down tonight. I understand that some of you are excited about the new Democratic nominee for president, and I hope she is what you want her to be, but we have been here before many times and she, despite her gender, is nothing new. She will pick apart the nation just like her husband did so many years ago. Of course she is better than Trump, but you can say that about a cockroach.
Tomorrow is Thursday. It is June and a new day. I will be ready for it as always.
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