Today's decision to confirm the president's nominee for Secretary of Education made me angrier than I've been during this entire election process. This hits home for me, as a public school graduate, parent, and employee.
And just when I thought the day couldn't get politically worse, I received a call-to-action email from my chosen teachers' organization. Apparently, a state senate bill has been proposed to bar teachers from using automatic paycheck withdrawal for professional organization dues.
That's right, the state government is now trying to control how I spend my money and manage my funds. It's okay to use automatic withdrawal for donations to my school district (funny, right, teachers giving money BACK to their schools?) and to United Way campaigns, but apparently not to the organization that directly supports my profession. Hmmm, could it have something to do with the fact that we have lawyers who frequent the State Capitol on our behalf?
This is just my tiny corner of the universe, and I am feeling personally attacked. When I start thinking of other issues such as the National Security Council and judicial appointees, I can't even begin to fathom the chaos that will ensue if they continue the regressive tactics they have already shown to favor.
Election 2018 seems so very, very far away tonight.
What I fear most is that this insanity will wear us down and we'll stop being outraged. We can't let actions such as DeVos become anything less than an an abomination. Rage on.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Julieanne. I went to bed so very, very weary last night. I need to channel the rage to action, so that it doesn't burn me through.
DeleteI'm so disheartened and disgusted by the confirmation of this woman who seems solely focused on the destruction of public education. I was free writing earlier, trying to burn off some of my stress ... and suddenly out of my pen came this:
ReplyDelete"I start to lose hope, but I can't. I have to keep fighting, keep strong in my belief that we can survive this horror and that we can fight back against it and not lose everything. I'm thinking about how we get through. How do we build up for the midterms and take back the House and Senate? How do we then start to build back all the horrible things these people are going to do up until then? That's where we have to fight. We need to swing the midterms back toward sanity."
Here's to all of us getting through and creating change in 2018!
You stated my fears perfectly--how much damage will be done between now and midterms? I'm afraid that if we take a wait-and-see approach, it will be too late, or at the very least, make swinging back to center so very, very hard. I'm exhausted thinking about it, but I know that's what the "other side" is counting on--our eventual giving up.
DeleteI know. I wish I had words. Can't believe all that is happening. Looking for hope wherever I can.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking of those 50,000 people I marched with here in Austin. That gives me hope!
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