What You Don't Know...

National politics have been center stage in recent days. Most of us know what the Senate and the Congress do, and what the President does. Many of us know who our Senators and Representatives are. We learn more about national politics in school, I think, than state or local. When a crisis like a government shutdown occurs, we find out a) how local it can actually get, and b) how much we really don't know about how it all works.

But how much do we know about State government, for instance? I am not addressing this to my friends who are political geeks and enthusiasts--I know that you know. I am talking to basic, ordinary people. What district do you live in? Who are your state delegates? Senator? When they go to Annapolis, what is it exactly that they do? Do you know?

The old saying is that what you don't know won't hurt you. So maybe if we just focus on national politics the local stuff will take care of itself and we won't have to take the time to learn much about it. I mean, it can't be that important, right?

Speaking for myself, I am finding my ignorance and complacency challenged by my friend and fellow blogger Tom Coale, who is seeking to represent the residents of the newly-drawn District 9 B as a state delegate. As he does the work to connect with voters and outline his goals I find myself drawn in. But then part of me backs up and says, "But, this isn't my district."

What difference does the delegate of District 9 B make to someone living in District 13? Shouldn't I focus my attentions on the issues and candidates in my own district? Is getting involved in another disctrict's race "cheating", somehow?

Well, recent events at the national level have given me a new perspective. Lawmakers in both houses, whose names I may not even know, who were not elected by me, worked to get us out of the mess we were in. So, it seems likely that could happen in Annapolis, too. Doesn't it?

And shouldn't we all be invested in bringing one more voice of intelligence, thoughtfulness and compassion into government? We can't be there to watch these people every minute. Public trust is no joke. Or shouldn't be. Just as we strive for healthy, vibrant communities in which to live, we will be best served by electing a healthy, vibrant community of legislators.

Just imagine it.

So yet again, someone has challenged my little voice that says, "It's not really my responsibility." And now I've got to figure out what to do about that.

hocoblogs@@@

Posted with Blogsy

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

Separate and Unequal

Remember “Separate but equal”? Remember how that really meant that Black schools languished in broken-down buildings without adequate heat or toilet facilities, with cast-off, ragged learning materials, underfunded and largely ignored? The Supreme Court struck that down in 1954. The evidence was clear that separate was not equal. Plessy v Ferguson had led to - - no, endorsed - - deeply unequal schooling and opportunities. We tend to think of Brown v Board as being purely about racial integration. It was not. It was about the logical consequences of segregation. And they were not, not, not equal. The ruling in 1954 didn’t transform public education for non-whites into a land of milk and honey by any means. But it articulated some essential truths in a way that made including everyone a legal precedent which could be relied upon and built upon. It was better than what came before it but it rested upon unsteady ground. It did not necessarily change the hearts or minds ...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog